How To Choose The Best Electronic Consent Software
Many aesthetic practices still print paper documents for some or all of their patient consent forms, pre- and post-op instructions, before & after photo releases, or social media marketing releases.
There are a number of practical reasons we hear from practice administrators and owners who still use paper forms:
It’s what we’ve always used
Electronic document signing tools require a lot of setup
None of the popular digital signature platforms are integrated with our EMR
Digital signature and document management software is expensive
Finding and testing and implementing the right tool is time consuming
We have to run all these changes by our lawyer
Implementation affects the staff and requires training
Change is hard
And we’re really busy!
Making the leap to digital consents is worth the effort, and here’s why:
Save money and time
The cost of using paper is high, both in actual dollars but also in time and efficiency for your staff.
Printing: Costs of professional printing services or a commercial copy machine can run in the hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month.
Storage: Storing and organizing the paper forms takes up physical space.
Scanning: A staff member has to scan them into the patient’s chart.
Shredding: After scanning, the paper documents must be destroyed for privacy, and shredding is a messy headache.
“In our ophthalmology practice, we are saving more than $2000 each month on printing alone now that we use TouchMD for our consents. It more than pays for itself…”
-A.S., Ophthalmology practice administrator
Cut out countless hours of busy work
Moving all this paper through multiple people and systems is a labor-intensive process for all.
Consider the labor cost of 10 minutes of paper management x 10 patients per day = 100 minutes. That’s almost 2 hours a day of staff time that can be eliminated and used for better, more valuable purposes and have a dramatic effect on staff productivity.
“The cost of printing all this stuff is easily $1200-1500/month, and converting even just part of it to TouchMD is saving us $800 each month in copies alone!
We no longer have to scan paper forms back into the charts after the patient fills it out, and it is pretty much the greatest thing that has ever happened to us.”
- C. B., Administrator, Plastic Surgery Group
Mitigate your HIPAA risk
While paper consents used to be the norm, today it presents so much unnecessary security risk. Whether the forms are returned in person or submitted electronically, at every point there’s risk of unintentionally disclosing sensitive information.
Every time a patient completes paperwork in person, the papers must be scanned, uploaded to the EMR, and then destroyed by shredding, or a staff member has to manually input the data to your EMR, increasing risk of human error.
If you want patients to complete paperwork ahead of an appointment, staff must send forms to the patient. Your patient has to print, fill in the forms by hand, scan again, and email or submit through a secure portal, and then a staff member has to input the data to your EMR, again with increased risk of human error.
Meet patients’ already high expectations
With smartphones embedded in most aspects of our daily lives, expectations have changed.
Something that used to be ordinary like filling out paper forms by hand can give people the wrong impression, for example:
You’re outdated: Even the finest details matter, and paper forms suggest you aren’t great at technology and signal that you’re not up to date.
Untrustworthy: People feel vulnerable writing sensitive personal information on paper and worry about where the completed forms will go once they hand it over
Inconvenient: Paper is easily lost, emails get buried, and requesting copies of pre-op or post-op instructions or copies of consent documents is a hassle for all.
You don’t respect my time: Nobody likes coming in early for paperwork or filling out long forms by hand.
Meaningful, memorable consent conversations
While the task of completing paperwork seems mundane, for your patient it is personal. The investment of their time and energy to share this personal information should feel safe and secure and be appreciated.
Being prepared for recovery is the key to high patient satisfaction. When providers walk through consents in a meaningful conversation at consult, patients retain the information and remember where to find it when they need it.
Introducing TouchMD Consents
Your patient isn’t just filling out forms, they’re telling you about their health and their deeply personal feelings about a cosmetic concern or a health-related condition.
Each interaction your patient has throughout their relationship with your practice either builds your patient’s trust or erodes it. With TouchMD Consents, you have an opportunity to transform something simple like filling out forms into a meaningful, memorable experience.
Luxe and high tech: Whether appointments are conducted in person or online, TouchMD Consents delivers a comprehensive digital check-in experience that can be completed anywhere and anytime, either on an iPad in your office or sent directly to your patient’s smartphone.
Personalized, always-on education: Patients love being able to read at their own pace on their own phone or iPad and easily revisit their instructions as needed with the confidence that their sensitive medical information is safely stored and saved in a secure location.
Convenient for all: When you’re ready for your patient to read and sign, whether they’re at home or at their appointment, you simply select the form they need and either send it to their phone or hand them the iPad.
Secure: Because the TouchMD patient app securely stores the documents in the patient’s account, they’re immediately available both in their chart in Nextech or your EMR and in the myTouchMD app on their phone. Nothing has to be saved or sent securely, or hunted down later.
Efficient and affordable: Administrative tasks in the EMR creep into your workflow, wasting time and stealing your attention away from meaningful patient interactions. TouchMD Consents eliminates all the headaches of paper and simplifies communications so you can focus on what matters in the most important moments.
Making the change from paper consent forms to digital forms doesn’t have to be painful!
