Some industry sectors have been slow to adopt new digital technologies; however, the healthcare sector has looked to adopt wherever possible. A review of activity across the sector shows that many healthcare organisations are focused on digitising healthcare and investing in new technologies – from cloud migration to mobile apps, wearables, IoT, and AI.
Digital transformation is not of itself the goal; instead, healthcare digitisation that benefits the healthcare organisation, clinicians and patients is the real objective.
Today, healthcare organisations offer significant value by leveraging digital technology to streamline routine operations like patient registration. One such approach replaces paper-based forms with modern, automated, electronic forms as part of efficient workflows. From improving the patient experience to assuring continued compliance with healthcare standards, we will look at how healthcare organisations can convert paper-based forms into electronic documents and manual processes into automated workflows.
Clinicians, nurses, patients, and administrators all use digital and mobile technology in their daily lives. As a result, receiving a clipboard and pen every time a patient seeks medical help can feel outmoded. There are several reasons why this manual process isn’t ideal:
- The process is monotonous and repetitive; patients and nurses fill out comparable forms dozens of times.
- Mistakes are a risk as the data provided may not be legible or correct.
- Information provided by patients is confidential and sensitive and must be stored safely and in adherence to strict healthcare standards.
- Administrative employees may have to manually re-type all information into the EHR/EPR system, which becomes difficult to administer and wasteful of resources.
Hospitals can improve and simplify manual entry operations by digitising all medical information into an electronic format. Digital forms, photos, and medical records can help cut medical expenditures while speeding information processing and increasing patient care. The widespread adoption of health information exchanges, electronic health records, and eForms in the healthcare business fuels a drive to reform the sector.
Digitising healthcare forms will significantly influence an industry like healthcare, where time and efficiency are critical. Patients can be given tablets or other mobile devices to fill out electronic forms promptly when they arrive. They could even use their mobile phones to access a protected site and supply all necessary information before arriving.
Electronic health records are ready to be adopted by patients, nurses, clinicians, and administrators alike. Any healthcare organisation’s attempt to make the patient experience as seamless, secure, and accurate as possible should include electronic forms; fully integrated into efficient workflows.
ADVANTAGES OF DIGITAL HEALTHCARE FORMS:
Here are a few examples of how digitising healthcare forms can help patients, clinicians, nurses and healthcare administrators save valuable time and money.
- Increased patient satisfaction
Digital forms are applied to improve the patient experience in several ways. For example, healthcare organisations can use digital forms to survey people to improve healthcare services and patient happiness. If a questionnaire is only a few minutes long, patients are more likely to complete it on their mobile device than fill it out on paper. Without a staff member needing to leaf through documents and analyse them, the gathered data can be instantly transmitted for internal assessment, and insights can be created faster.
- Accelerated workflows
At the touch of a button, clinicians and nurses may notify patients of test results, make referrals, alter medications, and arrange appointments. The advantages of eForms extend well beyond that. These advantages are extended to patient access, clinical departments, legal, human resources, and accounting. Faster outcomes and improved customer service result from the optimised workflows between these departments.
- Data precision
Data accuracy in many spheres is hampered by illegible handwriting. In a certain situations, key elements of medical and family history, medications, and other details can lead to data inaccuracy and critical information being lost or misunderstood.
The risk of inaccuracy, inefficiency, or data corruption associated with paper forms is reduced with digital alternatives. eForms use email or phone confirmation methods to ensure data accuracy and decrease human inaccuracy with automatic formatting. Customisable electronic forms in healthcare exchange information between patients and clinicians precisely and timely. Database synchronisation allows an organisation to direct and track data, allowing management to better manage workflows.
- Adhere to regulatory requirements
Safeguarding sensitive patient data is a significant concern for healthcare institutions; which are subject to heightened data security scrutiny. eForms can assist your organisation in becoming compliant by ensuring that sensitive patient data is saved in the appropriate location at the proper time and in a secure manner.
When a patient or clinician enters sensitive information directly or via a secure interface into an EHR/EPR system via electronic forms, the data can be securely maintained at the input point. Using paper-based processes, you must rely on paper forms being saved correctly, kept safe, and removed as required. The new approach ensures that only the appropriate individuals have access to sensitive patient information.
- Cost-cutting
Electronic forms lowered the amount of physical storage space required and the amount of time employees spend preserving and seeking data. eForms have been shown to save expenses for paper, scanning, storage and printing while also providing a quick return on investment.
Doctors can inform patients of test findings, issue recommendations, adjust medications, and schedule visits with the touch of a button because the information is shared instantly. Faster outcomes and improved patient service result from optimised workflows between departments.
- Comprehensive clinical administration
It’s crucial to keep track of your employees’ recruitment and related contracts. Electronic forms can be used to ensure that critical recruitment related information is recorded, allowing the recruitment process to be accelerated. Today is the day to increase completion rates and visibility for your healthcare organisation.
Do you want to know more about how to optimise your workflows with eForms? We are here to assist you.
Nice and Very Informative….👍
Digital transformation is not of itself the goal; instead, healthcare digitization that benefits the healthcare organization, clinicians and patients is the real objective.
Digital technologies are being used to improve health information systems from the community level to district, national and even global levels. Their use also improves the timeliness and accuracy of public health data collection and reporting (12) and facilitates disease monitoring and surveillance.