Creating a Session | Sessions | PatientNotes Help

Starting a New Session

Creating a new session is the first step in documenting a patient encounter. From your dashboard, click the "New Session" button in the left sidebar to open a fresh session.

Keyboard Shortcut

Press ⌘+N (or Ctrl+N on Windows) to quickly create a new session from anywhere in the app.

Session Options

Before you start recording, you can configure several options to customize your session. These settings help PatientNotes generate more accurate and relevant documentation.

Patient Details

Add patient information to help identify the session later:

Patient Name/Identifier: Enter initials, MRN, or any identifier you use. This is optional and for your reference only.
Visit Type: Select the type of visit (New Patient, Follow-up, Annual Exam, etc.) to help the AI understand context.
Chief Complaint: Optionally pre-enter the chief complaint if known before the visit starts.

Privacy Note

PatientNotes never requires you to enter PHI. Patient identifiers are optional and stored securely according to HIPAA requirements.

Pre-selecting a Template

You can choose your note template before recording. This is helpful if you know the documentation format you'll need:

SOAP Note

Standard format for most outpatient visits

H&P

Complete History & Physical for new patients

Progress Note

Streamlined format for follow-up visits

Specialty Templates

Psych Eval, Cardiology, Pediatrics, etc.

Don't worry if you're not sure which template to use—you can always select or change the template after recording.

Language Settings

PatientNotes supports multiple languages for transcription and note generation. Select the primary language of your conversation:

English (default)
Spanish
French
Portuguese
And more...

The AI will transcribe in the selected language and can generate notes in the same language or translate to English if preferred.

Uploading Your Schedule

You can import your patient schedule to pre-create sessions for the day. This saves time and helps you stay organized.

Upload schedule button in the sidebar — Click 'Upload Schedule' to import your patient list

PatientNotes accepts CSV or Excel files with your patient schedule. The upload modal will help you map your columns:

Schedule upload modal showing column mapping options — Map your file columns to create sessions automatically

Understanding the Session Interface

Once you create a session, you'll see the session interface with several key areas:

Session interface showing tabs and controls — The session interface with recording controls and content tabs

Header Controls

Contains the "Start transcribing" button, session timer, and main recording controls.

Content Tabs

Switch between Transcript, Notes, and Session Info tabs to view different content.

Main Content Area

Displays the transcript, generated notes, or session details depending on the selected tab.

AI Assistant Bar

Located at the bottom, allows you to ask questions or request changes to your notes.

Quick Start Workflow

For most visits, here's the fastest way to create a session:

Click New Session (or press ⌘+N)
Optionally add patient initials or identifier
Click Start transcribing when ready
Conduct your visit as normal
Click Stop when finished
Select template and generate note

Skip the Setup

If you're in a hurry, you can skip all optional settings and go straight to recording. PatientNotes will still generate accurate notes—the settings just help with organization and specificity.

Common Questions

Can I create a session without recording?▼

Yes! You can create a session and manually type or paste a transcript if you prefer. This is useful if you have notes from another source or want to use PatientNotes for note generation only.

How many sessions can I have open at once?▼

You can have multiple sessions open, but only one can be actively recording at a time. This allows you to prepare the next session while finishing up notes from a previous one.

What happens if I accidentally close the browser?▼

PatientNotes auto-saves your session regularly. If you close the browser during recording, the audio up to that point is saved. When you return, you'll find your session in the View Sessions list with the captured content.

Next Steps

Now that you know how to create a session, learn how to get the best recording quality for accurate transcription.

Next: Recording Your Visit Skip to Generating Notes