The Encounter Builder is a powerful new feature that lets Managers and SysAdmins create and customize encounter templates. With it, you can:
Build encounters from scratch tailored to your team’s workflow.
Edit system templates to adjust language, components, or fields to fit your school’s needs.
Add defaults that pre-populate common fields, saving staff time on repetitive documentation.
Why this matters
Efficiency: Defaults reduce repetitive typing (e.g., always setting “Part of body injured” to Head in a head injury report).
Customization: Every school is unique. The Encounter Builder allows you to build encounters that reflect your language, fields, and workflows, not just the system defaults.
Consistency: Ensure that staff capture required data every time by embedding the right forms and notes into each encounter.
How encounters are structured
Think of encounters like nesting dolls:
Forms are the smallest building blocks (e.g., Vitals, Chief Complaint, Treatment).
Notes are built from one or more forms.
Encounters are built from one or more notes.
For example:
A Clinic Visit encounter might include:
A Quick Note (made of Chief Complaint, Summary, Treatment, Disposition fields)
A Vitals note (with height, weight, blood pressure, etc.)
An optional SOAP note for extra detail
By combining notes, you decide what information is captured in each encounter.
Build an encounter by duplicating an existing encounter
Start with an existing template
Go to Encounters → Templates.
Find a template close to what you need.
Copy it and give it a new name.
Set properties
Initial Status: Default state when the encounter is opened (e.g., Open).
Default Title: The title shown when staff start a new encounter (e.g., Head Injury Report).
Visibility: Choose which roles (e.g., Nurses) can access this template.
Add defaults
Pre-fill fields where the answer is always the same (e.g., Part of body injured = Head).
Leave other fields blank for staff to complete as needed.
Add notes
Include additional notes that are always relevant.
Example: Add a Concussion Assessment note so it’s automatically part of every head injury encounter.
Save and confirm
Once saved, the new template is available in the Encounters tree for the selected role.
Build an encounter from scratch
Go to Encounters → Templates.
Click Create encounter template
Enter details:
Title: e.g., Monthly Department Meeting.
Initial Status: e.g., Open.
Default Title Prompt: e.g., “Department Meeting – [Month]”.
Visibility: Choose which roles will have access.
Add existing Note Templates.
Example: Add a Staff Meeting Note template.
Set default values (e.g., Meeting Type = Department Meeting).
Save, and the encounter template is ready to use.
Build a note from scratch
Go to Encounters → Templates.
Click Create note template
Enter details:
Title
Initial Status
Default Title Prompt
Visibility
Add existing Form Templates.
Looking to create a new form template? Head over to Forms → Templates to create your form template first then head back to Encounters → Templates.
Set default values.
Save, and the note template is ready to use.
Best practices
Start from a close template: Saves time versus building from scratch.
Use defaults wisely: Pre-fill only what is always true, leave unique fields empty.
Keep roles in mind: Only assign templates to teams who need them.
Iterate: Try your template in real encounters, adjust as workflows evolve.
FAQs
Can staff still edit notes inside encounters even if I add a default?
Yes, defaults just pre-fill values. Staff can overwrite them if needed.
Can I build new forms?
Yes! To create a new form, head over to the Forms → Templates page.