The intake questionnaire decides how good your first session can be. Complete answers before the appointment turn session one from data collection into actual counselling.
Completion rate is the metric that matters. A brilliant 90-question form that clients abandon at question 40 is worse than a focused one they finish on their phone in twelve minutes.
What a complete intake covers
Structure the questionnaire in blocks, ordered from easy to sensitive, so momentum carries the client through.
- Demographics and anthropometrics: age, height, weight, weight history
- Medical: diagnoses, medications, labs if available, family history
- Dietary: typical day recall, allergies, intolerances, exclusions, alcohol
- Lifestyle: schedule, activity, sleep, stress, cooking capacity, budget
- Goals and history: what they want, what they tried, what happened
Design for completion
Send the form digitally at booking, mobile-friendly, with progress visible. Use structured inputs (choices, scales) over free text wherever possible: they are faster for clients and comparable across your caseload.
Digital assessments in ProNutriBase
- 1
Send the assessment link
Each client gets a secure tokenized assessment link. Send it by email, message, or a QR code on your intake materials.
- 2
Client completes it on any device
The form is mobile-first, so most clients finish it the day they receive it.
- 3
Answers land on the client profile
Responses populate the client record automatically: allergies, preferences, and history are structured data, not a PDF to re-type.
- 4
Review before the session
Walk into the first appointment with the full picture and spend the hour on strategy instead of forms.
Frequently asked questions
What should a nutrition assessment include?
Anthropometrics, medical and medication history, dietary recall with allergies and exclusions, lifestyle factors (schedule, activity, sleep, stress), and goal history. Together these support both clinical judgment and a plan the client can live with.
When should clients receive the intake form?
Immediately at booking. Completion rates drop the closer the deadline gets to the appointment, and early answers give you time to request labs or clarifications before day one.
Paper or digital intake forms?
Digital, decisively: higher completion, no transcription errors, structured data you can compare across clients, and instant availability on the client record.