Create PFA Folders
Overview
Patient Facing Assessments (PFAs) are assessment forms that can be sent directly to patients or contactable profiles via a unique, shareable URL. PFAs are delivered through Email or SMS and allow patients to complete assessments independently, without requiring Care app access. Multiple assessments can be grouped within a single PFA Folder and delivered via one link, and PFAs can be customized with your organization's branding, colors, and logos.
Key Features
Self-Service Assessment Completion – Patients complete forms on their own schedule
Multiple Assessments per Link – One PFA Folder can contain multiple related assessments
Unique URLs – Each PFA link is unique and tracked for completion status
Email & SMS Delivery – Send via either communication method
White-labeling – Customize appearance with organization branding
Single Active Link – Only one PFA link is active per patient at a time
Progress Tracking – Monitor completion status in Care portal
Prerequisites
Before creating a PFA Folder:
You have already created Assessment/Form template(s) in Designer
You have appropriate permissions to edit visual components in Designer
You understand your organization's branding guidelines
For information on creating assessment forms, see How to Create an Assessment or Form Template.
Step-by-Step: Create a PFA Folder
Step 1: Access PFA Configuration in Designer
Log into Designer
Click Create Draft to start a new configuration draft
Navigate to Visual Components > PFA Folder in the left sidebar
Click + New in the upper right corner to create a new PFA Folder
Step 2: Enter Basic Information
Fill in the following fields:
Title – Display name for the PFA Folder (visible to patients)
Example: "Quarterly Health Assessment"
Should be clear and professional
Name – Internal system name (lowercase, numbers, underscores, hyphens)
Auto-populates from Title but can be customized
Example:
quarterly-health-assessmentThis name appears in system logs and dropdowns
Description (optional) – Internal notes about the PFA's purpose
Helps care team understand when/why to use this PFA
Not visible to patients
Step 3: Add Assessments to the Folder
Click + Add Assessment or similar button
From the list of available assessments, select which forms to include:
Can add one or multiple assessments
Assessments appear in the order you add them
Patients complete them sequentially
Example PFA with Multiple Assessments:
Vital Signs Assessment (first)
Depression Screening (second)
Medication Adherence Survey (third)
Step 4: Configure Branding (Optional)
Customize the appearance for your organization:
Organization Logo – Upload your organization's logo
Appears at the top of the patient-facing form
Recommend: PNG or JPG, 200-300px width
Color Scheme – Select primary and accent colors
Primary color: Used for buttons and headings
Accent color: Used for highlights
Choose colors that match your brand guidelines
Organization Name – Display name shown to patients
Contact Information – Optional footer with clinic details
Phone number
Email
Address
Help Text – Optional instructions shown at the top
Brief explanation of what the patient is completing
Example: "Please take 5-10 minutes to complete this health check-in"
Step 5: Configure Completion Behavior
Allow Discard – Check if patients can exit/discard the PFA without completing
If unchecked, patients must complete or explicitly cancel
Completion Message – Message shown after submission
Example: "Thank you for completing this assessment. Your care team will review your responses."
Default message is provided if not customized
Redirect URL (optional) – Where patient is sent after completion
Can point to your organization's website
Can link to patient education materials
Step 6: Set Expiration (Optional)
Link Expiration – Set how long PFA remains valid
Options: Never expire, 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, custom
After expiration, patients cannot access the link
Default: No expiration (link remains active until completed)
Step 7: Save and Publish
Click Save to save the PFA Folder configuration
Click Publish to make it available for use in Care
The PFA Folder is now ready to be sent to patients
Sending PFAs to Patients in Care
Once published, PFA Folders can be sent through automations or manually by care team members.
Manual Send (from Patient Profile)
Navigate to patient's profile in Care app
Look for Send Assessment or Assessments section
Select the PFA Folder you want to send
Choose delivery method: Email or SMS
Confirm patient's contact information is correct
Click Send
Patient receives unique link in Email or SMS
Automated Send (via Automation)
Configure an automation to automatically send a PFA Folder:
Create an automation with appropriate trigger (e.g., program enrollment, date milestone)
Select Send PFA Folder as the action
Choose which PFA Folder to send
Select delivery method (Email or SMS)
Publish the automation
Patients in matching conditions receive the PFA automatically
For more information, see Automations that Trigger Outbound Communications.
Important Notes on PFA Behavior
Single Active Link Per Patient
Patient can only have one active PFA link at a time
If you send a new PFA link while a previous one is active:
The new link becomes active
The old link is deactivated
Only the most recent link works
Patient must complete or discard the PFA before another can be sent
Link Behavior
Links are unique per patient – each patient gets their own URL
Links are not reusable – they don't expire or need expiration dates once completed
Patients do not need to log in to Welkin to complete a PFA
Patients can complete PFAs on mobile or desktop
Completion Tracking
Completion status appears in Care portal
Care team can see:
When link was sent
When patient completed/discarded
Responses submitted
Completion triggers automations (if configured)
Best Practices
Grouping Strategy – Include 3-5 related assessments per PFA Folder for patient convenience
Too many assessments = patient fatigue
Too few assessments = many separate emails
Clear Naming – Use patient-friendly titles that explain why assessment is needed
✓ Good: "Monthly Check-in"
✗ Poor: "CDTF_Assessment_Bundle_v3"
Branding Consistency – Ensure logos and colors match patient materials and communications
Timing – Don't oversend PFAs
Space PFAs at least 2-4 weeks apart
Align with care plan schedule
Instructions – Include clear completion instructions in help text
Estimate time needed to complete
Explain why you're asking
Note any medical context
Mobile Friendly – Test on mobile phones to ensure responsive design
Contact Info – Include support contact in case patients have questions
Reminders – Consider automating reminder sends if patients don't complete within specified timeframe
Troubleshooting
PFA Link Not Working
Problem: Patient clicks link and gets error
Solutions:
Verify PFA Folder is published
Check link wasn't already completed (single-use)
Confirm patient's email is correct if sent via Email
Check link expiration settings if configured
Patient Feedback on Branding
Problem: Patients confused about which organization sent PFA
Solutions:
Ensure organization logo is visible at top
Add clear organization name in header
Include contact information for support
Use branded colors throughout
Assessments Not Showing
Problem: Patient opens PFA but sees no assessments to complete
Solutions:
Verify assessments are included in the PFA Folder
Confirm assessments are published in Designer
Check PFA Folder is published
Resend the link if it was created before assessments were published
Related Topics
How to Create an Assessment or Form Template – Creating assessment forms
Automations that Trigger Outbound Communications – Automating PFA sends
How to Add Assessments to a Template – Adding assessments to messages
Create PDFs from Forms & Assessments – Assessment result documentation
Designer: How to Create Automations – Automation basics
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