Setting Up Questionnaires, Forms, and Documents

Questionnaires, Forms, and Documents allow your clinic to build, publish, send, automate, and manage client-facing forms inside PawthosX One.

Written By Brendan Baker

Last updated About 10 hours ago

Use this area to create intake forms, pre-appointment questionnaires, consent forms, medical history forms, signatures, file uploads, and custom documents that collect structured information before, during, or after a visit.

Forms help reduce repetitive questions, improve visit preparation, capture required acknowledgements, and keep client-provided information connected to the patient record.


What Forms & Documents Do

Forms & Documents help your clinic:

  • Create custom client forms

  • Use premade templates

  • Build pre-visit intake questionnaires

  • Collect symptoms, medications, allergies, diet changes, and owner acknowledgements

  • Add required signatures

  • Add file uploads

  • Publish or draft forms

  • Archive forms no longer in use

  • Preview forms before sending

  • Send forms manually

  • Automate form delivery

  • React when a client submits a form

  • Standardize intake and consent workflows

This is the place where “Did we ask them that already?” goes to retire.


Main Areas

Forms & Documents includes:

  • Form list

  • Premade templates

  • Your forms

  • Form editor

  • Field palette

  • Form status

  • Automations

  • Preview

  • Form elements

  • Add new field


Form List

The form list appears on the left side of the Forms & Documents workspace.

It includes:

  • Premade templates

  • Forms created by your clinic

  • Draft forms

  • Published forms

  • Archived forms, if available

Use the form list to select which form you want to view, edit, publish, or manage.


Premade Templates

Premade Templates are built-in form templates that can be used as a starting point.

Examples may include:

  • Pre-Appointment Checklist

  • Client Intake

  • Health history forms

  • New client forms

Premade templates help clinics start faster without building every form from scratch.

Templates can be reviewed, customized, copied, or adapted to match clinic policy.


Your Forms

Your Forms are forms created or customized by your clinic.

Each form may show:

  • Form name

  • Number of fields

  • Status

  • Draft or published state

Examples:

  • Pre-Visit Intake

  • Pre-Appointment Checklist

  • New Custom Form

Use this section for active clinic forms and drafts in progress.


Create New Form

Create New Form starts a new custom form.

Use this when the clinic needs a form that does not already exist as a template.

Examples:

  • Surgery consent

  • Dental intake

  • Drop-off form

  • Medication refill request

  • Boarding questionnaire

  • Euthanasia acknowledgement

  • New patient history

  • Referral intake

  • Imaging consent

  • Estimate approval

When creating a new form, give it a clear name that staff and clients can understand.

Bad form names become tiny administrative gremlins.


Form Header

The form header shows the selected form’s name and description.

Example:

Pre-Visit Intake (Default)
Standard pre-visit intake: symptoms, medications, allergies, signature.

Use the header to confirm you are editing the correct form.


Preview

Preview allows you to view the form as a client would see it.

Use Preview before publishing or sending a form.

Check for:

  • Clear wording

  • Correct field order

  • Required fields

  • Signature placement

  • Missing questions

  • Duplicate questions

  • Typos

  • Mobile readability

  • Whether the form feels too long

A form that looks fine to staff can still feel like a tax audit to a client. Preview it.


Form Elements

Form Elements are the fields and questions inside the selected form.

Each element may include:

  • Question text

  • Field type

  • Placeholder text

  • Options

  • Required status

  • Ordering controls

  • Edit control

  • Delete control

The form shown includes five elements, including questions about symptoms, medications, allergies, recent changes, and owner acknowledgement.


Add New Field

Add New Field adds another question or element to the form.

Use this when you need to collect additional information from the client.

Keep forms focused. More fields are not always better. Every extra question should earn its little chair at the table.


Field Palette

The Field Palette contains the available field types you can add to a form.

Available field types may include:

  • Short Answer

  • Long Answer

  • Email

  • Number Input

  • Dropdown

  • Checkbox

  • Multiple Choice

  • Date Picker

  • Signature

  • File Upload

  • Statement

Choose the field type based on the kind of information you need to collect.


Field Type Definitions

Short Answer

Use Short Answer for brief text responses.

Best for:

  • Pet name

  • Medication name

  • One-line explanations

  • Preferred contact name

  • Short identifiers

Short Answer is best when the response should be quick and compact.


Long Answer

Use Long Answer for longer written responses.

Best for:

  • Symptoms

  • Medical history

  • Behavior concerns

  • Diet notes

  • “Tell us what happened”

  • Owner observations

Use Long Answer when the client may need space to explain.


Email

Use Email to collect an email address.

This field should validate that the response looks like an email address.

Best for:

  • New client intake

  • Alternate contact email

  • Referral contact

  • Records delivery email


Number Input

Use Number Input when the answer should be numeric.

Best for:

  • Pet weight

  • Age

  • Quantity

  • Dose count

  • Number of episodes

  • Number of days symptoms have been present

Use this instead of free text when calculations, filtering, or structured reporting may matter.


Dropdown

Use Dropdown when the client should choose one option from a list.

Best for:

  • Appointment type

  • Preferred provider

  • Species

  • Reason category

  • Existing client vs. new client

  • Location selection

Dropdowns work well when there are several options but only one answer should be selected.


Checkbox

Use Checkbox when the client needs to confirm or select an item.

Best for:

  • Acknowledgements

  • Consent statements

  • “I understand”

  • “I agree”

  • Individual confirmations

Checkboxes are useful for compliance and consent workflows.


Multiple Choice

Use Multiple Choice when the client should choose one or more predefined answers, depending on configuration.

Best for:

  • Symptoms

  • Diet changes

  • Behavior changes

  • Contact preference

  • Visit reason

  • History prompts

Multiple choice makes answers easier to review and report.


Date Picker

Use Date Picker when the client needs to enter a date.

Best for:

  • Symptom start date

  • Last vaccine date

  • Last dose given

  • Surgery date

  • Adoption date

  • Prior visit date

Date Picker keeps dates structured instead of letting clients write “last Tuesday-ish.”


Signature

Use Signature when the client must sign the form.

Best for:

  • Consent forms

  • Owner acknowledgement

  • Treatment authorization

  • Estimate approval

  • Anesthesia consent

  • Surgery consent

  • Euthanasia consent

  • Financial responsibility acknowledgement

Signature fields should be used for meaningful acknowledgements, not sprinkled everywhere like legal glitter.


File Upload

Use File Upload when the client needs to attach a document or image.

Best for:

  • Prior medical records

  • Vaccine records

  • Lab results

  • Insurance documents

  • Photos of symptoms

  • Referral documents

  • Adoption paperwork

Uploaded files should be reviewed and attached to the correct patient record when appropriate.


Statement

Use Statement to display information without requiring an answer.

Best for:

  • Instructions

  • Policy language

  • Consent explanation

  • Pre-visit preparation

  • Medication instructions

  • What to expect

  • Clinic reminders

Statements help guide the client through the form.


Required Fields

A required field must be completed before the client can submit the form.

Required fields are commonly used for:

  • Main concern

  • Consent

  • Owner acknowledgement

  • Signature

  • Contact information

  • Critical medical questions

Use required fields carefully. Too many required fields can block completion and annoy clients.


Field Order

Fields can be moved up or down to control the order clients see them.

Use ordering to keep forms logical:

  1. Basic reason for visit

  2. Current symptoms

  3. Medications

  4. Allergies

  5. Recent changes

  6. Consent or acknowledgement

  7. Signature

A good form should feel like a conversation, not a drawer full of forks.


Edit Field

Use the edit control to update an existing field.

You may edit:

  • Question text

  • Placeholder text

  • Options

  • Required status

  • Field type, if supported

  • Help text

  • Display behavior

Review edits before publishing the form again.


Delete Field

Use the delete control to remove a field from the form.

Before deleting, confirm the field is not needed for:

  • Medical history

  • Legal acknowledgement

  • Consent

  • Automation logic

  • Reporting

  • Workflow routing

Deleting a field may affect future submissions and automation behavior.


Example: Pre-Visit Intake Form

The Pre-Visit Intake form shown is designed to collect information before an appointment.

It includes questions such as:

  • What symptoms or concerns are bringing your pet in today?

  • Is your pet currently taking any medications or supplements?

  • Does your pet have any known allergies?

  • Have there been any recent changes to diet, environment, or behavior?

  • Owner acknowledgement

This type of form helps the clinic prepare before the patient arrives.


Symptoms or Concerns

This question collects the primary reason for the visit.

Example prompt:

“Describe the symptoms, when they started, and how often they occur.”

This gives the care team early context and helps avoid starting the visit from zero.


Medications or Supplements

This question collects current medications, supplements, doses, and frequency.

Example prompt:

“List name, dose, and frequency for each.”

This helps providers evaluate interactions, treatment history, and current care.


Allergies

This question collects known food, medication, or environmental allergies.

Example prompt:

“List any known allergies, or write ‘none.’”

This is important for treatment planning, medication safety, and record accuracy.


Recent Changes

This question asks whether there have been changes in diet, environment, or behavior.

Example options may include:

  • No changes

  • Diet change

  • New home or environment

  • Behavior change

  • Other

This helps surface history that clients may forget to mention during the visit.


Owner Acknowledgement

Owner Acknowledgement confirms the client has reviewed or accepted the form content.

This may include a signature field.

Use this for forms where the client needs to confirm accuracy, consent, or understanding.


Form Status

The Form Status panel controls whether clients can access the form.

Statuses may include:

  • Draft

  • Published

  • Archived


Draft

Draft means the form is not publicly available to clients.

Use Draft while building or editing a form.

Draft forms are useful when:

  • The form is incomplete

  • Questions are still being reviewed

  • Legal or management approval is needed

  • Automations are not ready

  • The clinic is testing wording


Published

Published means the form is active and available for clients to access or receive.

Use Published when the form is ready for real client submissions.

Before publishing, confirm:

  • The wording is correct

  • Required fields are correct

  • Signature fields are included where needed

  • Automations are correct

  • The form has been previewed

  • The clinic knows when the form will be sent


Change to Draft

Change to Draft removes the form from active client access.

Use this when:

  • The form needs edits

  • A policy changed

  • The form should be temporarily paused

  • Automation should stop sending it

  • The form is not ready for client use


Archive Form

Archive Form removes a form from regular use without necessarily deleting its history.

Archive forms when:

  • They are no longer used

  • They were replaced by a newer version

  • They were seasonal or temporary

  • They were created by mistake

  • The workflow changed

Do not archive active forms unless you are sure they are no longer needed.


Automations

Automations allow PawthosX One to send forms automatically or respond when a form is submitted.

This is where forms become workflow, not paperwork.

Automations may be used to:

  • Send a pre-visit intake form after an appointment is scheduled

  • Send a new client form when a client is created

  • Send a surgery consent form before a surgery appointment

  • Send a dental intake form before dental visits

  • Notify staff when a form is submitted

  • Attach submissions to the patient record

  • Trigger review tasks

  • Route forms by appointment type

  • Send reminders if a form is not completed

  • Start follow-up workflows after submission


No Automations Yet

This means the selected form does not currently have any automation rules attached.

The form can still be sent manually, but PawthosX One will not automatically send or react to it.


Wire Up Automation

Wire Up Automation creates an automation for the selected form.

Use this to define:

  • When the form should send

  • Who should receive it

  • Which appointment types should trigger it

  • Whether the form should be tied to a patient

  • What happens after submission

  • Whether reminders should send

  • Which staff should be notified


Common Automation Triggers

Appointment Scheduled

Sends a form when an appointment is scheduled.

Best for:

  • Pre-visit intake

  • Sick visit history

  • New client form

  • Surgery consent

  • Dental intake

  • Drop-off forms

Example:

Send Pre-Visit Intake when a Wellness Exam or Sick Visit is scheduled.


Appointment Type Match

Sends a form only for certain appointment types.

Best for:

  • Surgery forms

  • Dental forms

  • Euthanasia acknowledgements

  • Urgent care intake

  • Technician appointment forms

  • Grooming or boarding intake

Example:

Send Surgery Consent only when the appointment type is Surgery.


New Client Created

Sends a client intake form when a new client record is created.

Best for:

  • New client registration

  • Contact preferences

  • Financial responsibility acknowledgement

  • Communication consent

  • Household information


New Patient Created

Sends a patient history form when a new patient is added.

Best for:

  • Medical history

  • Diet information

  • Vaccine history

  • Prior conditions

  • Current medications

  • Behavior concerns


Before Appointment

Sends a form a set amount of time before an appointment.

Examples:

  • 72 hours before

  • 48 hours before

  • 24 hours before

  • Morning of appointment

Use this to collect information early enough for the team to review it.


After Appointment

Sends a form after an appointment.

Best for:

  • Follow-up questionnaires

  • Recheck updates

  • Patient progress reports

  • Client satisfaction surveys

  • Post-op check-ins


Form Not Completed

Sends a reminder when a form has not been completed.

Best for:

  • Surgery consent

  • New client intake

  • Pre-visit history

  • Financial agreements

  • Drop-off forms


Form Submitted

Triggers an action after a client submits a form.

Best for:

  • Notify staff

  • Attach to patient record

  • Create task

  • Mark intake complete

  • Alert provider

  • Start review workflow

  • Update visit context


Common Automation Actions

Send Form

Sends the selected form to the client.

This may happen by SMS, email, or client portal link depending on clinic settings.


Notify Team

Alerts staff that a form was submitted, missed, or needs review.

Notifications may go to:

  • Front desk

  • Technicians

  • Provider

  • Manager

  • Assigned appointment team


Attach to Patient Record

Adds the completed form to the patient record.

This keeps intake, consent, and submitted history connected to care.


Add to Visit

Adds the submitted form to an upcoming visit or appointment.

This helps the care team review the information during the visit workflow.


Create Task

Creates a task for staff to review or act on the form.

Examples:

  • Review new patient history

  • Confirm medications

  • Call client about symptoms

  • Review consent before surgery

  • Upload outside records


Send Reminder

Sends a reminder if the client has not completed the form.

Use reminders carefully. Helpful nudge, not digital woodpecker.


Manual Sending

Forms can also be sent manually.

Manual sending is useful when:

  • A client calls and needs a form

  • A provider requests a form

  • A form was not triggered automatically

  • A one-off consent is needed

  • Staff need to resend a form

  • A client used the wrong link

Manual send should still attach the form to the correct client and patient whenever possible.


Form Submissions

A form submission is the completed response from the client.

Submissions may include:

  • Text answers

  • Selected options

  • Dates

  • Uploaded files

  • Signatures

  • Acknowledgements

  • Submitted timestamp

  • Linked client

  • Linked patient

  • Related appointment

Submitted forms should become usable clinical context, not a PDF fossil.


Review Submitted Forms

When a form is submitted, the team should review it for:

  • Urgent symptoms

  • Medication changes

  • Allergy updates

  • Diet or behavior changes

  • Missing information

  • Client concerns

  • Consent completion

  • Signature completion

  • Uploaded files

Clinically relevant answers should be incorporated into the visit workflow or patient record as appropriate.


Best Practices

Use forms to remove friction, not create homework.

  • Keep forms short unless the situation truly requires detail.

  • Use required fields only when necessary.

  • Use multiple choice where structured answers help.

  • Use long answer where clinical context matters.

  • Preview before publishing.

  • Automate common forms by appointment type.

  • Send forms early enough for staff to review.

  • Archive old forms instead of leaving duplicates active.

  • Tie submissions to the correct client, patient, and appointment.

  • Review submitted forms before the visit when possible.

A good questionnaire saves the team time. A bad one just moves the headache from the front desk to the client.


Common Workflows

Create a New Form

  1. Open Forms & Documents.

  2. Select Create New Form.

  3. Name the form clearly.

  4. Add a short description.

  5. Add fields from the Field Palette.

  6. Mark required fields where needed.

  7. Arrange fields in the correct order.

  8. Preview the form.

  9. Publish when ready.


Build a Pre-Visit Intake Form

  1. Create or select a Pre-Visit Intake form.

  2. Add a Long Answer field for symptoms or concerns.

  3. Add a Long Answer field for medications and supplements.

  4. Add a Long Answer field for allergies.

  5. Add a Multiple Choice or Dropdown field for recent changes.

  6. Add a Signature field for owner acknowledgement if needed.

  7. Preview the form.

  8. Publish the form.

  9. Wire up automation to appointment scheduling.


Publish a Form

  1. Select the form.

  2. Review all fields.

  3. Preview the form.

  4. Confirm required fields and signature fields.

  5. Change status to Published.

  6. Confirm automations are correct.


Change a Form to Draft

  1. Select the published form.

  2. Open the Form Status panel.

  3. Select Change to Draft.

  4. Make edits.

  5. Preview again.

  6. Republish when ready.


Archive a Form

  1. Select the form.

  2. Confirm it is no longer active or needed.

  3. Check whether automations use the form.

  4. Select Archive Form.

  5. Replace with a newer form if needed.


Wire Up a Pre-Visit Automation

  1. Select the form.

  2. Open the Automations panel.

  3. Select Wire up automation.

  4. Choose the trigger, such as appointment scheduled.

  5. Select the appointment types that should receive the form.

  6. Choose when the form should send.

  7. Choose the delivery method.

  8. Choose what happens after submission.

  9. Save the automation.

  10. Test before relying on it.


Review a Submitted Form

  1. Open the form submission from the patient, appointment, or task.

  2. Review symptoms, medications, allergies, and recent changes.

  3. Check signatures and acknowledgements.

  4. Review uploaded files.

  5. Attach or confirm the form is linked to the correct record.

  6. Route urgent or important information to the provider.


Final Definition

Questionnaires, Forms, and Documents are the structured intake and consent layer of PawthosX One.

They allow clinics to collect client information, standardize forms, capture signatures, receive files, automate delivery, and connect submitted answers to the patient and visit workflow.