This data demands the utmost security and is protected by the law to make sure the privacy is maintained. Though the use of Electronic Health Record & eSignature Healthcare Solutions has become popular now.
It was not the case earlier.
Many people use other terms for medical records such as health records, and medical charts, etc. However, all these concepts mean the same.
They describe the process and method of documenting a patient's or person's medical history and treatment/care over a period of time within one medical practitioner's supervision and jurisdiction. During the process, the medical practitioner will keep track of therapies and drugs which are used to treat the person.
This data recorded by the healthcare sector has to be accurate and in-detail (without missing any data). The failure in doing such may cost the professional with his/her practice certification or license to practice.
What Medical Records Hold?
Medical records or medical charts hold all the data related to the patient. His/her medical history, treatment given, medicine prescribed, reactions shown, medical history of the family if needed, etc.
All this data is important to treat the patient well for his/her current medical condition. The same data is of value to insurance companies too. Every treatment the patient takes gets recorded here for the future purpose.
This way, better treatment can be given without wasting much time.
In the traditional documentation process, these records are maintained on papers and a separate file of each patient is crested.
Doctors, as well as the patient, had the copy of this file. This saves patients from medical identity theft.
Apart from keeping track of medical history, medical records also help in identifying patients. All these records are kept confidential under the protection of HIPAA.
Medical Record Storage Options
Traditionally, medical records were maintained on the papers in the form of files. In the modern age, with the use of technological advancement, the medical sector has adopted an electronic form of documents, electronic signatures and other digital and automation measures.
These measures are backed by laws such as the E-sign Act, HIPAA, etc.
At present, medical records are stored and maintained in four forms:
Traditional
Electronic Health Records (EHR).
Backfile and Day-Forward Scanning, and
Optical Character Recognition and Data Extraction.
However, here, we will be focusing on EHR. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allowed the use of EHR in 2014.
This shift allowed medical staff to be more efficient, the management of the data became easier, and the security of the data became top-notch. Many smart medical organizations across the world are using Electronic Health Records to deal with critical patients data.
While the use of electronic health record is increasing, the medical sector is using digital solutions and government agencies are deploying the eSignature Solution for Government Agencies.
Along with the digital filing system, the solution also offers offsite storage services. There are certain files and records that demand to be retained in a physical form, offsite storage is of help.
It is safe.
Electronic Health Record ensures error-free and accurate data storage. Medical errors get reduced which helps both patients and medical practitioners.
If the medical data has to be shared within the medical community or government or other medical aid agencies, electronic sharing saves data from the possible risks of vetting misplaced, lost or altered.
Read the blog- How Healthcare Institutions can transform Patients' service Experience through Esignly eSignature Healthcare Solutions?
Let's Explore The Advantages of Electronic Health Records
EHRs offer you the ability to share or exchange medical data through electronic means which helps you treat your patients with high quality and safer environments while enhancing organizational efficiency, reliability, and tangible growth too.
EHRs helps medical professionals to take better care of patients through the following means:
It provides accurate, latest, and from-scratch information about patients, at any time of need.
Medical professionals and every other concerned party can have easy and quick access to medical records. This facilitates well-coordinated, effective treatment.
EHR's also allow secure sharing and passage of information with patients and professionals through electronic mediums.
It offers accurate and timely diagnosis and reduces or eliminates medical errors.
Patients can trust medical practitioners more.
Helps medical establishment and professionals in improving productivity and maintaining work-life balance.
More patients can be treated in less time than before, and hence, the revenue can be boosted too.
Plus, administration cost is reduced as the medical setup does not have to spend money on paperwork.
While the use of EHRs is increasing, the medical sector is also relying more and more on the use of eSignature Healthcare Solutions.
While sectors are exempted from the use lawful of electronic signatures, many other sectors, including government agencies are enjoying the integration of digital signature solutions in their traditional work system. Healthcare sector is one such sector that is heavily relying on the use of innovative technologies such as digital signatures to streamline their daily operations.
E-signly Solution
Now that we have started exploring eSignature Solution for Healthcare Professionals, we cannot forget one website that has been developing reliable electronic signature solutions for medical entities.
That website is E-signly. Medical organisations are legally allowed to make use of digital signature only if the solution they are using has legal compliance.
With E-signly one does not have to worry about the legalities, as the solution is built after considering every law of the land.
Electronic signature solutions by E-signly confirm the HIPAA regulations as stated by the HIPAA Act of the US government.
Role E-singly Electronic Signature Can Play In The Healthcare Industry
Look at the work of any traditionally operating Healthcare organization, a lot of paperwork is involved. The staff and the patients have to fill out multiple forms, take signatures, forward to the concerns department for approval before the treatment starts.
All of this has to be done as quickly as possible considering it is a matter of someone's health or life. However, paper-based records are hard to deal with and sign, considering the time they demand and careful handling they need.
While all of this is needed to be done, one also has to take care of the data accuracy and security of the data. In the healthcare industry, one cannot afford any misadventure with the data
Right from the patients admission form to discharge, everything has to be done accurately, in-time. E-signly is an ideal solution in this scenario.
As far as the legal compliance of the solution is concerned, E-signly considers various laws like HIPAA, Indian IT Act of 2000, 21 CFR Part 11 FDA and more.
E-Signature In The Healthcare Industry
E-signatures solutions are allowed in most of the medical and healthcare establishment providers that meet certain criteria.
Here are a few of them:
Proper and thorough authentication of the user.
The solution must provide the audit trail of the transaction to facilitate the remaking of the whole process if needed.
The solution must not allow post-signature changes.
It must retain the evidence proving the document in concern is signed electronically by the mentioned signatories.
It must securely store all the signed documents.
E-signly offers all these features and more to make sure that your patients get treated and served well. With the E-signly solution, medical professionals will be able to serve the patients with more education, attention and accuracy.
E-signly electronic signature software provides users with ease, productivity and efficiency through speedy processes.
Medical institutions can take care of more patients with the same number of staff.
What you can witness after deploying digital signature solution:
Improved Accuracy:
Human intervention is either reduced or eliminated. Hence, the accuracy level is higher.
Better productivity
The same professional would be able to handle more patients effectively as the electronic signature solution and EHRs are doing all the clerical and tedious tasks accurately.
Time-Saving
No more spending hours in getting signatures of all the parties and sending documents to different departments manually.
Everything is done electronically through a few clicks.
Improved Security
The risk of theft, displacement of the documents, loss of the document, and forgery is reduced or eliminated totally with electronic solutions.
This improves security. Data is stored safely on the cloud with access available to the limited people only.
Cost-Effective work
Electronic solutions turn out to be cost-effective in the long run.
Read the blog- The federal government has developed laws to regulate how electronic signing works in healthcare
Conclusion:
Apart from creating efficient solutions for the medical sector, E-signly helps government agencies through creative and innovative digital Signature for Government Agencies.
The documentation process becomes easier and smoother with electronic solutions as one does not have to worry about the storage and security of the documents. Additionally, sharing these documents also becomes easier and faster.
