admissions procedures

The explicit rules and modes of action for bringing an individual under the care of an organization, social agency, or health care facility. Such procedures often include getting consent from the client (or those responsible for the client) to provide the appropriate care; obtaining pertinent background information about the client from a variety of sources (that is, interviews with the client or client's family, medical records, social histories, and medical and psychological tests); contracting with the client or third parties to provide financing for the care; advising the client about when to go to the appropriate place; and coordinating the initial information exchanges between the client and those concerned about the client. Admissions procedures often include criteria for screening applicants for the service.