The Top 5 Reasons Your Dental Practice Needs Online Forms
If your dental practice is still mailing new patients their forms or having them complete them in your waiting room, there’s an easier, more productive way!
You’ve built a well-designed website and taken the plunge into the social media scene, and now it’s time to take your practice one step further. Move your paper forms online. According to a 2018 consumer survey, 63% of patients choose a healthcare provider based on its strong online presence, and almost half prefer to book appointments online.
Here’s how online forms ultimately lead to more efficiency, convenience, and patient satisfaction.
Eliminate Front Desk Data Entry
Save valuable time and money by using an online secure form solution that plugs into your website and integrates patient information with your practice management software. Streamline data collection for online entry. This will get rid of the tedious task of manually recording patient information, a method that is not only painstakingly slow but also notorious for error.
Verify Insurance Eligibility Prior to the Patient’s Visit
Online forms mean you can securely download new patient charts and verify insurance eligibility prior to the patient’s visit. This will allow for more staff face-to-face time with patients and reduce the chance of a denial. The labor-intensive process of manually checking insurance policies adds an avoidable layer of burden that online solutions negate.
Gather Digital Signatures
Watch hours of work turn into minutes as you collect digital signatures from your patient’s home or in your office. For example, when the government of Vermont switched to digital signatures, contract approval time was reduced by 75%. You can cut the inefficiencies of printing and scanning by three-quarters when you allow your patients to e-sign your documents.
Provide Secure Access on all Devices
When you provide easy access to forms online, patients can complete their forms prior to their initial visit. And when forms are mobile-friendly, they can do this on any device, including their phones and tablets. A secure form solution would include digital attachments, such as radiographs, licenses, and insurance cards—each just a tap away.
Include Digital Form Shortcuts
Forms that simplify completion by eliminating redundant and unnecessary questions lead to higher patient satisfaction. For example, a digital form would automatically skip questions that pertain to pregnancy, if “male” were selected as gender. For most of your patients, saving them time is equivalent to saving their tooth. It’s that important.
Moving your paper forms online is key to alleviating the administrative burden that has become an outdated hassle and expense for your practice and your patients. Resist the urge to remain status quo and embrace the idea of streamlining information digitally while lightening the load. Your staff and your patients will thank you.
How does this work?
Customize your online forms so they properly reflect your specialty, and remember to adhere to HIPAA guidelines to ensure your patients’ information remains confidential. This can be done by signing a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the company that provides you with the forms. The contract will protect your patients, complying with security and privacy regulations.
PBHS TruForm™ is the only HIPAA compliant online patient form system for dental practices that fulfills all of the requirements listed above. It simplifies the data entry process and takes care of the details for you. Our PBHS experts can save you time and money by setting this up for you today. Don’t wait! Sign up for TruForm™ here!