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New Year- Time to update patient forms

By Michelle Meza posted 01-05-2011 12:24

  

At the beginning of each new year, our patient's must complete their demographics and validate their current insurance information.  We have tried several different strategies to help eliminate this tedious task but after trying different things and still having problems with patient's not updating their information properly, we have had to revert back to making patient's complete and sign actual paperwork when they come in (unless they complete the information on line prior to their appointment).  Every year, even with existing patients, we hear complaint after complaint about all the paperwork.  Some patients continue to complain to their doctor during their appointment!  Some patient's even go to the extreme of trying to refuse to complete the forms! (We have a no tolerance policy for that and in most cases the patient eventually complies)  Does anyone else have to deal with this ongoing problem or have some great resolutions to this problem?  We have had many problems in the past with our patient's failing to give us updated information, causing time and money and is why we are pretty strict when it comes to obtaining current information in such detail.  Please share your strategies or ideas that you may have to help us combat this ongoing "Happy New Year" process that makes for a not so happy new year for our patients! 

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01-18-2011 12:35

Michelle,
You are touching on a very real and challenging problem, paperwork. While we are willing to deal with stacks of papers when it comes to closing on a mortgage, it is less tolerable at a clinic ... and every year. In the foreseeable future I think online patient registration will be the answer. We have had great response to pre-registration online, even by patients that we least expected. It helps. It is still cumbersome and time consuming, but from the comfort of home it seems "better." We need more innovation in this area. How can patients "transmit" information to us? How can we "verify" and not have to repeat everything?