👋 Welcome back to Heidi Health’s template tutorial series! Now that you’re familiar with the basics of template creation, it's time to explore more advanced techniques. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into refining your templates, allowing you to further harness the power of Heidi’s AI to meet your specific needs.
⚠️ If you are just getting started with Heidi templates, why not start at the beginning -> Creating Templates in Heidi: A Basic Guide
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Reviewing the Four Main Components of a Template
Before we get into the advanced techniques, let’s quickly revisit the four main components of a template:
Section Headings: These are simply written in plain text (e.g., Subjective, Objective, Plan) and help structure your template by indicating where different types of information should be placed.
Placeholders: Wrapped in square brackets (e.g., [Patient Name]), placeholders tell Heidi where to insert specific pieces of information when generating a document.
Verbatim Text: Text that you want to appear exactly as written every time the template is used should be enclosed in quotation marks. This is useful for consistent information like your practice address or contact details.
AI Instructions: Perhaps the most crucial component, AI instructions are wrapped in round brackets and guide Heidi on how to handle the information in your template. These instructions help ensure that Heidi processes the information as you intend, whether or not it’s present in the transcript.
Here is an example of the 4 template components at play:
Refining Your Templates with AI Instructions
To get the most out of your templates, it’s essential to communicate effectively with Heidi using the proper syntax and wording. Remember, Heidi operates based on computer logic, so direct and clear instructions work best. Let’s look at a few examples to illustrate the power of AI instructions and how you can leverage them to make Heidi behave the way you want it to.
Example 1: Changing the Format of a Section
Let’s say you’re working with a neurology template and you’ve dictated a session where the patient has Friedreich's ataxia. Heidi typically formats the notes using bullet points, but you prefer a more narrative, paragraph-style format for the subjective section of your SOAP note.
Here’s how you can adjust the template:
Edit the Template: Go to the "View/Edit Template" section and remove the bullet points (- or •) at the start of each placeholder in the subjective section of your SOAP template.
Add AI Instructions: To change the format, you might include an instruction like:
(Never use bullet points to write the subjective section below. Use full sentences and paragraph format to capture the information in the subjective section)
By adding this AI instruction under the Subjective section heading, Heidi will now generate the subjective section as a flowing narrative rather than a list of bullet points.
Example 2: Line-by-Line Format Without Bullet Points
If you prefer the subjective section to be written line by line without bullet points but not as a paragraph, you can modify the above AI instruction as follows:
Update the AI Instruction:
(Never use bullet points to write the subjective section below. Use full sentences and line by line format to capture the information in the subjective section)
Note that you should have also removed the bullet points (- or •) from the subjective section of your SOAP template as in Example 1. When you regenerate the output, Heidi will list each piece of information on its own line, creating a clean, organised document without bullet points.
💡 Keep in mind that Heidi probably won’t get it right the first time you use your template; it takes trial and error to create the perfect template! For example, if the above AI instruction does not produce the desired result, try modifying it (by including more specific explanation on what the AI needs to do) as below: (never use bullet points to write the subjective section below; you must write using full sentences to capture the information in subjective section; each placeholder's information should sit on it's own line, do not use paragraphs to write the subjective section)
Example 3: Creating lists within your note
You can use specific AI instructions next to each placeholder to instruct Heidi on how to capture and present information at that place. For example, if you would like the medications or diagnosis listed, you could use the following AI instruction next to the relevant placeholder:
[Mention medications along with details such as dosing] (make a numbered list for medications with each medication mentioned on a new line)
or
[Mention diagnoses] (list each diagnosis one-by-one along with a brief description)
Handling Specific Scenarios
Sometimes, you may want Heidi to refer to the patient by their name rather than as "the patient." Here’s how you can instruct Heidi to do this:
Add a General AI Instruction at the start or end of your template:
(Always refer to the patient by their name if available. Only refer to them as 'the patient' if there is no information about the patient's name in the patient details)
This general AI instruction ensures that whenever the patient’s name is available, Heidi will use it throughout the generated document, making it more personalised. “Global” instructions such as these can be included separately at the very beginning or at the very end of your template so that Heidi will apply these instructions to the entire template and not just to a particular section or a particular placeholder.
Example Usages of General AI Instructions:
Example Usages of General AI Instructions:
- to get Heidi to write in a particular style or format (as seen above)
(Use full sentences and paragraph format to capture the information in the subjective section)
- to get Heidi to use the same date format throughout the note (Always use the format DD/MM/YYYY for all dates that appear in this note. If day is not mentioned in transcript then use Month-YYYY format.)
- to ensure only verified information is included in the output and to prevent hallucinations: (Never come up with your own patient details, assessment, diagnosis, interventions, evaluation, and plan - use only the transcript, contextual notes, or clinical note as a reference for the information to include in your note.)
- to modify a default behaviour of Heidi or to avoid any unwanted behaviour (If any information related to a placeholder has not been explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes, or clinical note, you must not state that the information has not been explicitly mentioned in your output, just leave the relevant placeholder or section blank.)
Pro Tips for Effective Template Creation
Here are some additional tips to help you refine your templates:
Be Specific with Your Placeholder Instructions: Clearly indicate where you want specific pieces of information to appear. For example, instead of using a placeholder [Mention allergies], you could be specific and provide more context as to what needs to be captured by that placeholder, for e.g.:
[Describe any allergies along with details of allergens, severity/nature of reaction, last episode, any previous hospitalisations, etc (include only if applicable)]
Use Consistent Language: Heidi relies on consistent wording to understand your instructions. For instance, if you refer to a section as "Subjective" in your template, use the same term in your AI instructions. Avoid varying the language, as this could confuse the AI and lead to less accurate outputs.
Experiment with Formats and Syntax: Don’t be afraid to test different formats and instructions. If your initial attempt doesn’t produce the desired result, try rephrasing your instructions. For example, you might need to adjust wording like "Use paragraph format" to "Do not use bullet points, write in full sentences."
Use Natural Language for AI Instructions: Although Heidi operates on computer logic, using natural language in your instructions can often yield better results. For instance, simple and clear instructions like "Write this section as a narrative" can be very effective.
Support and Troubleshooting
If you encounter challenges with your templates, remember that support is available. You can reach out to our medical knowledge team via Intercom or email, and we’ll help you troubleshoot and refine your templates to get the results you need.
Final Thoughts
Creating templates that align with your specific needs in Heidi is a powerful way to enhance your clinical documentation process. By following these intermediate-level techniques and experimenting with AI instructions, you can create templates that not only save time but also ensure accuracy and consistency.
Stay tuned for our final tutorial, where we’ll cover advanced techniques for template creation in Heidi!
Keep advancing -> Mastering your Heidi Templates: An Advanced Guide
Back to basics -> Creating Templates in Heidi: A Basic Guide