Hi Reader,

A new analysis just put some numbers on something most RDs already know but don't have data to back up. It's the kind of stat worth keeping in your back pocket for referral conversations and grant applications. More on that in the P.S.

But first: when was the last time you looked at your intake form and thought, I wonder if this is actually helping my patients show up?

Most intake forms are great at collecting demographics and medical history, but they're not so great at telling you whether a new client is ready to dig in and do the work. There's one question that changes that, and it only takes about 10 seconds to answer.

We'll explore that topic in today's issue.

What's inside this issue:

• 🎯 This Week's Edge — The one intake question that predicts who will actually show up
• 📋 5-Minute Momentum — How to add it to your intake form today
• ✅ Tried & True — The practice management tool that keeps intake clean and HIPAA-compliant
• 📖 Go Deeper — Building an intake system that actually works
• 💬 Ask Julie — "Is it too late to start a private practice mid-career?"
• 📅 Calendar-Worthy — Events worth putting on your radar this month

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This Week's Edge

The One Intake Question That Predicts No-Shows

Most intake forms ask the same things: name, date of birth, medical history, insurance information, referring provider. All those things are useful, but none of them tells you whether your prospective client is ready to show up.

Here's the question that does:

This is a motivational interviewing technique adapted for intake, and it does something a medical history form can't: it tells you where the patient is emotionally before you've invested any counseling time.

A patient who writes "4, I'm not sure I have time right now" is telling you something important. You can address that lack of time, and you can have a different kind of first session by setting realistic expectations together.

A patient who would write "4" but you never knew it is the one who cancels by session three, leaving you to wonder why.

Most RDs skip this question because it isn't in the default EHR template, but it should be in yours.

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5-Minute Momentum

Add It to Your Intake Form Today

If you're using a digital intake form, add this question right now.

A few things to keep in mind when you add it:

Make it optional but expected. You don't want patients to feel judged for a low number. Frame it in your form instructions as: "There are no wrong answers here, I ask this to make sure our first session is as useful as possible for where you are right now."

Actually read the answers before the appointment. The question only works if it changes how you prepare. If someone writes "3," you go into that session differently than if they write "9."

Follow up on the "what would make it higher" part. That answer may be the most important thing a patient tells you before you meet. It might be cost, time, a spouse who isn't supportive, a previous bad experience with a dietitian. That's your first session agenda, handed to you in advance.

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Tried & True

Practice Better

Practice Better is the practice management tool I recommend most to RDs in private practice who either don't bill insurannce, or who want to run group programs. It handles scheduling, HIPAA-compliant messaging, intake forms, and session notes. The intake form builder makes it easy to add custom questions like the readiness question from today's issue. If the administrative side of running a practice is slowing you down, this is one tool that will speed up the admin. It comes with a free trial so you can see how it fits your workflow before committing.

Try Practice Better FREE

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Go Deeper

Building an Intake System That Works

Today's issue covers one question. The deeper post at The RD CEO covers the full intake system: what to ask, when to ask it, how to structure the intake session itself, and what to do when a patient's answers tell you they aren't ready yet. If you're building or rebuilding your intake process, read more on the blog.

Read It at The RD CEO

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Ask Julie

Is It Too Late for Mid-Career Private Practice?

Q: I'm 15 years into my career as a clinical RD. I've thought about private practice for years but I feel like I've invested a lot at the hospital where I work and maybe the window had passed. I'm torn. Do you have any advice?

It's definitely not too late. I started my private practice at 45, and I don't regret it. I had a good job with great benefits, but I needed something different to fit my family's schedule and to fulfill my own desire to for more independence.

With 15 years of experience, You're in a good situation. The RDs who build sustainable practices are the ones who have enough clinical experience to know exactly who they help best, and enough professional confidence to say no to everyone else.

The version of private practice that's harder to start mid-career is the one where you take any and every referral, with no clear focus. If you have a clear patient profile and a referral network of colleagues who already know your work, you can do very well.

So, you already have most of what you need. The question isn't whether it's too late. It's whether you want it enough to build it.

Have a question about growing your income or influence as an RD? Hit reply and send it my way. I read every one, and I'd love to hear what you're working through right now.

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Calendar-Worthy

Coming Up

ADCES 2026 — Early bird registration ends June 25. The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists annual meeting is in Columbus, OH, August 7–10, with an on-demand option available August 24–December 29. If you work in diabetes care, this is hands-down the best conference to attend. Register before Thursday to save.

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