Even as color printing increases in popularity across many small businesses, the majority of health care professionals still rely on basic black and white to get paperwork done as quickly as possible.
That's according to research conducted by Lexmark to identify unique document workflow management requirements and trends associated with specific industry verticals in the small and medium business (SMB) segment.
For the health care vertical, research was conducted in the U.S., U.K., France and Italy and included physicians, chiropractors and psychologists in private practice offices; dentists; orthodontists; veterinarians; and representatives in health care business services. Most of the private practice offices had 10 or fewer employees.
The types of documents most frequently printed in health care offices are (multiple responses were permitted):
• Text documents, 52 percent
• Forms and records, 26 percent
• Short reports, 26 percent
• Invoices and purchase orders, 21 percent
The vast majority of printing is done in black and white, usually on workgroup monochrome laser printers or on multifunction products (MFPs) and copiers. Smaller offices may use inkjet printers as well. Except for occasional marketing or graphics printing that is typically outsourced, color printing is incidental.
According to the research, health care professionals place an above average importance on printer speed and ease of use compared to other small businesses. Respondents also revealed that their primary challenge was to find printing technology that could help them manage client paperwork more efficiently and save them time.
"The health care profession is about taking care of people, so the more time health care professionals have to spend directly with patients, the more effective they can be," said Marty Canning, Lexmark vice president and president of its Printing Solutions and Services Division.
Canning noted that distributed MFP technology can be a big time-saver because it gives users access to print, copy, scan and fax technology in one easy-to-use device close to their working area. MFPs that include customized applications to streamline business processes can have an even greater impact in terms of both productivity improvements and cost savings.
"The goal with MFP technology is to help health care professionals spend less time with paper and more time with patients," Canning said.
For example, the Lexmark Clinical Assistant combines Lexmark's award-winning multifunction technology with proven workflow solutions for health care to free up time for busy nursing professionals and clinical staff*. Based on the Lexmark X646dte monochrome laser MFP platform, the Lexmark Clinical Assistant gives users access to fast, reliable printing at up to 50 pages per minute, in addition to copy, scan and fax capabilities. It also includes four user-friendly icons on its intuitive eTask touchscreen interface that allow clinical staff to complete complicated, time-consuming processes with a single touch, increasing productivity and giving them back valuable time to focus on quality patient care. These icons allow users to access workflow solutions including: scan to electronic medical records (EMR), physician order routing, card copying and forms on demand.
The Lexmark Clinical Assistant is available for $3,699** from Lexmark's channel partners.
For more information about Lexmark's industry-specific solutions and products, visit www.lexmark.com/solutions.
