signatures

[Joseph Laudie]

one of our insurance carriers is requiring that notes be signed or that there be a digital signature. Topaz sig pads could be used, but as far as I can tell if I leave a note when I'm signed in, my user name is recorded next to the note - is that sufficient?

[boboffice]

one of our insurance carriers is requiring that notes be signed or that there be a digital signature. Topaz sig pads could be used, but as far as I can tell if I leave a note when I'm signed in, my user name is recorded next to the note - is that sufficient?

You can "sign" with the mouse.

[jsalmon]

It's just not legally binding when you sign with the mouse. So don't plan on having patients sign things that way if you choose to do that.

[boboffice]

It's just not legally binding when you sign with the mouse. So don't plan on having patients sign things that way if you choose to do that.

I have read this elsewhere in the OD dental literature, but must disagree. There is no legal difference between mouse and pad-created signatures. Reference: http://www.ftc.gov/os/statutes/fcra/zalenski.shtm (BTW, I'm no lawyer and this is not legal advice. We went through this with SoftDent and this was the outcome).

That said, mouse signatures are hard to create. So I use Topaz pads for patients when they should sign something. My staff and I use the mouse to "sign" notes.

[jordansparks]

You can use either a stylus on a touch screen or you can use a Topaz pad. In either case, you end up with a signature that can be proven by a forensics expert to be yours. If you sign with a mouse, you can't prove it was you. It may still be legally binding, just like clicking a checkbox or typing out your name. But nobody can prove that it was you that did it.

But if you're using it just to satisfy the insurance company, then by all means use a mouse. It's legal and it fulfills their requirement.