PatientLink® Scan

Turn Paper Patient Forms Into Structured EHR Data

Give patients the ease of paper without giving staff the burden of manual data entry. PatientLink Scan captures completed patient forms, applies your configured workflow, and sends structured information to the appropriate fields in your EHR.

Request a Demo See a Sample Scan Form
  • HIPAA compliant
  • Works with most standard document scanners
  • No special paper required
  • EHR integrated
Patient completing a PatientLink Scan paper intake form
Paper for patients
Structured data for staff
Chart-ready data
Often available within seconds
10-15 min manual data entry eliminated per patient in an INTEGRIS case study
20+ years of continued use by some PatientLink Scan customers
50% less data entry time in a CHI quality workflow evaluation
67% fewer EHR clicks in the same CHI workflow evaluation

More Than Document Scanning

Do More Than Store a PDF in the Chart

Traditional document scanning can leave clinical information trapped inside an image. PatientLink Scan is designed to turn completed paper forms into usable data that can be validated, scored when applicable, mapped, and routed to the systems your workflow requires.

Traditional scanning

Paper becomes a document

Staff may still need to open the document and manually enter important values elsewhere.

PatientLink Scan

Paper becomes structured information

Responses can flow to discrete EHR fields and, when configured, to documents, research databases, registries, HIEs, reporting systems, or multiple destinations.

Simple for Staff and Patients

How PatientLink Scan Works

Patients use familiar paper. Staff select the patient and scan. PatientLink handles the data workflow.

1
Example PatientLink patient history bubble form

Patient completes the form

Easy-to-use paper forms require no portal, app, login, tablet, or waiting-room device.

2
Document scanner used with PatientLink Scan

Staff selects the patient and scans

Choose the patient from a simple EHR-connected search, place the form in the scanner, and scan.

3
Example EHR showing structured patient information

PatientLink sends information where it belongs

Configured form-processing technology captures responses, calculates supported scores, and routes data to the appropriate destination.

Fast Enough for the Front Desk

From Completed Form to EHR Data in Seconds

A patient completes a health form with pencil and paper, and the structured information is available in the EHR before the patient reaches the exam room.

  • Typical scan-to-EHR processing can complete in roughly 1-5 seconds
  • No manual re-keying of patient responses
  • No waiting-room devices to purchase, manage, or keep charged
  • Print forms yourself on standard paper, single-sided or duplex

Processing time varies by EHR, network, form complexity, and configuration.

1-5 seconds Typical scan-to-EHR processing Often closer to 2 seconds in normal workflows
1 Patient Completes paper form
2 Front desk Selects patient + scans
3 EHR Receives structured data

Why Practices Choose Scan

Keep Paper Easy Without Keeping Manual Data Entry

Eliminate Repetitive Entry

Let patients provide information once, then route supported values into the clinical workflow without staff retyping every response.

Structured EHR Data

Put important patient-reported information into usable EHR fields instead of leaving it trapped in a scanned image.

Configured Validation

Apply configured logic for incomplete or conflicting responses and handle them according to the clinic's workflow and clinical guidelines.

Automatic Scoring

Calculate supported assessment scores and route individual responses, totals, alerts, or thresholds as configured.

Familiar for Patients

Offer an intuitive paper option for older adults, patients who prefer paper, and anyone who does not want another digital experience.

Low-Maintenance Workflow

Use most standard document scanners and ordinary paper without adding a fleet of patient-facing devices to maintain.

Clinical staff member working with a paper patient form

Meet Patients Where They Are

One Intake Workflow. Paper or Digital.

Digital intake does not have to mean digital-only intake. Use PatientLink Online or PatientLink 360 for patients who prefer to complete forms electronically, while PatientLink Scan gives other patients a familiar paper option.

Both paths can support the same goal: usable patient information without sending staff back to manual entry.

Patient prefers digital PatientLink Online / 360
Patient prefers paper PatientLink Scan
One connected outcome Structured, usable EHR workflows

Designed Around Real Clinical Work

Patient Intake Forms, Screenings, Quality Programs, and More

Start with an existing PatientLink form or send us your current paper packet. PatientLink can recreate and configure forms around your questions, branding, clinical requirements, scoring, and destination mapping.

Clinical & Screening

  • PHQ-9 / PHQ-A
  • M-CHAT-R
  • SDOH screenings
  • Review of Systems
  • Developmental questionnaires
  • Patient-reported outcomes

Medicare & Quality

  • Annual Wellness Visits
  • Quality measure data
  • MSSP workflows
  • Preventive care information
  • eCQM / MIPS workflows
  • Clinical quality programs

Administrative & Consent

  • HIPAA acknowledgments
  • Surgical consents
  • Medical records releases
  • Disclosure acknowledgments
  • Patient history forms
  • Custom intake packets

Advanced Data Collection

  • Research databases
  • Registries
  • HIE workflows
  • Reporting databases
  • Multiple data destinations
  • Chart abstraction

Evidence and Experience

Proven in Real Ambulatory Workflows

PatientLink Scan has supported clinical data collection for organizations large and small, including complex quality and assessment workflows.

INTEGRIS case study 10-15 minutes

of manual data entry eliminated per patient

A large Oklahoma ambulatory organization reported that completed forms could be scanned in seconds, while eliminating approximately 10-15 minutes of manual data entry per patient and standardizing intake across clinics.

Read the INTEGRIS case study
CHI quality workflow evaluation 50% less data entry

and 67% fewer EHR clicks

A 2017 Catholic Health Initiatives workflow used a PatientLink form with 70 discrete data elements and 24 unique orders tied to MSSP quality measures.

Historical workflow evaluation presented at Allscripts Health Experience, 2017.
Peer-reviewed research 89.4%

of screening assessments successfully processed

A published depression-screening feasibility study reported successful processing of 89.4% of patient assessments, with no failures attributed to the scanning system itself.

Read the published study

Built to Connect

Designed to Work With Your Existing EHR Workflow

PatientLink has supported Scan integrations across a range of ambulatory EHR environments and can work with your team to determine the right form, field mapping, and data-routing approach for your organization.

Veradigm / Allscripts Altera athenahealth GE Centricity Greenway Prime Suite Aprima Research systems
Don't see your EHR? Ask us about integration options for your environment.

Integration availability and capabilities vary by EHR, version, interface, and customer configuration.

Clinician reviewing healthcare information on a computer

Flexible Beyond Routine Intake

Useful When the Workflow Gets Complicated

A Practical EHR Downtime Workflow

Continue collecting patient information on paper during an EHR outage. When the EHR is available again, staff can select the patient and scan the completed forms rather than manually re-entering the captured information.

Accelerate Chart Abstraction

PatientLink has also been used to move information from paper records into structured electronic data. In one historical 2,200-record pilot, abstraction time dropped from 20 minutes to 7 minutes for every five patients.

What Customers Say

Simple for Staff From Day One

“This is a life changing technology...my staff thinks that scanner is a miracle.”
Dr. L, INTEGRIS Health
“The forms are easily filled out by our patients and then scanned into our EMR...A huge timesaver for our staff.”
S.F., Barrow Neurosurgical Associates
“Patient information flowing directly into the chart has helped tremendously in reducing staff time.”
Dr. G, OB-Gyn Associates PC

Configured Around Your Practice

A Straightforward Path to Go-Live

Bring us your current forms and workflow. PatientLink can recreate your paper intake packet, apply your branding and questions, configure scoring and routing, map EHR destinations, provide the Scan software, and train your team.

Talk Through Your Scan Workflow
01Review forms and workflow
02Build forms and map destinations
03Install and test Scan software
04Train staff and go live

Typical implementation is approximately 4-6 weeks depending on form and integration complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Patient Form Scanning

Does PatientLink Scan just attach a PDF to the EHR?

No. PatientLink Scan converts responses into structured data and routes values to mapped EHR fields. When configured, the completed PDF document can also be stored in the patient’s chart.

Do we need a special scanner?

PatientLink Scan works with most standard document scanners. Epson and Fujitsu models are commonly preferred, but specialized proprietary scanning hardware is not required.

Do we need special paper or pre-printed forms?

No. Practices can print PatientLink Scan forms on standard paper. Forms can be printed single-sided or duplex depending on the workflow.

Can PatientLink recreate our existing intake forms?

Yes. PatientLink can work from your current intake packet and configure forms with your branding, questions, scoring, clinical logic, and supported data destinations.

Can PatientLink Scan calculate assessment scores?

Yes. Supported scored assessments can calculate totals automatically, and configured workflows can route individual responses, scores, alerts, or thresholds to the appropriate destination.

Can we use paper forms and digital intake together?

Yes. Many organizations offer digital PatientLink workflows to patients who prefer them while keeping PatientLink Scan available for patients who prefer paper. This helps expand patient choice without bringing manual data entry back into the workflow.

What happens during an EHR outage?

PatientLink Scan cannot search the EHR or send data to an unavailable EHR. However, patients can continue completing paper forms during the outage. When the EHR is restored, staff can select the patients and scan the saved forms rather than re-entering the information manually.

How long does implementation take?

A typical implementation is approximately 4-6 weeks, depending on the complexity of the forms, EHR mapping, and integration. PatientLink builds the forms and mapping, provides the software, and can train your team.

See PatientLink Scan in Action

Stop Re-Keying Information Patients Already Gave You

Show us your current paper forms and EHR workflow. We will show you how PatientLink Scan can help turn patient responses into structured, usable data.

Request a Demo See a Sample Form