The Front Desk App
Created for Jodi Strock of Physicians Urgent Care (Nashville)
A streamlined iPad-based check-in solution designed specifically for Physicians Urgent Care
Transform your front desk operations with an intuitive, self-service patient intake system that reduces wait times, minimizes staff burden, and ensures accurate data collection from the moment patients walk through your door.
Step 1
Patient Walks In
The patient experience begins before they even reach your front desk. Clear, professional signage directs patients to the self-service iPad kiosk, setting expectations immediately and reducing confusion during peak hours.
The iPad is securely mounted in kiosk mode, displaying a welcoming interface that's always ready. No staff member needs to greet, explain, or initiate the process—the technology handles the first touchpoint seamlessly.
"The goal is that the first human interaction is the tech, not the front desk."
This approach fundamentally changes your workflow. Instead of front desk staff managing initial greetings, insurance questions, and paperwork distribution, your medical assistants become the first point of human contact—a more efficient use of clinical resources.

What You Need
  • Mounted iPad in kiosk mode
  • Clear directional signage
  • No staff interaction required
Step 2
iPad Welcome Screen
The welcome screen is intentionally simple and unintimidating. Patients see a clean, uncluttered interface with a single clear call to action: "Welcome. Please tap to check in." This removes any hesitation or confusion that often accompanies new technology.
Language Options
Built-in English/Spanish toggle ensures accessibility for your diverse patient population without requiring bilingual staff at the front desk.
Privacy First
HIPAA-compliant privacy notice displayed at the bottom of the screen provides transparency and builds trust from the first interaction.
Zero Training Required
The interface is so intuitive that patients of all ages and tech comfort levels can navigate it independently.

Why This Matters: Patients don't hesitate. Staff doesn't need to explain. The check-in process begins immediately, reducing wait times and eliminating bottlenecks at your front desk.
Step 3
Identify the Patient
Patient identification is streamlined to minimize friction while maintaining accuracy. We've eliminated the complexity of patient portals, logins, and account creation—common barriers that slow down urgent care check-ins.
Two Simple Options
Name + Date of Birth
Quick manual entry for returning patients or those comfortable with typing
Scan ID
Photo capture technology pulls information directly from driver's license or state ID
This approach respects the reality of urgent care: patients need fast access, and your staff needs reliable data. The system matches patients to existing records when possible, and flags new patients for account creation—all without holding up the check-in line.
Step 4
Reason for Visit
Instead of asking patients to type free-form descriptions of their symptoms—which often leads to vague or incomplete information—the app uses a guided, checkbox-driven approach that collects structured, actionable data.
1
Primary Visit Type
  • Illness
  • Injury
  • Work-related
  • Follow-up
2
Conditional Follow-ups
3-5 targeted questions appear based on the primary selection, such as pain location, specific symptoms, or duration of illness.
3
Clean Data Output
Structured responses that your tech and provider can quickly scan and act upon—no interpretation required.
Why This Matters
Faster than typing: Checkbox selection takes seconds versus minutes of typing and correcting on a tablet keyboard.
Cleaner data: Standardized responses eliminate ambiguity and ensure consistency across all patient intakes.
Better triage: Medical assistants and providers can immediately assess urgency and prepare appropriate resources before rooming the patient.
Step 5
Insurance + ID Capture
Insurance verification is one of the biggest time sinks at urgent care front desks. Staff members manually enter information from cards, make transcription errors, and spend valuable time chasing down missing details. The iPad eliminates this bottleneck entirely.
01
Photo of Insurance Card
Front and back capture with clear on-screen guidance: "Lay card flat, tap capture." The system automatically detects card edges and optimizes image quality.
02
Photo of ID
Driver's license or state ID capture for verification and records. Images are securely stored and immediately available to staff.
03
Visual Confirmation
Patients can review captured images and retake if needed—ensuring clarity before submission.

Key Point: This is where front desks lose the most time during traditional check-in. Manual data entry is slow, error-prone, and requires staff attention during peak hours. The iPad never forgets to ask, never misreads a number, and captures everything in seconds—not minutes.
Your tech can visually verify insurance information at a glance rather than typing every field. If additional entry is needed for NextGen, they have a crystal-clear reference image rather than a crumpled card or second-hand information.
Step 6
Required Consents
Consent forms are often the most tedious part of check-in—stacks of paper, clipboards circulating through the waiting room, staff chasing signatures. The iPad streamlines this entirely while maintaining full compliance with all required acknowledgments.
Pre-loaded Standard Forms
  • Treatment consent
  • HIPAA acknowledgment
  • Financial responsibility agreement
  • Signature capture with finger or stylus
Each form is presented clearly on screen with scrollable text and a signature field at the bottom. Patients can read at their own pace, and the system won't allow them to proceed without completing all required signatures.

Fully Customizable
Your existing consent language and forms are loaded into the system—we're not changing your legal documentation, just the delivery method.
The signed documents are immediately available in the patient record, eliminating the need for scanning, filing, or searching through physical paperwork. If a patient or provider needs to reference a consent form, it's accessible in seconds rather than requiring a trip to medical records.
Step 7
Submission + Confirmation
Once all information is captured, the patient receives immediate confirmation that their check-in is complete. The screen displays a clear, reassuring message: "You're checked in. Please have your ID ready." This sets expectations for the next step and eliminates the uncertainty patients often feel in waiting rooms.
Instant Confirmation
Patient knows their information was successfully submitted and they're in the queue
Optional SMS Notification
If patient provided phone number, they receive text confirmation with estimated wait time
Clear Next Steps
Screen instructs patient to wait for their name to be called by medical staff
The entire check-in process—from greeting to confirmation—takes 2-3 minutes for most patients. Compare this to traditional front desk check-in, which averages 5-8 minutes per patient when you factor in interruptions, questions, and multi-tasking by staff.
Patient Sits and Waits
With check-in complete, the patient simply takes a seat. Meanwhile, their information is already in the queue, visible to your medical assistants, and ready for processing. No clipboard handoff, no "we'll call you when we're ready," no wondering if the front desk got everything they needed.
What Happens Behind the Scenes
This is What Sells It
While the patient experience is streamlined and simple, the real transformation happens in your back-office workflow. The Front Desk App doesn't just move paperwork to a screen—it fundamentally changes how your staff operates during the busiest hours of the day.
Tech View: Front Desk Replacement
Your medical assistant sees a clean, intuitive queue dashboard that replaces the chaos of clipboards, sticky notes, and verbal handoffs. Each patient appears as a card with real-time status tracking.
1
Patient Name
John D.
2
Intake ✅
Complete
3
Insurance ⏳
Verifying
4
Roomed ⬜
Pending
Tech Actions Are Simplified
1
Glance at Summary
Review chief complaint and intake details
2
Verify Insurance
View captured card images
3
Room Patient
Call patient, begin vitals
4
Enter in NextGen
Transfer required fields
No phone calls to chase missing information. No walking to the waiting room to grab a patient. No hunting for clipboards. The entire intake packet is digitally available as a reference—insurance images, signed consents, symptom details—accessible with a single click.
NextGen Stays Intact
We understand that implementing new technology in a clinical setting can be disruptive, especially when it involves your EMR system. That's why The Front Desk App is designed with a crucial principle: we're not trying to replace or integrate with NextGen.
No Forced Integration
The app operates independently—no API connections, no data syncing, no dependence on NextGen's systems or updates.
No Workflow Disruption
Your staff continues using NextGen exactly as they do today. The app simply provides better, faster source information.
Staff Enters What NextGen Requires
Medical assistants still input data into NextGen, but now they're working from clear, complete digital records instead of messy handwriting or verbal descriptions.
Intake Packet Available as Reference
All patient-provided information—photos, signatures, symptom details—is stored digitally and accessible whenever staff needs it.
This approach eliminates the complexity, cost, and risk of EMR integration while still delivering immediate operational benefits. You get a faster check-in process, better data quality, and reduced staffing needs—all without touching your existing NextGen workflows.
Next Steps
Getting started with The Front Desk App is designed to be quick and straightforward, ensuring you can streamline your patient intake process and see value almost immediately. Our guided implementation process makes it easy for your practice to transition smoothly.
1. Discovery Call & Demo
Let's connect to understand your practice's unique needs and demonstrate how The Front Desk App can be tailored to fit perfectly into your workflow. This is where we discuss your current challenges and show you our solution in action.
2. Intake Form Customization
Work with our team to customize your digital intake forms, ensuring they capture all necessary patient information exactly as your practice requires, including consent forms, medical history, and more.
3. Staff Training & Setup
We'll provide comprehensive training for your team, ensuring they are comfortable and proficient with the app. We'll also assist with the initial setup to get everything running smoothly in your clinic.
4. Go Live with Ongoing Support
Launch The Front Desk App in your practice and start experiencing the benefits of a modern patient intake system. Our dedicated support team will be available to assist you every step of the way, ensuring a seamless experience.
Ready to start?
Contact Armen at armen@icmo.ai for onboarding.