---
title: "Adding New Patients"
description: "How to register new patients in NICE HMS — simple registration without ABHA, and ABHA-based registration methods."
date: 2026-07-19
lastModified: 2026-07-22
category: "patient-management"
author: "Dr. Umesh Bilagi"
beta: false
---

## Overview

Patient registration is the first step in any clinical workflow. NICE HMS supports two registration paths: simple registration without ABHA, and ABHA-based registration for ABDM compliance.

## Simple Registration (Without ABHA)

This is the standard registration for clinics that do not require ABDM compliance.

### How to Register

1. Log in to NICE HMS.
2. From the sidebar, click **Patient**.
3. In the patient panel, click **New Patient**.
4. Fill in the patient registration form and click **Submit**.

The system redirects to the Patient Management page with the new patient selected, ready for OPD registration.

### Required Fields

| Field | Notes |
|-------|-------|
| First Name | As per government ID |
| Date of Birth | Or enter age |
| Mobile | Used for search, WhatsApp, and ABDM linking |
| District | Auto-filled from your organization's default |
| Gender | Male / Female / Other |
| State | Auto-filled from your organization's default |

### Optional Fields

| Field | Notes |
|-------|-------|
| Middle Name | |
| Last Name | Not required |
| Address | |
| City/Town/Village | |
| Pincode | |
| Email | For reports and communication |
| Phone | Alternate contact number |
| Aadhar | Required only for ABHA creation |
| Health ID Number | If patient already has an ABHA |
| Internal ID | Organization-specific reference ID |

### Add Relative

You can optionally add a relative's contact details under the **Add Relative** section — relationship type, name, and phone.

## ABHA Registration

For ABDM-compliant registration using ABHA (Ayushman Bharat Health Account), NICE HMS provides multiple methods:

- Register from ABHA Card (after creating a new ABHA)
- ABDM Patient OTP verification
- Scan Desk (patient scans hospital's QR code)
- QScan (hospital scans patient's ABHA QR code)

See [ABHA Patient Registration](/docs/abha-patient-registration) for detailed step-by-step instructions for each method.

## Best Practices

- Record the correct mobile number. It is the most reliable identifier for patient search and is used for WhatsApp prescription delivery and ABDM OTP verification.
- Capture Aadhar when possible. Required for ABHA creation if the patient doesn't already have one.
- Check for duplicates. Search existing patients before creating a new record to avoid duplicates.

## FAQ

**Q: What if the patient doesn't have a mobile number?**
A: Enter a family member's number if available. Mobile is important for future identification and communication.

**Q: Can I edit patient details after registration?**
A: Yes. From the patient management page, click Edit to update any field.