Customise templates
Build your own templates, import the PDFs you already use, and organise them into folders so your team can find what they need fast.
Why customise instead of using defaults
Your workspace starts with a set of templates picked for your profession, so you're not facing a blank page. They're a good base, but they can't know exactly how you work. A therapist's progress note doesn't look like a physio's assessment, and your way of working is different again.
An afternoon shaping templates around how you actually work pays back in cleaner notes and faster writing.
Build a template from scratch
- Go to Templates and click New template.
- Give the template a title and choose a collection, such as Notes, Forms or Assessments.
- Add fields with the + button (Add form field), picking the type that matches what you're capturing: short or long text, dates, dropdowns, multiple choice, signatures and more.
- Type / in the editor for the quick-insert menu: headings, lists, tables, images, smart chips and AI smart prompt.
- Click Save template.
Import an existing PDF
If you already have forms you like, import them rather than rebuilding:
- Go to Templates → Import and drop in your PDFs, up to seven at a time and 10MB each.
- Carepatron converts each PDF into a template with form fields. Typed PDFs with clearly labelled fields work best; handwritten or visually busy forms need more cleanup.
- When the import finishes, open the template, check the fields against the original, fix anything that's off, and save.
It's now a Carepatron template you can send to clients, pre-fill with smart chips, and edit any time.
Organise with folders and the community library
Create a folder from the arrow next to New template → New folder, then drag templates in, or hover over a template and click Move to folder. Use folders for big buckets: 'Intake', 'Progress notes', 'Outcome measures', 'Discharge'. The Intake folder marked Default is the one the Send intake workflow sends.
For inspiration or shortcuts, browse the Community section of the Templates page: templates shared by other Carepatron practitioners, which you can filter by collection, profession and tags. Preview one, then click Use template to start a note with it, or Copy to workspace to keep an editable copy.
Tick these off in your own workspace before moving on.
Five templates worth standardising in your practice.
Examples to adapt. Build these first.
SOAP / DAP / BIRP, whatever your profession uses. Smart chips for client name and DOB. AI prompt at the bottom to auto-summarise the session.
Single-page: presenting concern, history, consent, contact details. Smart chips so name and email pre-fill from the profile.
PHQ-9, GAD-7, pain VAS, short, auto-scored where supported. Send before every nth session.
Goals, modality, frequency, review date. Used at intake and every quarterly review. Shareable with the client via portal.
Two-paragraph format. AI prompt embedded: 'Summarise this session's transcript as a discharge summary, three short paragraphs.'
What file format can I import templates from?
PDF only, up to seven files at a time and 10MB each. Typed PDFs work best: Carepatron converts them into templates with form fields. Handwritten, scanned or visually busy PDFs need more cleanup after import.
How do I organise templates into folders?
Click the arrow next to New template → New folder. Then drag templates into the folder, or hover over a template and click Move to folder.
What are smart chips and how do they help?
Smart chips are placeholders that fill in with real details, such as the client's name, date of birth or contact details, when the template is used. In the editor, click Add smart data chips in the toolbar, or type / and choose Smartchips, then pick the field to pull from.
How do I copy a community template to my workspace?
On the Templates page, open the Community section, preview a template and click Copy to workspace. The copy appears in your team templates and you can edit it freely. The community version stays untouched.
Can I duplicate one of my templates to make a variation?
Yes, hover over the template and click Duplicate. A copy appears in your templates that you can rename and edit independently.
Can I include AI prompts inside a template?
Yes, type / in the editor and choose AI smart prompt. The prompt runs when the template is applied to a note with a transcript. Useful for summarising, formatting, or drafting sections.
Can I publish my customised template back to the community?
Yes, open the template's overflow menu and choose Publish to community, then pick a collection and add a short description. Other practitioners can then find and use it.