Medical forms automation is revolutionizing patient registration systems and informed patient consent solutions. Given the many financial pressures now facing the healthcare industry, the timing of this technological advancement is serendipitous.
Simply put, administrative efficiency and data accuracy are of greater importance than ever. Three statistics demonstrate the bottom-line opportunities that face hospital executives, administrators and risk managers each day:
- A study published in JAMA® found that 15% to 25% of total U.S. healthcare expenditures are related to administrative processes.
- Healthcare IT News reported that physicians spend an average of 6% of their working hours on non-clinical paperwork and administrative tasks.
- Black Book Research found that 33% of all denied healthcare claims are due to inaccurate patient identification data, costing the average U.S. hospital $1.5 million annually.
This blog will explore some key strategies behind medical forms automation and how it is transforming everything from patient education materials and health literacy systems to the gathering of patient informed consent forms.
Why utilize healthcare forms automation services?
Healthcare providers handle an immense amount of paperwork daily, from patient registration system documents to informed consent medical forms. Traditionally, this process has been manual, time-consuming and prone to errors.
Healthcare forms automation services address these challenges by streamlining workflows, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing data accuracy. The impact on operational efficiency is especially powerful when medical forms automation is applied to patient intake processes.
How do you automate healthcare intake forms?
Obtaining accurate patient data up front helps to keep patient registration systems current and minimizes the malpractice risks associated with patient informed consent forms later on. Here are five different ways to automate healthcare intake forms.
- Electronic Health Record (EHR) System Integrations
Integrating medical forms with EHR systems ensures that patient information is automatically updated and accessible across various departments. This reduces redundancy and ensures consistency in patient data.
- Digital Signature Capture
Implementing digital signature capture technology allows patients to sign forms electronically, eliminating the need for physical paperwork. This not only speeds up the process but also ensures that signatures are securely stored and easily retrievable.
- Mobile-Friendly Platforms
Developing mobile-friendly patient intake forms enables patients to complete their registration and informed consent medical forms from their smartphones or tablets. This convenience improves patient satisfaction and reduces wait times at healthcare facilities.
- Automated Data Entry
Utilizing optical character recognition (OCR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to automate data entry from scanned documents minimizes human error and accelerates the processing of patient information further.
- Patient Portals
Creating patient portals where individuals can fill out forms, update their information and access their medical records online empowers patients and enhances their engagement with healthcare providers.
What about patient informed consent forms?
Informed patient consent solutions are a key application of medical forms automation. Informed consent medical forms are a critical component of healthcare delivery, ensuring that patients understand the risks, benefits and alternatives before agreeing to treatment. Automation enhances this process three ways.
- Health Literacy Systems
Automated medical form systems can deliver standardized patient informed consent forms in multiple languages and formats, helping to ensure that all patients — regardless of language skills or background — can understand the information provided. This is a defining characteristic of a health literacy system that is designed to serve the needs of all patients.
- Tracking and Documentation ]These standardized and digitized consent forms can be tracked and stored electronically, providing a clear audit trail and ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Delivering and managing informed consent forms digitally is also an effective strategy for minimizing the risk of malpractice claims.
- Patient Education Materials
Patient education materials are another vital component of the informed consent process. As the digital alternative to a clipboard filled with paper forms and disclosure documents, patient education materials including videos, diagrams and interactive elements can be provided to help patients better understand the complex medical information they must evaluate. In this way, medical forms automation leads to more informed decision-making and eases the stress of patients and guardians.
The automation of medical forms is transforming the healthcare landscape by improving efficiency, accuracy and patient satisfaction. By adopting these strategies, healthcare providers can streamline their administrative processes, reduce errors and deliver better patient care. As technology continues to evolve, the potential for further medical forms automation innovations promises an even more efficient and patient-centric healthcare system in the future.
iMedHealth from Taylor Healthcare
iMedHealth, from Taylor Healthcare, is a suite of patient engagement solutions that’s designed to increase patient engagement and minimize risk for healthcare organizations. Several iMedHealth technologies advance the state of the art in medical forms automation and help deliver the administrative efficiency and data accuracy sought by healthcare leaders.
- By digitizing and automating clinical forms delivery, healthcare forms automation services like iMedAutomate work in harmony with patient portals to enhance operational efficiency for health systems.
- Patients can use iMedConsent™ to review and sign consent forms for procedures on their personal mobile devices. Taylor Healthcare’s proprietary patient consent software digitizes patient informed consent forms and provides standardized patient education materials that strengthen health literacy systems.
- Hospitals can capture patient signatures on mobile devices by using iMedEngage. This digital signature capture technology advances the goal of medical forms automation by making it possible to store signed patient informed consent forms and other critical documents directly to the EHR.
To learn how iMedHealth is accelerating medical forms automation, please contact your Taylor Healthcare representative.