Many industries have started adopting the use of digital signatures due to their numerous advantages. While some industries are not allowed to use e-signatures, but many are leveraging the immense opportunity to reap its benefits.
The healthcare industry is one of the most privileged sectors to adopt the use of an online signature. With the use of this innovative technology, the healthcare industry can streamline their day to day operations.
In the healthcare industry, it is also important to ensure that all related precautions are put in place to eliminate the need to alter confidential patient documents – patient admission forms, provider agreements, prescriptions, etc. Let us explore how digital signatures can help the health information managers to reduce the burden of their day to day work.
Responsibilities of a Health Manager
A health manager is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and securing the health records of patients. A health information manager work in healthcare systems in places like clinics, hospitals, and nursing homes.
They are found in state health departments, federal agencies, and other government organizations. Some are also employed outside of the healthcare system in technology companies, law firms, and research organizations that develop healthcare products or work to shape healthcare policy.
Convenient to sign documents
Every patient in any hospital always has a file, in which their documents are kept. Most of those documents referred to the particular patient’s state of health. Patients will often be required to sign those documents. Doctors sign those documents every time they check on the patient.
Electronic signatures can be used by physicians and patients to sign those documents instead of the manual signature. A digital signature lasts longer than a manual signature. Also, people can sign documents from the comfort of their home or any place without being present on the hospital premises, saving time and money.
Helps reduce costs
There is a lot of paperwork required in the healthcare industry. Whether it is a hospital or a pharma business, every deal or agreement requires the parties’ signature on the paperwork. However, the use of paper is expensive, while the use of a digital signature involves the use of software that is far cheaper than paper.
Major health plans and healthcare providers use log in to move from inefficient paper workflows to fully electronic processes. They can save money on paper and related items by eliminating the financial burden on physical documents.
In this way, by eliminating the user of paper, digital signature helps health managers reduce their business costs.
Ensure Accuracy
Because the digital signature maker allows patients to submit their applications online, healthcare businesses can be sure that the patients submit the correct documents, and all necessary information is recorded. As soon as a customer opens a document, a software takes her through all the fields they need to fill out. The user also gets an email notification once he completes filling his form.
Saves Time
A health information manager can send an electronic signature for your documents with high speed and accuracy. Digital signatures enable patients to fill their applications online, from anywhere. The process for creating a digital admission form is simple when you use an e-signature software.
These types of software contain an online Document Editor that enables users to fill in the specific fields, and then distribute the link so that patients can complete their admission form on any device like smartphone, computer or tablet PC with an internet connection.
Issuance of Medical Receipts
Electronic signatures have made it more possible for the healthcare industry to issue medical receipts to clients. A signed receipt will save a person from paying twice in cases where the amount is not sure.
The person can use an electronic signature to sign medical receipts instead of using a manual seal that sometimes fades and is unclear. Unclear stamps can make it difficult for a patient to show that payment has been made, so you have to get into trouble. Therefore, all hospitals should consider using electronic signatures.
Paying the medical bills
Patients can sign the medical bills using electronic signature without the need to sign manually. Manual signatures easily fade making it tough to prove whether the signed document got approval or not.
In such incidents, a certain patient may find himself paying again and therefore cause double payment. To curb such circumstances, patients can use an electronic signature and consider that such signed medical bills are shared with a patient for their referrals.
Approval of Medical Procedures
Any hospital will always require their patients to sign an agreement to participate in a medical process. This is important for a patient to avoid filing charges against the hospital in court, as it is a method that the patient did not approve of.
Each patient must sign the agreement for legal compliance. Said agreements are signed electronically to facilitate the work. Implementing electronic signatures in such contracts will mean that you do not have to take a print out of the documents and can, therefore, store them electronically for future reference.
The signing of Medical reports
Often, patients receive medical reports from doctors about their health. Such documents are necessary because they form a basis on which patients make important decisions.
A decision a patient takes can become their next action-plan. Such reports sign by a doctor, as if they make an incorrect decision with the patient. The patient may be held liable, especially to doctors.
Doctors can use electronic signatures for the healthcare industry to sign medical reports. The signing of documents will ensure that the text can access the content from any electronic device that allows access to the database.
Complying with HIPAA regulations
All the businesses in the healthcare sector require to comply with HIPAA regulations. By making use of electronic signatures, they can abide the same with ease. When they make you of a reliable digital signature software or service provider, it becomes easy to comply with the HIPAA compliant e-signature regulations.
Conclusion
A health information manager can use an electronic signature to make things easier and reduce the burden of managing documents in the physical form.
The online signature can help businesses in the healthcare sector save time, money, and health information managers from keeping the records updated. Managers can easily coordinate with doctors and patients to make the processes easier and faster than ever.
6