Changes necessary to convert paper form into electronic document
The two papers obtained from the health facility were scanned and saved as jpg and png respectively. To convert them into electronic documents, they had to undergo some changes using computer software. The first step involved opening the scanned documents in Adobe Photoshop. While in the Adobe Photoshop, the documents were manipulated to have required resolution and colors. They were saved as Adobe Photoshop PDF file types. The files could be posted on web pages where visitors could download them for filling.
How long it takes to convert the paper form and what determines the time taken
It took approximately 10 minutes to convert one paper form into an electronic document. The speed of the computer is one of the factors that determine the time taken to convert paper form into an electronic document. If the speed of the computer is slow, the process of converting a paper form into an electronic document could be long compared to the time taken when using a computer with a high speed. The other factor that determines the time taken to convert a paper form into an electronic document is the file type of the scanned document. Some file types are opened using Adobe Reader while others cannot be opened. It takes a shorter time to convert files that can be opened using Adobe Reader than those which require an intermediate software application. Accessibility of the right software is another factor that determines the speed at which a paper form is converted into an electronic document (Lamming, Eldridge, Flynn, Jones & Pendlebury, 2000). If one does not have the required software application, then he or she has to obtain it from online sources or friends. This might take a long time and lengthen the process of converting a paper form into an electronic document.
Challenges in the conversion
One of the challenges in paper form conversion into electronic document is identification of the right IT support resources for the conversion (Lamming et al., 2000). It is a complicated process of determining the resources needed to convert a paper form into an electronic document for someone who is doing paper form conversion for the first time. The resources required are a computer and its software applications, a scanner and internet connection. The internet connection is required to test the successful conversion of the paper form by uploading it to the website of interest and accessing it from there. Inadequate training is another factor that may impede the process of converting paper form into an electronic document. Personnel who are not well trained in IT applications in the medical setup will not efficiently convert paper forms into electronic documents. The training helps personnel to understand basic terms and procedures in medical electronic records. For example, personnel should know the difference between electronic documents and editable online documents. I took quite some time to understand the difference between editable online forms and online forms (documents). The personnel also need to be sensitized on the benefits of using electronic documents in their work stations. If they are sensitized well, then they will adopt the approaches needed to convert paper forms into electronic documents (Lamming et al., 2000).
Components for the end user to complete
The end user of electronic documents is a website visitor who needs the documents for particular purposes. PDF file types are stable online documents that can be accessed and downloaded by an end user. An end user is expected to locate the document and download it for viewing. An end user might be required to print the online document so that he or she could fill some portions physically. After filling the document, he or she will be required to scan the document and send it as an attachment via email. Any paper form conversion into an electronic document aims at making an end user to access and use an electronic document. Therefore, an electronic document should be created and saved in a file type that will not be manipulated by online end users. File types that allow users to manipulate online documents might not be used to collect reliable data because end users might manipulate them for their selfish needs (Wang et al., 2003).
Simplicity of the electronic forms
Electronic documents are less labor intensive than paper forms. Medical facilities are adopting electronic medical documents because they are easier to handle and require less space than paper forms (Wang et al., 2003). Electronic documents are stored in computer hard disks and websites; thus no physical storage facilities are needed. The electronic documents are also accessed by many end users simultaneously from different locations. On the other hand, paper forms cannot be accessed by many end users from different locations at the same time. Electronic documents require a smaller number of personnel to ensure that end users access the documents online. On the other hand, paper form systems require more personnel to handle document issues because the documents are stored and accessed manually by end users (Wang et al., 2003). These reasons make electronic documents less labor intensive than paper forms.
References
Lamming, M., Eldridge, M., Flynn, M., Jones, C., & Pendlebury, D. (2000). Satchel: providing access to any document, any time, anywhere. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI), 7(3), 322-352.
Wang, S. J., Middleton, B., Prosser, L. A., Bardon, C. G., Spurr, C. D., Carchidi, P. J.,… & Bates, D. W. (2003). A cost-benefit analysis of electronic medical records in primary care. The American journal of medicine, 114(5), 397-403.