Time Savings: Digital vs Paper Patient Intake Form
Average patient completion time:
Paper forms: 15–20 minutes in the waiting room.
Digital forms: 5–10 minutes, either at home or in clinic.
Staff processing time:
Paper forms: 10–15 minutes per patient for manual data entry.
Digital forms: 0–2 minutes with automatic syncing.
Error corrections:
Paper forms: Frequent missing or unclear fields, requiring follow-up.
Digital forms: Minimal errors thanks to required fields and clear formatting.
Overall efficiency:
Paper patient intake form: Prone to causing delays, bottlenecks, and frustration.
Digital patient intake forms: Promote smooth, efficient self-registration and check-ins, resulting in happier patients.
On average, well-designed digital patient intake forms save 20–30 minutes per patient. This is a huge gain when multiplied across dozens or even hundreds of daily appointments.
Benefits of Digital Intake for Patients
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Less waiting, as patients head straight to their appointment.
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Reduced stress, with no juggling clipboards and paperwork in crowded waiting rooms.
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Fewer repeat visits for missing info, as everything is completed correctly the first time.
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Easier to remember appointments, especially when combined with automated reminders.
Benefits of Digital Intake for Clinics
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Increased efficiency, with staff focusing more on patients rather than paperwork.
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Streamlined scheduling, as digital intake forms seamlessly integrate with online appointment booking to minimize bottlenecks.
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Reduced operating costs, because clinics can operate with less support staff.
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Improved privacy and security, as digital signatures and HIPAA/PIPEDA compliance protects patient data and minimizes the risk of mishandling.
The Future of Patient Intake Forms
Already, the humble patient intake form has become deeply integrated with the EMRs and other digital platforms that power many healthcare practices.
Over time, clinicians can expect digital intake to integrate with more advanced tools, offering improved functionality such as:
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AI-powered form assistance that pre-fills based on patient history.
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Integrated online and kiosk-based intake systems that allow patients to commence intake at home and then continue in the clinic.
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Multilingual support for diverse patient communities.
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Predictive automated healthcare workflows that anticipate care needs.
The paper patient intake form will continue to exist in some settings. However, for most providers, digital intake is already here and a core part of daily operations…
Automated Patient Intake with Cortico
Cortico is a leading provider of patient engagement and healthcare workflow automation solutions for medical practices and clinics in Canada and the USA.
Our suite of digital patient intake products include digital forms, a medical clinic kiosk, and patient intake app—all of which integrate seamlessly with popular EMRs.
To see how Cortico can help your practice automate time-consuming tasks like patient intake, appointment scheduling, and collecting payments, contact us to book a demo today.
