From Forms to Freedom: How Clinical Forms Exchange Benefits Patients and Providers

In a recent informative session of the Follow the Medical Record, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lucas Hart, Director of Disability Services, and Orlando Broady, Director of Clinical Operations, at MRO. They shed light on the world of clinical forms exchange in the healthcare system.

Understanding Clinical Forms Exchange

• Clinical forms exchange involves offering disability and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) form completion services to healthcare providers.
• An experienced vendor, like MRO, delegates the necessary and experienced handling of intake and completion of these forms on behalf of the provider’s office.
• Patients typically initiate the need for these forms by submitting them to their healthcare providers. MRO receives the forms through the EMR system or allows patients to directly send via email or fax.
• A streamlined process is imperative to ensure timely form completion.
• Patients and providers must find a trusted third party to ensure forms are completed accurately as the provider would have done internally.
   

Our conversation explored the sheer volume of required forms. Hart and Broady revealed that MRO completes around 35,000 to 40,000 forms annually, with an average of 40 departmental employees, each completing 17 to 20 forms daily. Patients often experience faster turnaround times for their forms, which is important for FMLA and disability benefits. For providers, outsourcing this service reduces the administrative burden and frees time to focus on patient care.

My guests touched on the various medical specialties and the volume of forms completion required. Orthopedics and OBGYN are the top specialties, while specialties such as pediatrics and behavioral health generally see fewer forms. The demand for forms completion varies based on the medical practice.

Clinical forms exchange offers a win-win scenario for all parties involved. Patients benefit from timely and accurate form completion, while providers reduce their administrative load, resulting in enhanced patient experience.

Our insightful conversation provides a comprehensive overview of clinical forms exchange in healthcare and the significant impact on both patients and healthcare providers. The exchange program at MRO plays a crucial role in streamlining the process and ensuring patient satisfaction. Clinical forms exchange clearly offers a valuable service for the healthcare industry by optimizing the patient experience and provider efficiency.

To listen to our full conversation, click here.

Author: Don Hardwich, Senior Vice Presidet, Client Relations