How to Create and Use User Defined Phrases in EHR 24/7

Patient Documentation in Encounters can be completed more quickly by using Phrases that are stored and configured in the Manage Office tab. These Phrases can be accessed and used repeatedly when completing specific sections of your SOAP Note Layouts.

Phrases are similar in function to Guidelines, but unlike Guidelines which appear in line directly above SOAP Note fields, Phrases are accessed through a pop-up window.  Click the link here for instructions on how to set up and use Guidelines How to Set Up and Use SOAP Guidelines in Office Ally

Instructions on how to add and use Phrases are included below.

Adding Phrases

You can add User Defined Phrases in three different ways:

1. Add Phrases via the Manage Office Tab

• Navigate to the Manage Office tab.

• Under the User Section, click the arrow next to User Defined Phrases.

• A drop-down list of available sections will appear. Click on the section where you want to add phrases (e.g., Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan).

• This opens the current phrase list for that section. Click the Add button at the top of the page.

• In the pop-up window, enter your phrase or sentence in the Description field and click Add to save.

• You can also click the Search/Add button to browse a list of System Defined phrases curated by Office Ally (if available for that section).

• Repeat this for each section you want to customize in your SOAP Note Layouts.

2. Add Phrases While Editing a SOAP Note Layout

Note: This method is only available for selected custom note fields.

• Go to the Manage Office tab and click SOAP Note Layout under the User section.

• Click Edit next to the layout you want to modify.

• In the layout setup page, locate any custom fields you’ve added.

• If the option is available, click the Edit Phrase List link to the right of the field.

• Add phrases just like you would in the User Defined Phrases section.

• Once you're done, click Update to save your changes.

3. Add Phrases While Editing a Progress Note

• While editing a progress note, type in the desired text within any applicable section.

• Highlight the text you want to save.

• Click the “A” icon (located in the upper-right of the text field).

• A pop-up window will appear with the highlighted text pre-filled. Click Add to save it to your phrase list.

Using Phrases in a Progress Note

To use User Defined Phrases:

1. Navigate to the patient chart and hover over Progress Notes in the top menu.

2. Under Add Custom/Progress Note/Encounter, select the layout to create a new Encounter.  You can also edit any existing unsigned Encounter.

3. When editing the Encounter, locate the text fields for each section of your SOAP note. In the upper-right corner of each text field, you'll see a series of buttons, including:

• The first ellipsis button (...) opens your User-Defined list from the Manage Office tab.

• The second ellipsis button (...) opens the System-Defined list (if available).

4. Click Select next to any phrase to insert it into the note field.

Phrases are associated with SOAP Note Layout sections. If a section (e.g., "Chief Complaint") exists in multiple SOAP Note layouts, the same phrase list will appear on each one.

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