This guide outlines how to rapidly register patients to Patients Know Best (PKB) at scale. Increasing registrations improves patient access to digital care, reduces administrative burden, and supports safer, more efficient services — especially in high-demand scenarios or system-wide care transformation.

There are four recommended methods for high-speed registration. Using a combination of methods is the most effective approach.

Email Invitations

Why Use Email?

• Quickest and most scalable method

• Free and requires no third-party tools

• Enables automated invites and reminders

How it Works

• Your team uploads a CSV file containing NHS numbers and email addresses to PKB.

• PKB sends secure email invitations to each patient.

• Patients follow the link and verify their identity

Where to Source Emails

• Hospital systems (PAS/EPR), NHS Spine, Primary care systems

• Emails collected during telephone appointments

Best Practice: Pre-Invite Communication

Send a brief explanatory email in advance to let patients know a PKB invitation is coming.

Additional

• Staff can manually add emails to individual records, which instantly triggers an invite.

• This is especially useful during phone clinics

Telephone Clinic Registrations

When to Use

Ideal for telephone-based appointments, remote assessments, or patient calls to service lines.

How it Works

• The patient is verified by phone (e.g. confirming date of birth).

• The staff member adds the patient’s email address to their PKB record.

• This triggers an automatic email invitation from PKB.

Use Cases

• Telephone outpatient clinics replacing face-to-face visits

• Triage or appointment clinics capturing patient emails during assessment

SMS Invitations

When to Use

Helpful in reaching patients who prefer mobile communication or where email data is unavailable.

How it Works

• A PKB integration partner sends SMS invitations containing a secure registration link or token.

• Patients click the link and complete the registration.

Requirements

• Your organisation needs to contract a partner service that can interface with PKB's registration API.

Letter Invitations

When to Use:

Best for reaching:

• Digitally excluded patients

• Those with no mobile/email on record

• Elderly or high-risk groups

How it Works

• A hybrid mail partner (e.g., Synertec) sends letters to patients containing a registration code and clear instructions.

• PKB and the partner handle the full mailing and registration workflow.

Benefits

• No additional staff work after initial setup

• Proven, scalable solution used by many UK trusts

Getting Started

• Contact PKB to initiate planning with a partner

• Agree on messaging, branding, and timescales

• Provide a list of patients to invite

Other hybrid mail vendors can also be supported if preferred.

Recommendation: Use a Blended Approach

For the best results:

• Start with email (fast, free, and broadest reach)

• Layer in telephone workflows for personalised follow-up

• Use SMS for patients with mobile numbers and upcoming activity

• Include letter invites for non-digital patients to ensure equity

For more information on rapid registrations, please visit the PKB Register Toolkit here.