Create a Patient Registration Form (Guide)

Creating an effective patient registration form is a critical first step in delivering quality healthcare. It collects essential information—from personal and medical details to insurance coverage and consent—that ensures accurate records, smooth billing, and seamless care coordination. 

With Knack Live Apps, healthcare providers can design fully customized registration forms using a no-code, drag-and-drop builder that’s intuitive for users of all technical levels. Whether you’re collecting data from new patients or updating existing records, Knack makes it easy to create forms that reflect the unique workflows and needs of your practice.

Key Takeaways

• A patient registration form is a document used by healthcare providers to collect essential information about a patient, including personal details, medical history, insurance information, and consent for treatment. It’s commonly used to ensure accurate medical records and facilitate billing and insurance claims.
• Knack Live Apps make it easy to create a patient registration form, as its no-code builder offers drag-and-drop functionality and high levels of customization. These features allow users of any technical skill level to create forms that reflect the unique needs of their specific practice and its patients.
• A patient registration form should include essential data fields such as personal details (name, date of birth, contact information), medical history, insurance details, emergency contacts, and consent agreements. Additional fields may cover primary care provider information, current medications, allergies, and specific health concerns to ensure comprehensive patient records.

How to Create a Patient Registration Form with Knack

A well-structured patient registration form is more than just paperwork—it is a vital tool for ensuring high-quality healthcare services. 

While these forms are designed to streamline the registration process for patients on the front end, Knack makes things easy for providers on the back end as well with our no-code Live Apps. Designed for users of all technical skill levels, creating a new form is as simple as following a series of easy-to-understand steps to build a quality final product.

Understanding Forms in Knack

Simply put, they’re interactive tools used to collect, update, and manage data within a custom database application. With Knack, users can create and customize forms by adding fields, setting validation rules, and defining conditional logic to control what information is displayed or required. These forms are automatically connected to an underlying database, ensuring that submitted data is instantly stored, organized, and accessible for better reporting and workflow management.

What Do Forms Look Like in a Live App?

In a Live App, forms appear as intuitive, customizable interfaces that allow users to input, update, or search for data directly within the application. These forms are designed to match the structure of the underlying database, ensuring that every submitted entry aligns with the designated fields in the corresponding table. With Knack, users can modify layouts, set field permissions, and implement conditional visibility rules to optimize the form experience.

For instance, a healthcare organization using a Live App to create a patient registration form might include fields such as Full Name (Text Field), Date of Birth (Date Picker), Phone Number (Number Field), Email (Email Field), Insurance Provider (Dropdown Selection), and Medical History (Multi-line Text Field). When a user fills out and submits the form, the data is instantly stored in the corresponding patient database, where it can be accessed, updated, or used in reports.

Related: How to Create a Patient Intake Form (Guide)

Types of Forms You Can Build

One of the key benefits of a Live App is its supreme flexibility—users can leverage it for all types of different forms, though our clients in the healthcare industry have found particular value in its abilities.

Healthcare providers often use Live Apps for creating new records, such as patient registration forms, where users input all their essential details in one convenient location. This ensures that new patient entries are systematically stored in the database, providing a structured foundation for ongoing care. 

Another type is forms for updating existing records, which allow healthcare staff to edit patient details, update medical conditions, or modify contact information. These ensure that records remain accurate and up-to-date over time, reducing errors and improving communication across medical teams.

Knack also enables the creation of forms for inserting connected records, allowing providers to link related data efficiently. For example, a form can be designed to assign patients to specific appointments, ensuring that scheduling data is properly associated with each individual. Similarly, a form can be created to connect patients with their insurance records, ensuring that billing and claims processing remain seamless. 

Creating a Patient Registration Form

By leveraging Knack’s intuitive form-building tools, healthcare providers can easily design customized registration forms that capture essential patient details and reflect their practice’s specific procedures. These forms seamlessly integrate with Knack’s database, ensuring that all submitted information is automatically stored, organized, and easily accessible for administrative and clinical use. 

Let’s explore the step-by-step process of creating patient registration forms as a Live App, from how to add a new form to customizing inputs and adjusting form layouts.

Step 1: Adding a New Form

To add a new form, start by navigating to the “Add View” button in the toolbar at the top of any page. After clicking “Add View,” select “Form” as the view type, which will then prompt you to associate the form with a specific table in the database. From here, you can customize your layout, add necessary input fields, and configure settings such as required fields and conditional logic to guide user input.

Once the form view is added, you’ll determine its function by choosing whether it will create new records, update existing records, or insert connected records. A create form is used for adding entirely new patient records, while an update form allows modifications to existing patient data, and a connected records form is useful for associating patients with related records.

Related: How to Create a Payment Form (Tutorial)

Step 2: Customizing Form Inputs

Next, to populate your form, the left menu provides a comprehensive list of available fields that can be added as inputs. Simply select a field to include it in your form. Keep in mind that fields can only be added once, and any fields that have already been included in your form will appear grayed out on the left-side list of fields. 

Healthcare providers commonly include inputs such as patient name, date of birth, contact details, medical history, and insurance provider. Each field can also be tailored with validation rules, dropdown menus, or conditional logic to improve data accuracy and streamline the input process. For example, a required field can be set for insurance details to ensure all patients provide coverage information before submitting the form.

Beyond data fields, users can enhance form organization by adding static elements like titles, section headers, and dividers to guide users through the form. A registration form, for instance, can be divided into sections such as “Personal Information,” “Medical History,” and “Insurance Details,” making it easier for patients and staff to complete. Connection fields can be included to link patients with related records as well, such as their assigned doctor or insurance provider.

Step 3: Adjusting Form Layout

Once you’ve incorporated the inputs you’d like to include, you can change the layout to display in either one, two, or three columns. 

For instance, a simple patient registration form might use a one-column layout for easy navigation, while a more detailed form, such as one that includes medical history, could benefit from two or three columns, allowing more information to be presented side by side for efficient use of space. These layout options ensure that forms are visually organized and easily readable, especially on different devices or screen sizes.

Here, Knack’s drag-and-drop functionality allows users to easily rearrange form fields and elements without any coding. Simply click and hold any form field and drag it to the desired location within the layout. For example, users may choose to move the insurance provider field next to the patient’s personal details to ensure a smooth progression through the form.

Related: How to Create a Landing Page Form (Guide)

Configuring Form Settings

Form settings in Live Apps enable users to control how a form behaves, ensuring an optimal user experience and seamless data management. These settings include options for field validation, submission actions, permissions and access controls, conditional display rules, and more. These settings are designed to verify that forms are secure, user-friendly, and aligned with specific workflow requirements.

Basic Form Settings

Start by customizing the standard settings included in most forms, regardless of industry. For instance, nearly every form will include a “Submit” button somewhere within it; healthcare providers might customize this button to read “Register Patient” instead. Once a form has been submitted, you might also provide a “Reload Form” option in case a mistake was made and a patient or staff member needs to start over. This allows them to reset all fields instantly without manually clearing each one.

Additionally, this is where you’ll personalize the title and description for the form view. Titles appear prominently above the view in your Live App, while the description will be positioned below the title to offer users additional context on how to effectively utilize the view.

A title and description for a patient registration form might look something like this:

Title: New Patient Registration Form

Description: Please complete the form below to provide your personal details, medical history, and insurance information. All fields marked with (*) are required. Your information will remain confidential and will only be used for your medical care and administrative purposes.

Enabling E-Commerce (If Needed)

Some healthcare providers may choose to enable payment options on their forms when collecting copayments, appointment booking fees, or pre-service deposits to streamline the billing process. Incorporating this feature directly into your patient registration form ensures that payments are processed immediately, reducing no-shows and improving cash flow.

In order to enable e-commerce in a Live App, you’ll need to connect a payment processor account. The user will then submit their payment method using one of these processors, which will charge them and transfer the money to your account. 

A payment view is also required. To add this, find the “E-Commerce” tab in the view menu and click the “Payment” option. From here, you’ll be able to customize the view, choosing whether to include options for calculating the total payment amount, displaying the payment summary, sending email receipts, and rules for updating other database records.

Enhancing User Experience with Form Rules

Form View Rules are conditional logic settings that control how a form behaves based on user input or specific criteria. These rules empower users to create dynamic, responsive forms that improve data accuracy and user experience. In Knack Live Apps, there are four different types of form rules: display rules, submit rules, record actions, and email rules.

Display Rules

Display rules are how users control how their form is displayed. Here, you can show and hide various inputs and change input labels based on other form values. These conditions are checked and triggered when a user changes the value of a form, or an edit form is initially populated.

For example, if a patient selects “Yes” when asked if they have health insurance, additional fields such as “Insurance Provider,” “Policy Number,” and “Primary Insured Name” can automatically appear. However, if they select “No,” those fields remain hidden, preventing unnecessary clutter and confusion. 

This conditional logic helps ensure that patients only see and complete relevant sections, improving form completion rates and reducing errors in data entry.

Submit Rules

Submit rules, on the other hand, determine what happens after a form is submitted. Each form has a single submit rule that shows a confirmation message by default. 

The result of a submit rule is a submit action. The chosen action occurs once the criteria have been triggered. 

Once a submit rule has been triggered, there are five possible actions that can occur:

• Show a confirmation message
• Redirect to the parent page
• Redirect to an existing page
• Redirect to another website’s URL
• Redirect to a new child page

Users can also add multiple criteria to each rule based on field values, in which case every criterion must be true.

Record Actions

Record actions serve to add or update records in your database. These actions are added by defining an action and the conditions that trigger it.

A healthcare provider can use these actions in a patient registration form to automate workflows and streamline administrative tasks. For example, when a new patient submits their registration form, a record action can automatically assign them to a primary care physician based on their selected location or medical needs. 

Additionally, they may be used to automatically update an appointment scheduling database, verifying that newly registered patients are immediately linked to upcoming visits. These automated actions help reduce manual data entry for healthcare staff and enhance the user experience for patients.

Automating Email Notifications

Once a form has been submitted, users can also trigger emails to be sent. For example, healthcare providers might schedule a standard confirmation message along with additional contact information for follow-up questions after the completion of a patient registration form.

Sending Confirmation Emails

To trigger confirmation emails, you’ll first need to choose the type of email you’d like to send. You can either schedule a custom email for each record or send a basic email notification containing all form inputs to an email address of your choice.

Next, you’ll need to establish criteria to trigger the email to be sent. You can add criteria based on one or more form values, or you can run the rule for every form submission. For instance, a welcome email with general information might be sent if a patient selects “New Patient” on the registration form, while returning patients who update their details might receive a confirmation email acknowledging their updated records.

Lastly, you can customize your template with dynamic field values. Here, clicking on the “{…}” option will allow you to add fields from the table into the email body as well as template variables.

There are four template variables you can add to your message body:

• Record ID: Include the internal ID for the record. This is particularly useful when you want to add a link to edit/view the specific record.
• Page URL: Include the URL for the form from which the email is originating.
• Parent Page URL: Include the URL for this form’s parent page—assuming one exists. For patients, this might link back to a patient dashboard.
• Payment Summary: Includes a summary of the payment when e-commerce is enabled on the form. For example, if a copay is required, this may read: “$50 copay—paid via credit card.”

Sending Admin Notifications

Similarly, on the back end, notifications can also be triggered to alert staff whenever a new patient registers, ensuring prompt follow-up and record management. 

This is set up by configuring the form’s record rules to send an automated email upon submission. Within the email settings, admins can specify recipients (e.g., front desk staff or medical coordinators) and include form submission details such as the patient’s name, date of birth, contact information, and insurance provider using dynamic field values. These notifications can even contain a direct link to the patient’s record in Knack, allowing staff to quickly review and update information as needed.

Advanced Form Features

No two healthcare providers are alike, and thus, no two patient registration forms will look exactly the same. Knack accommodates the unique needs of different types of users by providing advanced form features—such as connection fields, multiple choice fields, and calculations—allowing you to tailor forms to fit your particular processes.

Using Connection Fields

Connection fields can easily be added to a form by selecting the desired field from the field list. In a form, one-to-many and one-to-one connection fields look like a drop-down with the added feature to dynamically search the available choices. Meanwhile, a field using a many-to-many connection type allows you to select more than one record at a time.

• One-to-One Connection Field: Links a single record to another single record, ensuring a direct and exclusive relationship. For instance, in a registration form, each patient is assigned to one primary care doctor.
• One-to-Many Connection Field: Connects a single record to multiple related records, allowing one entity to have multiple associated records. For example, a patient can be linked to multiple past or upcoming appointments.
• Many-to-Many Connection Field: Allows multiple records in one table to be linked to multiple records in another table, enabling shared relationships. This might be used for insurance plans, where patients can have multiple insurers, and each insurer covers multiple patients.

Connections have some additional options as well. When you’re dealing with multiple connection fields that are connected to one another, you’ll see the “Show” option for limiting which connected records are available to select from. You can also filter connection fields to further restrict which connected records are visible to end users. This enables you to determine exactly which records will show in your connection field based on the filters you add.

Adding Custom Options for Multiple Choice Fields

When using multiple-choice fields, there are some occasions where a patient’s answer won’t be included in the form’s listed responses. For these instances, including an option for patients to manually type in an answer that falls outside of the multiple choice’s scope can be useful.

This can be done by enabling the “Allow users to add new options” setting within the field configuration. For example, in a “Preferred Language” dropdown, predefined options like English, Spanish, and French may be listed, but selecting “Other” can trigger a new input field where patients can type their specific language. This ensures flexibility in data collection, accommodating diverse patient needs while still maintaining structured form entries.

Using Forms for Calculations

If desired, forms can also be utilized as online calculators by adding equation fields to the form. When all values used in the equation are present in the form, the equation will automatically update as the user fills in those fields in a Live App.

For instance, in a patient registration form, the system can automatically calculate a total outstanding balance by summing unpaid invoices or determining estimated insurance coverage by subtracting the patient’s copay from the total service cost. This automation reduces manual errors and ensures accurate financial and medical data for both patients and staff.

Knack’s calculations work best for straightforward equations like the examples mentioned above. There are some limitations you’ll need to keep in mind here, including:

• Only numeric equations will work—date-based equations currently will not.
• All values must be present in the form for the equation to calculate live.
• Equations displayed on the form that use other equations will display inconsistent results, as there isn’t a set order in which these equations process.
• If values from connected records are needed, the equation will not update automatically.

What Should Go in a Patient Registration Form?

When designing a patient registration form, it’s crucial to include all necessary fields to gather relevant demographic, medical, and financial details. From basic personal information to insurance verification and appointment management, each section plays a vital role in patient management.

Essential Information to Include in a Patient Registration Form

First up—the non-negotiables. These cover all the basics that nearly every healthcare provider will require in order to best serve patients. Here, personal information helps ensure that the right patient is being referenced on every occasion, while also verifying that correct contact details are collected to reach patients quickly with any pertinent updates. 

Similarly, patient records and insurance information help confirm that providers are aware of past medical histories and current allergies and medications, while also ensuring that patients are sufficiently covered for the treatment they receive.

1. Personal Information

• Full Name (First and Last Name)
• Date of Birth
• Email Address
• Phone Number
• Mailing Address

2. Emergency Contact Information

• Emergency Contact Name
• Relationship to Patient
• Emergency Contact Phone Number

3. Medical History & Current Health Status

• Existing Medical Conditions
• Medications Currently Taken
• Allergies
• Previous Surgeries or Hospitalizations

4. Insurance and Payment Information

• Insurance Provider Name
• Policy Number
• Group ID
• Upload Insurance Card (If applicable)
• Preferred Payment Method (Credit Card, Insurance, Cash)

5. Appointment Preferences

• Preferred Doctor or Specialist
• Preferred Clinic Location (If applicable)
• Best Days/Times for Appointments

6. Terms and Agreements

• Agreement to Privacy Policy (HIPAA compliance)
• Consent to Medical Treatment
• Digital Signature Field

Optional but Useful Information

Beyond the essentials, adding optional fields can serve to enhance patient care and improve healthcare operations as well.

Questions like “How did you hear about us?” can provide valuable marketing insights, while a preferred language field ensures effective communication with patients who may require translation services. Additionally, including the contact information of a referring physician helps streamline coordination between providers, improving continuity of care and ensuring accurate medical history sharing.

7. Additional Questions

• How Did You Hear About Our Clinic? (Dropdown: website, referral, event, etc.)
• Primary Language Spoken
• Preferred Communication Method (Phone, Email, Text)

8. References (If Required)

• Contact Information for Referring Physician
• Upload Medical Referral Document

Design and User Experience Considerations

User experience (UX) considerations in patient registration forms can significantly impact completion rates and data accuracy. A cluttered, lengthy, or confusing form may discourage patients from completing their registration, leading to delays and inefficiencies. To enhance usability, providers should implement easy navigation, visually distinct sections, and interactive features like conditional fields, ensuring a seamless and engaging experience from start to finish.

Form Length and Structure

To optimize the structure of a patient registration form, be sure to focus on keeping it concise. This involves ensuring a balance between required and optional fields to avoid overwhelming patients with unnecessary questions. Using conditional fields can further streamline the experience by displaying only relevant sections based on patient responses—for example, showing insurance details only if the patient indicates they have coverage. 

Additionally, grouping sections logically—such as organizing personal information, medical history, and insurance details separately—helps improve clarity and navigation, making it easier for patients to complete the form efficiently. A structured approach enhances UX, ensuring all essential information is collected.

Accessibility and Mobile-Friendliness

If accessibility and mobile-friendliness are priorities for you (and they should be), make sure to design your form with a responsive layout that adapts seamlessly to mobile screens, using large input fields and touch-friendly buttons for easy completion. 

As far as accessibility and intuitiveness is concerned, providing clear instructions for each field, such as placeholder text or tooltips, helps patients understand what information is required, reducing errors and confusion. For longer forms, you might also consider including a progress bar that allows users to track their completion status, preventing frustration and encouraging form submission. 

After Submission: Next Steps

Following the completion of a registration form, follow-up messages are an essential final step for completing the onboarding experience.

Acknowledging receipt of the form reassures patients that their information has been successfully submitted, reducing uncertainty and the need for follow-up inquiries. Moreover, providing clear next steps, such as scheduling an appointment, verifying insurance, or preparing necessary documents, helps patients feel informed and prepared for their upcoming visit.

Confirmation and Follow-Up

Here, it’s common practice to start with a simple thank you message, whether displayed on a confirmation screen or sent via email, as it provides immediate acknowledgment and ensures patients feel valued. 

Additionally, including next steps information, such as scheduling an appointment, verifying insurance, or submitting required documents, helps patients understand what to expect moving forward. Providing contact details for questions—such as a phone number or email for the registration team—also ensures patients can easily reach out for assistance, reducing confusion and improving the overall patient experience.

Beyond these considerations, you can include any additional information unique to your specific practice, such as any required documents needed from the patient, a link to a patient portal, or links to additional relevant resources.

Create a Patient Registration Form With Knack

When it comes to building your patient registration form, it simply doesn’t get any better (or any easier) than Knack Live Apps. With our drag-and-drop builder, users can easily design and customize forms without needing coding skills, while our AI builder helps automate form creation based on best practices.

Worried about integrations? We’ve got you covered! Knack supports connections with hundreds of other healthcare tools, such as scheduling software and EHR systems, ensuring smooth data transfer across your entire technical infrastructure. With countless self-help resources and a dedicated support team to boot, users can easily optimize their forms and quickly troubleshoot any issues that arise, making the patient onboarding experience faster and more effective than ever before.

Ready to get started? Sign up for a 14-day free trial of Knack today!