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Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about setting up and using Patient Check In. Can't find what you're looking for? Call 727-578-6100.

Overview & Getting Started

What it is, how it works, and going live

Patient Check In is an electronic patient sign-in system that replaces paper sign-in sheets. Patients check in by lobby kiosk, QR code, or mobile app, and every arrival appears instantly on your staff queue, which refreshes automatically. It is HIPAA compliant, fully encrypted, and used by virtually any practice or facility where patients wait in line.

There are four steps:
  • The patient checks in using whichever method you offer — lobby kiosk, a QR code scanned with their own phone, or the free mobile app.
  • They enter their name, reason for visit, and any custom questions you have configured.
  • They appear instantly on your staff queue in the order they arrived, with all the information from their check-in shown.
  • Staff acknowledge them, move them through up to 6 processing stages, and call or text them when ready.
No paper, and no manual re-keying of patient information.

Yes — and the biggest gains are speed and accuracy, not just privacy. With a paper sheet, staff re-key every patient by hand, the line backs up, and each patient's name is exposed to the next person who signs. Electronic check-in lets patients enter their own information once, puts every arrival on the staff queue in real time, and eliminates manual data entry — typically cutting check-in time by more than half and freeing staff for higher-value work. It also removes the shared-sheet privacy risk, which makes HIPAA compliance much easier.

Patient Check In works for essentially any practice or facility where patients wait in line — primary care, urgent care and walk-in clinics, dental, behavioral health, physical therapy, veterinary clinics, blood and diagnostic labs, imaging centers, and multi-location health systems. Customizable fields and up to 16 visit reasons let any operation tailor it to its own workflow.

Getting started is easy, and yes — we train your team. When you begin, we automatically set you up on a free 14-day trial — no credit card or anything else needed. From there it is three steps: configure your check-in fields and visit reasons, set your device into kiosk mode, and you are live — most practices in about 15 minutes. Free onboarding, a live demo, training calls, and unlimited support meetings are all included at no extra charge, and we have setup guides for iPad kiosk setup and Lobby TV setup.

Setting up your kiosk is quick — that simplicity is the whole point. Most practices are live in about 15 minutes: start your free trial, configure your check-in fields, and switch your device into kiosk mode. There's no integration project, no IT ticket, and no costly hardware to install — it runs on a tablet you already own, or on patients' own phones. Want a hand? Our team will walk you through the whole setup by phone or screen share at no charge.

Very little, and you may already own most of it. For the kiosk we recommend an iPad A16 in a floor stand — though the check-in app also runs on iPad, Android, and Windows tablets (it is on the App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store), and a counter-top enclosure is available too. QR code check-in uses the patient's own phone, so it needs no hardware at all, and your staff view the live queue on any computer they already have. A Lobby TV display runs on our dedicated Fire TV app, or in any full web browser (such as a smart TV browser or a computer on a screen).

The app runs on any iPad with iOS 12.0 or later (Android and Windows tablets work too); no cellular needed, just Wi-Fi. If you plan to use our stands, we recommend the iPad A16 (10.9") with minimum storage — the most affordable model that fits our floor-stand and counter-top enclosures (iPad Air and iPad Pro do not fit them). Hardware and stands are optional — you can source your own.

No. There are no setup fees, no contracts, and no cancellation fees. Onboarding, demos, training, and unlimited support are free. You only pay the monthly or annual subscription for as long as you use the service.

Yes. The 14-day free trial gives you full access to every feature with no credit card required, plus 100 free text messages. You can set up real check-in workflows and test with your staff before committing. Free demos and onboarding are included.

Check-In Methods

Kiosk, QR code, and mobile app

Patients can self-check-in three ways, and your staff can always check someone in manually too — all of them feed one shared staff queue:
  • Kiosk — a tablet (iPad, Android, or Windows) in your lobby running in kiosk mode
  • QR code — patients scan a printed or parking-lot code with their own phone; no app needed
  • Mobile app — a free app on iOS and Android for fast on-site check-in
  • Manual / front desk — if you have a receptionist or staff on hand, they can check a patient in directly

Place a tablet in your lobby (in a floor stand or counter-top mount) running in kiosk mode so patients can only use the check-in app. The patient taps "Check In," selects their visit reason, answers any custom questions, and submits. Staff are notified immediately and the kiosk resets for the next patient.

The patient points their phone camera at your QR code — posted at the desk, in the lobby, or in the parking lot — and the check-in form opens right in their browser. They enter their name and visit reason, submit, and land in your staff queue. No app download, no account, and it works on every modern iPhone and Android device.

No. Patients can scan a QR code with their phone's built-in camera and the form opens in the browser — no app, no login, no account. A lobby kiosk needs nothing installed either. The free mobile app (iOS and Android) is an optional extra: patients create a profile once and it is saved for future visits, making repeat check-ins a single tap.

With a QR code (or the mobile app), patients check in from the parking lot and wait in their car. They appear on your staff queue as waiting, and staff send a one-tap text when the room is ready so the patient walks straight in. It keeps your lobby uncrowded and is popular with contagious, anxious, or mobility-limited patients.

Yes. QR code check-in on the patient's own phone — or parking-lot check-in — means no shared kiosk, no clipboard, and no contact. You can offer these alongside or instead of a lobby kiosk.

Yes. The check-in interface supports multiple languages. Patients select their preferred language at the start of check-in, and all fields, instructions, and buttons appear in that language. You configure which languages are available in your admin panel.

Yes. You choose which fields patients see — name, phone, email, date of birth, and reason for visit — and you can turn any field on or off, set the order they appear in, and mark each one required or optional, all from your admin settings.

Yes. You can add custom text questions and yes/no screening questions to the check-in flow — for example symptom or eligibility screening — that appear before the patient joins the queue. Responses are visible to staff instantly. These are configurable question screens built into check-in, not full PDF intake forms.

Up to 16 primary visit reasons, each with up to 16 sub-reasons. Patients select their visit type and narrow it down, so staff can filter the queue by reason and the right team is notified automatically.

Absolutely. Many practices run a lobby kiosk alongside a printed QR poster and the mobile app. Every method feeds the same queue, so staff see every patient in one place no matter how they checked in.

The patient sees a confirmation screen and your staff are notified immediately. They appear in the queue with their name, arrival time, visit reason, and any answers they provided. Staff can update their status, send a text, or call them back when ready.

Open the check-in app, then turn on Guided Access in Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access, set a passcode, and triple-click the side button to lock the iPad to the check-in screen. Our iPad Kiosk Setup guide walks through every step.

Staff Tools & Operations

Queue, Lobby TV, texting, EMR, reporting, and reviews

Patients self-check-in by kiosk, QR code, or the mobile app instead of queuing at the desk, so staff verify rather than re-key. Every arrival shows on a live staff queue in the order they arrive, with all of their check-in details; patients can be kept informed with staff text updates (or a Lobby TV, if you use one); and analytics reveal your peak hours so you can staff ahead of them.

When a patient checks in by any method, they appear on the staff queue, which refreshes automatically. The queue lists every patient in the order they arrived and shows all the information from their check-in; staff can filter by visit reason or department whenever they need to. You can move patients through up to 6 processing stages, and every staff acknowledgment is timestamped with the staff member's name.

There is no complex integration to configure. Split Screen mode shows your live check-in queue side by side with your EMR or practice-management software on a single monitor, so staff can see both at once without switching back and forth between windows. It works with any web-based EMR.

Yes. Staff send a one-tap preset text from the queue — such as "We're ready for you, please come in" or "Please come in and head to Room 3" — straight to the patient's phone. The system can also automatically notify a department or staff phone after a patient completes check-in, based on the sub-reason they chose. Texts are sent from the system, so staff personal phone numbers are never exposed. See SMS notifications.

Texts are sold in prepaid blocks to keep things simple: $25 for 500, $50 for 1,500, or $100 for 4,000 messages (as low as 2.5¢ each at the largest block). Your trial includes 100 free texts, credits never expire while your subscription is active, and texting is entirely optional. See our pricing page for details.

The Lobby TV is a patient-facing waiting-room display that calls patient names or ticket numbers (your choice), shows queue position, and rotates ads or announcements you configure. There are two ways to run it: our dedicated Check In TV app on the Amazon Fire Store — recommended, for Fire TV and Fire Stick devices — or the web version, which runs on any device with a full web browser (such as a smart TV with a browser, or a computer connected to a screen). If you want the display to call patient names out loud, the device needs to support voice announcements. The Lobby TV is optional — not every practice uses one, and you can keep patients informed with staff text updates instead. See our Lobby TV Setup guide.

Yes. The Lobby TV is built HIPAA-safe — configure it to show first name and last initial, or ticket numbers only. It never displays date of birth, reason for visit, or other PHI, so you can call patients discreetly in a public waiting room.

Yes. The Lobby TV rotates advertisements and announcements alongside the patient queue. Upload your images and set the rotation in the admin panel — useful for health tips, office announcements, or promotions while patients wait.

Reporting & Analytics covers check-in volume, average wait times, peak hours, volume by hour, reason for visit, and day-of-week workload. Filter by date range, provider, and location, and export to CSV/Excel for deeper analysis.

Yes. Choose exactly which fields you want and export that data to CSV/Excel for a given date range — that is it: you pick the fields and the dates. It is useful for record-keeping or importing into other systems.

Yes. Patient Check In has a built-in patient satisfaction and review system that texts patients a request for feedback after their visit, giving you internal, private review data tied to your check-in flow. Review requests are a consumable add-on sold in prepaid blocks — just like text messages — at $100 for 1,000, $300 for 5,000, or $500 for 10,000 requests, and they never expire.

Yes — there is no limit on staff users and no per-user fee. Multiple team members can be on the staff queue at once, and any change one person makes appears instantly for everyone. Each staff member has their own login.

Yes. For organizations with more than one location, we offer a multi-location dashboard where you can see all of your locations' data in one place and pull reports for each one.

Security & Compliance

HIPAA, encryption, MFA, SSO, and compliance

Yes. Patient Check In is fully HIPAA compliant. A signed BAA is included with every account from day one at no extra cost. Patient data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit, with encrypted daily backups, on SOC 2 infrastructure in the United States. It also includes role-based access, login lockout, and password-expiration controls.

Not by themselves — HHS permits a sign-in sheet limited to a name. But once it shows other patients' reason for visit, date of birth, or insurance details, it violates the minimum-necessary standard and exposes PHI. Electronic check-in removes the risk by giving each patient a private screen and hiding all prior entries.

Yes. Data is encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS 1.2+ in transit, and backups are encrypted and run daily. No unencrypted patient data is ever stored or transmitted.

Yes, Patient Check In supports MFA. MFA pairs with role-based access levels, login lockout, and password expiration to protect access to ePHI — increasingly treated as a reasonable-and-appropriate safeguard under the HIPAA Security Rule.

Yes. A Business Associate Agreement is included with every account from day one at no extra cost — it is part of standard setup.

All data is stored in the United States only, on Digital Ocean's SOC 2 infrastructure in New York. Backups are encrypted daily. We do not store data outside the country.

Patient Check In uses three role-based levels — Level 1 (basic user), Level 3 (reports user), and Level 5 (admin) — so staff only see what their role requires. You can set which levels may edit or delete records, and it enforces login lockout and password expiration. MFA is supported.

Yes. You can automatically de-identify or auto-delete patient data after 7, 14, or 30 days, managed from the admin panel. This supports data minimization and your organization's retention policies.

Yes, for large accounts. Patient Check In supports SSO via SAML 2.0, compatible with Microsoft Entra ID, Okta, Google Workspace, OneLogin, PingIdentity, and other SAML 2.0 providers. Contact us to enable it.

Yes. With the dedicated database option, your data is stored in its own isolated instance rather than a shared multi-tenant database — preferred by organizations with strict compliance or security requirements.

No. Check In Systems does not sell, share, or distribute patient data of any kind. Your data belongs to you, and you can export or delete it at any time.

Patient Check In is out of scope for both FedRAMP and TX-RAMP — it is a low-impact check-in tool that stores only basic visit information, not federal data. It remains HIPAA compliant with a BAA. See our FedRAMP and TX-RAMP pages for the full details.

Yes — we publish a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) documenting our accessibility conformance. You can review our VPAT here.

Pricing & Billing

Plans, pricing, and account management

Patient Check In is $50/month, or $449/year (saving 25%). That single price includes unlimited check-ins, unlimited staff users, free training and support, and a BAA — with no setup fee and no contract. Text messages are sold in prepaid blocks (as low as 2.5¢ each; 100 free in your trial). See the pricing page for details.

Your subscription covers the whole platform: unlimited check-ins, unlimited staff logins, kiosk + QR + mobile check-in, the staff queue, Lobby TV, the texting feature, reporting, HIPAA compliance, and a BAA — plus free training and unlimited support. The text messages themselves are not included in the $50/$449 price: they (and patient review requests) are bought separately in prepaid blocks, as low as 2.5¢ per text.

Yes — a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. You get full access to every feature plus 100 free text messages, and you can be live the same day. Nothing is charged unless you choose to subscribe.

No contract — it is month-to-month and you can cancel anytime with no penalty. There are no cancellation fees, no setup fees, and no minimum term.

No. The price is $50/month or $449/year — that is it. No setup fee, no onboarding charge, no integration fee, and no cancellation fee. Training and support are free; the only usage cost is text messages, sold in prepaid blocks (as low as 2.5¢ each).

No. Patient Check In runs on a standard iPad (the iPad A16 works well) or on patients' own phones via QR code, so there is no costly proprietary kiosk to buy. Optional floor-stand and counter-top enclosures are available but not required.

Yes. The annual plan is $449/year versus $600 at $50/month — a 25% saving, about $151 a year. Both plans are identical in features; annual simply locks in the lower rate.

We accept credit card, check, and ACH bank transfer, and can send invoices on request. We do not accept purchase orders.

No limits and no per-user fees — the price stays $50/month whether you check in 10 patients a day or 500. Unlimited check-ins and unlimited staff logins are always included.