How To Improve Patient Intake Efficiency

Improving the patient intake efficiency takes work from everyone in the practice. To learn what needs to be improved we first have to know what steps are taken now, then we can discuss what ways could help each step improve to make this process more efficient. The steps taken now are useful, but they could be improved to make the process easier and faster for both the patient and the practice. When a patient calls the first step is to determine if the patient is a new patient or an established patient. A new patient is one that has not been seen at the practice for more than 3 years and an established patient has been seen there in the last three years. If the patient is an established patient we then
have to look at what physician they have seen and if they are seeing the same one. If it is a practice that has more than one specialty, and the patient is seeing a different doctor for a different specialty, they are then considered a new patient for that doctor. New patient have to give their information over the phone and the person sets up their appointment and tells them to arrive early to fill out paper work. When they arrive at the practice new patients are given a book of papers that they have to fill out and then they are put into the system and finally called back to see the doctor. The above is an explanation of how the process works now, as stated before there are many things that can be improved to make this process faster so that patient intake can be more efficient and practices can add more patients. I agree that the first step is to determine if the patient is new or established. We need to make sure we have information on every person in the practice. The way we get the information can be improved significantly.
We live in a world where most things are done online, I think it would be a great idea to have all forms available online for patients to fill out. I know some places offer the option to go online and print them out and bring them in, but there has to be new software out there that lets a patient log in to a secure site and put their information into the computer and it be available for the practice to see. This would give patients the option to do this, and for those that do not use computers or have access to one can still go in a fill out the new forms. This would help eliminate the extra 15 minutes new patients have to wait because they have to show up early to do paper work and wait for the person at the desk to get the information in the system. According to the article I read, “There 's always new technology rolling out to help providers be more efficient, so they 're often suspicious about the return on investment,” (Kerin, 2012, para.). So although there are more options available most providers are worried about if the new technology is going to bring enough intake to cover the cost of it. I understand their concern, but as a patient, I think less time to wait and having everything entered in to system before getting to the doctor sounds that I would recommend them to friends and others when asked where to
go. The other step I mentioned above was when an established patient goes to the same office but is going to see a doctor of a different specialty. I think this can be improved to make that patient be establish with all specialty doctors within the same office. If they are in the same office and they have to same checking desk, then they have to same computer system. Which means when you see one of the doctors your information should be saved and can be used for other doctors in that practice. Like stated above there are new technologies available that could make this process happen. I just don’t think a patient should have to fill out new patient information more than once when they are seeing a doctor at the same office as the one they seen before. These strategies are just a few examples of what could help make the patient intake more efficient. Along with getting all the information needed, we also have to think about the efficiency and time it takes to actually see the doctor. Patients are waiting to get called back and then they wait in a room for longer to see the doctor. If we can make the intake process shorter then patients wouldn’t be so angry with all the waiting. Once we get this faster we can work on things like adding more vitals carts, and doctors being more efficient in getting in the room quicker. The less wait a patient has the more they will tell others and recommended new patients, therefor generating more money for the practice.

References and Citations

Kerin, J. (2012, September). Achieve ROI through patient intake. HME News, 18(9), s7. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1039287031