Electronic Signatures Speed Care, Keep Providers in Compliance

Electronic signatures in healthcare have become commonplace and can reduce the burden of recordkeeping and human error that finds the wrong..

While certain healthcare regulations—especially those around telehealth visits—have been relaxed during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, the core compliance and regulatory environment remain intact, including rules around signatures.

Many hospitals and health systems have set up temporary care facilities or COVID-19 testing sites, while all types of healthcare providers have been forced to reconfigure waiting rooms, registration areas, and treatment rooms. The adjustments can throw longstanding workflows into disarray, causing errors in capturing or recording the appropriate documentation to ensure HIPAA compliance and that consent-to-treat orders are properly signed prior to any test or procedure.

Collecting signatures electronically helps providers of all sizes keep patient recordkeeping straight since signatures can be stored easily in the patient record. It also can prevent delays in treatment by ensuring that a patient’s consent for the procedure has been given.