Writing a Letter for a Patient
Letters let you send a signed, patient-visible document — like a work or school excuse — directly from a patient's chart, using the same rich-text editor you use for notes.
Create a letter
- Open the patient's chart and go to the Notes tab.
- Click the arrow next to Write note and select Write letter.
- A new draft letter opens in the side panel.
Write the letter
The letter body is a single free-text editor; there's no separate recipient, subject, or signature field, so write the full letter (salutation, body, and sign-off) directly in the text box.
- Give the letter a Title; it will be used as the header of the Letter PDF. Click on the current title to edit it.
- Set the service date if it differs from today.
- Type
/to insert a saved template. - Type
$to pull in patient health record details (e.g., diagnosis, vitals) automatically.
Unlike clinical notes, letters don't have Recap, Attachments, Actions, or Sources tabs, and they can't be marked private; a letter is either a draft or signed.
Sign the letter
When it's ready, click Sign letter. Signing records you as the signer and the date/time signed.
- A signed letter becomes visible on the Patient APP.
- Archive letters to hide them from patients.
- You can still edit a signed letter afterward; saving creates an updated version, and you'll need to re-sign it.
- Only the clinician who signed the letter can edit or re-sign it.
Share the letter
Click on More options to:
- View PDF or Download PDF
- Copy to clipboard
If you need to fax a letter, click to View PDF, and you will be redirected to the Patient Folder where you can fax it from there.
Reminders
- Letters appear in the patient's notes list and side panel alongside notes, marked with a letter icon and labeled Letter.
- Use the notes filter panel to show Letters only, or Notes only.
- Archive a letter to remove it from the list and, if signed, hide it from the patient. Only the clinician who created the letter can archive or unarchive it.