Guide · 03
Intake Automation Guide
Retiring paper without rage-quitting your EHR.
00The five phases of moving off paper
01 · STAFF
Audit current intake
Where forms come from
02 · STAFF
Pick one channel
Web or kiosk first
03 · AI
Layer OCR + extraction
Fax / PDF
04 · AI
Add missing-info checks
What's blocking?
05 · SYSTEM
Push to chart on approval
Audited
Phase 1 — Audit current intake
List every channel forms come from today: paper, PDF email, fax, portal, web, kiosk. Note the volume and the staff time per form. This is your baseline.
Phase 2 — Pick the one channel that hurts most
Don't migrate everything at once. Pick the channel with the highest volume × highest re-entry cost. For most clinics that's web or fax.
Phase 3 — Layer OCR and extraction
Bring in OCR + structured extraction for that channel. Aim for 90%+ field accuracy; the rest is the front desk's review.
Phase 4 — Add missing-info checks
Before pushing to the chart, run a missing-info check: required fields, eligibility verification, signed consents. Block on what's actually blocking.
Phase 5 — Push to chart on approval
A human approves; the system pushes; the audit log records. Measure baseline vs. new turnaround weekly.
Next step