Access and Wacom Electronic Patient Signature Solution Creates Paperless Admissions at GBMC

Nov. 1, 2012 - PRLog -- Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) wanted to speed patient admissions, eliminate the costs of paper forms and reduce its environmental impact.

To achieve these aims, GBMC deployed Access Intelligent Forms Suite (IFS) (http://accessefm.com/access-products/electronic-forms-%28e-forms%29-on-demand) to generate e-forms at registration with patient demographics pre-filled and barcodes that facilitate auto-indexing in the facility’s Hyland Software OnBase® ECM system. As part of the solution, GBMC implemented Access e-Signature (http://accessefm.com/access-products/electronic-patient-signatures) and 20 Wacom STU-500 signature tablets that enable patients to apply secure electronic signatures to e-forms.

“The combination of Access’s e-forms and electronic patient signature solutions andWacom’s battery-free and cordless STU-500 signature tablets (http://www.wacom.com/en/products/pen-displays/stus/stu-500) has created a fast, paperless registration process,” said Cherie Patterson, Patient Access Applications Trainer at GBMC. “It has furthered reduced our paper costs and several patients have commented on how much better their registration experience is now.”

Instead of printing two copies of patient forms – one for the patient and one to go into their chart – GBMC now asks if patients want a copy. Most say “no,” helping GBMC to save money and reduce its environmental footprint even more than the savings achieved by switching from paper forms to e-forms on demand.

“With our Access and Wacom solution we’ve greatly reduced our paper output and waste (http://accessefm.clickfarminteractive.com/products/access...),” Patterson said. “97 percent of patients decline a copy of their forms packet, so there’s less inconvenience for them, too.”

Another plus of the Access and Wacom (http://www.wacom.com/) offering is that, unlike many e-signature setups, it does not require third-party software to be installed and managed at each signature tablet. A server-based approach makes it easy for GBMC to administer the solution. And as biometrics, time and date stamps and other e-signature data is immediately accessible from a secure electronic repository, GBMC could easily provide this during an e-Discovery proceeding or audit, safeguarding the hospital. Signatures are tamper-proof, safeguarding the integrity of patient data.

“Wacom and Access’s e-Signature solution provides not only a cost-savings to healthcare providers with less of a need to print, scan and store documents, but an increase in the trust and confidence patients feel in their healthcare provider through the streamlined and professional process it offers,” said Michael Marcum, Vice President of Vertical Markets for Wacom Technology Services Corp. “Improving the process to add unalterable and legally-binding electronic signatures to documents is also a time savings, which benefits both patients and the healthcare industry.”

Selecting top quality software is a must for hospitals, but the relationships they have with vendors are equally important. Access and Wacom worked closely with GBMC to determine its e-forms and electronic patient signature needs, and, according to Patterson, continue to provide exemplary support.

“Access and Wacom have proven products and great customer service,” she said. “We’re confident that they will continue to help us further our EHR project and paperless initiative.”

About Greater Baltimore Medical Center

Located in Towson, Maryland, Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) has served the Baltimore metro area since 1965. This full-service acute and sub-acute care facility has 281 beds and last year had 30,631 Surgical Procedures (Inpatient and Outpatient), 57,285 ER Visits, 4,232 Births, and 22,297 Admissions (includes births).

About Access
Access is the world’s leading electronic forms (e-forms) management, automation and workflow software provider. Our solutions transform any paper-intensive forms process into a paperless, collaborative one. Hundreds of hospitals worldwide are using Access solutions to improve patient care and safety, cut costs and enhance electronic health records (EHR), patient safety and downtime planning initiatives. Learn more athttp://www.accessefm.com.

About Wacom
Founded in 1983, Wacom’s vision to bring people and technology closer together through natural interface technologies has made it the world’s leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions. The advanced technology of Wacom’s intuitive input devices provide business, education and healthcare users with the ability to explore digital content creation in a comfortable, natural way. For additional information, visit: http://www.wacom.com.