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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.decodahealth.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Prerequisites: You should have Providers set up before configuring note templates, since templates can be restricted to specific providers.
Templates ensure every provider documents consistently. Instead of free-typing notes, providers fill in structured fields — which makes notes easier to review, search, and use for AI-powered features like Scribe. Note templates define the structured forms that providers use to document clinical encounters. Each template contains a set of fields (questions) that guide providers through consistent documentation. Templates support multiple field types, vitals tracking, medication logging, image attachments, and patient health data auto-fill.

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Create a Note Template

1

Navigate to Note Templates

Go to Settings and select Note Templates.
2

Start Creation

Click the Create Note Template button in the top right corner. This opens the template editor.
3

Enter Template Name

Type a name for your template in the Template Name field at the top of the editor (e.g., “Initial Consultation”, “Follow-Up Visit”, “Botox Treatment”).
4

Add Fields from the Sidebar

Use the left sidebar to add fields to your template. Click any field type to append it to the form. Available field categories:
  • Form Fields: Short Text, Long Text, Number, Date, Yes/No Toggle, Single Choice, Multiple Choice.
  • Medications: Structured medication dose tracking (dose, frequency, lot number).
  • Vitals: Weight and Height fields that map to patient records.
  • Patient Health Data: Dynamic fields that auto-fill from the patient’s health record. Includes both standard and custom health data fields.
  • Attachments: Photo Upload (for images with annotation support) and Document Upload (for PDFs and documents).
  • Dental (dental practices only): Dental Chart, Perio Chart, and Occlusion & TMJ fields. See Dental Charting.
5

Configure Each Field

Click on any field in the editor to expand its settings:
  • Name: The label shown to providers when filling out the note.
  • Description: Optional helper text displayed below the field name.
  • Required: Toggle on to make the field mandatory.
  • Field Type: Change the question type using the dropdown (Short Text, Long Text, Number, Date, Toggle, Single Choice, Multiple Choice).
  • Options: For Single Choice and Multiple Choice fields, add the selectable options.
  • Placeholder Images: For Photo Upload fields, add named placeholders that guide providers on what images to capture.
6

Reorder Fields

Drag fields using the grip handle on the left side of each field card to reorder them. The order determines how providers see the fields when creating a note.
7

Set Expiry (Optional)

Enter a value in the Expiry Days field to set how many days after creation a note based on this template expires. Leave blank for no expiry.
8

Configure Provider Access

Under Provider Access, choose who can use this template:
  • Everyone: All providers in your organization can use this template.
  • Specific Providers: Select individual providers. You can filter by location and search by name.
9

Save

Click Save. The template is immediately available for providers to use when creating clinical notes.

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Use the AI Assistant to Build Templates

The template editor includes an AI assistant that can add, modify, or remove fields from a plain-language description. Instead of picking fields from the sidebar one by one, you describe what you need and the assistant proposes the changes for you to review.
1

Open the Assistant

The Template Assistant tab appears automatically in the right sidebar when you open the template editor. Type your request in the chat input. You can also attach files — for example, a photo of a paper chart note you want to recreate as a structured template.
2

Describe What You Want

Type a description of the fields you need. The assistant understands the template’s current fields, so you can reference them by name. You can ask it to add new fields, modify existing ones, remove fields, or rename the template.
3

Review Proposed Changes

The assistant streams its proposed changes into the editor. Once complete, each change is color-coded:
  • Green — new fields being added
  • Red — existing fields being removed
  • Yellow — existing fields being modified
A review bar appears at the top of the editor showing the total number of proposed changes.
4

Accept or Reject Changes

Use the checkboxes next to each proposed change to select which ones to keep. You can also use Select All or Deselect All in the review bar. Click Accept to apply your selections, or Reject All to discard everything.
The assistant automatically suggests mapped fields when appropriate — for example, if you ask for “patient weight,” it will use the Weight field type that syncs to the patient’s health record. It also recognizes patient health data fields like allergies, medications, and family history, and links them to the patient’s chart.
The assistant remembers your conversation, so you can refine your request across multiple messages. Each new request starts a fresh review cycle.
Example prompts:
  • “Build a template for a Botox consultation with treatment areas, units per area, and before/after photo uploads”
  • “Add weight and height fields at the top, then a long text field for chief complaint”
  • “Replace the free-text allergy field with the mapped allergies field that links to the patient chart”
  • “Add a multiple choice field for pain level with options 1 through 10”

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Group Fields into Sections

Sections group related fields under a heading and let you arrange them side by side. They’re useful for longer templates — for example, separating “Vitals”, “Chief Complaint”, and “Treatment Plan” into distinct blocks instead of one long list.
1

Add a Section

In the template editor, click Add Section at the bottom of the field list. A new section block appears.
2

Name the Section

Click the section header and type a name (e.g., “Vitals”, “Treatment Plan”). The name is shown to providers when they fill out the note.
3

Choose a Column Layout

Use the 1 / 2 / 3 picker in the section header to set how many columns the fields should be arranged in. New sections default to 2 columns.
4

Add Fields to the Section

Click Add Question inside the section, or drag existing fields into it using the grip handle. Reorder fields within a section the same way.
5

Collapse or Remove

Click the chevron in the section header to collapse a section while editing. Click the trash icon to delete a section — its fields move out of the section and remain in the template.
Photo Upload, Document Upload, Medications, and Body Map fields always span the full width of a section, even in a 2- or 3-column layout. All other field types follow the column layout you choose. When a provider opens a note built from a sectioned template, each section appears as a collapsible block with the column layout you configured. See AI Scribe for how sections behave during note review.

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Edit a Template

From the Note Templates page, click on a template name to open the editor. You can modify any field, reorder questions, add new fields, or remove existing ones. Click Save when finished. Each field in the editor shows a preview of how it will appear to providers. You can:
  • Click any field to enter edit mode and modify its settings.
  • Click Done on an expanded field to collapse it.
  • Click the trash icon to delete a field.

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Manage the Template Table

The template list page provides several ways to organize and manage your templates.
  • Search: Use the search bar to filter templates by name or ID.
  • Sort: Click the Name or Created Date column headers to sort ascending or descending.
  • Pagination: Navigate through pages using the pagination controls at the bottom.
  • Row Actions: Click the three-dot menu on any template row to access quick actions: Edit, Duplicate, Edit Provider Access, or Delete.

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Duplicate a Template

To create a copy of an existing template:
  1. On the Note Templates page, find the template you want to duplicate.
  2. Click the three-dot menu on the template row.
  3. Select Duplicate.
The system creates a new template named “[Original Name] (Copy)” with the same fields, provider access, and expiry settings, and opens it in the editor so you can start making changes right away.

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Configure Provider Access

Provider access controls which providers can see and use a template when creating notes.
1

Open Provider Access

Click the three-dot menu on a template row and select Edit Provider Access, or click the access cell directly in the table.
2

Choose Access Mode

  • Everyone: All providers in your organization can use this template.
  • Specific Providers: Manually select which providers have access.
3

Select Providers (if Specific)

When using Specific Providers mode:
  • Providers are grouped by location for easy selection.
  • Check individual providers or use the location checkbox to select all providers at a location.
  • Use the search bar to find providers by name.
  • Use the All and None quick-select buttons.
4

Save

Click Save to apply the access changes.

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Bulk Delete Templates

To delete multiple templates at once:
  1. Select templates by checking the boxes in the left column of the table.
  2. A bulk actions bar appears at the bottom of the page showing the number of selected templates.
  3. Click Delete on the bulk actions bar.
  4. Confirm when prompted. This action cannot be undone.

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Manage Image Tags

Image tags are used to categorize and label photo attachments on clinical notes. They appear below the template table on the Note Templates page. Once created, tags can be applied to individual photos within a note or gallery, or assigned to multiple photos at once using bulk actions.

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Create a Tag

1

Navigate to Image Tags

Scroll down below the template table to the Image Tags section.
2

Create Tag

Click the Create Tag button.
3

Enter Details

  • Name: A descriptive label for the tag (e.g., “Before”, “After”, “Left Side”).
  • Color: Select a color using the color picker. This color appears as a visual badge on tagged images.
4

Save

Click Create Tag. The tag is immediately available for use on note attachments.

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Edit or Delete a Tag

  • Click on a tag row in the Image Tags table to open the editor. Change the name or color and click Save Changes.
  • To delete a tag, click the three-dot menu on the tag row and select Delete. Confirm the deletion. This removes the tag from all images it was applied to.

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Advanced Configuration

If your organization previously used legacy free-text note templates, a migration banner appears at the top of the Note Templates page. Legacy templates can be converted to the new structured form format for better organization, reporting, and AI integration. Click the migration link in the banner for details on the conversion process.
Vitals (Weight, Height) and Medication fields are “mapped” — their values automatically sync to the patient’s health record. Each mapped field type can only be added to a template once. Once added, it appears grayed out in the sidebar. This ensures data consistency across notes.
Fields from the Patient Health Data category auto-populate with the patient’s existing health record values when a provider creates a new note. This saves time and ensures accuracy for recurring data like allergies, conditions, and custom health fields.
The Photo Upload field supports named placeholders that serve as guides for providers. For example, a “Facial Treatment” template might include placeholders named “Front View”, “Left Profile”, and “Right Profile”. Providers see these placeholders and can upload images directly into each slot. Placeholder images can also be pre-uploaded as reference guides.
Providers can favorite templates for quick access. Favorited templates appear at the top of the template selection list when creating a new note. This is managed at the individual provider level and does not affect other users.
Note template management is gated by role-based permissions:
  • View Note Templates — Required to view the Note Templates page and see template details.
  • Manage Note Templates — Required to create, edit, duplicate, and delete note templates, as well as manage image tags.
  • Manage Note Template Access — Required to configure which providers can use a template (the Provider Access settings). Without this permission, the provider access controls are hidden.
Admin users have full access to all note template settings by default.
When set, notes created from the template will have an expiry date calculated as the note creation date plus the configured number of days. Expired notes are flagged in the system. Leave this field blank if notes should not expire.