In 2026 traditional medical offices can find useful examples in direct-to-consumer companies like Hims, Ro and Keeps – those businesses use methods that convert website visitors into patients in less than ten minutes. Although the medical services are limited and the advertising is frequent, the process for patient entry is efficient. By adopting specific parts of this system, a clinic with five to fifteen providers can improve its operations.
This text describes which methods are useful and which are not. It also explains how practices can improve their intake process while maintaining long term patient connections.
The structure of direct-to-consumer virtual care
Three specific choices differentiate the direct-to-consumer entry process from traditional practices:
- Intake as marketing. As patients answer medical questions, they gain certainty that the service is appropriate for them.
- Async by default. By default the system is asynchronous – for situations where it is suitable, a clinician reviews forms and issues prescriptions without a live meeting. Video calls are for situations that are complex.
- Payment before clinical touch. On those platforms, the system collects payment details before a clinician begins work. Because no professional time is spent on patients who do not pay, the companies maintain financial efficiency.
With those choices, the patient completes the intake and payment steps quickly and the clinical decision requires very little of the clinician’s time.
Five methods for traditional practices to use
The following five methods are applicable to traditional clinics without changing the medical approach.
1. Structured intake before scheduling. Many clinics book appointments before they gather medical histories. If a clinic reverses this order, it saves time and identifies potential issues early. In a branching digital form, a clinic can collect the reason for the visit, history and insurance details.
2. Branching logic instead of paper forms. Direct-to-consumer forms only show questions that are relevant to previous answers. If a patient does not take medication, the form does not show a section for medication lists – this method reduces the time needed to finish the form and makes the data more accurate.
3. Payment authorization at intake. A clinic can keep a credit card on file during the intake process. If a patient misses an appointment without notice, the clinic applies a fee – this practice is effective at reducing the number of missed appointments.
4. Async-first triage. Not all follow up appointments require a video call. For tasks like reviewing lab results or checking photos after a procedure, asynchronous communication is sufficient – this keeps the schedule open for new patients and difficult cases.
5. A single patient-facing surface. Patients use one branded application or website for messages, payments and history. If a practice uses multiple different tools, the patient experience is difficult.
What traditional practices should avoid
Three parts of the direct-to-consumer model are not suitable for traditional medical settings.
Narrow clinical scope masquerading as full care. Those brands are successful because they treat a small number of conditions with standard procedures. If a practice with a broad range of services tries to use the same restricted workflow, it is likely to overlook important details.
Marketing-driven prescribing pressure. Those platforms are designed so that a prescription is the final goal – this creates a situation where there is pressure to prescribe, which is not appropriate for a long term medical relationship.
Disposable patient relationships. Many of the models are for single interactions. Because the value of a traditional practice is based on consistent care over many years, a transactional approach is harmful.
Modernizing the patient entry process
It is possible to use those workflows while keeping the existing medical model. When the process is fast and professional, the patient is satisfied but they still see a clinician who is familiar with their history.
To achieve this:
- The intake form is on a website that uses the clinic’s name and colors.
- Asynchronous options are available for certain visits but video and in person meetings remain the primary methods.
- The patient record belongs to the practice rather than a third party vendor.
This is the structural argument for white label telehealth platforms with HIPAA compliance over generic multi tenant tools. The patient sees the name and logo of the medical practice during the encounter plus the software manages the processes for intake, scheduling, payment, video and messaging in a central location. Many practices are now considering those platforms because they are an alternative to combining multiple separate software products.
Comparison with direct-to-consumer models
Direct-to-consumer models are effective for finding new patients but are less effective for managing long term care. For a medical practice that is already established, the management of long term care is the primary function of the organization.
Workflows for existing patients involve the management of chronic disease, behavioral health services and care for complex conditions – those tasks are dependent on a clinician who is able to recall information from previous visits but also a medical record that is consistent over many years. Intake processes used by direct-to-consumer companies are not designed for the needs.
It is useful to maintain an intake process for new patients that is fast and organized. A practice should also develop the experience for existing patients through scheduling that supports continuity, messaging over time, coordination among the care team and documentation that is accessible for future use. A platform that manages more than 5 million appointments, like the technology from Healee, is designed to perform both functions.
Implementation details
In 2026 a medical practice with 5 – 15 providers can pursue multiple specific goals:
- A new patient completes intake and schedules an appointment in a period that is less than ten minutes
- The system stores payment card information before the patient schedules the visit
- The intake form uses branching logic to categorize visit types and identify urgent medical issues
- The system offers an asynchronous visit if the medical history and reasons for the visit allow it
- The patient interacts with one interface that shows the practice brand rather than three different tools
- The platform is connected to the medical records that the practice already keeps
As healthcare costs are expected to increase by 9.6% in 2026 according to Healthcare Dive, and the 2026 healthcare outlook indicates that there is pressure on how much insurance pays, practices are more likely to remain profitable if they manage more patients during each hour of clinician work.
If you are looking for ways to improve how patients enter your practice while maintaining your current relationships, you can request a demo – this allows you to see how a platform with your own branding manages intake, scheduling, payment and clinical tasks in one system.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible for a traditional medical practice to function like a direct-to-consumer brand?
No and a practice is not encouraged to do this – there is an opportunity to use certain patterns for workflows, like structured intake next to payment during the first step, without adopting a narrow clinical model or a relationship that is based only on individual transactions.
How much time is required to start a patient intake system with my own branding?
To build such a system from the beginning usually requires 6 – 18 months. By using an existing white label telehealth platform, the process usually takes 1 – 4 weeks for standard setups.
Is asynchronous care useful for behavioral health and chronic conditions?
Asynchronous methods are useful for specific types of visits, including changes to medication doses, brief check ins or follow up questions – but those methods do not replace the live interactions that are necessary for a therapeutic relationship. A hybrid approach is the most effective solution.
What are the differences between single tenant and multi tenant telehealth platforms?
In a single tenant system, each practice has its own software instance where data and infrastructure are kept separate. In a multi tenant system, many practices are on one instance with digital divisions between them. Single tenant platforms are often chosen when specific branding, compliance requirements and modifications are important.
Sources:
- 2026 Healthcare Outlook – A Year of Unprecedented Disruption – MedCity News, 2026
- US Healthcare Cost Increases Expected to Fall in 2026 – Healthcare Dive, 2025