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The Hippocratic Oath is considered one of the oldest guiding documents in the world. Since nearly everyone has interacted with Doctors at some point, it should come as no surprise that they rely on records to improve patient care, communicate, and help other Doctors understand and improve the quality of care. Certainly much of this can be done with computers, but there are still hundreds (if not thousands) of storage boxes in each medical facility that indicate paper still serves a place in the practice.
The definition of “medical” in the Oxford English Dictionary is “of or relating to the science of medicine, or to the treatment of illness and injuries: a medical center.” How does quality paper relate? The quality of paper it uses to keep hands and rooms clean, as well as communicate, can be one of the essential factors—when combined with other service-oriented supplies and practices—that can make or break that facility’s success.
In fact, an article in the Harvard Business Reivew (HBR) outlines many of the seemingly non-medical factors, such as quality paper, that sink the budgets and ultimately the existence of medical facilities nationwide.
So, just how can something as small as quality paper carry such weight in sinking a hospital’s or clinic’s ship? Well, it all comes down to customer satisfaction and marketing, according to the HBR and an article in HealthcareSuccess.com. So, let’s look at the general concerns about quality paper as it relates to the medical community and the public’s perspective—i.e., marketing. After all, the public is any business’ return customer, even in the medical industry. Because we all know you must keep the customer happy.
1. Paper Sourcing
Not only is quality paper important, but its source is, too. For instance, many patients and customers want to know whether the paper is environmentally friendly—from drinking cups to tissues and implement wrappers. Somewhat in the same vein, they also want to know whether the facility is using paper products from local regional sources, rather than using paper that must expend great energy and fuel from afar to reach the buyer. Depending on your patient, your environmental stewardship can make the difference between a referral or condemnation from a patient to family members or friends.
Related: How to Assess Your Paper Buying
Paper Durability
Did you know many devices and implements come to a medical facility wrapped in paper for purposes of sterility? Here’s where quality paper comes into play. Is the paper around products that a hospital buys tough enough to keep from tearing in transit or while being stored in a facility’s stock room? A torn paper wrapping can result in a reorder, mandated by codes and laws surrounding medical practices. A reorder costs money but more importantly, a soiled implement due to weak packaging can worsen a patient’s condition or even prove lethal.
The Right Type of Paper for the Right Purposes
Any business requiring financial records in original form needs to find quality paper products fit for storing vital and legal documents without damaging such documents from extreme temperatures, moisture, or airborne invaders in general. When it comes to state and federal laws demanding particular records be kept for three, six, or even eight years, the type of paper and boxes used becomes paramount. You will assuredly want to order cardboard or envelopes treated to prevent such deterioration over time. Customers or patients will need to depend on those documents for medical histories, payments, and similar data. No hospital wants to lose its entire operation to a lawsuit or be penalized for not possessing original legal records, nor does it want to lose customers over the quality of paper keeping those documents intact.
Paper Carries Weight
Of course we choose and consider our paper based on weight, but in a more figurative sense, quality paper carries weight when it comes to a hospital’s or clinic’s customers. Think about the paper product your medical facility buys and conduct research—or dedicate staff to conduct such study—before selecting a quality paper vendor and product.