3 Reasons Why Hospitals Need Electronic Signature

[Aaron Vaught]

3 Reasons Why Hospitals Need Electronic Signature

Go to any retail store, supermarket, or bank and you’re bound to find an electronic signature device at check-out to collect your signature to confirm charges.  Even taxi drivers are capturing consent to charge for services via electronic devices like smart phones or mobile tablets.

Hospitals are investigating the value of this technology as well.  The primary use case is replacing manually signed paper consent forms with electronic forms supporting e-Signature technology.  There are numerous benefits, but three of the top drivers for switching to electronic signature capture technology are listed below.

Instant Paperless Archival in the EMR Archiving System

One of the most important reasons hospitals are switching from paper consents to electronic signature capture is to eliminate scanning. 

Traditionally, hospitals would have to print a stack of paper consent forms for the patient to sign.  Once completed, hospital staff members would have to label each form with barcoded labels by hand in order to be able to scan the consents into the archiving system.  This was the only way to add the consents to the EMR (electronic medical record). 

Part of the purpose of an EMR system is to help the hospital be more paperless.  The presence of paper consent forms is in conflict with the vision of the paperless hospital.  Therefore electronic signature software provides a natural complement to the paperless EMR.

Compared to the status quo, e-Signature is a vast improvement.  Instead of paper forms, the patient is presented with electronic forms on a digital device, like a monitor or mobile tablet.  They use the electronic signature functionality in the device to be able to “e-Sign” the document.

The patient can clearly see their signature on the electronic forms (e-forms), feeling confident about what they are signing and about giving their consent.

Once e-Signed, the signature and eForms are merged into a flattened format and exported directly to the EMR’s archiving system.  The need to label, handle, and scan the consent is completely eliminated.  

Quicken Processes at Registration and On the Hospital Floor

Electronic signature technology is also useful to maximize efficiency and maintain a more organized workspace.  Without the need to pre-print forms, staff have less paperwork to manage, keeping registration areas uncluttered.  Staff work more efficiently as well, spending less time sorting through bins to find correct documentation or manually labeling forms.

Digital monitors mounted at registration help quicken patient flow, allowing for quick review of the necessary documentation.  Accompanying signature pad devices quickly capture the patients unique signature along with biometric data for greater compliance.

Instant Visibility in the EMR | Electronic Medical Record

For the rest of the organization, there is value in e-Signature software as it allows the consent to be automatically archived and therefore immediately visible throughout the enterprise.  This allows staff in supporting department to be better prepared for operations and procedures related to the consent. 

Great visibility contributes to greater compliance and audit protection, ensuring the record of informed consent is present before administering services.  The replacement of paper forms with e-Signature also ensures human errors and missing documentation are minimized.

Learn more about electronic signature capture for the hospital.

Aaron Vaught is the Director of Marketing at FormFast, a sponsor of "The Floor Plan"on McKesson Social.