ABDM Scan and Share is a QR-code based registration service under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission that lets patients register at a hospital OPD in seconds instead of standing in long queues. The patient scans the hospital's ABDM QR code with any ABHA-enabled app, shares their profile with one tap, and the hospital's software instantly receives their verified demographic details and issues a token. No forms, no spelling mistakes, no repeated questions.
How Scan and Share Works, Step by Step
- The hospital displays its QR code: An ABDM-registered facility with certified software generates a unique counter QR code and displays it at the registration desk or entrance.
- The patient scans it: Using the ABHA app, an approved PHR app, or other supported apps, the patient scans the code, often while still standing in line or sitting in the waiting area.
- Profile is shared with consent: The patient taps to share their ABHA profile: name, age, gender, address, and ABHA number, all pre-verified.
- The HMS creates the visit instantly: The hospital software receives the details, finds or creates the patient record, links it to their ABHA, and generates an OPD token.
- The patient collects the token: They walk to the counter (or watch a display), pick up their token or slip, and proceed to the doctor.
What used to be a several-minute interaction with handwritten forms becomes a scan and a tap. Government hospitals across India have used Scan and Share to serve crores of OPD registrations, and private facilities are adopting it fast.
Why Scan and Share Transforms the OPD Front Desk
For patients
- Dramatically shorter queues, especially during morning OPD rush.
- No repeating name, age, and address at every visit.
- Elderly and repeat patients can be helped by family members scanning on their behalf.
- Every visit is automatically linked to their ABHA, building their digital health history.
For hospitals
- Higher front-desk throughput: The same staff handles far more registrations per hour.
- Zero transcription errors: Details arrive digitally from a verified profile, ending duplicate files caused by spelling variations.
- Automatic ABHA linkage: Every Scan and Share registration is ABHA-linked by design, boosting your ABDM compliance metrics without extra effort.
- Better first impression: A QR-first front desk signals a modern facility to every patient who walks in.
What Your Hospital Needs to Enable Scan and Share
- HFR registration: Your facility must be registered on the Health Facility Registry with a verified HFR ID.
- ABDM-certified software: Your HMS must be integrated with the NHA's Scan and Share service and certified through the ABDM milestone process. See how this works on our ABDM integration page.
- Printed QR codes at counters: Your software generates counter-specific QR codes; you print and display them prominently.
- A brief staff orientation: Front-desk staff learn to watch the incoming token queue and assist first-time patients with the ABHA app.
Handling patients without ABHA
Scan and Share complements, rather than replaces, the counter. Patients without a smartphone or ABHA register normally, and your staff can create their ABHA on the spot using Aadhaar OTP through the same ABHA-integrated software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do patients need the ABHA app specifically to use Scan and Share?
No. Any ABDM-approved application that supports the Scan and Share service works, including the official ABHA app and several popular health and payment apps that have integrated ABHA profiles.
Is Scan and Share free for hospitals and patients?
The NHA does not charge patients or facilities for the Scan and Share service itself. Hospitals only need ABDM-certified software, which typically includes Scan and Share as part of its ABDM feature set.
Does Scan and Share work for follow-up visits and existing patients?
Yes. When an existing patient scans and shares, the software matches their ABHA to their existing record and creates a revisit, keeping their history in one place instead of opening a duplicate file.
Enable Scan and Share at Your Facility with Healthixio
Healthixio is an officially ABDM-integrated HMS with Scan and Share, front-desk ABHA creation, and automatic record linking built in, so your OPD can move from paper forms to ten-second QR registrations. Explore our ABDM integration, review pricing, or contact us at 07513135857 for a live Scan and Share demo.