# Send a form and follow the answer (/docs/en/learn/front-desk-forms)



After this lesson you can send a form to a patient, follow whether it came back and remind or cancel the request. It takes about 15 minutes. Sending needs the **Send email, forms, and requests** permission, which every default role has.

## Why it matters [#why]

A form lets the patient answer before the visit, so the clinician starts with the information. Choosing **Send link** emails the patient at once, and anyone who has the link can answer until it expires or you cancel it. Check the recipient before you send.

## How it works [#how]

Dr. Visser wants Lotte Bakker's pre-visit questionnaire before Thursday. You send it and watch for the answer.

### Send the request [#send-the-request]

Open the patient and choose **Requests**, then **Send to patient**. The dialog is titled **Patient request**.

1. Select the forms, and readings if the clinician asked for them. They are asked in the order listed, and you can reorder them. Only published forms appear. If **No published forms are available.** shows, ask whoever manages templates.
2. Leave **Repeat** on **Once**. The other options set up a repeating schedule, which belongs to the clinician who owns the follow-up.
3. Check **Recipient email**. It starts as the address on file.
4. Check **Expires**. The default is seven days from today, and the link closes at the end of that day.
5. Choose **Send link**. **Request sent** confirms that the link is ready and the email is queued.

The patient does not sign in. They open the link, answer each step and choose **Submit step**. Each submitted step is saved on its own, so a half-finished request still contains the answers already sent.

If the patient has **Do not email this patient** on, the dialog says so and sending is not possible. If there is no address on file, add one first.

### Follow it [#follow-it]

The **Requests** page has two lists: **Waiting on the patient** and **Came back or closed**. A row shows facts such as "link sent" with a date, then "answered", "link ran out" or "canceled". The status reads **Waiting**, **Answered**, **Expired** or **Canceled**.

Open a row's menu to **Remind** the patient, which sends the link again by email, or to **Cancel request**. Cancelling makes the link stop working and keeps any answers already submitted. Salisan asks you to confirm.

**Answered** only means the patient submitted. The answers are read under **Forms** in the patient's record, which needs clinical access. The default Secretary role does not have it. Hand the result to the clinician, for example with a task, and do not interpret the answers yourself.

## Try it [#try-it]

You need a published form. If **No published forms are available.** appears, ask an admin, or complete [Publish a form for your team](/docs/en/learn/admin-templates) first. Use **Sam Testpatient** with your own email address on file.

1. Open Sam's record, choose **Requests** and then **Send to patient**.
2. Select one published form. Leave **Repeat** on **Once**.
3. Check that **Recipient email** is your own address. Choose **Send link**. Read **Request sent**.
4. Open the email. Open the link in a private browser window, where you are not signed in. Answer the questions and choose **Submit step**.
5. Back in **Requests**, reload the page. The row moves to **Came back or closed** and shows **Answered**.
6. Send a second request. In its row menu choose **Remind**. Then choose **Cancel request** and confirm. The row shows **Canceled**.
7. Open the second email's link again. It no longer accepts answers.

## Check yourself [#check]

1. A form is missing from the list. What is the most likely reason?

<details>
  <summary>
    Answer
  </summary>

  Only published forms are listed. A saved draft is not offered. Ask whoever manages templates to publish it, or to repair it if it is marked unavailable.
</details>

2. A request shows **Answered**. Can you read the answers?

<details>
  <summary>
    Answer
  </summary>

  Only with clinical access to the patient. With the default Secretary role you hand the result to a clinician, who reads it under **Forms**.
</details>

3. What does **Cancel request** do to answers the patient already sent?

<details>
  <summary>
    Answer
  </summary>

  Nothing. The link stops working, and submitted answers are kept.
</details>

## Next [#next]

Continue with [Email a patient and check delivery](/docs/en/learn/front-desk-emails). For the full steps, see [Patient forms and requests](/docs/en/guides/patient-forms#send).