eSignatures

Last updated: March 27, 2024
Audience: All UW

Overview

eSignatures, powered by DocuSign, is available free of charge to current UW staff and faculty for UW business purposes. eSignatures offers the ability to:

  • Send: Easily upload and send documents to people inside or outside the University for electronic signature.
  • Receive: Signers receive and sign documents quickly, securely, and flexibly using a phone, tablet, or computer.
  • Manage: Check document status and send reminders.

Office Hours

Join us every first and third Friday of each month from 11:00am to 12:00pm to get answers to your questions about UW eSignatures Service (DocuSign) at UW.

Information on how to join this session is posted on eSignatures Service Office Hours and will be regularly updated with upcoming sessions’ dates and times.

Please note that eSignatures service is no longer offered to hospitals and clinics. As a result of the 2020 license update, eSignatures service is now limited to higher education, specifically for education, research, and administrative activities. Medical center/health care provider originated use cases for patient-related care are not permitted. Please note existing users in health institutions are eligible to continue utilizing the service. If you have questions around this change please reach out to us at help@uw.edu.

Use Considerations

Each document type that will be sent through the eSignatures service to collect signatures and data must be carefully considered in terms of risk of sensitive information exposure.

eSignatures Use Considerations Accordion

Before submitting the interest form and when deciding what personal data to process via eSignatures, units and departments should follow UW Privacy Office’s Values and Principles.

For assistance in assessing privacy impacts, please refer to the UW Privacy Office Privacy Assessments webpage.

In addition:

  • HIPAA-protected data and credit card data may not be processed via eSignatures.
  • Consent for the processing of Human Subjects data must follow Office of Research and Human Subjects guidance.
  • Title 21 CFR Part 11 is not supported.

Access to UW information systems or the processing of UW data comes with responsibilities. Please read the Access and Use Agreement for UW Data and Information Systems (‘Agreement’), written to describe your privacy and information security responsibilities while using eSignatures.

The UW Office of Research, Human Subjects Division requires UW IRB approval in advance for using eSignatures to gather consent signatures and/or HIPAA authorization signatures. Their guidelines are available online; submit your approval letter along with your request to use eSignatures for consent forms and/or HIPAA authorizations.

Getting Started

University of Washington departments interested in using the eSignatures service for business purposes must go through the following steps before acquiring access to the service:

  • Select simple forms: Work with your department to identify a few simple forms you would like to start out with. Simple forms are those that are sent out to specific recipients for signatures and, if needed, the entry of some information. While more advanced forms are possible, they require more expertise in DocuSign and aren’t recommended as a starting point. If processing data using a centralized UW form, make sure you use the most current version of the form.
  • Identify a Delegated Admin: Decide who in your organizational unit should be the primary contact for and owner of your account. They will be in charge of member management and be a technical resource for learning about DocuSign and requesting additional support.
  • Begin the onboarding process: Go through the following steps to ensure that eSignatures is a good fit for your team’s needs and confirm that your intended usage meets University policy and guidelines for use of eSignatures.
    • Note: eSignatures are governed by State and University policies; it is not possible to send documents for electronic signature without going through the onboarding process.

Onboarding Process

  1. eSignatures (DocSign) Service: For more information about this service, refer to the eSignatures Overview presentation.
  2. Send interest form: Your technical contact should reach out to UW-IT with the eSignatures Interest Form to indicate departmental interest.
  3. Initial review: Receive initial review and access to the DocuSign sandbox.
  4. Test in sandbox account: Your team is expected to use the sandbox account to get a feel for how the eSignatures sending and signing process works and understand what your team will need to do to get your forms ready for eSignatures. The sandbox must not be used for official University business.
  5. Complete Delegated Admin(istrator) training: Your team’s Delegated Admin will attend an online training session to understand the responsibilities of this role in eSignatures service. Training is usually held on the second and fourth Friday of each month from 10:00 am to 10:45 am.
  6. Receive DocuSign access: Departments’ Delegated Admin will receive access to the production DocuSign account and begin managing documents and users.