Why Create Custom Templates?
While PatientNotes includes many built-in templates, custom templates let you create documentation formats that exactly match your workflow and preferences.
Match Your Style
Create notes that match how you've always documented, with your preferred sections and formatting.
Specialty Focus
Include specialty-specific sections that built-in templates might not cover.
EHR Compatibility
Format output to paste cleanly into your specific EHR system's note fields.
Team Consistency
Create shared templates that ensure consistent documentation across your practice.
Creating a Custom Template
You have two ways to create custom templates: start from scratch or duplicate an existing template.
Create from Scratch
- Go to Template Library (from sidebar or Settings)
- Click "Create Template"
- Enter a name for your template
- Add sections using the section builder
- Configure each section's settings
- Click "Save Template"
Duplicate an Existing Template
Starting from an existing template is often faster when you only need minor modifications.
- Go to Template Library
- Find the template you want to start from
- Click the ⋯ menu and select "Duplicate"
- A copy appears with "(Copy)" in the name
- Edit the copy to make your changes
- Rename to something meaningful
Start with Duplication
Using the Template Builder
The template builder lets you define your template's structure and how each section should be generated.
Adding Sections
Click "Add Section" to add a new section to your template. Each section includes:
Section Name
The heading that appears in the generated note. Examples: "Chief Complaint", "Physical Examination", "Assessment".
Section Type
Tells the AI what kind of content belongs in this section. Options include:
- • Chief Complaint - Primary reason for visit
- • History - HPI, past medical history, etc.
- • Review of Systems - System-by-system review
- • Physical Exam - Examination findings
- • Assessment - Diagnoses and clinical reasoning
- • Plan - Treatment plan and recommendations
- • Free Text - Custom section type
Instructions
Optional guidance for the AI on what to include or how to format this section. For example: "Include vital signs in table format" or "Focus on cardiovascular and respiratory systems."
Default Text
Pre-filled text that appears in every note. Useful for standard phrases or common findings. Example: "Patient appears well-developed, well-nourished, in no acute distress."
Section Settings
Each section has additional settings you can configure:
- Required: Whether this section must always appear (vs. only when relevant content exists)
- Format: Choose between prose, bullet points, numbered list, or table format
- Detail Level: Brief, standard, or comprehensive output
- Order: Drag sections to reorder them in the template
Common Custom Sections
Here are some section ideas that users commonly add to custom templates:
Time Documentation
Document time spent for billing purposes. "Total time: X minutes, including Y minutes of counseling."
Patient Education
Summary of education provided to the patient, which can support billing and continuity.
Return Precautions
Specific signs/symptoms that should prompt return visit or ER evaluation.
Care Coordination
Notes about referrals made, calls to other providers, or care team communication.
Risk Assessment
Suicide risk assessment, fall risk, or other standardized assessments relevant to your specialty.
Goals of Care
For chronic care management, document patient goals and progress toward them.
Template Best Practices
Keep it focused—include only sections relevant to the visit type. Too many sections can lead to sparse, irrelevant output.
Use clear section names—names should match what you'd expect to see in your final documentation.
Add specific instructions—the more guidance you give the AI, the better the output matches your expectations.
Test with real sessions—generate notes with your new template using actual recordings to see how it performs.
Iterate and refine—adjust your template based on the output you get. Good templates evolve over time.
Managing Custom Templates
Editing Templates
To edit an existing custom template:
- Go to Template Library
- Find your template (custom templates show "Custom" badge)
- Click the template to open it
- Make your changes
- Click "Save"
Note
Deleting Templates
To delete a custom template you no longer need:
- Go to Template Library
- Find the template to delete
- Click the ⋯ menu
- Select "Delete"
- Confirm the deletion
Caution
Next Steps
Learn how to share your custom templates with team members and across your organization.