Traditionally, patient intake was the gathering of patient health information, completed by pen and paper.
Once a patient completed their forms, the front office staff was then responsible for filing or transcribing those documents into the patient’s chart.
While this used to be the only method to gather and store Patient Health Information (PHI), that is no longer the case. Online patient intake forms have changed the way providers gather, store, and access patient information. Some providers are still hesitant to make the switch to online patient intake forms.
The Impact of Online Patient Intake Forms:
1) Improve the Integrity of PHI
The traditional written and transcribed method of collecting PHI has long compromised the accuracy and integrity of patient data. Something as little as poor handwriting can lead to mistakes in the patient chart and lessen the quality of clinical decision-making among your physicians. Inaccuracies in a patient’s chart, even seemingly small can lead to life-altering mistakes. For this reason, it is critical that a patient’s chart be as accurate as possible.
Online patient intake forms improve the integrity of patient data by eliminating the transcription process and the overall written formats. The patient types their information in a secure online format that is then uploaded directly into their chart. This ensures that the most accurate and updated information is on file.
2) Address Patient Satisfaction
Patients will tell you, they do not look forward to filling out forms or being unprepared to provide their health history. Online patient intake forms enable the patient to take their time filling out their information from their own home. There, they can do what they must to retrieve the most accurate health history possible, without feeling rushed.
Not only does the online patient intake form allow them to take their time, it impacts patient satisfaction by giving them the digital format they are looking form. Most things are done online, these days and your patients expect their providers to keep up with the digital age.
3) Impact Wait Times
By decreasing the time patients spend in your waiting room, filling out forms, you can get them into their appointments quicker on average. Online patient intake form impact wait times in a variety of ways. They free up your staff’s time so that they can work more efficiently on patient-critical tasks. They also provide the physician with the most well-rounded PHI that empowers swift and accurate decision making. By decreasing wait-times, providers can see more patients in their day on average.
4) A More Affordable Option
Online patient intake forms are also a great way to cut costs at your practice. Paper intake forms cause many practices to go through hundreds of pieces of paper each day. This adds up quickly to costly paper and printing costs each day. Some providers are concerned that implementing an online solution would cost their practice more, on average. This is not the case. Implementing a quality online patient intake form solution from a quality partner will only eliminate costs down the road while improving multiple different areas of your practice.
With more accurate patient health information, increased patient satisfaction, lower wait times, and lower costs, providers have no reason not to implement the online patient intake form. Get rid of the paper and reduce data processing errors with digital intake. To learn more about a solution for your practice, click here.
