Technology has dramatically changed the healthcare environment in the last two decades. From electronic health records to telemedicine, new solutions are reshaping the way that we access and deliver healthcare. Despite adoption of many digital innovations, some forgo digital patient intake methods, continuing with pen and paper healthcare processes. While the reasons for this may vary, it often accompanies outdated, time-consuming, and error-prone processes. Front office staff spend precious time copying forms, scanning patient charts and other documents, and handling clipboards — all of which adds to their administrative burden.
Furthermore, patients are increasingly seeking more convenient and efficient ways to interact with healthcare services. It’s well-documented that the COVID pandemic precipitated patients’ use of digital health tools and hastened the shift to healthcare consumerism. Many patients prefer to have the resources available to schedule appointments, register and check-in through their smartphone, computer or other mobile device.
Embracing Efficiency: The Evolution of Healthcare Through Digital Patient Intake
Most physicians are on board, too, with 96 percent of providers being interested in online scheduling. 85 percent of physicians believe these tools provide an advantage in their ability to care for their patients. One of the most popular of these tools is digital patient intake software, commonly referred to as digital check-in software.
Over 85 percent of patients are interested in shortening time at the doctor’s office by making payments via digital self-service. Patients also prefer to complete certain healthcare tasks, like pre-visit forms or providing insurance, online as opposed to in person. Using digital check-in software enables them to complete the process at their convenience, not in a crowded room full of coughing and sneezing patients.
With Kyruus Health’s Digital Check-In, your practice can deliver customized care while enabling your patients to complete steps at their convenience. Schedule a meeting with us to learn more!
A digital check-in system doesn’t only benefit patients, though. It provides a host of advantages for medical groups, both small and large. If you’re a provider organization trying to decide whether digital patient intake will truly improve operational efficiency, check out these 10 reasons for how digital check-in can have a positive impact on your practice.
1. Elevate Patient Experience and Patient Satisfaction
92 percent of patients are interested in completing pre-visit questionnaires and forms online rather than by phone or in person. It saves them time, eliminates the need for redundant data entry and reduces in-office wait time. Some patients will only see a provider whose office employs digital health tools. It is therefore imperative for practices to pay close attention to the patient experience, as it dramatically impacts patient satisfaction. A positive check-in experience can result in more satisfied and engaged patients, which leads to steadier volume, less attrition, and a strong revenue stream.
2. An Added Layer of Contactless Patient Intake
Telehealth grew tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to patients not wanting to risk exposure to the virus. Along with other methods of contactless care, it made it easier to adhere to social distancing standards. For patients who want to see their provider in person, digital patient intake and other contactless solutions allow them to conveniently complete necessary administrative tasks before their appointment. This adds another level of safety for both them and provider staff.
3. Shorter Wait Times For Patient Check-ins
Although the average physician appointment lasts only 18 minutes, it’s not unheard of for patients to wait 30 minutes or more to be seen by their doctor. Long wait times result in avoidable consequences, like patients walking out due to frustration over a lengthy wait. It’s no surprise, then, that physician practices with longer wait times typically receive lower patient satisfaction scores. Dissatisfied patients lead to a lack of provider loyalty.
Digital check-in not only plays a big role in preventing crowded waiting rooms, it also promotes better patient flow. Better patient flow is associated with quality healthcare and reduces the pressure on provider staff. Altogether, this mitigates delays in treatment and improves the overall efficiency of a practice.
4. Patient Check-in Systems Help Reduce No-Shows
We have mentioned this in previous blogs, but it is still important to note that patient no-shows cost the healthcare industry an estimated $150 billion annually. The number for solo physician practices is $150,000. However, practices actively working to minimize no-shows can reduce them by up to 70 percent.
Digital health solutions that are utilized to remind patients of an upcoming appointment help mitigate no-shows. They also provide patients with instructions for checking in before their visit, decreasing the number of no-shows and cancellations.
5. Mitigation of Medical Errors
Medical errors are very costly in healthcare, both in patient outcomes and financial operations. Digital patient intake reduces the likelihood of errors occurring during patient registration, especially those due to illegible handwriting and mistakes in data entry.
6. Alleviate Administrative Burden With Digital Patient Intake
Many physicians cite having too many bureaucratic tasks as a leading contributor for burnout. Excessively manual administrative tasks can also negatively affect provider staff, who spend an average of 12.5 hours weekly per physician. Digital check-in software can free up time for front-office staff and enable them to focus on other tasks. With fewer interruptions, these team members are able to spend more time on the patients who need it most.
7. Enhanced Coordination of Care
When patients enter their own information through digital check-in, it increases accuracy and updates their records in real-time. It also helps to streamline the process of sharing records between various other clinicians and provider organizations as necessary.
8. Improved HIPAA Compliance
Patient privacy is paramount for providers. Using digital patient intake minimizes the risk of the loss of protected health information (PHI), which in turn aids in compliance with HIPAA security and privacy standards.
9. A Digital Patient Intake System Curtails Operational Costs
We previously mentioned the negative effects of paper-based processes in healthcare. Did you also know that such manual processes cost approximately $3 more than each electronic transaction? Digital patient intake solutions ensure a faster patient registration, decrease practice overhead costs and help streamline the claims process.
10. More Reliable Revenue
When patients use digital-check in, they’re able to view co-pays, deductibles and any outstanding balance(s). By better understanding their financial responsibility before their appointment, they’re more likely to pay either online or at the office before their appointment. For provider organizations, that means improved reimbursement and increased revenue.
