Healthcare Consent Forms: E-Signatures for Multi-Clinics

How Multi-Location Healthcare Clinics Can Collect and Track Patient Consent Forms

Healthcare groups with several branches often use the same types of patient consent and intake forms, but the process for collecting them can vary from one location to another. One clinic may email a PDF, another may ask patients to complete paperwork at reception, and a third may keep signed forms in a separate folder.

This creates avoidable work. Staff may need to chase missing forms, confirm whether a patient signed the latest version, or contact another branch to locate a completed record.

An electronic consent-form workflow can help standardize how forms are prepared, sent, signed, tracked, and retrieved. It does not replace clinical judgment, an electronic health record (EHR), or the organisation's privacy and records policies. It provides a more consistent way to collect and manage the signature portion of the process.

Which healthcare forms can use an electronic signing workflow?

Depending on the organisation's clinical, legal, and privacy requirements, a clinic may use electronic workflows for forms such as:

• General treatment consent forms.
• Patient intake and acknowledgement forms.
• Procedure-specific consent documents.
• Privacy notices and acknowledgements.
• Telehealth or service acknowledgements.
• Administrative authorisations and other patient-facing documents.

Not every form is suitable for the same process. Some procedures or jurisdictions may require specific wording, witness involvement, additional identity checks, or other steps. Have the appropriate clinical, privacy, and legal stakeholders approve the form and workflow before using it.

Three practical ways to collect patient signatures

1. Send forms before the appointment

A clinic can send a patient the required form before a scheduled visit. The patient opens the signing request on a phone or computer, reviews the document, and completes the requested fields and signature.

This is useful when the clinic wants to reduce paperwork at check-in. Staff should still have a clear process for patients who do not complete the form in advance, cannot use the digital workflow, or need assistance.

2. Collect signatures at reception

For patients who arrive without completing their forms, staff can use an appropriate in-person signing workflow on a clinic device. The device and session should be managed so the next patient cannot access the previous patient's document or information.

A clear handoff process matters: confirm the correct patient and form, let the patient review the document, and verify that the completed record is saved to the correct location.

3. Use a QR code when a patient is on-site

A QR code can direct a patient to a public signing page or other approved form workflow. This may be useful at reception or in a waiting area when patients need to open a form on their own device.

A QR code is an access method, not proof of identity. If a form requires identity verification or must be associated with a specific patient record, the clinic needs additional checks and a reliable way to match the submission to the correct patient.

Standardize forms without removing necessary clinical differences

A multi-location organisation should decide which forms are standard across all branches and which require location-specific or service-specific content.

A useful governance process includes:

1. Assign an owner to each approved template.
2. Record the template's version and approval date.
3. Restrict who can create or change production templates.
4. Test any updated form before staff begin using it.
5. Retire old versions in a controlled way.
6. Tell each clinic when a new version becomes effective.

For example, a clinic group may use one general intake acknowledgement across all branches but maintain separate procedure-specific consent forms. The workflow should make the correct form easy to select without encouraging staff to improvise legal or clinical wording.

Track completion and make records easy to retrieve

The signing process should answer operational questions without requiring staff to search email inboxes:

• Was the request sent?
• Has the patient opened or completed it, if the platform records those events?
• Is the request still pending, declined, or expired?
• Where is the completed document stored?
• Which patient or appointment record should it be associated with?
• Who is authorised to view or download it?

Use a consistent naming convention and define how completed documents are associated with the patient record. If the clinic uses an EHR or practice-management system, do not assume that an e-signature platform automatically synchronizes with it. That may require a supported integration, API work, or a controlled manual process.

Example: a clinic group with six locations

A clinic group with six branches wants every patient to receive the same approved intake form. Previously, each branch maintained its own copy and staff followed up manually.

The group centralizes the approved template and establishes three collection routes: pre-appointment requests, reception-based signing, and QR-code access for appropriate walk-in workflows. Staff use a shared status process to identify outstanding forms, while access to completed documents is limited to authorised personnel.

The improvement comes from consistent process ownership and record handling, not merely from converting a paper form into a PDF.

Privacy, access, and retention checklist

Before launching, confirm that the workflow:

• Collects only information needed for the stated purpose.
• Uses appropriate access permissions for staff and administrators.
• Prevents one patient from seeing another patient's documents.
• Defines where signed documents and audit records are stored.
• Sets retention and deletion rules consistent with applicable obligations.
• Has a process for correcting a misfiled document or revoking inappropriate access.
• Is reviewed for applicable privacy, healthcare, and electronic-signature requirements.
• Offers a workable alternative for patients who cannot use the digital process.

An electronic signature and audit trail can support recordkeeping, but they do not by themselves guarantee compliance with healthcare regulations or make every consent process legally sufficient.

How Undersign may fit

Undersign can be evaluated for collecting electronic signatures on approved forms, sending individual signing requests, using reusable templates, and providing public signing links where appropriate. A clinic group should confirm the product's current capabilities, access controls, storage arrangements, and any required integrations before using it with patient information.

If direct EHR synchronization is required, treat that as a separate integration requirement and validate it before deployment.

Recommended next steps

1. Inventory existing consent and intake forms.
2. Obtain approval for the digital versions and collection workflow.
3. Pilot one form at one location.
4. Test pre-appointment, reception, and QR-code scenarios as applicable.
5. Validate access controls, retrieval, and retention.
6. Expand to additional locations only after the process is working reliably.

Frequently Asked Questions