Secure document storage is a personal bugaboo for me.
In addition to running Owl Practice, I help my partner in life manage a growing psychology practice. I vividly remember the day the declaration came from our practice administrator,
“We need another filing cabinet.”
There have been many memorable moments on our journey in private practice together, but this one stands out for me. Upon hearing this, my immediate reaction was visceral and negative. We already had TWO four-drawer units, a filing room that was getting tight, and we’d only been in practice for three years! My mind raced ahead, imagining a mountain of manilla file folders, and the burden of storing it all somewhere.
As you know, there are very stringent requirements by colleges and regulating bodies in Canada around how long these documents must be stored. These stipulations can range from 8 years to more depending on the profession and age of the client.
Doing some simple math here illustrates the problem:
200 new clients per year X 8 years of record retention
= 1,600 files you need to store
I don’t need to tell you that filing cabinets are expensive. Whether you’re getting a basic four-drawer unit for $800, or a fire-proof beast for >$2,500, it’s a big practice expenditure. On top of that is the cost of the space required to store the filing system is not insignificant. If you’ve got a file room, you’re lucky, but many practice owners don’t. And nothing dampens the ambience of a therapy room like a cold, putty-coloured hunk of metal in the corner.
And what happens if your filing cabinet is damaged or destroyed by a flood or fire? These documents are irreplaceable.
But wait a minute, you might say, there’s always off-site storage. Upon further investigation, though, this option can be very cost prohibitive, particularly as the file boxes add up. And even if you manage to store things offsite, what happens when you need to retrieve something? You have to request the boxes, riffle through them for hours, crossing your fingers that the hoped-for document is actually there.
Wouldn’t it be nice to store all your practice documents securely, digitally,
and have them backed up and accessible whenever you need them?
Owl Document Uploads is here!
Since we launched Owl Practice over a year ago, we’ve wanted to solve the filing cabinet problem. We’re very happy to announce that our new Document Uploads feature is here and ready to help you do exactly that. To learn more about Document Uploads, head to the updated Owl Practice Tour.
Say goodbye to your filing cabinet! Now with Owl, you can upload files like PDF or Word documents to your client profiles so you can have access to them whenever you want! And as with everything in Owl, your data is securely backed up regularly so you don’t lose any practice information.
Along with the launch of this new feature we have a limited-time offer to help you on your way to filing cabinet freedom:
Sign up for an Owl Practice plan with Document Uploads before June 30, 2015
and get 50% off your first month!*
To take advantage of this offer, simply contact us to let us know, and we’ll send you instructions on how to sign up and save.
To learn more about how Owl Practice can make practice life easier, request a personalized live demo or sign up for a 14-day free trial today!
Practice wisely