MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Why are we still filling out paper forms...

Why are we still filling out paper forms?


I have been to 3 doctors, a podiatrist and a physical therapist and they’ve all handed me a clip board with 5 pages of paperwork I had to fill out by hand. What the fuck is even going on anymore? It’s obvious we have the technology to pull all of this info up instantly, what is the hold up?

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[deleted]

[deleted]

I had a flu shot a few days ago and filled out the information form online days before.

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Because of the elderly.

Did you check your email for any e-forms before you went to the appointments? I usually fill out these forms online before I go and sail right in. I see folks in the waiting room slogging through the paper forms giving me the stinkeye when I get to jump the line. Too bad they didn’t do their homework.

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Some places have this but not many

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But why

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yeah why

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Why do they even make stationary and office supplies anymore ? The government

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And paper money?

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What about coin money ? In Canada we laugh at your one dollar bill

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Ikr. It's digital age. Everything should be digitalized. We don't need no stinky papers. Digital forms, digital money, digital mails, digital books, digital newspapers, digital toilet paper, etc.

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We need some of that

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Have you taken a look at the reception desk? Guaranteed you'll find at LEAST one who us 60+.

It's a rule of thumb: all doctors offices seem to be plagued with technical difficulties. Hell, you'll always see someone fighting a printer to print/fax something. Always the old "our system is down at the moment. We'll have someone mail it to you.

If people can't even handle simple printer/fax or even card reader systems then it's no wonder they can't handle digital storage.

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Good point. Still no excuse, it’s 2020. You can literally do everything on a smartphone.

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They don't properly train people. They pay lousy, they train lousy. Disposable job for anyone they can find off the street. Keep the system archaic enough to draw in a wider age bracket of workers, etc.

In the end, it ALL comes down to money and they don't want to pay for it. One of my past jobs was turning an office filing system over from physical to digital.

Some loved it, some hated it.

Some people are simply computer-illiterate and don't want to learn.

Antiquated mindsets run an antiquated office. I know all too well from experience.

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Yeah never thought of that good point, always about $

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Indeed. We're going through it right now, unfortunately. They can't even give my wife a straight answer about her coverage. Total clown system.

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My mother is 74 years old and has a corneal condition, so she can't use a smartphone. So what do you think she should do in such a situation?

Of course, I can help her if I'm with her. But what if I'm not for some reason?

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There would be a way for everyone’s data to be entered to this system via telephone if they don’t have computers

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I was in the hospital a couple years ago for appendicitis. Had to fill out like 4 different general info forms all of the same crap: name, dob, address, insurance info, license all by hand. Makes no sense. Then for follow-up care had to get imaging a few times a couple months after. And some thing, another general info form even though it's the same hospital and they have ALL of my info in their system. I feel like they just give it to people to give them something to do, but we don't need that nowadays lol.

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Yeah lol

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I totally agree! It is so stupid that when you go to a health professional they have you fill out tons of paperwork with info that they already have, it is insane! You have my insurance card, an online profile that I made, you have my referral info, you have my driver's license, you have it all, but then you need me to fill out a general information form by hand. GTFO

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Yeah idiotic

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Whenever that sort of thing is computerized, it takes the end user 10x longer to fill out the form, what with having to create an account.

And think of a password, and find a way to safely store and retrieve the password a year later when you need the password for the first time in a year, and create a new one and remind yourself of a new password and username because you've lost the old one or it expired. Appreciate the paper forms while they last!

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There should be a streamlined system, a universal database where everyone has a secure profile they can use to give access to healthcare professionals. Not a unique profile for every practice obv.

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And who do you trust to run that universal database that has all your personal data and preferences? Is there any source that won't fall to temptation to datamine, or engage in social engineering or corruption?

I thought so.

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Oh so you’re one of those, well like Musk said you can’t stop automation so may as well get used to it. Within 20 years everything will be digital, so why not embrace the convenience? How is trusting someone with cloud security any riskier than trusting some minimum wage 20 something with paper files? To me those are way less secure.

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Nah! It’s all QR Codes where I am.

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As it should be

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