Your practice might get a few patients who arrive much before time to duly fill-in the in-office forms. However, a majority of the patients you will get will either come exactly or a bit after the scheduled time. Filling out the forms in such a scenario is not just a hassle for the patient, but also delays your entire appointment schedule. So, why not make your patients happier by letting them complete the form online? Here’s why patients appreciate online forms.
Ensuring greater accuracy in filling out the forms
With online forms, patients can take as much time as they need to complete the forms. The convenience of filling out a form from their home and their device is certainly beneficial to them in more ways than one.
First off, they can look up a piece of information that they have forgotten since they are filling out the form at home. It reduces the risk of errors that will have to be corrected later down the line. Secondly, they might even have the option to partially fill the form and save it to come back and complete that later. They will review the form at ease and submit it on time.
Also, when patients fill out the forms sitting in the clinic, the responsibility falls on the staff to correctly enter the information in the dental software interface. Errors are common at this stage either due to the illegibility of the patient’s handwriting or due to the pressure of handling too many forms at once.
Delivering a better patient experience at the clinic
When wait times are reduced and the practice becomes more efficient, you get patients who are happier and more satisfied. Since they have already submitted all the information beforehand, the medical practitioner only has to click a few buttons to get hold of the information needed. So, the patient does not need to sit at the clinic, waiting for the staff to shift through a big pile of manual forms.
You get a basic idea about the patient’s condition simply by taking a look at the online form. Thus, you can start the diagnosis sooner. The patient you send home will be happier about the reduction of the total time taken in the entire process.
Online forms are even more important for consent
The importance of online forms is even more when they are for patient consent. Most of the time, patients rush through in-office forms, including consent forms, when they are in a hurry. It can create major issues later on for both the clinic and the patient.
Thus, online consent forms are nothing short of a blessing in this regard. Patients can have all the time they need to go over the fine print. They can call up your practice and clarify their doubts, if needed. So, they are assured that they have all the information they need in giving their content to any procedure or treatment plan.
An overall improvement in patient experience
Though some waiting time is acceptable, a wait for hours is definitely not appreciable to patients. This is where online forms come to the rescue. They expedite the intake process by bringing a considerable reduction in wait times. Therefore, patients get a positive view about your office management and care. Paperless forms are, thus, necessary to enhance the waiting room experience of the patients.
And that’s all! You now know all the reasons why online forms can make your patients a lot happier. Remember that a happy patient is also a loyal one that keeps choosing your practice over and over again.