Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Goes Paperless with Mi-Forms Digital Writing and Data Capture System

Research Triangle Park, Milwaukee and Indianapolis. January 18, 2006. Optiform and Mi-Co announced today that Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital (CSM) in Milwaukee, WS has implemented an electronic digital writing and data capture system specifically designed to increase the efficiency and quality of data collected on cardiology patients.

“The time and cost savings of converting from the old paper process to a Mi-Forms mobile data capture solution will be significant for CSM. Essentially, the Mi-Forms solution for Tablet PCs eliminates tedious post-processing tasks associated with paper forms by allowing data to be entered while it is being collected,” said Scott McLaughlin, Sr. Technical Advisor at Optiform who is directing the implementation at CSM.

Lori McDonald, Cardiac Database Coordinator at CSM stated that the hospital expects significant increase in data quality as well as major cost savings by replacing the previous paper process with the Mi-Forms mobile data capture process. One reason data quality will increase with the Mi-Forms Software on the Tablet PCs is that business rules and real time data validations will now be done at the point of data capture. Instead of routing incomplete or inaccurate forms back for corrections, data collectors will receive immediate feedback regarding the validity of each form before it is submitted. Currently, CSM collects over 700 data elements for specific cardiovascular procedures.

“We can implement the Mi-Forms Software Solution at virtually the same up front cost as expanding our paper process,” stated McDonald, “and reap data quality awards as well as long term cost savings. For example, we no longer need to purchase additional scanners for expanding our paper process. Plus, certain inefficient and tedious processes (such as the printing of page-linking barcodes) will no longer be required.”

The new data collection system will not just computerize a paper process. There are a number of specific time saving enhancements that will be part of the system. For example, Optiform has enhanced CSM’s data collection forms with searchable pop-up lists, pop-up calendars, and pre-populated fields. These enhancements make the data collector’s job much easier and faster when completing a form.

CSM had a number of reasons to replace its paper process including compliance with new data collection requirements. Effective January 1, 2005, drug and device lists needed to be continually updated on the form based on a patient’s admission date. This posed many problems for the paper-based system, but CSM found it easy to accommodate with Mi-Forms.

About Columbia St. Mary’s

Columbia St. Mary’s is an organization of four hospitals, 24 clinics, a college of nursing, a partnership with the Orthopaedic Hospital of Wisconsin and several children’s schools. We have all joined together to serve Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Washington counties – with more than 155 years of service to individuals and families in these communities.

About Optiform
Optiform develops best-of-breed, component solutions for automating the collection of both data and images from paper and electronic forms. Using the Mi-Forms solution, Optiform extends the functionality of its enterprise class solutions to the mobile healthcare worker. For more information, please contact Optiform Imaging Systems 351 W 10th St Ste 110 Indianapolis, IN 46202 Ph: (317) 822-8150 sales@optiform.com.


About Mi-Co

Mi-Co, the mobile data capture company, provides digital writing software that enables an efficient and effective process for capturing and communicating handwritten data. Mi-Co’s enterprise Mi-Forms Software System enables flexible e-forms design for data capture using digital ink. In addition, Mi-Forms Software has proven capabilities for handwriting interpretation, verification, data validation and communication of forms-based data for enterprise users. Mi-Forms supports Tablet PCs, Digital Pens, Pocket PCs and signature capture devices. Mi-Co is headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and has a Washington customer service center.

www.mi-corporation.com.

Contact Information

Barrett R. Joyner

Sr. VP of Sales and Marketing

Mi-Co

Contact via E-mail