Automating Patient Intake and Reducing Errors

Manual patient intake is a burden. 

It’s slow and prone to errors.

This can mean long wait times for patients, but for healthcare providers, it can mean missing data, extra costs, and compliance risks. 

Automation solves the problem by streamlining data capture, improving accuracy, and increasing security.

Let’s take a closer look at how automated patient intake transforms healthcare data processes.

What Types of Data Do Healthcare Providers Need to Manage and Why?

Medical providers handle a lot of data. It’s critical to manage this effectively to stay compliant and efficient.

Some of the key types of data you need to manage in the health sector include:

• Personal health records — such as medical history, medications, medical images, and surgeries
• Billing and health insurance, such as coverage details, claims, and payment records
• Administrative data related to appointments, referrals, and scheduling
• Clinical data like diagnoses, lab results, imaging, and vital signs
• Treatment data like prescriptions, therapies, and procedures
• Patient details like name, date of birth, and contact details

When you manage data effectively, you improve patient safety and ensure compliance. You also reduce operational errors and gain critical insights to improve care.

What’s the Issue with Manual Patient Intake? 

Manual patient intake is inefficient. Errors and slow processes can lead to issues with data accuracy and security. 

And worse … they also disrupt the patient experience.

Here are some of the main problems to watch out for.

Incorrect, Incomplete, or Missing Data

Manual data entry is susceptible to mistakes. This causes incorrect entries, missing details, and inconsistencies.

Inaccurate data makes it hard to make informed care decisions. 

It can also lead to compliance issues.

Inefficient Processes

One in five healthcare professionals struggles with outdated processes that slow down workflows. You will likely run into delays when you process forms, verify details‌ , and transfer data manually. 

It takes much longer to onboard patients, which can be frustrating.

Security and Compliance Risks

It’s hard to keep paper medical records secure. 

Files get lost or damaged, and it’s easy for unauthorized personnel to access patient records.

Data breaches harm your reputation and lead to a loss of patient trust. Even worse, they leave you open to HIPAA violations. And non-compliance can result in hefty fines.

Siloed Data

Data that is collected manually is often stored in different locations. 

(This makes it harder to understand a patient’s health status fully.)

Without centralized patient information, healthcare teams struggle to coordinate with each other. It’s hard to track health progress and make educated decisions.

Poor Data Analysis

Data analysis helps you improve the care you offer.

But extracting and organizing information manually is challenging and limits the insights you can gather. (Identifying trends that can improve your services is too resource-intensive.)

How Can Automated Patient Intake Solve Data Management Issues?

25% of healthcare organizations have moved to automation solutions for patient-facing processes.

That’s because it improves data integrity, efficiency, and security.

Here’s how:

1. Better Data Accuracy and Completeness

Intake errors can lead to non-compliance, misdiagnosis, and incorrect treatment.

Automated data capture and digital forms ensure data is legible, complete, and valid before submission.

Imagine a pediatric clinic using paper-based forms for allergy information. Incomplete records could be fatal. But with a digital intake system, parents can select from a predefined list of allergies, lowering the chance that vital information is left out.

2. Increased Efficiency

94% of healthcare organizations face staffing shortages. And paper-based processes don’t help.

Automation speeds up processing and frees your team to focus on direct patient care.

44% of providers say automation saves staff time, allowing them to focus on higher-value tasks.

Think about travel occupational therapists (OTs), for example. They constantly have to move between different medical practices, adjust to the intake forms, and document rules for each establishment.

Manual data collection takes too much time, and there’s a lot of room for error. Instead, they can alter digital forms quickly to match the facility’s rules. 

Patients fill out the forms before appointments, and the data flows directly into their electronic health records (EHR). The OT can now review patient history with consistent, accurate data before their sessions, allowing them to focus on treatment rather than paperwork.

3. Lower Administrative Costs

Manual patient intake is resource-heavy. You need to pay for staff time and storage, and remedy any mistakes. A third of healthcare institutions say that automation saves money, lowering service delivery costs. As KPMG’s Evan Rawstron puts it …

“Rather than reduce headcount, we need to leverage technologies to better meet demand with the same workforce.”

Picture it like this.

A rural clinic struggles to charge affordable prices, limiting residents’ healthcare access. So, the clinic decides to automate its intake systems. Now, it cuts out printing and storage expenses and can also reduce the administrative staff it needs. With these changes, it can adjust its rates to be more affordable.

4. Improved Healthcare Data Privacy

Paper records are a security nightmare. Digital intake systems improve exposure management and health information privacy. They offer additional layers of security through encryption, access control, and secure data storage, reducing your exposure to cybersecurity threats.

It also reduces the risk of data breaches and non-compliance with data privacy requirements. As a result, you improve patient trust.

5. Enhanced Data Analysis

Data analysis helps you improve your healthcare services. However, accurate, holistic paper-based analysis is almost impossible. Digital intake streamlines data collection and analysis. You can see trends in the types of patients you take in, so you can improve your patient care and marketing.

6. Easier Care Coordination

Seamless healthcare delivery relies on effective coordination and referrals.  Digital patient intake helps you automate data capture and transfer. This centralizes systems and keeps patient information updated.  When a patient is referred to another healthcare provider, it’s easy to pass along relevant information to ensure continuous care. 

Take Naples Oral Surgery, for instance. 

Its manual referral system lacked communication efficiency, which delayed patient care and made it hard for doctors to collaborate. After switching to ReferralMD, the clinic now automates patient intake. (It’s easier to pass patient information along with more reliable communication.)

7. Reduced Risk of Non-Compliance

Compliance isn’t optional, and non-compliance can damage your company. You’ll lose patient trust and possibly be subject to significant financial penalties.  Automated patient intake systems come with built-in compliance features like record-keeping functionalities so you can breathe a little easier.

Wrap Up

Manual patient intake creates unnecessary delays and adds pressure to your admin team. Automating the process can transform your workflow, making it more efficient and less prone to errors.  

That’s why we recommend using the right tools. 

Need support?  

Discover how ReferralMD can transform your patient intake process. 

Schedule a demo today.

Author Bio:

Kelly Moser is the co-founder and editor at Home & Jet, a digital magazine for the modern era. She’s also the content manager at Login Lockdown, covering the latest trends in tech, business and security. Kelly is an expert in freelance writing and content marketing for SaaS, Fintech, and ecommerce startups.