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Patient Forms Guide - Creating and managing Patient Forms

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Patient Forms Guide - Creating and managing Patient Forms

Contents

 

 

Overview

Does Elation have pre-built Patient Forms and questions?

Yes, Elation has the following pre-built Patient Forms templates:

  • New Patient Medical History
  • Follow-up Medical History
  • Demographics
  • Insurance Information
  • COVID-19 Screening
  • Medicare AWV

 

Each template is associated with a set of pre-built questions. You can customize any of the templates to fit your needs and create your own personalized versions of these forms.




How do I create my own Patient Forms?

Use the Patient Forms builder to create your own Patient Forms. You can build forms in several ways:

  • Use pre-built templates, sections, and questions.
  • Create your own questions and sections from scratch. 
  • Covert a PDF or image of a form into a structured form.

See below for step-by-step instructions.

 

 

Anatomy of a Patient Form

Here are the core components of a Patient Form as it’s being built.
LetterNameDescriptionVisible to patients?
AForm NameInternal name of the form.No
BSign-off permission indicatorEnables Staff Level Users to sign off on patient responses.No
CTitle (What patient sees)External name of the form.Yes
DForm DescriptionDescription of the form.Yes
ESection

Organizes related questions together. Each form can have multiple sections.

  • To move the section to a new location in the form, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the section to its new location and then let go of your cursor.

Yes

  • Each section is separated by a horizontal line.
FSection TitleInternal title of the section.No
GExports to preferenceDefines where responses from this section can be exported to in the patient’s chart.No
HSection shortcut (delete)Deletes the section.No
IIntro Text (What patient sees)Provides context or explanation for the upcoming question(s).Yes
JQuestion

The item that asks for specific information or a response from the patient. Each section can have multiple questions.

  • To move the question to a new location in the section, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the question to its new location and then let go of your cursor.
Yes
KQuestion TextThe prompt that you want the patient to answer.Yes
LAnswer Helper Text

Example(s) of what the patient can input as an answer.

E.g. If you want the patient to enter their Date of Birth as a two digit month, two digit date and four digit year, enter the Answer Help Text as 'MM/DD/YYYY'.

Yes
MQuestion type descriptionDescribes the answer format for the question.No
NQuestion shortcuts (copy & delete)Options to duplicate the question to create a similar question or delete the question.No
OQuestion settingsSpecify additional preferences for the question format. (Only available for the Checkbox List Question format.)No
PDelete iconDeletes the answer option.No
QAdd answer option iconAdds an answer option.No
RAdd questionAdds a new question to that section.No
SAdd sectionAdds a new section.No
TAdd predefined sectionAdd a predefined section to the form.No
USave changesSave form edits.No
VBackReturn to the Patient Forms list.No

 

 

 

Setup

Specifying who can create or edit forms

By default, anyone in the practice can create or edit Patient Forms. If preferred, you can set it so that only Admin Level Users can configure patient forms by following these steps: 

1Go to Settings -> Patient Forms.
2Click the Admin only toggle until it turns green (ON).

Changes to this setting will be applied immediately.



Specifying who can sign off on completed forms

By default, only Provider Level Users can sign off on forms responses. For each Patient Form, Admin Level Users can enable a setting that allows Staff Level Users to sign off on its form responses. This feature is ideal for forms that generally do not require provider oversight such as forms for demographics or insurance collection.

 

To allow staff to sign off on a specific patient form, check the box labeled This form does not require provider sign-off when editing that form.




Workflow Instructions

Generating a Patient Form draft from a PDF or image

1Go to Settings -> Patient Forms.
2Click Create from PDF or Image.
3

Select the PDF or image of your form from your device and click Open.

4

A new browser tab will open to generate a draft of the form. Do not close this tab until the draft is complete, or the form will not be generated.

5Once the draft is generated, review the internal Form Name in the upper lefthand corner. This name will only be seen by members of your practice. 
6

(Admin Level  User Only) Specify whether the completed form requires sign-off from a Provider Level User by checking or unchecking the This form does not require provider sign-off box.

7

Review the external Title and Form Description. These will be visible to your patients while they fill out the form.

8

Review each section and make adjustments as needed. 

  • Adjust the section title as needed.
  • Adjust where you want the section responses to export to, if allowed.
  • Add question(s) to the section, see step #9 below. Each section must have at least one question.
9

Review each question and make adjustments as needed. 

  • Add a custom question by clicking + Add question.
    • Click here for more information about adding custom questions.
    • To reorganize questions, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the question to its new location in the same section and then let go of your cursor. Questions cannot be moved across sections.
    • Specify where the responses should export to by default in the Export to field.
      • You will not be able to edit the default export to location for all prebuilt questions except ‘Other’.
10Click Save form to save any changes.
11Click the back arrow to return to the main Settings page.

 

 

Creating a Patient Form from scratch or from a template

1Go to Settings -> Patient Forms.
2

Choose how you want to build your form:

3Fill out the internal Form Name in the upper lefthand corner. This name will only be seen by members of your practice. 
4

(Admin Level  User Only) Specify whether the completed form requires sign-off from a Provider Level User by checking or unchecking the This form does not require provider sign-off box.

5

Give the form a Title and Form Description. Both are visible to the patient.

6

Customize the sections of your form.

  • Templates come with certain predefined sections, predefined export to settings and pre-built questions. 
    • You can only edit the default export to location for the ‘Other’ predefined section.
  • A blank form will start you off with a blank section.
  • Click + Add section to add a custom section.

 

Customization options include

  • Adjusting the Section Title & Intro Text.
  • Adding questions (see step #7 below). Each section must have at least one question.
  • Changing the order in which the sections display in the form using the Grid icon.
7

Customize the questions of your form:

  • Templates come with certain predefined sections, predefined export to settings and pre-built questions.
    • You can only edit the default export to location for the ‘Other’ predefined section.
  • A blank form will start you off with a blank section where you must add at least one question.
  • Click + Add question to add a custom question to any section.

 

To reorganize questions, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the question to its new location in the same section and then let go of your cursor. Questions cannot be moved across sections.

8Click Save form to save any changes.
9Click the back arrow to return to the main Settings page.

 

 

Using pre-defined sections

Each pre-defined section includes a title, default export settings for responses, and one or more pre-set questions. Each predefined section can only be added once to a patient form except for 'Other'.

1Click Add predefined section to add a predefined section.
2Customize the Section Title & Intro Text.
3Adjust where you want the section responses to export to it you are using the 'Other' section.
4

Review the pre-built questions that come with the predefined section.

  1. Add a custom question by clicking + Add question.
    1. Click here for more information about adding your own questions.
  2. Copy a pre-built question to use it as a starting point for a similar question using the copy icon.

 

Other customization options include:

  • To delete a predefined section, click the trash can icon.
  • To move the predefined section to a new location in the form, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the section to its new location and then let go of your cursor.

 

Using prebuilt questions

Prebuilt questions are designed to collect structured data that fits directly into areas of the chart like Clinical Questionnaires, Medication Lists, and Health Maintenance. Each prebuilt question is formatted to suit the type of information being collected. For example, the Medical History question uses checkboxes so patients can easily select the conditions they have.

 

Prebuilt questions that are standard instruments with pre-configured scoring cannot be edited. For example:

  • Depression (PHQ-2)
  • PTSD (PCL-5)
  • Smoking status

 

Responses to prebuilt questions will be exported to the located defined by the section it is in. You can’t edit the default export destination for prebuilt questions, except for those located in the ‘Other’ predefined section.

 

 

Creating your own questions 

Create custom questions to collect information that’s specific to your practice, workflows, or patient population. Responses to custom questions will be exported to the located defined by the section it is in. Click here to view sample use cases for Patient Forms.

 

The question formats available are:

Question Format

Use Case

Example

Short answer

A single-line text field where the patient can type a brief, free-text response.

“What is the name and address of your preferred pharmacy?”

Patient signature

Allows patients to provide their electronic signature.

“Please sign below to consent to treatment.”

Dropdown Select

A list of options that appears when the patient clicks the dropdown menu. The patient can choose only one answer from the list.

“Select your primary language.”

Radio Select

A set of visible options displayed as circles. The patient can choose only one answer.

“What is your current smoking status?”

Checkbox

A list of options with checkboxes. The patient can choose one or more answers.

You can also specify the following:

  • Allow free-text input accompanying each option
  • Include a pre-defined 'Other' choice

“Which symptoms are you experiencing?”

Free-text list

Allows patients to enter several responses, saved as individual items.

“List any supplements you’re currently taking.”

 

1Add a new question by clicking + Add question.
2Select the question format you want to use.
3

Customize the question and answer options.

  • Add Answer Help Text as guidance for the patient if needed. (e.g. if you want the patient to enter their Date of Birth as a two digit month, two digit date and four digit year, enter the Answer Help Text as 'MM/DD/YYYY')
  • Click + to add additional answer options.  
  • Click the trash can icon to delete unneeded answer options.
4To reorder the questions, click and hold the Grid icon, drag the question to its new location and then let go of your cursor.
5To copy a question to use it as a starting point for a similar question, click the copy icon.

 

 

Using a Patient Form Template

Templates come with predefined sections and questions to help you quickly create commonly used forms. For example, the Medicare AWV Template allows you to send patients a list of typical questions for a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit. This way, you can collect responses before the appointment and reference them in the note, streamlining the visit. To use a template simply click on the template name when creating a new form.

 

 

Managing the Patient Forms List

Newly created forms will appear at the bottom of the Manage Forms list on the Patient Forms Settings page. To reorder your forms, click the Grid icon and drag and drop the form to a new location.

Each form displays the following details:

  • Form title
  • Creator and creation date
  • Last modified by and last modified date
  • Linked Appointment Types, if the form is attached to any

This makes it easy to track form updates and understand how each form is being used in your workflow.

 

 

Editing Patient Forms

When you edit a form, any changes you make will automatically apply moving forward. Patients will see the updated version the next time they load the form.

1Go to Settings -> Patient Forms.
2Click Edit next to the form you want to edit.
3Make your edits and then click Save form to save any changes.
4Click the back arrow to return to the main Settings page.



 

Deleting Patient Forms

ℹ️   CAUTION
Deleted with caution as deleted forms cannot be restored. Deleting a form will immediately remove it from any linked appointment types. If the form was already sent to a patient, they may no longer be able to complete it—so make sure it’s no longer needed before deleting.

 

1Go to Settings -> Patient Forms.
2Click Delete next to the form you want to delete.
3Click Delete again to confirm.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to view frequently asked questions about Patient Forms.

 

 

 

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