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How Automated Forms Solve the Preregistration Gap in Healthcare Workflows

By John Zimmerer, VP of Healthcare Marketing at Smart Communications 

If you work in healthcare, you've probably heard this gripe from patients 

“Didn’t I already fill this out?” 

Even with robust Electronic Health Record (EHR) platforms like Epic, many organizations struggle with one critical phase of the patient journey: preregistration. Paper packets, duplicate entry, missed data fields, and frustrated patients are common complaints. 

EHRs were built for documentation and clinical excellence, not necessarily for front-end patient experience. 

That leaves a glaring gap—one that results in: 

  • Repetitive administrative tasks
  • Lower patient satisfaction scores
  • Slower check-in times
  • Higher no-show or reschedule rates 

Although Epic does a great job supporting clinical care, it’s not designed to handle every step of the patient journey, especially before the visit even begins. 

That’s where an automated forms solution can step in to make things easier for both patients and staff. 

Let’s break it down. 

Where Epic Falls Short: A Side-by-Side Look 

Epic’s Capabilities for Preregistration: 

  • Patient portal-based forms (MyChart)
  • Demographics, insurance, and consent captured in-system
  • Integration with existing clinical workflows 

But… 

  • Low completion rates unless patients are actively using
  • MyChart No flexibility for non-portal users (think: first-timers or digitally hesitant)
  • Limited customization of workflows for different service lines or visit types
  • Inconsistent communication channels (email/text/phone) for reminders and forms
  • Manual follow-up needed for incomplete or missing information 

How No-Code Digital Patient Intake Forms Bridge the Gap  

Digital patient intake forms, like SmartIQ™, bridge the gap to solve what EHRs miss. Think of them as the “front doors” your patients actually want to walk through. They should be simple, digital, and easily completed before arrival. 

Here’s how Epic and SmartIQ compare: 

Epic MyChart vs. SmartIQ’s Automated Form Solution 

Feature 

Epic MyChart 

SmartIQ 

Form Completion Without Login 

 

 

 

Mobile-First Design 

 

⚠️ Limited 

✅ Optimized 

Channel Flexibility (SMS/Email) 

 

⚠️ Basic 

✅ Fully Customizable 

Smart Form Routing by Visit Type 

 

 

 

eSignature Integration 

 

⚠️ Limited 

✅ Seamless 

Analytics + Completion Tracking 

 

 

✅ Real-Time 

Automated Reminders 

 

 

 

Why It Matters: The Real-World Impact of Preregistration Gaps

Preregistration may seem like an admin issue, but it’s actually a strategic opportunity. When digital patient intake forms are automated, streamlined, and completed before the patient even arrives: 

  • Wait times drop
  • No-show rates decrease
  • Operational efficiency improves
  • Healthcare communications feel more modern
  • Patients feel prepared, respected, and heard 

Most importantly, your staff stops chasing down paperwork and starts focusing on care. 

Interested in the other factors that can make or break your patient intake forms? Read “How to Create Digital-First Patient Intake Forms 

The Takeaway: You Don’t Have to Wait for the EHR to Catch Up 

Epic is powerful, but it’s not perfect. Modernizing preregistration will help save time and create a smoother, more connected experience for employees and patients alike. When digital tools work alongside your EHR, the entire process feels less like paperwork and more like care. 

Schedule a demo to see how SmartIQ helps providers like you bridge the gap. 

About the Author

John Zimmerer is the Vice President of Vertical Marketing, Healthcare at Smart Communications, where he acts as a subject matter expert on the digital transformation of customer communications and data-centric, often form-based workflows. Most recently, John has been researching and writing about improving customer experience in healthcare and is regarded as a thought leader in this area. John has over 20 years of software product marketing experience. His areas of expertise include market research, analyst relations, public relations and digital marketing.

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