The Paper Burden: Unveiling Hidden Costs in Modern Hospitals

In the age of Electronic Health Records (EHRs), many hospitals proudly tout their digital advancements. However, lurking behind these systems is a surprising adversary: paper. Despite significant EHR investments, paper processes continue to drain hospital resources. From financial impacts to environmental consequences, the hidden costs of paper are more substantial than most realise.

The Numbers Don’t Lie

30-35 sheets of paper per patient bed per day.
- For a 500-bed hospital, that’s 5.4 million sheets annually.
Direct costs:
- Document management and printing: 1-3% of operating budgets
- Paper supply: £40-£50 per employee annually
- Printer maintenance: 1-2% of IT budget
Hidden costs:
- Staff spend 20-30% of their time handling paper.
- Missing records disrupt operations, with 3% of patient records unavailable at any given time.