How to Create Clinical Note Templates

Use the Clinical Notes Template screen to create, copy, or edit templates to use when adding clinical notes for a patient.

To create clinical notes templates:

1. From the Administration tab, Templates > Clinical Notes Templates.
2. Under Actions, select Create New Template. The fields become editable.
   
3. Enter a unique Template Name.
   
4. If you want to associate the template with a specific user, select an Associated User. 
   Note: Associating a template with a user (Team Member) makes it one of the user's suggested Clinical Notes templates that are displayed by default when adding Clinical Notes to a patient's clinical history. Having the Associated User set to All Users, will allow the user to see all active templates. 
5. Select if the template is a Full Template or Snippet.
   Note: Snippets are shorter more focused pieces of text or questions that can be used to create a clinical note. They allow more flexibility to quickly create clinical note variants. 
6. Select a Category from the list, or click Edit to access the Manage Template Categories window to add or edit a category.
7. In the Favorite field, select Yes or No.  If you select Yes, the template is pushed to the top of the list when adding a clinical note.
   Note: You can also click the green star in the template list to designate favorites. 
8. Begin typing the body of the note template.
9. Click Add Merge Fields to insert a merge field where the cursor is currently located in the template.
   Note:
   -- When clinical note templates are used for a patient record, the selected information is merged in place of the merge field placeholder that is displayed, including any punctuation or spacing. Keep this in mind when formatting the note.
   -- For example, an oral surgery office may want to add a Completed Procedures, Completed Procedures Description, or Completed Procedures and Completed Procedures Description merge field to a clinical note template, rather than manually entering this information. When procedures are posted to a patient's account on the associated service date, they are automatically applied to the Completed Procedures merge fields within the template.
10. Click Add Questions to add entries from the Question Library into the template.
    Note: 
    -- Questions can be answered using the template for a patient record. Be aware only the answer is displayed and any necessary context should be included in the note template.
    -- The questions are temporarily blue to catch your attention. They revert to normal text when a clinical note for a patient is created, the answers are selected, and the note is saved.
    See How to Create Custom Patient Questionnaires and How to Add Event-Based Clinical Notes for more information. 
    
11. Click Save Template.

Note:  You can use the Status options to make an existing template Active or Inactive, as needed.

To edit a clinical notes template:

1. From the Administration tab, Templates > Clinical Notes Templates.
2. Select a template from the list.
3. Under Actions, select Edit Selected Template. A prompt is displayed asking if you want to edit the template or create a copy.
4. Select Edit Template to proceed with editing the template. The fields become editable.
5. Make any needed changes.
6. Click Save Template.