Automating patient forms in Practice by Numbers streamlines intake and ensures patients receive the right forms at the right time. With the right setup, your practice saves time while keeping patient records complete and compliant.
Step-by-Step Guide to Automate Patient Forms
Access the Forms Tab
Click the Forms tab at the top of the Practice by Numbers interface.
In the left-hand menu, select Forms to view and manage your form library.
Set Form Frequency
Each form in your library can be configured to send at a specific interval. In the Forms list, set a Frequency for each form based on how often it should be sent:
Manual – The form is not sent automatically and must be sent manually.
Once
New patients: The form is always sent.
Existing patients: The form is only sent if there is no previous submission (in your PMS or in PbN).
Every Time / Every 6 Months / Every 12 Months / Every 2 Years – The form is automatically sent based on the selected interval, calculated from either the last visit date or the last submission date (if enabled).
Note: If you assign Service Codes in the form's “Required For” section, this will override the Frequency setting. The form will be sent to all patients scheduled for those service codes, regardless of their submission history.
Activate Form Automation
For New Patients
Go to Forms > Settings.
In the New Patient Forms section:
Toggle automation ON.
Check the box:
“Welcome new patients and remind them to complete new forms as soon as an appointment is created.”
📬 Forms will automatically send about 1 hour after the appointment is booked.
For Upcoming Appointments
In the same Forms > Settings page, scroll down to Upcoming Appointment Forms.
Choose whether to send:
One message, or
Two messages
Set how many days before the appointment each message should be sent.
Customize and Manage Automated Messages
In the same area, you can:
Preview, edit, or test the messages that accompany automated forms.
Use the Form Templates Guide for message customization.
Apply filters to exclude or include patients from receiving forms based on:
Service codes
Chair assignments
Patient tags
Handling Consent Forms
There are two ways to include consent forms in your automated workflow:
Include Consent Forms (New Patient & Upcoming Appointment Settings)
In both the New Patient Forms and Upcoming Appointment Forms sections, there is a checkbox labeled: “Include Consent Forms”
When enabled, this setting will send invites for all consent forms, except those that contain custom merge tags.
This ensures consents are included alongside other forms in the automated message.
Consent Form Settings (Service Code Matching)
In Forms > Consents, you can configure consent forms to be recommended based on service codes.
These are not sent automatically unless you enable the checkbox mentioned above.
Instead, they will appear in PbN when a patient is scheduled for a service that requires them, allowing your team to collect the appropriate consent in-office.
How Automation Works
Once automation is activated:
Forms with a Frequency setting are sent automatically based on either the last visit date or the last submission date, depending on how the form is configured.
Want to set forms to send based on the last submission date instead of the last visit date? Check out: Using Last Submission Date for Form Automation
Forms assigned to Required For service codes bypass frequency rules and are always sent to patients with those codes.
Patients receive a link via message to complete forms.
Submitted forms appear in the Completed Forms section for easy access.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why aren’t my forms being sent automatically?
Confirm automation is turned ON in Forms > Settings.
Ensure the appropriate automation type is active (New Patient or Upcoming Appointment).
Make sure the form has a valid Frequency set in the Forms list.
Check if the form has Required For service codes, which overrides frequency behavior.
2. Why is a form being sent to all patients, even those who already submitted it?
If the form is assigned to specific service codes in the Required For section, it will be sent to all patients scheduled for those services, regardless of past submissions.
3. How can I resend a form to all patients?
Temporarily change the form's Frequency to Once to send it again to all eligible patients.
After that, switch it back to your preferred frequency (e.g., Every 12 Months).
4. Why isn’t a new patient receiving their forms?
Forms are sent about 1 hour after an appointment is booked—check the timing.
Make sure the automation toggle is ON in New Patient Forms settings.
Ensure the “Welcome new patients...” checkbox is checked.
Review system logs for any delivery issues.
5. Why aren’t forms being sent for upcoming appointments?
Make sure Upcoming Appointment Form automation is enabled under Forms > Settings.
Check that the form has a valid Frequency set, and confirm whether it’s using the last visit date or last submission date to determine eligibility.
Review any filters applied (such as service codes, tags, or chairs) to ensure the patient qualifies to receive the form.
Special Note on Form Packages
Form Packages allow you to bundle multiple forms into one request. They are useful for:
Sharing via public links (e.g., on your website) to let patients complete multiple forms at once.
Streamlining manual form requests by sending grouped forms together.
Automation Exception: Only the built-in New Patient Package is automated to send.
All other custom packages must be shared manually and are not part of the automated workflow.