Hospitals and health services are making great strides in moving away from paper-based workflows. For many, the first step has (or will be) the introduction of e-admission portals.
By enabling patients to complete forms online, these portals streamline data collection and reduce the inefficiencies of paper, printing, email, and fax machines.
But there’s a catch.
While e-admission portals digitise paperwork, they don’t fundamentally transform the patient journey or ease the administrative burden on clinical staff. To achieve those outcomes, hospitals are now turning to digital patient pathways – a more intelligent, adaptive approach that goes well beyond the form.
So what’s the difference? Let’s unpack how digital patient pathways compare to traditional e-admission portals.
Table of Contents
Core Functionality: From Forms to Journeys
At their heart, e-admission portals are digital forms. Patients log in, complete their admission details, and submit them for review. It’s convenient, but still rooted in a one-size-fits-all process. Staff must read and interpret every submission, often chasing patients for missing or unclear information.
Digital patient pathways, on the other hand, are not static forms but dynamic, clinically relevant journeys. Patients are guided through steps that adapt to their procedure, medical history, and individual risks. Instead of simply collecting data, pathways actively orchestrate the admission experience – providing patients with the right information at the right time, while ensuring staff are alerted only when action is required.
Automation and Intelligence
E-admission portals capture information but lack built-in intelligence. Every form, regardless of the patient’s risk level, ends up on a nurse’s desk. Staff still spend hours reviewing forms, identifying red flags, and contacting patients for clarification.
Digital patient pathways introduce automation and risk stratification. Responses are screened in real time, with only those requiring intervention flagged for review. This targeted approach reduces wasted effort and allows clinical staff to focus on patients who truly need their expertise.
Instead of blanket processes, you get precision at scale.
Administrative Impact
The difference becomes clear when you look at two of the biggest pain points for hospitals: screening and phone calls.
- Screening: With e-admission portals, staff still manually read forms or print them for review. Digital pathways automate this step, surfacing only patients who present a risk or require follow-up.
- Phone calls: Traditional workflows often require nurses to call every patient pre-admission. Pathways eliminate many of these calls by addressing common questions upfront, providing reminders, and flagging only the exceptions.
The result? A significant reduction in administrative load, fewer delays, and more time for staff to spend where they add the most value: direct patient care.
The Patient Experience
From a patient’s perspective, the contrast is just as stark.
E-admission portals ask patients to read and interpret large volumes of paperwork that’s simply transferred to a digital screen. It’s functional but not always user-friendly. Patients may feel overwhelmed, anxious, or unclear on what’s expected of them.
Digital patient pathways deliver timely, supportive, and personalised communication. Patients receive reminders, educational resources, and step-by-step guidance, all tailored to their treatment. This continuous engagement reduces uncertainty, builds confidence, and helps patients arrive better prepared for admission.
In other words: it’s not just about filling out forms; it’s about supporting patients throughout their journey.
Consent and Compliance
Consent is another area where the gap shows.
- With e-admission portals, consent forms and pathology requests are often handled separately – often still via paper or fax. This fragmentation increases the risk of errors, delays, and incomplete records.
- Digital patient pathways integrate digital consent and pathology forms directly into the workflow, ensuring nothing is missed and everything is traceable.
On compliance and security, both solutions meet baseline standards. But pathways typically offer enterprise-grade certifications (ISO27001, HIPAA, and onshore data storage), giving hospitals greater confidence in meeting regulatory requirements and patient expectations.
Customisation and Clinical Relevance
Generic e-admission portals apply the same process to all patients, regardless of specialty, condition, or risk. While custom fields can be added, the experience remains largely uniform.
Digital patient pathways offer extensive customisation. Pathways can be tailored to the individual patient, the specific hospital site, surgeon, and specialties. They incorporate patient history, medications, and clinical nuances – making the experience not only more relevant for patients but also more valuable for clinicians.
This level of specificity drives better outcomes because the pathway reflects the reality of clinical practice rather than a generic process.
Post-Discharge Support
Admission is only one part of the patient journey. Recovery and follow-up are equally critical yet most e-admission portals stop at the point of admission.
With limited or no structured post-discharge processes, staff rely on manual phone calls if time permits. Patients who experience complications may not receive timely support, leading to readmissions or delayed recovery.
Digital patient pathways build post-discharge check-ins directly into the workflow. Patients receive follow-up prompts and can flag concerns digitally, enabling staff to intervene early if issues arise. This proactive approach not only supports patients but also reduces unnecessary readmissions and unplanned calls.
Setup and Pricing
E-admission portals are relatively simple to deploy, often priced on a usage or credit basis. They provide a quick way to digitise forms.
Digital patient pathways can offer the same or involve a deeper level of design and integration. They are typically co-designed with clinical experts and supported by dedicated success managers to ensure adoption. Pricing is usually subscription-based, with trials available.
The long-term return comes from sustained efficiency gains, reduced risk, and improved patient outcomes.
The Bottom Line
E-admission portals have played an important role in moving healthcare away from paper. They provide a convenient, digital-first experience for collecting patient information.
But they are not enough.
To truly transform patient care, hospitals need more than digital forms. They need systems that automate routine tasks, reduce administrative burden, support patients continuously, and deliver clinically relevant insights.
That’s what digital patient pathways provide. They don’t just capture data – they turn it into action.
For hospitals looking to improve both operational efficiency and patient experience, the future isn’t a portal. It’s a pathway.
