Patient access lead Mike Laidlaw estimates $850,000 a year is saved in paper and printing costs as a result of Sacramento, CA-based Sutter Health Systems’ 24 hospitals switching to electronic signatures.
Using an electronic signature pad eliminates the need to print and scan the patient’s signature. Instead, the signature is automatically captured with the document and stored electronically.
“Based on time studies, it saves three minutes per registration, thus increasing the throughput of patients,” adds Laidlaw.
Patient access uses electronic signatures for the Conditions of Admission, documentation for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and “Important Message from Medicare” form. “There are plans to add the VA Questionnaire, the Observation Letter, and the Advanced Beneficiary Notice in the near future,” reports Laidlaw.
The department made an initial investment to purchase 100 devices at $560 per device.
“However, those were the only capital costs,” says Laidlaw. “Everything else was software, which was a one-time expense through our own IS chargeback mechanisms.”
Once the devices are installed and depreciated, says Laidlaw, “the net savings continues, with some minimal costs for replacements.”
• Mike Laidlaw, Patient Access Lead, Sutter Health System, Sacramento, CA. Phone: (408) 888-6874. Email: [email protected].
