Every form is organized into blocks and questions. A block is a section of your form (like “Personal Info” or “Medical History”), and inside each block you add the questions patients answer. This page is a reference for everything you can use when building a form.
Save time with automatic record updates: When you use Demographics, Medical History, or Payment Methods blocks, the patient’s answers automatically update their record in Decoda. For example, if a patient enters their address on the form, it’s saved to their chart — no manual data entry needed. See Patient Data Mapping below for the full list of fields that can auto-update. Block Types
A block is a named section within a form. Each block has a type that determines its behavior. When you click Add Section in the form editor, you can choose from four types:
| Block Type | Menu Label | Purpose | When to Use |
|---|
| Dynamic | Custom Section | Standard section with custom questions you define. | Most blocks — use this for any custom intake questions, consent acknowledgments, or assessment questionnaires. |
| Demographics | Demographics | Collects patient information (name, DOB, address, etc.) and saves it to the patient’s record automatically. | New patient intake — saves front desk staff from manually entering demographics. |
| Medical History | Medical History | Collects health information (allergies, medications, family history, etc.) and saves it to the patient’s medical history. | Clinical intake — information flows into the patient’s chart for provider review. |
| Payment Methods | Payment Methods | Collects credit card information securely within the form. | Collecting a card on file during intake so it’s ready at checkout. |
Use Demographics, Medical History, and Payment Methods blocks when you want form answers to automatically update patient records. Use Custom Section (Dynamic) blocks for everything else — custom questions, consent language, screening tools, etc.
Reordering Blocks and Questions
Both blocks and questions within a block support drag-and-drop reordering. Grab the drag handle on a block or question and move it to a new position. This lets you arrange your form in the order that makes most sense for your patients.
Question Types
Forms support these question types:
| Type | What the Patient Sees |
|---|
| Short Text | A single-line text field |
| Long Text | A larger, multi-line text field |
| Number | A field that only accepts numbers |
| Date | A date picker (can be limited to a specific date range) |
| Single Select | A list where the patient picks one option |
| Radial Single Select | A set of choices where the patient picks one (shown as round buttons). In the form editor, this appears as “Single Choice.” |
| Multi Select | A list where the patient can pick multiple options |
| Radial Multi Select | A set of choices where the patient can check multiple boxes. In the form editor, this appears as “Multiple Choice.” |
| Yes/No | An on/off switch (e.g., “Do you have allergies? Yes/No”) |
| Address | A full address form (street, city, state, ZIP, country) |
| Phone | A phone number field |
| Email | An email address field |
| Signature | A signature pad where the patient signs with their finger or mouse |
| File | A file upload area (e.g., for ID photos, insurance cards). You can set allowed file types, max file size, and how many files are allowed. |
| Tag | A field where the patient can type and add multiple items one by one (e.g., listing allergies). Not available in the form editor palette — used on forms configured through the system. |
| Disclaimer | Read-only legal or informational text the patient reads and acknowledges |
| Statement | A list of points the patient reads (used for consent statements) |
| Document | An embedded PDF shown within the form (e.g., a policy document) |
| Height (Feet/Inches) | A field for entering height |
| Weight (Pounds) | A field for entering weight |
| Calculated Score | An auto-calculated total based on the patient’s other answers (used for clinical assessments like PHQ-9). Added automatically by certain mapped fields — not directly available in the palette. |
| Medications | A field for listing current medications. Added automatically by the Medical History block — not directly available in the palette. |
| Body Map | A body map image the patient annotates by drawing directly on it — used to mark pain locations or other areas of concern. You upload the background image when setting up the question. |
| Payment Method | A credit card entry field connected to the payment processor. Added automatically by the Payment Methods block. |
| Scribe Attachments | A field for attaching scribe-related documents. Used internally by the notes system — not directly available in the palette. |
The Field Palette
The form editor has a left sidebar called the field palette that organizes all available fields into categories. Click any field to add it to the currently selected section.
| Category | What It Contains |
|---|
| Form Fields | All standard question types listed above (Short Text, Long Text, Number, Date, Yes/No, Single Choice, Multiple Choice, Address, Phone, Email, Signature, File Upload, Body Map, Disclaimer, Statement, Document) |
| Demographics | Mapped fields that auto-save to the patient record: Date of Birth, Gender, Email, Address |
| Vitals | Patient measurements: Weight, Height |
| Medical History | Health data fields: Allergies, Medications, Family History, Medical History, Prescriptions, Surgical History, Social History, Autoimmune Disorders, Skin Conditions, Neurological Conditions |
| Marketing | Opt-in fields: SMS Marketing Opt-In, Email Marketing Opt-In |
Conditional Logic
You can set up questions that only appear when the patient gives a specific answer to another question. This keeps forms short and relevant — patients only see what applies to them.
How to set it up: Each condition has three parts:
- Dependent Question — The earlier question whose answer controls visibility.
- Operator — How to compare the answer. The form editor shows three operators:
- Equals / Not Equals — The answer matches (or doesn’t match) a specific value.
- Contains — The answer includes a specific value. Useful when the patient can pick multiple options.
- Value — The specific answer to compare against.
Additional operators (Years Ago Minimum, Years Ago Maximum, and Sum) are supported by the form system and work on the patient-facing form, but they are not configurable through the form editor. These are used for date-based age checks and calculated score thresholds on forms configured through the API.
Patient Data Mapping
When building a form, you can link questions to specific fields on the patient’s record. When the patient submits the form, their answers automatically update those fields — no manual data entry required. This means a single intake form can fill in a patient’s demographics, insurance, medical history, and payment method all at once.
Available fields that can auto-update:
Demographics:
- First name, last name, email, phone number, date of birth, gender
- Full address (street, city, state, ZIP, country)
Measurements:
Medical History:
- Allergies, medications, family history, medical history, prescriptions
- Surgical history, social history, autoimmune disorders, skin conditions, neurological conditions
Marketing:
- SMS Marketing Opt-In, Email Marketing Opt-In
Payment:
- Credit card / payment method
