Dental4Windows - HotDoc Calendar

HotDoc Forms is a secure digital form that easily allows patients to fill out their details prior to their appointment. Using HotDoc Forms can: 

• Reduce the amount of time a patient spends in the waiting room
• Ensure information required by a practitioner is filled out in advance of the appointment
   
• Save administration time by automatically writing back parts of the form to the patient file
• Create multiple forms, from existing templates or completely customised

This guide covers the essentials of setting up HotDoc Forms. If you are doing this for the first time, you will be required to complete all sections below.

Once set up, you will be able to allow patients to complete their form digitally before they arrive at the practice.

1. What is HotDoc Forms?

Forms are sent automatically based on appointment type or new patient status. We built this because our research showed that patients prefer to complete them ahead of time:
 

Example of a HotDoc New Patient Registration Form
 

For New Patient form types, when a new patient books online we detect this automatically and send the form link. If you're booking them directly into the calendar, you can enable the 'Send New Patient Form' setting and we'll send it for you.

For other form types, the form link is sent based on linked appointment type settings. For example, you might create a form that is only sent to patients booked as the appointment type 'Post-procedure Review' — as long as that type is linked to the form, patients booked under it will receive the link automatically.

Once triggered, we send the patient an email, push notification, or SMS with a link to their form:
 

Example of the form link for a booking made via HotDoc
 

• The patient can fill the form in on their mobile, tablet or computer and submit the form prior to their appointment time.
   
• Once submitted, HotDoc will send the submission to your HotDoc Sidebar to copy and paste the details into the patient's clinical record.
   
• Once you've reviewed it and clicked Mark as Complete, the form goes into your 'completed' list. You will still be able to view the form in the sidebar for 30 days from submission and it will automatically clear after that time. 

2. The Patient Journey

We understand that using an online system to process your new patient registration forms can be a different experience for your practice and patients. By reviewing the patient journey, you and your team will be able to know what to expect and confidently preempt any concerns or questions.
 

3. Create your Form

There are a few different form types you can set up:

• New Patient Registration Form — sent automatically to new patients before their first appointment. You can choose from two templates (see below).
• Assessment forms — sent to patients booked under a specific appointment type, such as a skin check or health assessment.
• Consent forms — sent to patients who need to provide consent before a specific appointment type.

You can also build a completely custom form from scratch using the form builder. Once you have selected your preferred form type, you are still able to customise and remove questions.

We recommend ensuring your form is not too long to ensure the patient finishes their submission.

Choosing your New Patient Registration Form template

Each clinic can only have one New Patient Registration Form, so choose the template that works best for your practice before getting started.

• Clinical form — includes everything in the demographic form, plus a health history section covering allergies, past operations, and chronic conditions (asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and others). Best for practices that want a complete patient record from the first visit.
• Demographic form — captures personal details, Medicare card, emergency contact, health initiative screening, social activities, communication preferences, and privacy consent. Best for practices that prefer to collect health history in person, or where a longer form isn't practical for their patient base.

Both templates write back to the patient file automatically.

To create your form, navigate to your HotDoc Dashboard > Forms > Forms > Create your digital form, then follow the instructions in How to create a Form.
 

4. How is a Form sent to the patient?

For New Patient form types, the form link is automatically sent when a new patient books online and the appointment is made in the Calendar. It will also be sent when you create a booking in the Calendar and enable the 'Patient consents to receive SMS and email' and the 'Send New Patient Form' checkboxes.

How to send a HotDoc Form request to a patient

For other form types, the form link is sent based on the type of appointment booked and the linked appointment type settings. For example, you might have decided to create a form that is only sent to patients booked as the appointment type 'Post-procedure Review'. As long as this appointment type is linked to the form, any patient booked under it will receive the form link.
 

5. How to process your form submissions

Now that you have created your form, it's important that your team is familiar with how to process the forms into your clinical software as they are submitted. This will ensure the patient's form is completed and their file is updated before they arrive at the practice.  

• An alert similar to the one below will come through the HotDoc Sidebar when a patient makes a Form submission:
  
  
   

• We recommend that your team checks the HotDoc Sidebar every morning by navigating to Menu > Forms to process any new forms:
   

  
   

• Once in the Forms section of the Sidebar, your team will need to copy and paste all parts of the form submission into the patient's clinical record.

  View form submissions How to process form submissions

6. How to generate a PDF version

To save your team further time and resources, HotDoc will save a version of the patient form into the Dashboard. You also have the option to manually download a PDF version of the form to save elsewhere by selecting the Download PDF button in the HotDoc Dashboard:

Example of the Download PDF button

7. Switch your Form to Live Mode

Once your form is set up and you have trained your staff, you should be ready to turn the form on through the HotDoc Dashboard. The form link will then be sent to relevant patients to fill in.

1. To switch the form to Live, navigate to your HotDoc Dashboard > Forms > Forms. You can then see your form in Preview mode:
   
   
    
2. Click the green 'Make live' button on the right-hand side:
   
   
    
3. You will then be prompted to confirm you are ready to switch on the form, click Yes, make live and the status will change to live.
   
    
    
4. From here, keep an eye on your Sidebar for form submissions!

Visit our Forms Support section for further resources and frequently asked questions.