More dental and medical offices are starting to realize the benefits of electronic patient registration forms outweigh the problems inherent in using paper-based forms and traditional PDFs. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 78.4 percent of office-based physicians, including dentists, use electronic health records and patient registration forms. While government requirements for the use of electronic forms evolve, your practice needs to consider implementing an electronic system to further patient satisfaction and practice optimization.

1. Electronic Patient Registration Forms Are "Secure Areas."

More people are concerned about privacy than ever before. In your practice, a patient may be unwilling to share specific information for fear of a privacy violation. In other words, a person may see their answers from nearby. However, electronic registration systems allow patients to completely isolate the registration process, eliminating the possibility of a breach from wandering eyes.

2. Patients Demand Speed of Completion.

Since 2013, freestanding emergency rooms seem to be appearing around the country, reports USA Today. These centers offer fast, reliable services, and many accept insurance. Therefore, your patients could ditch your medical practice in favor of being seen quicker and with fewer details. Electronic patient forms speed up the process by allowing patients to fill out pertinent information faster, including the use of voice-typing from different browsers. Ultimately, filling out forms by hand or typing is starting to become obsolete, and if you do not an electronic means of gathering information, you will be left behind.

3. Comfort Is a Top Priority.

Do you think your patients want to spend their time in your practice? The lighting might be nice, and the staff may be friendly. However, your practice is not your patient’s home. You exist to provide a health-based service to others, and if you cannot see your patients at their homes, you need to find a way to reduce in-office time as much as possible. Electronic registration allows patients to complete registration without ever leaving home, which reduces the chaos and confusion in your own waiting room too.

4. Fewer Cancelations Improve Productivity.

Patients that register online are already accessing their personal email, calendars and planners. This helps to reduce the chances of a forgotten appointment. Unfortunately, traditional PDFs only have the benefit of getting information if and only if a patient shows up to the appointment. In other words, electronic forms promote fewer cancelations.

5. Easy Retrieval Reduces Inaccuracies During Registration.

Imagine the worst tooth-ache in existence. It would difficult to remember past visits with this pain, but electronic forms allow your practice to easily retrieve and review information regarding a specific patient. With respect to registration, this means fewer questions and less time spent trying to fill out forms in your office. Ultimately, you can eliminate the extraneous information and obtain your patient’s complaint and need quickly.

There will be challenges to implementing a system for electronic patient registration and health records in your practice. However, the benefits afforded by these systems, such as tracking a patient’s registration progress, can improve the happiness of your patients and reduce inefficiencies in your office.