In hospitals, there are numerous consent forms that require signatures from patients, guardians, and other stakeholders—right from the moment of registration to the completion of treatment. As the number of patients increases, so does the volume of paperwork hospital administrators must handle. However, rolling out a large-scale hospital management system or developing a dedicated solution can be extremely expensive and risky.
That’s why forward-thinking hospitals are opting for a simpler, more cost-effective alternative: adopting an e-signature service. By digitalizing workflows with eformsign, hospitals can streamline their document processes and improve overall efficiency. In this post, we’ll explore how eformsign’s cloud-based electronic contract service helps hospitals manage various consent forms more efficiently and significantly reduce repetitive tasks for administrative staff.
■ Why Do Hospitals Need E-signatures?
Challenges with Traditional Paper Consent Forms
Conventionally, hospital administrators hand out paper-based consent forms to patients, request signatures, then re-enter the data into a computer, scan and store the physical documents, or file them away in binders. This process is tedious and time-consuming, especially when the hospital is bustling with patients.
- Emergency situations: Hospitals often face urgent scenarios where staff must obtain consent for surgeries or procedures from a guardian who may be off-site. With paper forms, getting the necessary signatures can be a serious challenge if the guardian is not physically present.
- Long-distance approvals: In some cases—particularly in hospitals located on the outskirts of a city—administrators need to send documents to patients in remote areas. Mailing these forms is costly and time-consuming, especially for urgent cases.
- Busy peak hours: Patient visits can vary dramatically by time of day, meaning administrative workloads do too. When staff are overwhelmed, key signatures can be overlooked or critical consent forms may not be completed properly. Missing or incomplete consent forms can lead to legal complications.
- Document retrieval and storage: After forms are signed, administrators must categorize and store them, often making copies, scanning them, and manually entering data into hospital systems. Retrieving older documents—like insurance claims from years ago—can be extremely cumbersome if they are buried in a stack of binders.
- Legal compliance: In many countries, by law, hospitals must securely store certain medical records and related documents for a set period; failing to do so can result in hefty fines. Storing paper documents for many years increases the risk of loss or damage and requires costly physical storage space.
■ What Changes with the Adoption of Electronic Consent Forms?
Benefits of Adopting Electronic Hospital Consent Forms
In many countries, laws state that hospitals may create and maintain medical records (including consent forms) in electronic forms with valid e-signatures, as long as they meet the required legal standards. By introducing an electronic contract service:
- Simplified consent requests
Administrators can present consent forms electronically on a tablet, making it unnecessary to print out forms for each page. With eformsign, you can also send e-consent forms via email or SMS. This allows you to quickly obtain signatures in emergencies or when patients or guardians are off-site. - Reduced errors and omissions
When forms are handled electronically, it’s easier to ensure all required fields are completed. Administrators receive notifications about unsigned or incomplete sections, preventing legal issues arising from missing signatures. - Secure personal information
For inpatients, hospitals often verify identity to prevent insurance fraud or unauthorized medical treatment. eformsign’s ID masking feature automatically hides sensitive information, protecting confidential data and minimizing risk of leaks. - Automated document storage and management
Once a form is completed and signed, it’s automatically stored in the cloud—no scanning or manual organization needed. You can quickly extract data for operational use, and if you have an existing hospital information system, eformsign can integrate via API. With the API, you can unify your document workflows within your own system, automate data entry, and maintain all records in a single platform. - Streamlined marketing and communication
With an integrated database of patient information, you can easily send out bulk SMS messages for marketing campaigns or to encourage repeat visits. Centralizing your document management helps ensure consistency in your patient communications.
Q. Can It Help with Internal Operations, Too?
Absolutely. Besides handling patient-facing documents, eformsign is also a game-changer for managing internal HR paperwork.
- Electronic Employment Contracts
One of the most frequently created documents within hospitals is the employment contract. Following guidelines from governments, many hospitals have already switched to electronic contracts. This is especially beneficial for university hospitals and large medical centers with frequent new hires.
With eformsign, you can easily upload and reuse your existing employment contract templates. Send them out individually or in bulk to new hires, monitor who has signed in real time, and store them digitally for at least the legally required three years. - Consent Forms for Clinical Research
Hospitals conducting clinical research can also manage consent forms digitally. Instead of scheduling in-person visits, you can send research participation agreements via email or SMS. This is particularly useful for decentralized clinical trials, where study participants join remotely. They can conveniently sign and submit forms wherever they are.
■ Anywhere, Anytime Convenience—For Every Hospital Document
eformsign isn’t just limited to basic consent forms. It supports a wide range of hospital documents, such as:
- Optional Treatment Requests
- Insurance Treatment Confirmation
- Initial Patient Questionnaires
- Health Examination Forms
You can unify the creation, distribution, and storage of all these documents in one place, transforming mountains of paperwork into an organized digital system.
Template Management
Frequently used documents become even more efficient with eformsign’s template feature. You can create easy-to-use templates with our form designer and set up workflows to assign document permissions. Need to use your existing Word, Excel, or PDF files? Simply upload them to eformsign and specify recipients. It’s that easy.
Data Extraction (CSV)
eformsign also lets you extract key information from documents in CSV format. You can set a date range or filter for specific fields to instantly view an organized data set. This data can be leveraged for marketing campaigns, bulk messaging, or other hospital services, saving time and resources.
Secure Cloud Storage
All electronically signed documents are securely stored in the eformsign cloud. You can effortlessly search by keyword or filter by date or specific input fields, making document retrieval faster than ever. No more sifting through endless piles of paper files.
By switching to eformsign for your hospital’s consent forms and other key documents, you can significantly reduce administrative burden, enhance data security, and improve your overall patient experience. Ready to make the leap? Start digitalizing your hospital’s workflow with eformsign today.