How to Engage Seniors to Use Online Patient Forms

How to Promote the Use of Online Patient Forms to Senior Patients?

Technology is advancing and more and more people are learning to use it every day. Technology can be intimidating and can create a barrier for some patients to give it a try. Are you experiencing a digital divide between patients that are young adults versus seniors? 

Transforming your patient intake forms to digital is a big change for your team and your patients. Help your patients, especially seniors, to feel comfortable with the new process and explain to them how that process will help them and your practice.

1. Make your message personal
Tailor your message around your patients. If a new senior patient called in to schedule appointment, explain to the patient on what is required before the appointment. Ask the patient to complete your forms online. If the patient tells you that he/she does not own a computer, you can let him/her know to arrive early and a team member will show them how to fill out the forms on a tablet. If the patient expresses that there is a home computer or tablet, explain to the patient the next step in completing the online forms.

2. Have tablets available in office
Encourage older patients to adapt the use of technology by having tablets available to use at your practice. With tablets instead of paper forms, patients will still be able to ask the front desk team members for assistance if they need help with filling out the online forms. The fear to complete the form online can be a simple fact that they need guidance to navigate something different compared to what they did in the past. Once they have been introduced to the new method of completing forms for your practice, they will feel more confident in completing medical updates or any other forms from the comfort of their own home. It is important to make sure you have mobile friendly patient forms, which will automatically adjust the contents of your form to display correctly on any screen size. 

3. Explain the benefits of filling out the forms from home
People don't change overnight. There will always be people that will not change their routines or adopt new technologies. However, it is critical to be concise in your message and explain the benefits of doing it a different way. Here are some ideas to encourge the use of online patient forms to your senior patients:

• Create a simple instruction guide to help patients complete their new patient dental forms. Consider a 1-2-3 step guide to make it easy for patients to follow, such as this:
  1. Click on the new patient registration link on our website
  2. Complete the forms by typing in the requested information
  3. Press submit to send the forms directly to us
• Let patients know that by completing the online forms from home, it will save them time when they get to your practice. Additionally, the dentist will be able to review their medical history before the appointment.
• Explain to your patients that having the information ahead of time will allow your practice to check insurance benefits and contact them with any questions before their appointment.
• Inform your patients that by submitting the forms online, they are helping the environment. Additionally, caregivers or family members will be able to assist with filling out the forms from home so that they can reduce their wait time with you at the practice. 
• Alleviate their security concerns when transmitting personal information online by letting them know that your practice takes patient data security very seriously, and that your system uses the same security measures as the banking industry. 

Contact us today to learn about our online dental patient forms and the ability to integrate patient forms directly to dental practice management software.