1. How do I send Online Forms to patients?
You can send online forms manually or automatically through Practice by Numbers (PbN), depending on your workflow and the form type.
Manually Sending Forms
There are two main ways to send forms manually:
From the Patient Overview → Forms tab
Navigate to the patient’s profile and open the Forms tab. From here, select the form(s) you want to send and choose the patient's preferred method of communication (SMS or email).From the SMS tab in the Comm Center
While chatting with a patient, click the forms icon (clipboard symbol) below the text input box to select and send any form directly in the conversation.
2. How do I automate form delivery?
Automated form delivery helps streamline the intake process for new and returning patients. To enable automation:
Go to the Forms > Settings page.
Set a frequency for each form (e.g., “Once,” “Every 6 months,” “Annually”).
Enable automation for new and upcoming appointments.
Use filters to exclude patients by service code, tag, or chair.
3. How do I set up a tablet for in-office forms?
Using a tablet enables you to check patients in and allows them to complete forms quickly and securely in the office.
To connect a tablet:
Visit the Forms > Tablets tab in PbN.
Click “Add a New Tablet”, give it a nickname, and generate a PIN code.
On the tablet, go to app.practicenumbers.com/forms, enter the PIN, or open the PbN Kiosk App and scan the QR code.
This links the tablet to your account, allowing staff to assign forms directly from the Forms dashboard.
4. Will completed forms write back to my Practice Management System (PMS)?
Yes. Once a form is completed:
The full form is written back to the Documents section of the patient chart in your PMS (Open Dental, Eaglesoft, or Dentrix).
Medical alert fields—such as medications, allergies, and conditions—can also sync if mapped properly in Forms > Lists.
You can configure where and how these forms write back in your PMS under Form Settings.
5. Can I customize the Online Forms and Consent Forms?
Yes! Practice by Numbers gives you full customization control.
Online Forms:
Edit or delete questions.
Add new fields (e.g., text, multiple choice, signature).
Build new forms from scratch.
Customize visibility based on appointment types or services.
Consent Forms:
Edit the form language.
Attach to specific procedures.
🔗 Watch the video guide on customizing and creating forms »
🔗 Read the article on customizing consent forms »
6. Where can I track which patients have completed their forms?
Go to the Completed Forms and Pending Forms tabs under Forms:
Completed Forms: Shows all submitted forms per patient, with timestamps and download links.
Pending Forms: Displays all forms that have been sent but not completed. This includes two subtabs:
Messages Sent: For patients who received forms via email/SMS.
Not Sent: For patients who haven't received a form due to filters, exclusions, or manual error.
Use these tabs to follow up with patients and ensure all forms are submitted ahead of appointments.
7. Can I preview forms before sending them?
Yes. Go to Forms > Forms and click the image icon to preview its layout and content. You can also test how the form looks on desktop, mobile, and tablet to ensure formatting appears correctly.
8. Can patients fill out forms from home or only in the office?
Both options are available:
Patients can complete forms remotely from their mobile device or computer using a secure SMS or email link.
Forms can also be completed in-office via connected tablets or kiosks.
9. Are the forms mobile-friendly?
Yes. Online Forms are designed to be responsive and user-friendly across all devices—smartphones, tablets, and desktop browsers.
10. Can I resend a form if a patient hasn’t completed it?
Yes. You can resend pending forms from the Pending Forms tab. Click the bell icon next to the patient’s name to send them a reminder to complete their forms. You can also do this from the Patient Overview or directly within an SMS conversation.
11. How do I know if a patient opened or interacted with a form?
In the Pending Forms section, forms that have been delivered will display a status such as:
Delivered
Opened
Not Opened
This helps you identify whether patients are receiving and engaging with forms so you can follow up appropriately.
12. What happens if a patient starts a form but doesn’t finish it?
Incomplete forms will remain in a “Pending” state. Patients can save their progress and return to the form at a later time using the link they initially received.
13. Can I require specific forms to be completed based on service codes?
Yes. You can configure the Required For? section next to each form to have it sent to patients whose appointments contain specific service codes. In the New Patient and Upcoming Appointment automation settings, you can also use filters to fine-tune which patients receive which forms.
14. Are form submissions HIPAA-compliant?
Yes. All Online and Consent Forms are transmitted and stored securely in a HIPAA-compliant environment. All access is logged, and completed forms are written back to the PMS securely.
For in-office completion, forms accessed through tablets or kiosks are session-specific and reset after each patient.
15. Can forms be translated into other languages?
Yes. You can create multiple versions of a form in different languages. While Spanish auto-translation is only built in for our default forms, you can duplicate a form and translate its content manually, then name it accordingly (e.g., “Medical History – Spanish”).
16. Can I disable a form without deleting it?
Yes. Go to Forms and then select the Forms tab on the left-hand side. Click on the eye icon to deactivate a form. This hides the form from view until it is reactivated.