Semi-Private Insurance Capture at Emergency Department Check-In in Ontario

Emergency Departments (EDs) across Ontario continue to face sustained pressure on registration teams, particularly during peak periods, overnight hours, and weekends. While much of the focus is rightly placed on triage and clinical flow, administrative steps at arrival can still create avoidable friction.

One area increasingly being digitised is the capture of semi-private insurance declarations, traditionally handled using paper forms during ED registration.

Moving Away from Paper in the Ontario ED

Paper-based insurance forms can slow down registration, require manual handling, and introduce delays when staff are required to scan or attach documents to the patient record. In busy ED environments, this can draw staff away from higher-value patient-facing tasks.

An automated, kiosk-based approach allows semi-private insurance confirmation and patient signatures to be captured as part of the ED check-in process, removing the need for separate paperwork.

A Simple, Patient-Friendly Workflow

The workflow follows a straightforward, two-step model:

• Patients are asked to confirm whether they have semi-private insurance during self-service check-in
• If applicable, a short declaration statement is displayed and the patient provides a digital signature using the kiosk touchscreen
• Patients without semi-private insurance automatically bypass this step and continue with check-in without interruption

The approach is designed to be intuitive, accessible, and suitable for a wide range of ED patient populations.

Automatic Document Creation and Secure Storage

Once check-in is completed, a PDF version of the semi-private insurance form is automatically generated. The document mirrors the hospital’s existing approved paper form and includes key patient identifiers such as the Ontario Health Card Number or Medical Record Number (MRN).

The completed PDF is securely stored on the hospital’s server or document management system, allowing authorised registration or health records staff to easily locate and attach it within the EMR as part of standard ED workflows.

Supporting Urban and Rural Emergency Departments

This digital approach is particularly relevant for:

• High-volume urban EDs seeking to reduce registration bottlenecks
• Community and rural EDs where registration staffing may be limited overnight or at weekends
• Multi-site hospital networks looking to standardise registration processes across locations

By embedding insurance capture into arrival workflows, EDs can maintain consistency even when staffing levels fluctuate.

Beyond Semi-Private Insurance

While semi-private insurance declarations are a common starting point, the same digital signature workflow can be extended to other ED-related forms where patient acknowledgment or consent is required. This provides ED leaders with a flexible foundation for further digitisation over time.