Electronic Signature

An electronic signature, or e-signature, is any electronic means that indicates either that a person adopts the contents of an electronic message, or more broadly that the person who claims to have written a message is the one who wrote it and that the message received is the one that was sent. [1]

In many countries, including the United States, electronic signatures have the same legal consequences as the more traditional forms of executing of documents.

An electronic signature is not required under HIPAA at this time. But many EMR vendors have employed the electronic signature in their systems.