Using fields in a template
Most templates consist of free text. But templates become much more powerful when they contain fields!
Not every note is the same, because every patient is different. Even though you use templates, you want your final notes to be personalized for every patient. Fields in a template let you add details that are specific to your patient. You insert fields inside your standard text so that it's super quick to make a note that perfectly reflects your patient assessment.
In Dilato, templates can contain many types of fields: Text field, Checkbox, Dropdown, and Multi-select Dropdown.
Let's see how to use these fields.
Text field
A text field is a short area where you are prompted to enter some text.
Sometimes, you may want to leave it empty if you don't need that information in your final note.
Checkbox
A checkbox is a field that is optional.
When you check a checkbox, it tells Dilato to include the text it contains in your final note.
If a checkbox is left unchecked, its content won't be visible in your note.
In Dilato, checkboxes can also be in a negative check:
When checked as a negative, the checkbox's content will be in your note but, unlike a regular check, Dilato will add the "no" prefix just before the text, to indicate its negativity. This prefix is customizable from the Settings.
To check a checkbox in the negative state, right-click the box (or click twice if you use the legacy mode). This negative check is very useful when documenting a review of systems.
The checkbox is the most popular field in Dilato. They are very powerful and efficient to use, so don't be shy to use many checkboxes!
Dropdown
A dropdown field is a list that contains options to choose from.
To view the list of choices, click on the dropdown. Then select the choice you wish to appear in your note.
Feel free to edit the selected choice if you need to.
If you don't want any of the choices to be displayed, you can leave the dropdown field empty.
Multi-Select Dropdown
A multi-select dropdown is a list similar to the dropdown above, with the extra ability to have multiple choices selected.
You can check as many options as you like. Multi-select dropdowns also support the negative check (right-click the boxes).
Use the Escape key to quickly close (fold) the list.