Staff Reference

Patient Intake — Quick Workflow

The step-by-step process for bringing a patient from check-in to the provider, from confirming readiness at the front desk through completing medication reconciliation. Keep this page bookmarked as a quick refresher — it pairs with the Staff Orientation guide on conditions and medications.

Applies to: front desk & clinical staff Effective: September 2026 Internal training document — not for distribution outside the practice

Seven steps, front desk to provider hand-off. Every field noted below should be complete in Elation before moving on to the next patient.

1 Confirm patient readiness at front desk

Check in with front desk; confirm consent forms are signed before rooming the patient.
Confirm patient is checked in and the visit reason is noted in Elation.

2 Print patient labs

IMPORTANT: in-house labs only, unless the patient asks for outside labs — verify demographics on the lab page before printing.

3 Weigh patient and room them

Take weight, walk patient to exam room.
DO NOT SKIP: enter room number in Elation as soon as the patient is roomed.

4 Vitals and brief history

Take blood pressure; record in Elation.
Brief, focused history: medication changes, new/changing symptoms, other updates (hospitalizations, ER visits, new diagnoses).
DIABETES VISITS: on an insulin pump or any sensors? If so, get the CGM reader/device uploaded or connected to the clinic system, and pull the pump report.
Ask every patient where any outside labs/imaging were done; enter results in chart. If you can't find them, flag it for the doctor and keep looking.

5 Verify patient demographics and access

Confirm address, phone, and email are current.
Check patient portal status and SMS/text enrollment.
Confirm pharmacy on file.

6 Present the patient to the doctor

Brief verbal summary: why they're here, what's different since the last visit.
PRESENT, DON'T READ: speak from what you learned — don't read notes word-for-word.

7 Complete medication reconciliation

Finish med rec in Elation.
Double-check that vitals, room number, history, demographics, and med rec are all complete before moving to the next patient.

Related staff resource

New to the practice, or need a refresher on what we treat and prescribe? See the Staff Orientation: Conditions We Treat & Medications We Use guide.

Internal Training Document — Not for Distribution Outside the Practice