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Are You Leveraging Your Digital Intake Forms?

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digital patient intake forms

Occupational, speech, and physical therapists play a critical role in helping clients with various rehabilitation needs. However, the administrative burden of paperwork can often hinder their ability to focus on delivering quality care. According to an APTA survey, 83.3% of providers agree or strongly agree that administrative burden contributes to burnout. In this blog post, we will explore how therapists can leverage their EMR’s digital client intake forms (also called electronic intake forms) to streamline their workflows and enhance the overall client experience.

What Are Digital Intake Forms?

Digital intake forms are electronic versions of the traditional paper-based intake forms used in healthcare practices. Your EMR’s digital patient intake forms offer therapists a powerful and user-friendly tool to collect and manage client information efficiently. These forms can be accessed and filled out digitally, making the entire process faster, more accurate, and more convenient for both therapists and clients. And given that the average physician can spend nearly 17% of their working time on administrative tasks, providers need to improve efficiency.

How Digital Intake Forms Improve Your Practice’s Workflow

  1. Efficient Data Collection: With digital intake forms, therapists can capture client information in a standardized manner, ensuring accuracy and consistency. Fusion’s intuitive custom intake form builder allows therapists to configure the forms based on their specific needs, enabling them to gather pertinent information efficiently. It’s also less likely to frustrate clients with irrelevant questions.
  2. Automated Data Organization: Fusion’s digital intake forms integrate seamlessly with the patient record, automating the process of entering client data into the system. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces the likelihood of errors, and saves valuable time for therapists.
  3. Streamlined Administrative Processes: Digital intake forms enable therapists to automate tasks like client consent forms, insurance verification, and billing information, freeing up time that can be better used for delivering care. This streamlining of administrative processes allows therapists to focus more on their clients and provide an improved level of service.

It’s difficult to evaluate exactly how much time providers spend on admin work because they often work off the clock to finish on time. Some providers estimate they can easily spend 3-5 hours on paperwork and not get paid for it. And if they choose only to work when they get paid, they lose these billable hours and can’t see as many clients. So, if you want to spend more time delivering care, you need a streamlined administrative process.


What else does your EHR need to help you improve your practice? Download our free guide and find more ways to save time.


Using Digital Intake Forms to Enhance Client Experience

  1. Ease of Access: Digital intake forms can be accessed remotely by clients, eliminating the need for them to fill out forms in the waiting room. Clients can complete the forms at their convenience, reducing stress and improving the overall experience. From our experience, the average intake form can take anywhere from 3 to 20 minutes to complete. Most of your clients won’t be 20 minutes early to their appointment, so now you’re running behind while they fill out the form.
  2. Improved Understanding and Communication: Customizable fields allow therapists to collect specific details relevant to each individual’s needs, fostering better communication and personalized care. Multi-specialty practices can ensure that data relevant to each individual’s needs is collected. Additionally, some EMRs (like Fusion) offer digital intake forms that can include small PDF attachments to help clients better understand their conditions or treatment plans.
  3. Empowering Client Engagement: With digital intake forms, clients can provide thorough medical histories, previous treatment details, and information about their goals and expectations. This empowers therapists to tailor treatment plans effectively, ensuring client satisfaction and engagement. Clients feel more invested in their treatment plan and can even provider details they may have forgotten to mention during a visit.


Occupational, speech, and physical therapists are increasingly turning to digital solutions to streamline their workflows and enhance client experiences. Fusion’s digital intake forms offer an array of benefits, including efficient data collection, automated data organization, improved administrative processes, and enhanced client engagement. By leveraging these forms, therapists can spend more time focusing on providing high-quality care and achieving superior outcomes for their clients. Embracing the digital transformation of intake forms is a significant step towards a more efficient, client-centric therapeutic practice.

Want to see Fusion’s time-saving documentation tools in action? Schedule a demo today! See why we’re trusted by more than 36,000 physical, occupational, and speech therapists.

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