The Hidden Risk in Clinical Intake
Clinical decision-making begins with a conversation. Too often, however, that conversation lacks structure, consistency, or completeness. Patient intake remains one of the most variable and error-prone steps in care delivery. Missing symptoms, vague histories, or unstandardized workflows introduce risks that ripple through diagnosis, billing, and patient safety.
That’s why leading health systems are turning to AI-powered intake and clinical decision support (CDS) to close the gap.
Clearstep: Turning Intake into Intelligence
Clearstep’s AI patient intake and Clinical Decision Support (CDS) combines intake automation with real-time clinical intelligence to guide patients, medical assistants (MAs), and intake staff through digital-first workflows. These workflows automatically generate rich, structured HPIs (History of Present Illness), surface differential diagnoses (DDx), and recommend next steps — all seamlessly embedded in the EHR.
The result? Every intake becomes actionable insight.
Care is standardized from the first question asked.
Automating Intake to Capture Complete, Clinically Useful Data
The variability of manual intake processes isn’t just inefficient; it’s risky. A missed question or inconsistent phrasing, or over-reliance on memory can compromise the quality of clinical decisions before care even begins. That’s where automated intake becomes transformational.
Clearstep’s AI-driven intake workflows adapt dynamically based on symptoms and patient history. This ensures:
- Every relevant question is asked — no important details missed
- Patients share their story once, not multiple times
- Data flows seamlessly and instantly into the clinical record
Unlike traditional free-text notes, Clearstep structures intake data into coded, clinically useful information that can be analyzed, surfaced, and acted upon in real time. It’s the foundation for smarter, faster, and safer decisions.
Turning Data into Decisions — HPI, DDx, and Recommended Diagnostics
Once data is captured, the next challenge is turning it into something meaningful. Clearstep’s CDS engine applies evidence-based algorithms to:
- Auto-generate comprehensive HPIs
- Surface a consideration set of differential diagnoses (DDx)
- Recommend diagnostic tests and next steps
By mapping symptom combinations and risk factors to an always-up-to-date clinical knowledge base, the system helps clinicians consider possibilities they might not have thought of — a major advantage in high-throughput settings like urgent care, primary care, or telehealth.
And when red flags arise? They’re elevated instantly. Emergency symptoms trigger real-time alerts, ensuring critical cases get prioritized without delay.
EHR First: Writeback and Handoff
For clinical AI to make a real impact, it must fit into the workflow, not fight against it. That’s why Clearstep integrates directly with leading EHRs like Epic, Cerner, and Athena — no toggling, no duplicate entries.
Providers walk into the exam room (or virtual visit) with chart-ready notes requiring minimal edits. That means fewer clicks, faster throughput, and more time focused on patient interaction rather than data entry.
This seamless integration also improves the handoff between roles. MAs collect structured data; providers receive actionable insight. The gap between intake and diagnosis shrinks, as does the risk of missed steps, miscommunication and administrative drag that fuels burnout.
Outcomes That Matter
Clinical decision support shouldn’t just promise improvements. It should deliver measurable impact. Here are some of the outcomes that health systems can expect with Clearstep’s AI Intake + CDS:
- Reduced Visit Time: With a faster, more efficient intake process and early visibility into patient issues, providers can complete visits more quickly across urgent, primary, and specialty care.
- Higher Billing Accuracy: Standardized, comprehensive documentation supports appropriate coding and reimbursement, improving financial performance.
- Improved Satisfaction: Patients appreciate not being asked the same questions repeatedly. Providers benefit from having high-quality data at the start of the visit, making care feel more efficient and personalized.
- Safer Decision-Making: Emergency conditions are flagged early, reducing delays in critical care and helping prevent adverse events.
- Reduced Provider Burnout: Less screen time, fewer clicks, and more meaningful patient interactions add up to a better experience for clinicians.
Reimagine Intake. Reinforce Decisions. Redefine Care Delivery.
Clearstep’s AI-powered platform brings structure, safety, and scalability to one of healthcare’s most fundamental processes. From intake to insight, it helps health systems:
- Deliver more consistent, high-quality care
- Empower clinical teams to make data-driven decisions
- Streamline operations across every point of care
For providers, it means more confident decisions.
For patients, a smoother, safer experience.
For health systems, a scalable model for clinical excellence.
Ready to Experience AI-Powered Intake and CDS in action?
Watch our CHIME webinar with Ochsner Health or Schedule a demo today.
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