Welcome to Online Forms

Online Forms

Many patients are familiar with our practice communications system that sends automated appointment reminders and other communications.  Over the past couple of weeks, we tested a new feature of this system – Online Forms.  This picture is a screenshot of what you see when you access the forms link on a phone.

Post-Covid Paper Stacks

Every month since April, the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment issues Public Health Orders (PHOs) governing dental offices.  All PHOs to date require pre-screening for dental patients, hence, many of you have received phone calls from our office prior to appointments.  And, if you’ve visited the office, you’ve had to fill out our Covid-19 Questionnaire each time you visit.

Online forms allow you to click a link in an email or text appointment reminder and quickly fill out a secure online questionnaire.  We receive a notification that a form is ready for review.  After review, we can sync it with our practice management software for automatic updating of  information.  Finally, the system saves a copy of the form in a patient’s file.  Prior to this, patients filled out paper forms, we input the information into our system, and then scanned and saved a copy of the paperwork before shredding the paper copy.  This new system saves time both for us and for you, and significantly cuts down on paper usage at the office.

Updating General Paperwork Using Online Forms

It is important for dental/medical offices to periodically update patient information such as medical histories and contact information.  Currently patients receive emails and texts the week prior to appointments notifying them of the need for this information.  These notifications now include a link to our online forms.  We still have options for patients to fill out hard copies of this paperwork at home prior to their appointments.  These forms, found at albersdental.com/forms, include General Information, Medical History, and Notice of Privacy Policies – Permissions and Patient Acknowledgement.

Because our initial test of the online forms proved so successful, we added an iPad to our check-in options. Michele accesses our daily schedule, identifies the appropriate patient, and then identifies the forms to be updated.  Information in our system automatically populates the form so that only changes need to be made.  The system is HIPAA secure – the patient is locked into his/her forms, only, and the information can only be retrieved when we enter a code.  The completed forms then sync into our system, providing a paperless way to update necessary information.

Feedback Requested and Welcome

As with any new system, there are hiccups and bumps in the road.  We have already received valuable feedback from patients about the system.  We welcome that going forward.