Patient Template Guide

Creating a Patient Template

1. From your home page, navigate to the Templates drop-down menu and click on Patient Templates.
2. Here you can view all of ChartFlow's patients and any custom ones created by you or others in your organization. Use the Filter buttons to view specific templates (All, System, Organization, My Patients).
3. You can also copy and edit ChartFlow's pre-built system patients. To do this, find a system patient you'd like to use as a base, click the " Copy and Edit" button next to it. This will create a duplicate of the system patient that you can then modify to suit your needs. This option allows you to leverage existing templates while customizing them for your specific requirements.
4. To create your own patient, click +New Patient Template.
5. On the patient creation dashboard, customize the patient's information and set the template's visibility. This visibility setting allows you to control whether your template is private or accessible to others within your institution/organization.
6. Set the patient's age using ChartFlow's Relative Date & Time Format. Instead of setting a specific date of birth, enter the age as a number before "Start" (e.g., "50 Years before Start"). This allows Template Patients to remain at a consistent age until they're used in an activity. You can also upload a profile picture if desired.
7. Click Save to create your patient.

8. To see Advanced Template Options, click the 'Advanced Template Options' tab at the top of the Patient Details Menu in the left sidebar. Here you can modify the patient's MRN, set a Date of Birth Override to keep the birth date constant, or create a Fixed Start Time for the simulation clock. Remember to save your changes after making any adjustments.

9. To start creating your patient's medical history, click New Visit on the light blue header.
10. Select one of the four visit types. Each type offers specialized flowsheets tailored to its specific care setting and patient needs:
    🏥 Inpatient:

    For patients admitted to the hospital for extended care. Includes specialized flowsheets for continuous monitoring and extended treatment plans. This is the most popular visit type for nursing programs.
    🏘️ Long-Term Care:

    Designed for patients requiring ongoing care in facilities like nursing homes. Features flowsheets for long-term health management and daily living activities.
    🩺 Outpatient:

    For patients receiving care without hospital admission. Includes flowsheets for scheduling, billing and coding, brief consultations, follow-ups, and day procedures. This is the most popular visit type for medical assistant programs.
    🚑 EMS Run Report:

    Specifically designed for emergency medical services. Includes flowsheets for pre-hospital care, patient assessment, treatments administered, and transport details.
11. Enter a reason for the visit in the free text box.
12. Set a before start time for your visit. A before start time is the period before the patient's chart is first opened, allowing you to create a history of events and documentation that precede the current encounter.
13. Click Save to start your visit.
14. Now in the visit, you can start documenting on the patient. All of ChartFlow's flowsheets work similarly, with a +New Entry button at the top. You can document data using free text boxes or dropdowns.
15. Let's move to the Vital Signs flowsheet to learn how to record the patient's initial vitals. Click +New Entry and input values for temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, and other relevant measurements.
16. For each entry in any flowsheet or action, set your before start time. (For example, if you say the before start was 1 hour ago, ChartFlow will convert that into a real date & time once Students open the chart.) (Ensure each entry has a unique timestamp, except for Orders. ChartFlow will not save multiple entries with identical timestamps.)
17. Let's navigate to the Orders flowsheet to enter any medication or non-medication orders. Click +New Entry and use the search function to find specific medications or non-medication orders, and fill in details such as Start Time, Dosage, Frequency, Schedule, and Comments. After you ordered your medication on the orders flowsheet you will see a green Actions button to the right or each order.

    The Actions button allows you to change the status of orders. Available actions include:

    • • Pending
    • • Ordered
    • • Given
    • • Checked
    • • Held
    • • Refused
    • • Completed
    • • Discontinued

    Use these actions to accurately reflect the current status of each order. Once selecting an action fill out the details for the action. Action buttons are also found on the Allergies, Immunizations, Orders, MAR, and Appointment scheduling flowsheets.

18. The Visit Summary page serves as a centralized documentation hub. It contains the majority of essential flowsheets, including admission information, HPI, notes, orders, vitals, head-to-toe assessment, and intake & output. Any information entered here automatically populates the corresponding linked flowsheets, streamlining the documentation process and ensuring data consistency.
19. To end the visit, go to the Visit History tab, click End Visit, enter a before start time for the visit end time, and click End Visit again.
20. If you want to create a patient with multiple visits, you can repeat the process of making new visits.
21. To return to the patient template page, click "Back to Patient Templates". You can view all the patients you've created by clicking "My Patients".

Adding Pre-Built Events to Patient Templates for Simulation Activities

1. Events are designed for use with ChartFlow's Simulation Panel and can contain suppressed data (e.g., Orders, Lab Results, Vital Signs, Notes) that is released during the simulation.
2. To create a new Event, click the Events button in the Patient Header.
3. Click +New Event to start creating an event.
4. Name and describe your event. (The name and description are only visible to instructors.)
5. Click Save to create the event.
6. When you see the green header, you are inside the event. Here, you can add any desired documentation. Events can contain one or multiple pieces of new documentation.
7. Add documentation to your event, such as notes or orders. All data added within an event becomes part of that event.
8. When you're finished adding documentation to the event, click Exit Event.
9. The Events button houses all your created events. You can manage or delete existing ones, add new events, and create as many as you want.
10. For detailed instructions on utilizing these pre-built events with ChartFlow's simulation panel, please refer to our
    Simulation Control Panel Guide.

Relative Dates & Times

1. ChartFlow utilizes Relative Dates & Times to ensure Patient Templates remain current and relevant when added to activities.
2. The "Start Time" is the key reference point, defined as the moment a Template Patient is first opened within an Activity.
3. When creating a template, use "before Start" to set dates and times (e.g., "2 days before Start" or "30 minutes before Start"). This ensures flexibility and relevance regardless of when the activity is used.
4. When a Patient Template is added to an Activity, ChartFlow generates a copy for each student (Individual) or group (Shared). The system automatically adjusts all Dates & Times to maintain a current and realistic patient scenario.
5. Once an Activity begins, the patient's data within each copy will age and progress in real-time, simulating a live patient scenario.
6. This system allows for the creation of complex, multi-visit patient histories that always appear current to students, regardless of when the activity is assigned.

Best Practices for Building Patient Templates

1. Fully develop and finalize Templates before incorporating them into Activities. This ensures all patient data is accurately replicated for students.
2. Use simple, whole numbers for timestamps in your initial Visit and subsequent data entries (e.g., "2 hours before Start", "1 day before Start"). This maintains a clear and consistent patient narrative.
3. Ensure each entry has a unique timestamp, except for Orders. ChartFlow will not save multiple entries with identical timestamps.
4. For Orders, you can enter multiple items under a single timestamp. Use one account (e.g., a mock provider or physician) for all Orders within a single Visit to maintain consistency.
5. Utilize Order Links (indicated in bold in the search dialog) to connect non-medication Orders with their corresponding flowsheets. This creates a more integrated and realistic patient scenario. For more information on Order Links please refer to our Orders, MAR, and Barcode Scanning Guide.
6. To view or edit linked flowsheet data, click Actions and then Results on the associated Order.
7. When creating multi-visit templates, ensure a logical progression of the patient's condition across visits. This helps students develop critical thinking skills in patient care continuity.
8. Leverage the Visit Summary page to efficiently document key patient information all from one page. Remember, data entered here automatically populates linked flowsheets, saving time and ensuring consistency.
9. For simulation activities, strategically use Events to create dynamic, unfolding scenarios that challenge students' decision-making skills.

Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any feedback or would like to request training for creating Patient Templates.