Beyond the Clipboard: Patient Registration Best Practices That Transform Check-In 

Healthcare professional assisting a patient with registration

Patient registration is more than collecting a driver’s license and current medications. It’s about making lasting connections. Why? First impressions matter, and a positive check-in process sets the tone for the entire patient experience.  

Providers must move beyond the clipboard in patient registration and adopt new technologies and approaches to compete in today’s healthcare landscape. This article reveals actionable best practices providers can use to advance registration operational workflows, boost communication, and improve the overall patient intake experience. 

Why Getting Patient Registration Right the First Time Matters 

The registration process is the first point of contact for patients. Pesky data issues, snail-paced registration processes, misplaced forms, and long wait times can frustrate patients and affect their safety and care.  

Optimizing the patient registration process and getting it right the first time can prove invaluable to providers in key ways: 

  • Patients will want to return. When the registration process runs smoothly, wait time decreases, and satisfied patients turn into loyal ones. One study found that implementing best practices reduced patient cycle time by 12%, from 71 to 65 minutes, improving patient satisfaction. 
  • Prioritizes data security and compliance. When the patient registration process is optimized for security and compliance, sensitive data is encrypted and protected, and it follows HIPAA confidentiality laws, increasing patient trust.  
  • Fixes billing bottlenecks. When operations like verifying patient insurance coverage improve, so do on-time payments. For example, informing patients of co-pays or deductibles before treatment improves the revenue cycle
  • Patient information is comprehensive; costs are reduced. Embracing best practices allows providers and staff to gather extensive patient data, such as insurance and personal information. Such partnership creates smoother workflows, promotes cohesive care, and prevents unnecessary testing, saving money. 

Patient Registration Best Practices 

Below, we outline six best practices (with top tools and tips) for patient registration that advance operational procedures, security, and the overall quality of patient care.  

1.Go Digital and Mobile 

When it comes to patient registration best practices, it’s digital tools for the win. Why? They offer patients convenience and choice and streamline the entire front-end process.  

Digital appointment tools reduce wait times and save staff and providers from unnecessary administrative burdens. These tools also streamline scheduling, removing the need for phone calls and emails to confirm and reschedule appointments.  

Top Digital Check-in Tools & Tips: 

Online Portals and Mobile Apps 

One survey found that more than eight in 10 providers say patients prefer online registration. To stay competitive, providers must listen to patients’ needs. Using online patient portals and mobile apps can meet those demands and improve patient engagement.  

For example, the DrChrono cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) platform has a mobile EHR app that integrates patient engagement, scheduling, clinical workflow, and medical billing. The platform also offers a full-featured EHR on iPhone, where providers can document an entire patient encounter, lock the note, and bill insurance.  

Bonus tip: Ask patients to fill out registration forms online before their visit and offer incentives to motivate patients to create these accounts. 

Patient registration process at a healthcare facility

Automated Payment and Estimate Tools 

The Association for Healthcare Resource and Materials Management (AHRMM) states that 70% of healthcare invoices are still paper-based, and 85% are paid with paper checks, with an average processing cost of $7.00 per check.  

Making payment easy for patients through online payment tools can automate this process, save operational costs, and meet patients where they are. Patient cost estimator software allows staff to provide patients with quick and accurate estimates of their financial responsibility before or when services are performed.  

Kiosks and AI 

When it comes to convenience, self-check-in kiosks can make all the difference in patient registration. Platforms like DrChrono allow patients to self-check in from an iPad or a Kiosk. Their information automatically syncs to an EHR, eliminating the need for data entry work.  

AI-powered chatbots bridge gaps in patient-provider communication.  

2. Automate and Integrate 

A registration system should connect to your EHR. Without this integration, the medical staff must repeatedly collect data, such as insurance information, which frustrates patients. A lack of integration may also result in duplicate or other manual data entry errors. 

Top Integrated EHR Tools & Tip: 

Automate Data Capture  

There are many reasons for a claim denial; however, some providers don’t realize that it can be as simple as a name misspelling. Using an integrated EHR system can reduce errors and duplicate information during the patient registration process, improving record accuracy. For example, EHRs with an integrated real-time eligibility check feature can save staff time and ensure patients receive the most from their insurance. 

Confirm Citical Details  

Double-checking information during patient registration is crucial to avoiding serious medical mistakes. Integrated practice management tools can automate this process. For instance, customizable patient flags allow providers and staff to receive rapid reports on different categories, such as allergies or other vital data they should know. 

Medical receptionist helping a patient during the registration process

3. Keep Medical Staff Well-informed and Highly Trained 

According to a Deloitte study, a highly engaged staff likely boosts patient experience, translating into better practice financial performance. Keeping your staff updated on registration tools, billing codes, compliance laws, and other training measures can help foster this kind of engagement. 

Top Training Tools & Tips: 

Regular Training Sessions  

Keep your staff updated on changes in complex laws, new technologies, billing and coding processes, and compliance regulations, such as HIPAA standards. Provide training and workshops that offer:  

  • Comprehensive needs assessments 
  • Soft skills workshops 
  • Compliance training  
  • Customer service skills training 

Update Immunization Reporting 

During the registration process, ensuring patients are up to date with their immunizations can be time-consuming and even confusing for staff. Equipping them with this information accurately makes this process easier. 

For example, DrChrono helps connect staff and immunizing providers to all state immunization registries. With integration, providers and staff can securely connect to their practice’s state registry to report vaccine data. New data also syncs whenever providers input vaccinations into the EHR. 

4. Strengthen Data Security 

Patients expect a smooth and secure registration process during their visit, so ensuring they feel safe should be at the top of every provider list. 

Top Security Tools & Tips: 

Encryption  

Work with your staff to emphasize the importance of password protection and two-factor authentication. Using biometric technology like facial recognition and fingerprint scans effectively boosts patient security. These tools help providers and medical staff access and share sensitive patient information correctly. 

Audits 

Quality checks and audits ensure patient registration’s accuracy, compliance, privacy, and completeness. Mandated by HIPAA and the Meaningful Use standards, all computerized systems in healthcare must implement regular security auditing mechanisms to protect patient health information (PHI).  

5. Simplify, Simplify, Simplify  

One easy way to make the patient registration process easier is to simplify the forms and make the patient portal easy to use. 

Top Tools & Tips: 

Provide Clear Instructions 

Your patient registration form should be easy to read, clear, and concise. 

To reduce errors on the patient’s part, it’s a good idea to clarify the wording on the form where possible. For those with special needs, offer services that help patients navigate forms and other paperwork. 

Create a User-friendly Portal Design 

Focus your energy on making the digital patient portal simple and intuitive. Adopt integrative software that lets patients fill out intake forms and other information before their visit. Optimize the user interface to ensure easy navigation and accessibility for all users. 

Final Thoughts 

By setting benchmarks for a successful registration process and adopting best practices, healthcare providers can boost their staff performance, advance registration procedures, optimize innovative technology, and evolve the overall quality of patient care.  

We hope these patient registration strategies help you tackle your clinic’s unique challenges and ensure your practice thrives.  

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