Clients and Documents
Printing documents for the client to review and sign is a common, well-understood way to work with clients on completing documents. The Client Portal and the Staff App open new opportunities for collecting signatures and delivering documents electronically. Each process has pros and cons. So, now the question becomes…
How do you want the client to interact with the document?
Printing
All documents within Neo can be printed using the web browser. For printing from Document Delivery, check out this article.
Printed documents are the slowest and least reliable way to collect signatures and other information from a client. Minimally, every printed document requires a scanning process to bring it back into Neo. Additionally, if it must be mailed there is a significant delay before the client signs it and returns it, if they do so at all.
Reading and signing paper documents does not require any additional technical skills for the client. Staff only need training for the printer and how to select the correct printer from the browser. So, the technical issues and training are minimal for this option.
Client Portal
The Client Portal allows clients, parents, and guardians to sign documents electronically. They can also see older documents, see upcoming appointments, and even pay a bill. See Instructions for Setting up Client Portal in Neo for more information to get started.
Signing up for and using the portal requires the client to have reasonable technical skills and the proper equipment for the task.
Is the client set up to use the Client Portal?
Client Portal
What type of document are you sending to the portal?
Client Portal
Treatment Plans will automatically appear on the Client Portal after the provider signs it (even if it needs a Supervisor's signature). Once the client logs in, they will see there is an action item waiting for them. These are the instructions for signing on the client portal.
Client Portal
ROI documents are more complex and require the client to enter their Initials and answer several questions at different locations on the document. This can be very difficult to do on a phone or small device.
Does the client have access to a suitable device and is the client capable of using the device to sign an ROI?
Once an ROI is completed in Neo by the staff, a button to send it to the Client Portal will appear. After it is sent to the portal, the button will change to remove it from the portal.
The document will be waiting for the client to sign on the Client Portal.
It may be best to print the document in this case.
Client Portal
Document Delivery/Correspondence documents can be complex and require the client to enter data and sign it, or it can be a simple, informational document that only requires acknowledgment that the client received it.
Does this document need to be signed or is it informational?
Client Portal
If the Document Template is configured to require a Client Signature, it will appear in the Client Portal once it is completed in the Document Delivery system.
Does the client have access to a suitable device and is the client capable of using the device to sign with?
Once the document is added to the Document Delivery system, it will appear as a pending document. Since it is configured to be signed electronically, it will be available on the Client Portal.
The document will appear for the client to sign on the Client Portal.
This document should be printed.
Documents that are configured to be signed electronically will remain in the Pending Document section of the Document Delivery screen until manually removed. Click here to see how.
So long as the Document Template is set up for Information Only, completing it in the Document Delivery system will make it show up as an Action item in the Client Portal.
The technical requirements to complete an Information Only document are very small and most devices should be able to display and complete them.
It may be best to print the document in this case.
Staff App
If you haven't set up your Staff App/Mobile App Settings in Neo yet, click here so you can make sure the Staff App shows the right list of clients for you.
If you haven't set up your device: iPad set up Instructions or Tablet-PC set up Instructions.
Which device are you planning to use the Staff App on?
Staff App
The Staff App works with phones, but they can be very difficult to use if the document to sign also requires data entry input. If you are sure the client only needs to sign the document (like a Treatment Plan), a phone can be a simple way to get a signature.
Are the documents that you want to sign something that you and the client can reasonably do on a phone?
It may require zooming and scrolling on the phone to see the document, but the signature process can be done in the Staff App.
Staff App
If a document is complex (like an ROI) or asks for data entry of some sort, then a phone can be very frustrating to both clients and staff. It is better to use paper and leave the phone as a last option.
One trick that the Staff App can do that makes using paper a bit better is the Staff App Document Scanner. If the client signs something, you can snap a picture of it and quickly get it to Med Records. For instance, if you have blank ROI forms with you, and the client fills it out on paper, you could use the Document Scanner to get it into the client chart faster, just like it was electronically signed.
Staff App
What type of document are you sending to the Staff App?
Treatment Plans will automatically appear on the Staff App after the provider signs it (even if it needs a Supervisor's signature). You can see more about using the Staff App here.
Staff App
Have you sent the document to the Client Portal in the ROI System?
The document is available for the client to sign on the Staff App.
Sending documents to the Client Portal will also send it to the Staff App. Click the button in the ROI grid to send it to the Client Portal and then it will appear in the Staff App as well.
Staff App
The Document Delivery system allows many different types of documents to be sent to Staff App.
Which type of document do you want to use on the Staff App?
If the Document Template is set up for Client Signature, once it is completed it will appear in the Staff App.
Document Templates that are configured to be Information Only are meant for the Client Portal, not the Staff App.
If a document is completed in the Staff App that is Information Only, it will not show up in the Actions section of the Client Portal and can be found in the Documents section instead. Staff should offer clients a printed copy if the client doesn't have access to the Client Portal.
Forms are documents that require the client to complete the data entry before it can be signed. Often there are validations that go with them.
Annotated Forms allow the Staff App to work more like paper and pencil. It may or may not require a client signature.
Generally, forms are a part of a document workflow. Staff should be familiar with the paper version of the document before attempting to use the Staff App as the Staff will need to support the client in filling it out on the device.