How Electronic Signatures Improve Patient Experience in Healthcare | DrySign
1. eSignatures: A Step Towards Digital Transformation in Healthcare
How Electronic Signatures Improve Patient
Experience in Healthcare | DrySign
Health services have undergone a digital transformation in recent years. Today, customers
expect better experiences and faster outcomes. The healthcare industry is no different. As
a result, healthcare organizations such as hospitals and clinics have decided to implement
digital technologies to scale and serve clients better. The COVID-19 pandemic was a
catalyst in governments rolling out digital initiatives to transform the sector. For example, the
Government of India rolled out the Digital India initiative to streamline healthcare operations
and provide services to patients residing in tier II and tier III cities within India. Initiatives such
as Digital India need faster access to the internet, the development of easy-to-use
frameworks for healthcare organizations, and the effortless maintenance of digital records.
As the Government of India puts its best digital foot forward, we can already see the
transformations in local hospitals and smoother document workflows.
The digital transformation of healthcare services can change how patients view hospitals
and clinics. With outdated systems, almost 95% of patients encounter unpleasant
experiences with healthcare organizations. Waiting in long queues at check-in counters,
waiting for days for the doctor's report to come in, filling endless forms, delays in patient
admissions, etc., are all pain points for patients and healthcare executives alike. Digital
transformation fixes all these bottlenecks. As a result, healthcare organizations have begun
implementing healthcare information management (HIM) systems, electronic health records
(EHRs), electronic signatures or eSignatures, and other technologies to create a patient-
centric approach. This helps build trust and loyalty and delivers a superior patient
experience.
Investors are looking for healthcare organizations willing to innovate and
experiment with new ways of providing healthcare to patients. – Kameleoon
2. eSignatures: A Step Towards Digital Transformation in Healthcare
Benefits of Digital Transformation for Healthcare Providers
Reduced Inefficiencies – Healthcare providers have experienced high efficiency and
productivity among their staff since adopting digital technologies. Patients can make
online appointments and reduce the chances of no-shows.
Reduced Costs – Healthcare providers have integrated HIMs to prevent outsourcing
services to a third party and save on costs. This has also managed to curb the
spending costs of patients by digitizing their records and medical history.
Access to Health Information – Healthcare organizations are able to provide better
access to health information, helping physicians diagnose illnesses based on medical
history while offering quality patient care.
Improved Quality of Care Services – Healthcare providers can offer video calls to
interact with patients and improve the quality of care, reducing the risk to physicians'
health from direct contact with infected patients.
The impact of digital transformation in healthcare is significant. It has resulted in health
records and prescriptions becoming digitized. With a focus on reducing the volume of
paperwork in various administrative processes, healthcare providers are eyeing eSignatures
as a viable solution to cut down on workflow redundancies.
Uses of Electronic Signatures in Healthcare Organizations
Electronic signatures assist organizations in the healthcare sector in signing various
documents. Some of its uses are:
Patient Test Results
Patient test results or reports must be signed by the presiding physicians. eSignatures
accelerate the process and minimize the use of paper, allowing for the instant release
of reports instead of waiting for them to be signed.
Hospital Admission Forms
No matter the organization's size, relatives or patients must fill in hospital admission
forms at the time of admission. This time-consuming activity leads to frustration. With
eSignatures, this workflow can be fully digitized, ensuring that the patient and their
family can get treatment in the shortest possible time.
Patient Consent Forms
Patients undergoing new procedures or treatments must sign consent forms.
Hospitals can gain their consent faster through eSignatures.
3. eSignatures: A Step Towards Digital Transformation in Healthcare
Professional Liability Policies
Medical personnel utilize professional liability policies to cover damages against
unforeseen events. Doctors can settle patient claims of medical malpractice by signing
insurance policies using online signatures in minutes.
Legal Communications
Management within healthcare organizations can use electronic signatures on any
vital internal communications to convey information to healthcare personnel.
Contracts
Hiring or Vendor contracts with medical staff and vendors can be digitized and signed
using electronic signatures. Online signatures make it possible to hire in bulk, with the
entire process being streamlined. Moreover, hospitals can renew contracts with
vendors to attain timely supplies using eSignatures.
72% of HCO managers believe “digital customer engagement is only going to
become more important to their organization.” - Kameleoon
How Electronic Signatures Provide Value to Healthcare Organizations
Did you know that healthcare executives, including physicians and doctors, waste two-thirds
of their time doing paperwork? Especially since the pandemic, it has become overwhelming
with a growing number of patients, heavily understaffed medical facilities, and challenges in
saving all this data.
A study has confirmed that the amount of paperwork doctors manage can sometimes
surpass the time they spend with patients. For example, doctors spend 27% of their time
seeing patients in their offices, whereas almost 50% of their time is wasted on paperwork.
Even when physicians examine patients, they spend only 52.9% of their time with them and
37% on paperwork.
Considering medical insurance forms, claims, and the time spent filling these forms, this can
increase even further.
Using an eSignature solution, healthcare organizations can speed up the collection of
consent forms and other documents. That is not all!
Here are the core advantages of using electronic signatures in the healthcare industry:
Saves Cost and Time: Electronic signatures save expenses on printing, scanning,
and sending physical documents. They enable organizations to streamline patient
intake, consent forms, and back-office contracts, allowing them to scale while keeping
overhead costs low.
4. eSignatures: A Step Towards Digital Transformation in Healthcare
Encourages Collaboration: Electronic signatures help physicians access patients'
EHRs and collaborate with their peers for a faster diagnosis and superior patient care.
Minimize Human Errors : eSignatures can minimize errors considerably by shifting
all patient records and other billable information to a digitized format. It can also
eliminate bottlenecks in the process.
Improves Efficiency: Electronic signatures help healthcare executives to be more
efficient, streamlined, and fast when helping patients. Improving the efficiency of
healthcare staff ensures that your patients, and not paperwork, remain the priority.
Also Read: https://drysign.exelatech.in/blog/esignatures-positively-transforming-customer-
experience-hospitality-sector
The Role of DrySign
Bulk Sending of Documents
DrySign allows hospital administrators to send patient forms instantly for signing,
enabling them to reach out to the maximum number of patients while reducing wait
times.
Advanced Security
DrySign protects sensitive documents by offering security methods such as two-factor
authentication (2FA), one-time password (OTP), password protection, etc., to prevent
unauthorized access.
Complete Transparency
DrySign provides a clear real-time mail trail of every document and every individual
signatory. It is easy to track modifications to patient information and allows several
specialist doctors to collaborate and give the best healthcare to every patient.
Keep Healthcare Workflows Moving
Hospital administrators can use DrySign to collect signatures from patients even
before they arrive at the hospital. In the case of emergencies, this can be all the
difference between life and death.
Ensures Compliance
DrySign complies with major electronic signature laws worldwide. In India, compliance
with the IT Act of 2000 and eMudhra certification ensures that all stakeholders and
signatories are legally covered.
Simplifying Hiring of Healthcare Personnel
5. eSignatures: A Step Towards Digital Transformation in Healthcare
Although eSignatures provide a smooth patient experience, they are also an
imperative tool for instant hiring and onboarding. After the pandemic, organizations
have realized the importance of quick hiring and instant absorption as needed.
Be Paperless
DrySign helps hospital administrators adopt a paperless and sustainable signature
process. Notifications are sent to patients in case they have viewed documents. In
addition, reminders are sent to recipients to avoid delays in signing, reducing any
redundancies in the paperwork.
Closing Thoughts
Electronic signatures have helped healthcare providers cut operational costs, improve
efficiency, save time, and focus on core tasks. With many healthcare organizations looking
to be patient-centric, eSignatures are an excellent strategy. For healthcare organizations
looking to provide a superior patient experience, DrySign can help build trust.
Source: cms.gov | cdc.gov | ama-assn.org | financesonline.com
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for general information purposes only
and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Laws governing the subject matter may
change quickly, and Exela cannot guarantee that all the information on this site is
current or correct. Should you have specific legal questions about any of the
information on this site, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your area.
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