More and more healthcare organizations are implementing e-signatures, and there’s good reason for that. E-signatures make it possible to complete binding documentation on digital devices, eliminating the need for physical copies.
Meeting electronic signature requirements in healthcare is an essential step toward the digital revolution. E-signatures are considered to be highly secure, and on the appropriate documents, they help eliminate the lag and slowdowns that paper copies may cause.
As a result, e-signatures promote faster turnaround times on physicians' orders and referrals, prescriptions, billing, and other aspects of healthcare. The need for binding electronic signatures is only continuing to grow, making it necessary to learn how to best implement them in healthcare and within your agency.
How Are E-Signatures Used in Healthcare?
When you think of e-signatures in healthcare, you may only imagine a medical provider signing off on a prescription or referral order. However, they're used in many other ways, and it's important that they're always processed securely.
E-signatures may be used for several common forms in home health and hospice care:
- Patient intake forms, which are necessary to receive reimbursement from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Admissions forms or waivers
- Medical record updates or requests for when patients (or authorized individuals) want to access patient health information
Here are a few other ways these signatures are used in healthcare.
Compliance
E-signatures are used in healthcare to help offices stay Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant. This federal law requires the maintenance of individual privacy and security within a health system.
E-sign ensures that documents maintain their integrity while staying in compliance with current federal law.
Intake
Patient intake forms are patients' first experiences in your offices or with your physicians. With electronic intake forms, you have an opportunity to make a good impression on the people in your care. E-signature technology is highly successful because it digitizes the entire intake process. Everything from preparing to storing or managing forms is much easier with the digital process, and you'll have a digital signature to prove that your patient signed off on their personal data.
For these reasons, e-filing systems and e-signature technology have become an important part of patient intake, and, according to a DocuSign report, 88% of healthcare respondents believe using e-signature technology is "crucial."
Referrals
E-sign systems are excellent for eliminating unnecessary lag between physician referrals and intake. In fact, an integrated electronic signature tool works well with an automated system, as electronic delivery of a referral can be completed simultaneously with the physician's sign-off.
Additionally, with electronic referrals, it's simpler to maintain fully digital documents and stay organized. Physicians can see the status of their orders and referrals within the system, all while maintaining a necessary paper trail.
What Are the Federal and State Requirements for E-Signatures in Healthcare?
HIPAA regulations are the greatest concern when working with e-signatures in healthcare. HIPAA allows you to collect electronic signatures, but the document being signed needs to comply with state and federal contract laws. Additionally, you have to ensure that any protected health information (PHI) isn't at risk of impermissible disclosures or unauthorized access.
Electronic signature requirements in healthcare include that any PHI transmitted through an e-signed document has to be signed in combination with a business associate agreement. That agreement is one you'll sign with the software vendor.
In addition to this, remember that electronic signatures in medical records should have printed statements such as "electronically signed by" or "reviewed by" to indicate the signatory as well as the witness.
Finally, you'll need to be aware of any state and federal laws around specific types of documents. For example, an electronic signature for an advance healthcare directive in California is only accepted if the document is notarized.
What Tools Can Help a Business With E-Signatures in Healthcare?
There are many tools available that can help collect, track, manage, and secure electronic documents with e-signature features. With WorldView E-Sign, physicians receive secure documents they can sign directly from their emails.
Discover the Power of WorldView E-Sign
WorldView is a fully automated system. It allows you to track orders and use digital tools to enhance your insights and overall care services. Our physician order tracking system streamlines communication from sign-off to billing.
With WorldView E-Sign, physicians receive a notification via email when a new order comes in. All they need to do is click a URL, confirm their identity through text or email, and sign the document. There’s no need to remember or enter a password.
All the documents that require signatures are conveniently kept on one main page, allowing physicians to have full visibility and stay on top of new orders ready for signatures.
To learn more, watch this webinar on Eliminate Order Delays and Increase Cash Flow with E-Signature.
