Welcome to Heidi Health’s tutorial series on templates. In this first article, we’ll walk you through the basics of creating and using templates in Heidi, ensuring that your clinical documentation process is streamlined and efficient.
Quick Start (60 Seconds)
Looking to jump straight in? Here’s the fastest path to your first template:
In the left-hand sidebar, select ‘My Templates’
At the top-right of the page, click “+ Create template”
Select the option “Note or document” - this generates a template based on your text instructions
Type what you need e.g. “Create a SOAP note for GP consultations”
Hit the ‘up' arrow → Heidi generates your template
Review the ‘example’, and adjust the ‘structure’ as required
Click “Save” in the top-right corner
That’s it! Your template is ready to use.
For more detailed steps around customisation, continue reading the below article.
💡 Curious about the ‘Form PDF Filler’ option? See our Forms article here.
Video Tutorial
What Are ‘Templates’ in Heidi?
Templates are powerful tools designed to help you create structured, consistent clinical notes and documents. They act as a framework, guiding Heidi’s AI to generate content in the format and style you prefer.
Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, creating a basic template is straightforward and immensely useful.
💡 Think of a template as a recipe: templates tell Heidi which ingredients to include (patient history, examination findings, plan) and how to present them (bullet points, paragraphs, specific headings).
Under the Hood: The 4 Template Components
Before getting started, it can help to understand the four building blocks that make up every Heidi template. You don’t need to memorise these as the template builder handles most of this automatically, but being aware of them will help you customise your templates more effectively.
The Components at a Glance:
Component | What It Looks Like | What It Does |
Section Headings | Plain text | Organises your template with headers like “Subjective” or “Plan” |
[Placeholders] |
| Tells Heidi what information to include |
(AI Instructions) |
| Tells Heidi how to handle that information |
“Verbatim Text” |
| Text that appears exactly the same every time |
1. Section Headings
Section headings organise your template and provide structure. These headings are defined in plain text.
Example: in a clinical note following the ’SOAP’ model (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan), you might include headings like:
**Subjective**
**Objective**
**Assessment**
Plan
These section headings help Heidi understand what type of information should be included throughout the template.
2. [Placeholders]
Placeholders tell Heidi where to insert specific pieces of information. They’re wrapped in square brackets and describe the type of content to include. These shouldn’t include specific examples.
Examples:
[Patient name]→ Will be replaced with the actual patient’s name[Chief complaint and history of presenting illness]→ Will be populated from the consultation[Current medications]→ Will list medications discussed
✅ Good example: [Past medical history]
❌ What not to do: [Past medical history e.g. diabetes, hypertension] ← Don’t include examples inside placeholders
By default, all placeholders should be followed by an AI instruction.
3. (AI Instructions)
AI instructions guide Heidi on how to handle information. They’re wrapped in round brackets, and typically follow a placeholder.
The most important AI instruction is the below standard safety instruction, which prevents Heidi from inventing information. This should be inserted after each placeholder:
(Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note, else omit section entirely.)
AI instructions can also be added at the beginning or end of your template for general guidance (see: Global Instructions), or immediately following a placeholder to provide specific instructions.
Example after placeholder:
[Past Medical History] **(Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note; else omit section entirely)**
AI instructions can also be used to request greater contextual detail, as well as how to format it.
Example requesting additional context:
[Past medical history] (**Include any relevant past medical history, diagnoses, surgeries, specialist visits.** **Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note; else omit section entirely. Write as a paragraph of full sentences.**)
Global instructions at the top or bottom of your template:
Desired output | Global Instruction |
Brief/concise note | (Be concise and use brief statements throughout the note.) |
Formal medical terminology | (Use formal medical terminology throughout this document. Avoid colloquialisms and ensure all clinical terms are accurate and professionally appropriate.) |
4. “Verbatim Text”
Verbatim text appears exactly the same in every note generated from your template. It’s wrapped in quotation marks and is useful for:
Your practice details
Standard sign-offs
Fixed phrases you always include
Example in a referral letter:
"Thank you for your kind referral.
Dr Sarah Doe
General Practitioner
Sunrise Medical Centre Ph:
03 1234 5678"
This text will appear word-for-word in every referral letter you generate using the relevant template.
Putting It All Together: A Complete Example
Here’s what a simple template section looks like with all four components:
Subjective: [Chief complaint and history of presenting illness] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note, else omit section entirely. Write as a flowing paragraph.) [Past medical history] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note, else omit section entirely. Write as a bulleted list.) [Current medications including dosages] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note, else omit section entirely. Write as a bulleted list.) [Allergies] (Only include if explicitly mentioned in transcript, context or clinical note, else omit section entirely.) "Patient consented to today's consultation being recorded for documentation purposes."
What this generates:
Subjective: Mrs Thompson presents today with a 3-day history of worsening lower back pain, which started after lifting heavy boxes while moving house. She describes the pain as a constant dull ache, rated 6/10, localised to the lumbar region without radiation to the legs.
Type 2 Diabetes (diagnosed 2018)
Hypertension
Osteoarthritis bilateral knees
Metformin 1000mg twice daily
Lisinopril 10mg daily
Paracetamol PRN
NKDA
Patient consented to today’s consultation being recorded for documentation purposes.
Getting Started: The Template Builder
Now that you understand the building blocks, let’s create your first template. Heidi’s template builder is an intuitive, AI-powered tool that lets you create templates using plain, natural language - no special syntax required to get started.
Step 1: Create a New Template
Navigate to the Templates Section: Head to My Library > My templates in your Heidi dashboard. In here, you’ll find the option to create a new template by clicking "Create Template" in the top right corner of the window:
Select ‘Note or document’ to begin the template creation process.
Heidi offers two options to generate a template, see option A and B below.
Option A: Type a Description Manually (Recommended)
In the text entry box, type a description of the template you want to build (see below for examples).
When you are ready, select the arrow in the bottom-right corner.
Heidi will generate a complete template based on your description.
When writing your prompt, be specific about:
The type of note (e.g. SOAP, referral letter, progress note)
Your specialty or context
Any formatting preferences
Example prompts:
“Create a SOAP note for a GP consultation”
“Generate a psychology session note with mental state examination”
“Create a referral letter template for orthopaedic referrals, written in paragraphs”
Option B: Upload example documents
Select the ‘paperclip’ icon in the bottom-left corner
Browse your files and locate the example document(s)
Select ‘Open’, which will prompt the platform to attach your document(s)
When you are ready, select the arrow in the bottom-right corner
When to use: If you already have clinical notes you frequently use, you can upload up to 5 example documents. Using these, Heidi will:
Analyse the structure of your examples
Extract the format and sections
Create a generalised template (removing patient-specific details like names or diagnoses)
This is perfect if you want Heidi to match your existing documentation style exactly.
Based on your chosen option and input, Heidi will generate the template structure, as well as an example to show you what the potential output will look like.
Step 2: Review Your Template
After Heidi generates your template, you’ll see two views:
Tab | What It Shows |
Example | A sample note showing what your output will look like |
Structure | The underlying template with placeholders and instructions |
Example:
Structure:
Review the Example tab first- this shows you exactly what Heidi will produce. If it looks good, you’re ready to save!
Editing Your Template
Is your template not quite looking correct? You have several ways to refine your template.
Option A: Ask Heidi to Make Changes (Easiest)
In the text input bar at the bottom of your template, type what you want to change in plain English:
“Add a Social History section under Subjective”
“Make the Plan section use numbered bullet points”
“Change the date format to DD/MM/YYYY”
Heidi handles all the technical formatting behind the scenes and will make the change for you. You’ll see the changes reflected in the Example view.
Option B: Format Directly on the Example
You can bold, italicise, and underline text directly on the Example view:
Highlight the text you want to format
Use the formatting toolbar that appears
Changes automatically sync to the Structure
This is useful for making section headings bold or emphasising key text.
Version Control: Undo Any Changes
If you've made a change you don't like, Heidi automatically saves every version of your template.
Click the Version dropdown (top of the editor) to see your version history and restore any previous version.
💡 Templates often improve with refinement. After your first session, review the output and adjust your placeholders or instructions as needed.
Applying Your Template
Your template is ready - now let’s use it!
How Templates Work with Your Sessions
When you apply a template to a session, Heidi combines information from:
The transcript: What was said during the consultation
Contextual notes: Any notes you added before or during the session
Patient details: Name, age, pronouns from the patient record
Heidi maps this information into your template structure, producing a complete clinical note.
Using Your Template
Complete a session with a patient
Go to the session in your Heidi dashboard
Select your template from the template dropdown
Heidi generates the note
Review and make any final edits
Copy to your practice management system, print or email the note.
Pro tip: Set a template as your default (toggle in template settings) to have it automatically selected for new sessions.
Tips for Success
Do ✅
Start simple: Begin with a basic template and refine over time
Test with real sessions: See how the template performs with actual consultations
Use the Template Community: Adapt existing templates, there's no need to reinvent the wheel
Be specific with placeholders:
[Allergies including severity and reactions]works better than[Allergies]
Avoid ❌
Don’t include examples in placeholders: Write
[Medications]not[Medications e.g. Metformin, Lisinopril]Don’t skip safety instructions: Always include “Only include if explicitly mentioned…” to prevent Heidi from inventing information
Don’t overcomplicate: A simple template that works is better than a complex one that confuses
Useful Resources
Finding Templates hard to get your head around? Check out our Template Community to see if one already exists for your use case. Additional resources are available:
Step-by-step written guide: Guides - Building Templates [ Beginner ]
Video tutorial: Creating Templates Video Tutorial
What’s Next?
Creating and using templates in Heidi is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your clinical documentation process. With the new template builder, you can create templates using plain language without learning any special syntax. For those who want more control, understanding the 4 components allows you to fine-tune your templates to perfection.
Ready to level up? Continue to our next tutorial:
Glossary of Terms
Term | Definition |
transcript | The transcript of the conversation between the clinician and the patient |
contextual notes | The context or contextual notes made by the clinician, which should be integrated into the foundation clinical note |
patient details | Specific details about the patient that should be included in the document |
template | The pre-defined format or structure that the clinical note or document should adhere to |
voice | The unique voice and style preferences of the clinician for writing the note: Brief, Goldilocks, Detailed & Super Detailed (see: What do the different Voice Styles mean?) |
language | The transcript is in US English and trained on medical terminology. If you want to use British or Australian English, update in Memory |
date today | The current date in dd/mm/yyyy format; you can set your date format in Memory |
healthcare encounter | All information pertaining to today's session, visit or consult -the transcript, contextual notes, patient details, date today, etc. |
requirements | Specific requirements and instructions for writing the clinical note |
clinical note | The foundation clinical note that needs to be mapped to the template |
placeholder | Text in square brackets describing the type of medical information that should be displayed |
AI instructions | Text in round brackets guiding how to treat or manipulate information |
verbatim | Text in quotation marks that must be included word-for-word in the output |