In Instinct EMR and Instinct EMR for Primary Care, Digital Forms allow your practice to send forms to clients to complete and sign on their phone, then bring the answers into the patient record. Use Digital Forms for intake, consent, and pre-visit questionnaires. Clients don't need an account to receive forms.
Pet Owner Portal requirement
The Pet Owner Portal must be enabled for your practice. Without it, form links cannot be generated, so you cannot send forms manually or via appointment reminders. You can enable the portal and leave the record sharing and direct booking settings off. No portal features turn on, clients do not receive messages about the portal, and no portal accounts are created.
Note: Digital Forms are configured per practice, not per location. Forms, notification recipients, and appointment-type links are shared across all locations. |
Permissions for Digital Forms
Permission | What it allows |
admin_manage_digital_forms | Open the Forms page, build, publish, duplicate, and archive forms, and manage notification recipients. |
business_office_manage_accounts_and_patients | Accept a submitted form, exclude fields during review, and change a form's visit or appointment link. This is the same permission that controls editing a patient's profile. |
What Digital Forms does not include
One form for multiple pets: Each form is sent for a single patient. Send a separate form for each pet.
File or photo upload: These field types are not available in the form builder.
Public shareable links: Every form is tied to a specific patient, so you cannot post a generic link on a website or in another tool.
Conditional question logic: Every question is always included. Mark questions that do not apply to every client as not required.
Staff pre-filling part of a form before sending: Use chart documents for forms that staff fill in first.
Editing a published form: Published forms cannot be edited. Duplicate the form, edit the duplicate, and publish it. Archive outdated forms so they cannot be used in the future.
Downloadable PDF of a completed form: You can view the submission on the patient chart, but you cannot download it as a PDF.
Kiosk or tablet mode: Send a walk-in client a link to complete on their own device.
Resending an existing form's link: Send an additional one-time form instead.
Frequently asked questions
Does the patient record update automatically when a client submits a form?
No. Nothing changes in the record until staff accept the submission.
When should I use a digital form vs. a chart document vs. sending an estimate?
Use Digital Forms for anything a client completes and signs. Use chart documents for medical documentation and anything staff fills in first. Use estimate signatures for estimates that need a client signature on the estimate itself.
Is a typed or drawn signature legally valid?
Validity varies by region. Consult your practice's legal counsel for compliance questions.
Submit feedback
Feel free to give us feedback on Digital Forms by submitting a feature request. In the in-app chat, select Ask a Question → Submit a Ticket → New Feature Idea. All feedback is submitted to the Product and Engineering teams.
Still need help?
Contact support via live chat or email [email protected].