What is Patient Intake: Everything You Need to Know

Key Takeaways on Patient Intake

• Modernizing your patient intake process directly improves patient experience by replacing paper-based forms with digital solutions that streamline collecting patient data.

• Digital onboarding reduces administrative burden while improving accuracy of health information and helping staff avoid burnout from repetitive tasks.

• The right technology helps you manage patient intake efficiently across multiple channels - whether in-office, mobile, or telehealth.

• Automated workflows not only save time and money but also improve patient engagement through better communication and self-service options.

• When selecting intake solutions, prioritize those that integrate seamlessly with your existing systems, maintain robust security, and provide actionable analytics.

The Basics of Patient Intake Process

Think of patient intake as the front door to your healthcare organization - it's where you collect all the essential information you need from patients, both new and returning.

This process isn't just about paperwork; it's about gathering a complete picture including demographics, social data, clinical information, consent forms, insurance details, and payment information.

For first-time patients, the experience typically involves signing in, completing a series of forms about their medical history and personal information, and signing necessary consent documents.

Returning patients have it a bit easier - they mainly verify that their existing information is still accurate and sign any updated consent forms that might be needed.

The information you gather during this process covers quite a bit of ground. You'll collect basic personal details like addresses and contact information.

You'll also document medical and family histories to better understand health patterns and potential risks.

Social history, insurance verification, payment details, and signed consent forms round out the picture, giving you a comprehensive view of each patient.

Patient intake coordinators are the friendly faces behind this process.

These team members greet your patients, ensure information accuracy, handle scheduling, answer questions, and take care of administrative tasks like entering information into your databases.

Traditional vs. Digital Patient Intake Methods

Let's face it, traditional intake methods can feel a bit outdated in today's digital world.

These approaches typically rely on phone-based scheduling, paper forms filled out in waiting rooms, manual data entry by your staff, and mailed invoices for outstanding balances.

While there's something to be said for familiarity, especially for long-time staff members, and perhaps fewer third-party vendor relationships to manage, these traditional methods often create bottlenecks in your workflow.

They can lead to errors, contribute to staff burnout, and generally make your practice less efficient than it could be.

Digital intake solutions, on the other hand, turn this process on its head by automating information collection before patients even walk through your door.

These modern systems typically feature online forms, self-scheduling options, electronic insurance verification, and integrated payment processing that works seamlessly with your existing systems.

The benefits of going digital are substantial.

You'll see reduced administrative workload, fewer errors, improved data accuracy, and higher patient satisfaction scores.

Plus, digital systems offer around-the-clock accessibility and stronger security compared to traditional paper methods that can be misplaced or accessed by unauthorized individuals.

Common Challenges in Patient Intake

If you've worked in healthcare for any length of time, you're probably familiar with front office bottlenecks.

Your administrative staff might get overwhelmed with paperwork and phone calls, creating poor patient flow and frustratingly long wait times for everyone involved.

Unpredictable scheduling presents another common headache.

No-shows and last-minute cancellations make it difficult to plan resources effectively and result in lost revenue from those empty appointment slots that could have been filled by other patients.

Accuracy issues often plague patient records when information is entered manually.

These errors sometimes create duplicate medical records, which not only complicate the registration process but might also affect the quality of care your patients receive.

Your staff members may experience burnout from repeating the same tasks day after day - answering phones, entering data, and managing paperwork.

These responsibilities offer little personal satisfaction or fulfillment, leading to decreased morale and increased turnover.

Quality reporting can feel like climbing a mountain without proper tools.

Many healthcare organizations struggle to meet the complex requirements for value-based care programs and quality measures because their reporting methods aren't consistent or streamlined.

Essential Strategies to Improve Your Patient Intake Process

Want to transform your intake process? Start by implementing online scheduling systems.

They'll dramatically reduce staff workload while giving your patients more control over their appointments.

Consider this: you can cut the average appointment scheduling time from about eight minutes on the phone to less than a minute online.

That's a game-changer for busy practices.

Digital intake forms that connect directly with your electronic health record (EHR) system eliminate the need for manual data entry, reduce errors, and allow patients to complete necessary paperwork before they arrive.

Imagine having all patient information ready to go before they even walk through your door!

Communication improvements make a world of difference, too.

Think about setting up automated notifications for appointments, follow-ups, and billing information.

These simple touches keep your patients informed and engaged throughout their care journey.

Insurance verification becomes much less painful with automated eligibility and benefits checks.

This approach reduces denied claims, saves your staff valuable time, and increases transparency about what patients can expect to pay, something everyone appreciates.

When it comes to collecting payments, modern payment methods give your patients options.

They can pay using credit or debit cards, mobile wallets, FSA/HSA accounts, or even payment plans.

These flexible options typically improve your collection rates and reduce the need for sending paper invoices.

After visits, consider sending satisfaction surveys to gather feedback quickly.

These tools help you identify potential issues early and improve return rates by showing patients you value their input and are committed to improving their experience.

Selecting the Right Patient Intake Technology

When you're shopping for intake technology, look for solutions with strong integration capabilities.

Your ideal system should connect smoothly with your practice management and EHR systems using standards like HL7v2, FHIR, APIs, or data extracts to ensure information flows seamlessly between platforms.

Security can't be an afterthought - it must be a priority. Make sure any solution you consider follows HIPAA requirements with secure data handling practices.

Payment solutions should use PCI-validated methods with tokenization and encryption.

Certifications like HITRUST and SOC 2 provide additional assurance that your patients' information will remain protected.

The best solutions are flexible enough to support multiple ways of engaging with patients.

Some people prefer using mobile devices, while others feel more comfortable with in-office options or telehealth services.

Your intake technology should accommodate these varied preferences to provide the best experience for everyone.

Don't overlook the power of analytics and reporting capabilities.

These features help you track performance over time, identify areas for improvement, measure your return on investment, and monitor how patients engage with your services.

This information is invaluable for making data-driven decisions about your practice.

Look for technology that captures quality measure data during registration.

This feature minimizes the need for manual reporting later and helps you meet quality benchmarks more efficiently, saving time and reducing administrative burden.

Specialized Patient Intake Workflows

In-office intake doesn't have to mean clipboard and pen anymore.

Consider optimizing this process with self-service kiosks and tablets.

These tools allow patients to complete digital forms when they arrive, with automatic synchronization to your practice management and EHR systems.

For patients on the go, mobile intake offers unmatched convenience.

They can handle pre-visit tasks directly from their smartphones - scheduling appointments,

checking in, making payments, and completing forms before they arrive at your facility.

This approach saves time for everyone involved.

If your practice offers telehealth services, you'll need specific intake processes tailored to virtual visits.

Effective telehealth intake provides patients with clear instructions, necessary consent forms, and access links.

Your staff should receive post-visit reports to maintain complete records of these encounters.

Supporting multiple intake methods helps you accommodate diverse patient populations.

Some patients may have limited technology access or skills, while others prefer digital convenience.

A flexible approach ensures you can collect consistent data across all patient groups without leaving anyone behind.

Addressing Common Misconceptions About Digital Intake

"My older patients won't use digital technology."

Sound familiar? Many healthcare providers worry that seniors won't adapt to digital intake methods.

The reality is quite different: nearly 75% of adults over 70 own smartphones, with 88% using them daily.

Most seniors are perfectly willing to use technology for healthcare-related tasks when given the opportunity and proper guidance.

If you run a smaller practice, you might think digital intake doesn't make sense for your size.

Interestingly, small practices often benefit more from these solutions than larger enterprises.

Automation allows smaller teams to compete effectively despite having fewer staff resources - it's like having an extra team member who works 24/7.

Security concerns sometimes make providers hesitant to adopt digital methods.

In truth, HIPAA-compliant digital intake solutions typically offer better security than paper records, which can be easily accessed by unauthorized people, lost, or damaged in any number of ways.

"It's too expensive" is another common objection.

However, when you do the math, the typical healthcare organization can save over $500 monthly just on paper costs by switching to digital forms.

When you factor in labor efficiencies and improved accuracy, the return on investment becomes even more compelling.

Measuring Success: Analytics and Process Improvement

How do you know if your intake process is working well?

Start by tracking key metrics that give you visibility into what's happening.

Monitor patient flow, waiting times, form completion rates, appointment conversion rates, and revenue cycle efficiency to spot bottlenecks in your process.

Consider using patient activation assessment tools like the Patient Activation Measure (PAM).

These resources help you segment patients based on their engagement level, tailor support to their specific needs, and measure how effectively your engagement strategies are working.

Don't forget to monitor staff performance over time.

Tracking progress toward operational, clinical, and financial goals ensures continuous improvement and helps you identify areas where additional training or resources might be needed.

Revenue opportunities can slip through the cracks without proper tracking systems in place.

Keep an eye on unpaid balances, missed copays, and denied claims - with specific dollar values attached to each.

This approach helps you develop targeted steps to improve financial performance and capture revenue that might otherwise be lost.

Beyond Intake: Revolutionize Your Entire Patient Communication Strategy

Is patient communication creating bottlenecks in your practice?

Dialog Health's two-way texting platform can help streamline critical touchpoints throughout the patient journey.

Our healthcare-focused messaging platform helps you:

• Send appointment reminders to reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations

• Deliver pre-visit instructions so patients arrive prepared

• Maintain ongoing communication between visits to improve engagement

• Collect feedback through simple text-based surveys

• Share important information like follow-up care instructions securely

While we're not a dedicated patient intake solution, our platform complements your existing systems by solving many of the communication challenges highlighted in this article.

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Bo Spessard, COO

Written by Bo Spessard Spessard                                                   Bo brings the perspective of both an entrepreneur-operator and trusted advisor to Dialog Health. He spent 5 years as a corporate attorney and 15 years leading fast-growing B2B SaaS companies. His expertise expands enteprise software, scaling sales organizations and empowering staff to deliver exceptional client services. He was COO of Emma, a B2B SaaS marketing company which was acquired by Insight Partners in 2018. Since Emma, he has advised multiple companies through transition, growth and fundraising. At Dialog Health, he is leading Sales & Marketing and doing his level best to bring corduroy back from the 1970s.