Consent Forms are a Bigger Deal in Texas

State regulated consent forms in Texas can be complicated and time consuming. Limited staff resources and increasing compliance demands make the challenge even bigger. These challenges also increase the risk of delayed procedures for the patients who need them.

The case for moving away from paper is strong; The Joint Commission cites over 500 organizations each year for failing to have proof of completed, compliant consents prior to the procedures performed. But the move from paper to digital is a complex and time-consuming process. And the additional requirements in Texas only add to the complexity.

In Texas, health systems need an integrated solution that will enable them to stay current with state regulations. Solutions must deliver an effective, scalable and flexible workflow for electronically consenting patients.

Managed services for informed consent

In Texas, state-mandated changes are rolled out quarterly. Ideally, you also want a consent form solution to monitor those on an ongoing basis and notify you when changes occur.

For example, Interlace Health’s eConsent platform will notify you about changes to Texas consent form requirements via email. You’ll be prompted to review changes so that you understand them before Interlace Health updates your system with those changes.

Interlace Health has expanded our Managed Form Service Offering to include a managed database of Texas-approved consent forms (List A & List B procedures). We offer seamless integration with our eConsent platform to ensure that any consent form used for care conforms to state requirements.

Our solution delivers a seamless experience to gain consent in a compliant manner. Providers can save time and cut costs while improving care quality. Interlace Health strengthens data collection, enhances EHR integrations, and offers full cloud-hosted options.

We understand that clinicians may be hesitant to veer away from their typical consenting workflow. In our eConsent platform, consents will launch with patient information as well as Texas-approved procedure details. This not only streamlines completion, but also improves compliance with the state of Texas.

Everything can be done on a laptop or tablet  at the patient’s bedside. The nurse can scan the patient’s wristband to access the appropriate consent forms in the patient’s chart. The information specific to the procedure, based on the Texas medical disclosure panel, will default into the informed consent form. Once the patient has reviewed and signed, and the nurse has signed as a witness, the form can be assigned to the surgeon to review and sign. All signatures are automatically dated and time stamped.

When the surgeon logs into the EMR, any forms she needs to sign will appear under her sign queue. Once the surgeon has signed, the consent updates to a completed status, archives to the patient’s chart, and the patient is set to go for their procedure.