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This guide will walk you through the process of creating SOAP record templates in Digitail, allowing you to customize and optimize your workflow, reduce redundancy, and maintain high-quality patient records.

From the administrative view, go to Templates located in the left toolbar. Click on Add New, or Duplicate an existing template. If you need to Edit or Delete a template, simply click on the icons from the Actions column.

Begin by giving your template a descriptive name. This name should reflect the purpose of the template, such as "Routine Check-Up" or "Dermatology Visit." A clear and specific name will make it easier for you and your team to select the appropriate template for each patient visit.

Next, you’ll be able to customize each section of the SOAP template.

You can decide if you want to hide or show a specific section only under certain conditions (for example, just for dogs, or for animals between some ages).

Here you can predefine services, staff members and include internal notes. The notes are always private and you can use the space to describe procedures, remind colleagues of something, etc.

In this section, consider including fields that capture essential patient history and symptoms. You might add text boxes for general history, presenting complaints, or any recent changes in the pet’s behavior. If certain questions or prompts are commonly asked during patient intake, include them here to ensure consistency.

For the objective portion, include fields for vital signs, physical exam notes, and diagnostic results. You can create predefined fields for common measurements such as temperature, pulse, and respiration, or leave space for free-form text if you prefer more flexibility.

The assessment section might include fields for diagnoses, differential diagnoses, or interpretations of the objective data. Depending on the nature of your practice, you might want to include dropdown menus for commonly encountered conditions, making it quicker to fill out this section.

Finally, in the plan section, outline the treatment options, medications, and next steps. You can include checklists for standard treatments, space for medication instructions, and reminders for follow-up visits. Additionally, you can add a field for client education notes or discharge instructions.

If you want to hide a section, simply click the toggle switch to the off position and the entire section will be greyed out.

Once you've designed your template, click Save to store it in your template library. Your new template will now be available for use whenever you create a SOAP record. To use a template, simply select it from the list when you begin documenting a new patient visit.

You can also manage your templates by returning to the SOAP Templates section in the settings. Here, you can edit existing templates to reflect changes in your practice's protocols, duplicate templates for variations, or delete templates that are no longer in use.

When creating a new Record, you can select one of the templates you've created. You'll see the template being applied immediately - only the sections and fields that you decided to show will be visible and all the fields that had predefined values will be already selected/prefilled. You can change any of the default values or add new ones.

📌 While the Record is in Draft mode you can change the template, but once the Record is saved you won't be able to update or remove the associated template.