---
title: "ABHA Patient Registration"
description: "Register patients using ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account) — 4 methods: from ABHA Card, OTP verification, Scan Desk, and QR Scanner."
date: 2026-07-22
lastModified: 2026-07-22
category: "abdm"
author: "Dr. Umesh Bilagi"
beta: false
---

## Overview

NICE HMS provides four methods to register patients using their ABHA. All methods automatically populate the patient record from the ABHA profile — no manual data entry needed.

## Method 1: Register from ABHA Card

Use this after creating a new ABHA for a patient.

1. After ABHA creation, the system shows the **ABHA Card page** with the patient's ABHA details.
2. Click the **Register Patient** button.
3. The system pulls demographics from the ABHA profile (name, gender, DOB, mobile, address, state, district) and creates the patient record.
4. You are redirected to the Patient Management page.

You can also register from **Org ABHA Cards**: Sidebar → Patient → ABDM Patient → Org ABHA Cards → click **Register** next to any ABHA in the table.

## Method 2: ABDM Patient (OTP)

Use this when the patient already has an ABHA address (e.g., `ramesh.kumar@abdm`) and can receive an OTP.

1. From the sidebar, go to **Patient → ABDM Patient → ABDM Patient**.
2. In the popup, enter the patient's **ABHA address** (e.g., `ramesh.kumar@abdm`).
3. Select the **authentication mode**:
   - **MOBILE_OTP** — OTP sent to the mobile linked with the ABHA
   - **AADHAAR_OTP** — OTP sent to the Aadhar-linked mobile
4. Click submit. The system sends an OTP.
5. On the OTP page, enter the OTP the patient received.
6. If the patient does not already exist in your organization, the system creates the patient record from the ABHA profile and redirects to the Patient Management page.

If the patient already exists, their record is updated with the ABHA profile data.

## Method 3: Scan Desk (Patient Scans Hospital QR)

Use this when the patient has a PHR (Personal Health Record) app on their phone.

**Prerequisites:**
- Your hospital must have an HFR-registered QR code.
- The patient must have a PHR app (e.g., ABHA app, DRiefcase, Paytm).

**Steps:**

1. From the sidebar, go to **Patient → ABDM Patient → Scan Desk**.
2. The Scan Desk shows patients who have scanned your hospital's QR code in the last 24 hours.
3. Ask the patient to scan your hospital's QR code using their PHR app.
4. The patient consents to share their profile. Within a few seconds, they appear in the Scan Desk table.
5. Click the patient's **ABHA address** button in the table.
6. The patient is registered and you are redirected to the Patient Management page.

Each entry in the Scan Desk table shows the ABHA address, token number, patient name, and date.

## Method 4: QScan (Hospital Scans Patient ABHA QR)

Use this when the patient shows you their ABHA QR code (from their ABHA card or PHR app).

1. From the sidebar, go to **Patient → ABDM Patient → Qr Scanner**.
2. Allow camera access when prompted.
3. Point the camera at the patient's ABHA QR code.
4. The system parses the QR code and extracts: name, gender, DOB, mobile, ABHA number, ABHA address, state, district, and address.
5. Click submit. The patient record is created from the parsed data.
6. You are redirected to the Patient Management page.

## Important Notes

- ABHA addresses must be unique within your organization — you cannot link the same ABHA to two different patients.
- When a patient has an ABHA linked, demographic fields (name, gender, DOB, mobile) are locked to prevent conflicts with the ABHA profile.
- If duplicate patients exist, merge them into the ABHA patient record. The ABHA patient must be the merge target. See [Merging Duplicate Patients](/docs/merging-duplicate-patients).

## FAQ

**Q: Which method should I use?**
A: If creating a new ABHA for the patient, use Method 1 (Register from ABHA Card). If the patient already has an ABHA, use Method 2 (OTP) for phone-based verification, Method 3 (Scan Desk) if they have a PHR app, or Method 4 (QScan) to quickly scan their ABHA QR code.

**Q: What if the OTP doesn't arrive?**
A: Ensure the mobile number linked to the ABHA/Aadhar is correct and has network. Try an alternative auth mode if available.

**Q: What if the patient doesn't appear in Scan Desk after scanning?**
A: The Scan Desk refreshes every few seconds. Ensure the patient completed the consent step in their PHR app. If still not appearing, use Method 2 (OTP) instead.

**Q: How is this different from creating a new ABHA?**
A: This doc covers registering an existing ABHA as a patient. To create a brand new ABHA for someone who doesn't have one, see [ABDM Health ID (ABHA)](/docs/abdm-healthid).