According to a recent study, COVID-19 has raised the expectations of patients when it comes to digital health. More patients than ever are willing to switch healthcare providers over a poor digital experience. Organizations that do not invest in getting rid of paper processes risk being left behind.
Embracing Digital
The pandemic has shown patients that paperless and contact-less healthcare is possible through telehealth, electronic communications and digital documents. According to a Health Affairs study 30.1% of all visits were done via telehealth from January to June 2020 – 23 times higher than the rate of telehealth usage pre-pandemic.
A recent survey also found that patients are now placing higher value on the overall digital experience they have with their healthcare provider:
- 65% say that they would be very likely to recommend a healthcare provider or write them a good review if they offer a great digital experience
- 53% of consumers would consider switching doctors to get touchless paperwork and virtual care, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic
- 41% want digital forms and communication
This trend towards a more digital healthcare experience is not new. For years we as consumers have seen digital improvements made in other industries like retail, banking, travel and even in our own workplaces that have resulted in easy, less frustrating interactions. There can be no doubt that we all want to see that same level of improvement in healthcare.
Paper Processes Persist
Despite widespread adoption of EHRs, paper-based forms and processes persist in many healthcare organizations. Why is paper still being used? Healthcare IT Today recently hosted a panel discussion on this topic with experts from Foxit Software, a leading provider of innovative PDF products and services, and DocuSign which offers an eSignature, the world’s #1 way to sign electronically on any device.
Peter Urbain, Global Director Partner Ecosystem – Healthcare & Life Science at DocuSign believes that healthcare is comfortable with paper: “For most organizations it’s ‘good enough’, which means it isn’t a high priority to address. Plus, for years patients were accepting of paper. That’s changed in recent years as more advocates push for electronic access to records and more streamlined processes, but for a long time it wasn’t something that was voiced.”
Urbain points to one area in particular where paper is still used frequently: exchanging information with third parties (ie: outside the four walls of their organization).
Paper Interoperability
“A lot of organizations have tackled their paper-based clinical workflows within the four walls of their hospital,” said Urbain. “However, there is still a ton of paper that is being sent outside to other healthcare organizations – care plans, medication lists, etc.”
The latest CDC data on interoperability provides evidence for Urbain’s comment. According to the CDC, 68% of US non-federal acute care hospitals still send summary of care records to third parties using mail or traditional fax in 2019. The CDC also found 76% of hospitals still receive summaries via mail or fax. That is a lot of paper being sent around.
“Whenever you have a paper process, you have the potential for errors, mistakes, repeat work and delays,” stated Deboshree Sarkar, Product Marketing Manager, Healthcare and Life Sciences at Foxit. “With paper you also do not have an audit trail, nor can you grant access to just part of a paper document.”
Sarkar and Urbain both recommend healthcare organizations take a serious look at their fax machines to identify documents that can be digitized and for opportunities for deeper interoperability.
Simplified Credentialing
Another area of healthcare that remains paper-based is the credentialing process.
“Credentialing is a never-ending process,” stated Urbain. “It is not a once-and-done type of transaction. You do it over, and over again.”
Sarkar cited an example of one of their large health system customers. Rather than adopt an expensive credentialing software solution, they decided to leverage the Foxit and DocuSign platforms instead. This combination allowed them to digitize all the required documents, set up the necessary document workflows and even gave them the ability to handle the complex signature requirements.
The resulting process was a big win for staff:
- Credentialing documents could now be searched easily
- Repeatable workflows streamlined the effort required – meaning staff were free to focus on other tasks
- The simpler process was easier to learn and master – reducing the amount of training required when a new staff member was brought on board
“Getting rid of paper means simplifying the process,” said Sarkar. “This is partly because of the elimination of paper, but also because digitizing the process is an opportunity to assess the entire workflow and eliminate unnecessary steps and bottlenecks.”
“The impact of these improvements on staff experience can be significant,” stated DeeDee Kato, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Foxit. “Bottlenecks are frustrating and anything that can be done to eliminate them has the triple benefit of improving efficiency, productivity AND morale.”
Legality of Electronic Signatures in Healthcare
All of these improvements are predicated on the legality of electronic signatures.
“Electronic signatures are absolutely legal,” said Urbain. “CMS has approved them since 2004 as long as certain criteria are met.” According to Urbain, those criteria are:
- Signatures must be authenticated;
- There must be an audit trail;
- Must not be able to modify the document post signature;
- Must be able to retain proof of signature;
- Signatures + documents must be stored in a secure server
“PDF and e-Signature solutions meet these requirements,” stated DeeDee Kato, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at Foxit. “But given the highly regulated environment and the unique aspects of healthcare, organizations should look for a trusted partner to help them move to digital documents and electronic signatures.”
Going Digital
During our panel discussion, Kato stressed the importance of selecting a solution that is affordable – not just because it will keep healthcare costs down, but because: “You need to roll out your electronic signature and digital document solution to everyone in the organization. If you have pockets of people who don’t have access then you will still need to use paper, which defeats the purpose. You’ll want to choose a tool so that everyone can have it.”
After speaking with Sarkar, Kato and Urbain, it was abundantly clear that healthcare still has a long way to go in ridding itself of paper. It was also clear that all three have a great deal of empathy for healthcare organizations who have many competing priorities. They just want to help as many organizations stay ahead of patient expectations when it comes to digital experiences.
As we move into a post-COVID world, the digital experience will become a key factor in where patients go to receive their care. Survey after survey has shown that a poor experience will not only drive patients to competitors, it will result in negative online reviews. Digitizing documents and adopting electronic signatures will help simplify processes and bring patients closer to the experience they have in other aspects of their personal life.
To listen to the entire discussion with Sarkar, Kato and Urbain click here.
