When scheduling a patient for their first visit to your practice, you should advise them of what they need to bring to help ensure a smooth registration process and to assist your physician in making that first visit as thorough as possible.

Follow this check list as a guide:

• Picture identification and current insurance card(s)

Hint:  Once provided with this information, you need to verify insurance coverage and benefits.  This is the optimum time to collect copayments from the patient.

• Contact information for emergency contact and/or healthcare surrogate

Hint:  Make sure the patient indicates the name(s) of any authorized persons on your HIPAA notification form.

• Contact information for all current healthcare providers

Hint:  Please have the patient add to the HIPAA form, the names of any physicians they would like your physician to communicate with or share their medical records.

• Copies of any applicable medical records and recent diagnostic testing results

Hint:  If you are handed records that are the patient’s only copy, make your own copy and return the “originals” to the patient.  They may need them for another provider.  X-rays or radiology “films” stored on computer discs, should be logged in the patient’s record if they are left behind after the visit.

• Complete list of current medications, both prescription and over the counter.

Hint:  Adding the pharmacy name and phone/fax number into the patient chart facilitates issuing any required prescriptions.