Add a new patient
Register a patient in your practice, send a portal invite, and capture the minimum data required for scheduling and billing.
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Adding a patient creates the chart, the billing profile, and the portal account in one flow. The patient record is scoped to your establishment — other clinics cannot see it unless the patient explicitly shares records. This article covers the fastest path from "person in front of you" to "chart ready for a visit".
Where to add a patient
Patients → New patient. The button is also on the calendar when you try to book an appointment for a name that does not exist yet. Both paths open the same sheet so you do not have to abandon the booking flow to register someone.
The minimum required fields
First name, last name, date of birth, and sex. That is enough to save the record and book a visit. The system assigns a medical record number (MRN) automatically — it is unique within your establishment and never changes, even if the patient moves clinics within your group. You can add phone, email, and address now or later; the chart shows a "missing contact info" banner until at least one phone or email is on file because reminders cannot fire without it.
Send the portal invite
If you entered an email or phone, the sheet shows a "Send portal invite" toggle (on by default). The invite is a single-use link good for 7 days. The patient activates with date of birth verification and picks a sign-in method (passkey, Google, or magic link). If they do not activate before the first visit, the front desk can hand them a tablet in kiosk mode to complete intake forms without a portal account.
Insurance and billing profile
You can add insurance now or let billing collect it later. If you add it now, enter the payer, member ID, group number, and the policyholder (self, spouse, parent). The system runs an eligibility check in the background and shows a green check or red warning on the patient header within 30 seconds. The billing profile also captures the guarantor (who pays) and the responsible party for statements — for minors, this is usually a parent even if the child is the patient.
Avoiding duplicate records
Before saving, EnWella searches for existing patients with the same first name, last name, and date of birth. If a match appears, review the MRN and last visit date before creating a new record. Duplicate charts are a HIPAA headache — merging them later requires an admin and leaves an audit trail. When in doubt, search Patients first with the full name and DOB.
What happens after you save
The patient appears in the Patients list immediately. If you sent a portal invite, the patient receives it within seconds. The chart is empty except for the demographics you entered — no visits, no notes, no documents. You can book an appointment right from the success toast, or send intake forms under Forms → Send to patient. The patient is now part of your panel and counts toward any panel-size reports your practice runs.
Frequently asked questions
Can a patient exist at multiple clinics?
What if I make a typo in the name or DOB?
Do I need the patient's SSN?
Can I add a patient without an email or phone?
Keep reading
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Build intake and consent forms
Create digital intake and consent forms patients fill before the visit — branching, signatures, attached to a visit type.
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How to invite providers and staff, what each role can do, and how to grant time-limited access.