The patient check-in process is a crucial first touchpoint that sets the tone for the entire dental visit experience. Yet many practices still rely on antiquated paper check-ins that create frustrations for patients and staff alike with long waits, cluttered paperwork, and inefficient workflows.

Transitioning to automated digital self-check-in technology can transform this process by saving time, reducing costs, and creating a modern, seamless experience patients expect.

Here are 10 common struggles dental practices face with traditional paper check-ins and how digital check-in solutions address these issues:

1. Long wait times

Patients get frustrated having to laboriously fill out all their information by hand, sometimes repeatedly on multiple forms for new patients or those who have visited different providers at the office.

This manual process drags out check-in times and extends wait room delays. Digital check-in speeds things up by allowing patients to complete forms digitally in advance from their phone or tablet, auto-filling data between forms and verifying information for accuracy.

2. Repeating Details 

Patients dislike having to write their name, medical history, insurance info, and other details over and over each time on different paper forms. Eliminate redundancy by securely digitally importing patient data into new forms with just one click, sparing them repetition.

3. Messy Handwriting

Illegible patient handwriting on paper forms often forces staff to decipher details or ask patients to clarify information again, further holding up check-in lines. Digital check-in captures patient data precisely with typed responses the first time.

4. Lack of Validation

Staff must manually verify that paper forms have the correct, completed information and follow-up if not. Why not validate patient responses in real-time, via advanced technology, requiring properly formatted info before submission.

5. Data Entry

Once paper check-in forms are completed, staff must manually enter all the details collected into the dental practice management system. This monotonous process takes up hours of administrative time per day. Digital check-in seamlessly integrates validated patient data directly into the system, eliminating piles of paperwork.

6. Difficulty updating details

Patients often struggle to remember to update critical info like insurance, contact info, or medical history on paper forms. It’s much easier to prompt patients to verify and update their details digitally right during the check-in process.

7. Forms out of sight

Relevant forms buried in an unorganized stack of papers creates confusion for patients and missed documentation. Present to patients clear, organized digital forms specific to their visit that are easy to complete.

8. Limited sharing 

Once paper forms are completed and stored away in file cabinets, they have limited accessibility among other staff in the practice. Digital self check-in data can be instantly shared with any necessary staff member through seamless integration.

9. No customization

Static, generic paper forms allow minimal adjustments or personalization for specific patient needs. What if you could fully optimize forms by auto-populating details, adjusting based on responses, showing/hiding fields, and more.

10. Added Costs

Traditional paper check-ins require continually purchasing pre-printed forms, pens, clipboards, file folders, storage space, etc. Digital check-in reduces these overhead costs and office waste.

In summary, manual paper check-ins are an outdated, inefficient way to kick off a dental visit, frustrating patients and creating bottlenecks.

Transitioning to automated digital technology like  Self Check-in Kiosk by mConsent, not only solves these common problems, but also greatly improves the overall patient experience and streamlines practice workflow for a smoother, modern office.