One interesting aspect of going paperless and adopting electronic software in a healthcare facility is the positive impact it has on the environment.

Along with saving costs and making a chiropractic office more efficient, EMR technology rewards the environment, writes Derek Greenwood in Chiropractic Economics. When looking to go green, the first place to start is in the amount of paper one uses in the office.

Many are still using paper bills, charts, records and files. Some chiropractors have to store their excess paper in storage units while others hire full-time administrative assistants to handle paper records. Along with the impact on the environment, this increases costs for the chiropractor.

The best option for a chiropractor is to adopt chiropractic EHR software and move toward becoming a paperless office. Government incentives for achieving meaningful use requirements further press a chiropractic office to implement EHR systems.

In order to reduce paper costs and implement electronic products fully, a chiropractor should establish an electronic billing system, scheduling software, electronic medical records and an electronic documentation system. It would be advantageous for a chiropractor to use this technology for viewing patient information and documenting SOAP notes.

Another thing to consider includes communicating with patients through email instead of sending envelopes, according to an article by Oliver Mauss from Chiropractic Economics. Payments can also be handled online through a chiropractic practice's website.

Using cloud computing within your health IT development will also make a positive impact on the environment as less resources are used and servers are shared among many. Web-based medical software as well as energy-efficient business solutions will minimize any negative environmental impact.

By implementing web-based EHR software, a medical practice will gain the benefits of online access that minimizes harmful environmental effects as well as the ability to view patient data any place with an internet connection.