Patient experience describes a patient’s interactions with the healthcare system. These interactions include everything from making an appointment to receiving care and treatment.
Healthcare providers seek to enhance the patient experience to increase satisfaction, lower costs, and have better health outcomes. Digital forms are one way of doing this.
This blog post will explore how to improve patient experience using online forms and offer tips on getting started.
Table of Contents:
- Save Time on Data Collection
- Ensure Data Accuracy
- Safeguard Patient Data
- Reduce Expenses
- Improve Staff Communication
- Attract Client Interest
Digitization in Enhancing Patient Experience
Patients seek out care that is timely and effective. Digitization helps to meet these needs by providing patients with a convenient way of communicating with providers.
In the past, hospital processes were entirely paper-based, time-consuming, and inefficient. Today, however, patients and their caretakers can fill out any forms online—anywhere, even from their homes. That’s because the healthcare industry has shifted away from paper forms in favor of electronic documents.
Here are reasons to join forward-thinking healthcare organizations that have decided to implement digital forms to improve their strategy. Online forms can help you:
1. Save Time on Data Collection
Asking people who are stressed, sick, or in a hurry to fill out paperwork is not only a poor patient experience but also a waste of time. Unfortunately, paper forms often require patients to write down the same information multiple times, which can be frustrating.
Online forms can help cut patient wait times and make patient data collection quicker and easier, resulting in a streamlined hospital workflow.
Part of data collection is getting feedback from patients to improve their experience. They can gather feedback in many ways, but online forms make it easier and more convenient for patients to provide input. This information can be used to make necessary changes to how care is delivered.
The patient experience is not just about the patient but also the provider. With online forms, care providers can free up time that can be better spent on other tasks.
In addition, electronic records are more accessible and can be quickly shared with other members of the medical team.
2. Ensure Data Accuracy
Clerical errors can happen, especially when handwriting is difficult to decipher. This can cause problems down the line, as inaccurate patient information can lead to misdiagnoses or incorrect treatments.
Digital forms help to reduce errors by ensuring that patient information is entered into the system correctly. These forms can be prepopulated with patient data from electronic health records (EHRs).
There’s also an option for checkboxes or dropdown menus for selecting choices with complicated spellings, e.g. prescription drugs and medical conditions.
Patients can check their data for accuracy before submission. If a patient forgets to enter a piece of information, they can always go back and edit the details. They can do so even if they’ve already left the doctor’s office.
3. Safeguard Patient Data
Medical professionals are responsible for complying with the regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The security and privacy of protected health information (PHI) must be protected. Therefore, HIPAA compliance is essential to ensuring your patients’ privacy.
One way to ensure HIPAA compliance is by using a digital document management system to store and manage patient records. This system should adhere to healthcare and data privacy standards.
Additionally, only authorized people should be able to access essential documents for medical care.
4. Reduce Expenses
Maintaining paper records can be costly in terms of the materials and the hours needed to keep everything organized. Switching to electronic records can help reduce these costs by eliminating the need for paper, printer ink, and physical storage space.
Using online forms can also help patients save money. When patient information is entered into the system in advance, it can help prevent duplicate tests or unnecessary treatments.
They can also save on fares as they no longer have to go to the hospital to fill out forms in person.
5. Improve Staff Communication
Online forms enable hospital staff to communicate with each other quickly and easily. Since digital forms make it possible to deliver information fast and with minimal ambiguity.
For example, if a patient is being seen by multiple specialists, online forms can be used to coordinate care even if they are not in the same room or facility. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and that patient needs are being met promptly.
This is crucial in emergencies where every second counts.
6. Attract Client Interest
As the healthcare landscape evolves, providers face the challenges of meeting clients’ newfound expectations. A recent study found that an overwhelming majority of patients expect their care providers to use technology and online solutions.
However, only a small percentage of providers reported being able to meet these demands. This disconnect highlights the need for healthcare organizations to re-evaluate their strategies to meet patients’ needs better.
Using Online Forms to Improve Patient Experience
Now that you understand how online forms can enhance patient experience, it’s time to put them into practice. Here are a few uses of online forms to get you started:
Online scheduling and appointments
Convenience is vital when it comes to patient satisfaction. For example, online scheduling allows patients to book appointments without calling the doctor’s office or being put on hold. Digital forms are a self-service option, making it convenient for patients to choose a time that best fits their schedule.
New patient registration
New patient registration and onboarding can be time-consuming, both for patients and staff. Online forms can help to streamline this process by allowing patients to fill out their information in advance.
Medical records release
Previously, it can take several days to get a copy of your own medical records. Online medical release forms can help expedite this process. Digital forms are easier to use, access, and share. They can be easily updated to reflect changes in patient information, ensuring that the most up-to-date information is used.
Patient satisfaction surveys
Surveys are a crucial tool for evaluating patient satisfaction. Online forms have customizable fields, allowing you to gather specific data points that will be used to raise patient engagement and pinpoint areas of concern.
Consent forms
Hospitals and clinics must obtain patient consent for various procedures and treatments. Asking digitally for consent removes the pressure on the signee to make a decision immediately.
This also gives the patient time to read and understand the form, ensuring they make an informed decision.
Implement Digital Forms With Fill
With the advent of digitization, patients can now access their medical information with a few clicks. From patient registration to consent, Fill has the feature for all the online forms you need to improve the patient experience.
With our easy-to-use platform, you can implement secure and hassle-free digital forms in no time at all.
Facilitating online forms has never been easier, so why wait? Get started for free with Fill today!
