Organizing Va Claims Files & Finding Info Quickly - Neat Scanner?

[lotzaspotz]

I'm considering buying a Neat Scanner to digitize my husband's VA files. After 21 years, we've filled two five drawer cabinets, and we're still not finished with the VA.

Has anyone used a Neat Scanner to do this? It supposedly can read pertinent info from PDF files and can make documents word searchable, but it sounds too good to be true.

Anyone?

[Pete53]

No but scanning records make sense.

[Chuck75]

Like many other things, scanning has it's pros and cons.

Digitizing records.

Indexing and cross indexing with appropriate search terms may be the important key.

Maintaining a backup or two is also one of the things that are necessary.

Scanner software - - -

There are both individual page files, and files that can contain multiple pages.

The scanner software should be able to do both.

File types.

In general, two types are common, JPEG (JPG) and PDF.

Currently the PDF format is likely the best bet.

The JPEG file is restricted to an image, and a PDF can be an image or a form of text.

VA forms are usually best kept in a fillable version of PDF.

Scanning resolution is another concern. Too much, and the files are too large, and scanning takes too long. Too small, and legibility is lost.

Scanners and printers achieve higher resolutions by using multiple passes over the same general area, with software processing of the raw data.

Back in the 90's there was a major effort by the government to digitize all sorts of records.

Initially, there was no real standard, so there were multiple file types and readers.

Later, there was an additional effort to standardize file types. As late as 2005,

I had to use multiple readers, some of which are no longer supported.

About the worst case was to print the file with the old reader, then rescan it into one of the standard formats.

Many of the old files were images of microfilmed pages, and often manual graphics editing was needed.

[Notorious Kelly]

One issue to address is medical records contain more than one affliction per page i.e. same page may have info from PTSD, then start into Apnea - so it'd be good to make it searchable by issue.

[kate7772]

Purchased a Neat scanner last year. I've not used the features you mentioned but it has been so helpful in organizing my husband's files. So easy to just bring up a record when we need it instead of searching through all the paper. One of our best investments to date. We just got the small one, something like $100 or so.

Kate

[SeattleShay]

I have a Neat scanner and LOVE it !

I was able to get a complete copy of my C-File a couple of years ago, over 1000 pages, and have scanned most of it and all my private and VA medical records. I can pull info up by date or topics and it has helped keep my PTSD under control....LOL

I bought mine as a "todays special" on Home Shopping Network and even got 4 easy payments :)

[lotzaspotz]

Kate and Seattle, which version did you buy? There are several of the desktop and then the tube or mobile version as well.