SPRINGBORO — Business Data Solutions will digitize the charts of PriMed Physicians’ 183,000 patients.

Springboro-based BDS signed a letter of intent with PriMed to make digital copies of about 10 million paper records kept by the physicians’ group on their patients.

The companies said the agreement was “a million dollar investment.”

The work is expected to continue through 2010.

Digitization of medical records is an industry trend tied to improving care and lowering cost.

“We’re looking forward to replacing the filing system that’s become the acccepted norm in medical practices. Rows and rows of overcrowded shelves, full of overstuffed manila files, is not an acceptable method for storing vital records,” Dr. Mark Couch, president of Primed, said in a press release.

BDS, originally a business unit of NCR, already provides the service for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.