Public intakes
Public intakes are anonymous evaluation forms that anyone can complete through a shared URL. Unlike task links (which are tied to a specific patient and schedule), intakes are open-ended — the URL can be shared on a website, in a waiting room, or through any communication channel.
How intakes work
A clinician sets up a public intake through a Care Panel's intake configuration. This generates a public URL that anyone can access. When someone opens the URL, they see the evaluation player and can answer the questions without creating an account or providing any identifying information beyond what the evaluation itself asks for.
Completed intake responses appear in the Care Panel's results as intake submissions, attributed to the panel rather than a specific patient record. The clinician can then review, triage, and process these submissions.
When to use intakes
Use public intakes when you want to collect responses from people who may not have patient records yet:
- New patient intake forms — Collect baseline assessments before the first appointment
- Waiting room screening — Share a link or QR code for patients to complete on their own device
- Research study enrollment — Open enrollment forms for study recruitment
- Community health surveys — Collect population-level data without individual patient setup
For patients who already have records and are on a recurring schedule, use task links instead — those responses are automatically linked to the patient's record and schedule.
Security considerations
Public intakes are genuinely public — anyone with the URL can submit a response. There's no authentication. This is by design for use cases like waiting room forms, but it means the clinician should review intake submissions carefully before incorporating them into patient records.
Comparing task links and intakes
| Task links | Public intakes | |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Token-based, tied to a specific patient | None — anonymous |
| Patient record | Response linked to existing patient record | Response attributed to the panel, not a patient |
| Expiration | Token expires after 24 hours | URL stays active as long as the intake is enabled |
| Use case | Scheduled, recurring assessments for known patients | Open enrollment, screening, intake forms |
| Setup | Created automatically by the scheduling system | Configured manually through a Care Panel |