Choosing between forms and interviews

Ona has more than one way to collect information before or between visits. A signed policy, a scored questionnaire, and an open-ended history are different jobs, so they should not all use the same tool.

What are forms and interviews?

Forms and interviews both collect patient input through secure links, but those links can first ask for date of birth in a date input before they open, and they can show different patient-facing messages when the link was replaced, already used, expired, or opened in another tab or on another device.

Use Library (1) to open the library area, then Forms (2) to manage form templates in the combined catalog.

A form is a fixed document your practice builds. The patient sees the blocks you created, answers the visible questions, agrees to electronic signing, and signs before submitting, or a parent or guardian can sign on the patient's behalf. Form templates are managed in Forms (in the left sidebar, click Library, then click Forms), and patient forms appear in a patient's chart (in the left sidebar, click Patients, then click the patient's name, then click Forms).

An interview is a conversation. The patient first sees a card with Start interview or Continue interview. When they open it, the conversation fills the screen, and the patient can close it and come back later at the same point. When the interview is complete, Ona shows Interview complete and the one-time link is locked.

The quick rule: use a form when the wording, order, signature, or score matters. Use an interview when you want a conversational intake instead of a fixed document.

When should I use a form?

In the left sidebar, click Library, then click Forms. Use a form when every patient should see a controlled document and submit signed answers. Forms fit intake paperwork, policies, feedback, checklists, and any workflow where the submitted copy matters.

A form can include text, single choice, multiple choice, checkbox, scale, short answer, long answer, matrix, and table blocks. You can mark questions Required, and you can use Show if to reveal a later block only after the patient gives a selected answer to an earlier choice question.

Use Library (1) to open the library area, then Forms (2) to view and manage form templates.

When the patient submits the form, Ona stores the answers, signature, document hash, signing time, and request details shown on the signed summary. If the template changes later, the submitted form keeps the version the patient signed.

When should I use a screening form?

On the same page, use a screening form when you need a fixed questionnaire with a score. Screening is a form setting, not a separate patient experience: the patient still fills in and signs a form.

GAD-7 Anxiety Screening (1) is the scored template shown in the list. Use Template actions (2) for the template's menu, and Send (3) to send it.

Scoring is available for single-choice, scale, and single-choice matrix rows. Multiple-choice questions can appear on a screening form, but they are not scoreable. Screening forms fit standardized questionnaires where the same answers should produce the same result each time.

See Building self-scoring screening forms for setup details.

When should I use an interview?

On the same page, use an interview when a conversational flow is a better fit than a document. Interviews work well for open-ended histories, check-ins, goals, symptoms, and situations where a chat-style intake is easier for the patient than a form.

Interviews can be sent to the patient or completed in the clinic on your device. Answer on this device is for one selected interview at a time.

Use Library (1) to open the library area, then Interviews (2) to manage interview templates.

The patient first sees a secure interview card with a Start interview or Continue interview button. After they open it, the conversation runs full screen with progress, the conversation, and an input box. They can close it at any point and return later, and a resumed interview picks up where they left off. When the interview is complete, Ona shows Interview complete and the one-time link is locked.

Do not use an interview when the patient must review and sign a fixed document. Use a form or consent for that.

How do forms work for patients?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then click the patient's name, then click Forms. Forms can be sent to the patient or completed in the clinic on your device. Sending supports one or more forms at once. Fill on this device is for one form at a time. Interviews can also be completed in the clinic with Answer on this device for one selected interview.

Use Forms (1) in the patient chart to open the section, then Add forms (2) to start adding forms for the patient.

A patient opening a form link may first need to confirm their date of birth in a date input before they reach the form. After that, they see Fill in & sign form. On that page, the cover is followed by a masked patient header. Inside the form, they must review the document to the end, answer every visible required question, and use the signing card to jump to any unanswered required questions before they can agree and sign. Questions hidden by Show if do not have to be answered while hidden, and hidden answers are not submitted. If someone else signs on the patient's behalf, the signed summary records that.

After submission, Ona shows Form submitted and confirms the answers were delivered to the clinic. The one-time link has then been used and cannot be opened again.

Where do consents fit?

On the same page, consents are separate from forms and interviews. Use a consent when the main task is agreement and signing, not collecting form answers or running a conversation.

Use Library (1) to open the library area, then Consents (2) to manage consent templates.

A consent link opens a signing flow with Review & sign consent. A form link opens Fill in & sign form. If the patient needs to answer questions and sign, use a form. If they need to agree to a consent document, use a consent. See Building consents.

What are the limits?

On the forms page, forms do not behave like interviews. They do not run a chat, and they only show conditional sections you configure with Show if. When a required answer is still missing, the form highlights it and the signing card can take the patient to the next unanswered question.

Use Forms (1) and Interviews (2) in the left sidebar to switch between template types, and use Search forms (3) to find a form template.

Interviews do not replace signed forms. They complete as a conversation and do not use the form signing steps.

Answer on this device is for one selected interview at a time.

A secure link may show that it was replaced by a newer link, has already been submitted or signed, has expired, or was opened in another tab or on another device. If the patient still needs to complete the item, send or share a fresh link.

Common questions

Do forms always need a signature?

Yes. The form completion flow ends with electronic signature consent and a drawn signature before Submit form becomes available. A parent or guardian can sign on the patient's behalf when that is the right setup.

Can I send several forms at once?

Yes. In the left sidebar, click Patients, then click the patient's name, then click Forms. You can pick one or more forms to send. When you send several forms, Ona sends one email listing every form, and a text for each. If Ona cannot notify the patient, the share step lets your team use Create link to copy completion links.

Can the patient complete a form or interview in the clinic?

Yes. In the left sidebar, click Patients, then click the patient's name, then click Forms. Choose Fill on this device for one selected form, or use the patient's Interviews section and choose Answer on this device for one selected interview. Ona shows handoff screens so the patient can complete the document, then return the device to your team. A parent or guardian can also sign the form on the patient's behalf in clinic when needed.

Are hidden required questions still required?

No. A required question only blocks submission while it is visible. If Show if hides it, the patient does not need to answer it.

Is a screening form the same as an interview?

No. A screening form is still a signed form, with scoring added to supported questions. An interview is a chat-style flow.