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EHR Template Naming Guide

Wesley Combs avatar
Written by Wesley Combs
Updated over a week ago

EHR Template Naming Guide

Article Type: Configuration Guide
​ Target Audience: Clinic administrators, template creators
​ Last Updated: January 2026

Overview

Creating templates in Ambient Scribe requires following specific naming conventions for your EHR system. The template name tells the system how to map your note to the correct location in your EHR, ensuring your documentation ends up in the right place with the correct formatting.

This guide explains the naming requirements for both TouchWorks (TWEHR) and Veradigm (VEHR) EHR systems.

Quick Reference

TouchWorks (TWEHR) Format

Use this pattern:

Friendly Name {Exact TouchWorks Note Type}

Example:

Primary Care {Office Visit}

Veradigm (VEHR) Format

Include one of these identifiers:
- [Veradigm] at the start or end
- {Veradigm} at the start or end
- [H&P] or {H&P} for History & Physical templates

Example:

[Veradigm] Office Visit

TouchWorks (TWEHR) Template Naming

If your clinic uses TouchWorks as your EHR, follow this naming pattern carefully.

Required Pattern

Your template name must include the TouchWorks note type in curly braces {}:

Template Name {Note Type}

Why This Matters

The text inside the curly braces {} must exactly match the encounter note type you configured in TouchWorks. Without the correct note type, your notes won't save properly to the EHR, and they may be placed in the wrong section or rejected entirely.

How to Find Your TouchWorks Note Types

  1. Open TouchWorks

  2. Navigate to Administration > Document Types

  3. Look for "Encounter Note Types" or similar section

  4. List all the note types available to your clinic

  5. Write down the exact names (be careful with capitalization and spacing)

Example Names from Common Specialties

Primary Care / Family Medicine

  • Primary Care {Office Visit} - Maps to "Office Visit" note type

  • Telehealth {Telehealth Visit} - Maps to "Telehealth Visit" note type

  • Acute Care {Acute Visit} - Maps to "Acute Visit" note type

  • Follow-Up {Follow-Up} - Maps to "Follow-Up" note type

General Surgery

  • General Surgery {FollowUp Visit - GS} - Maps to "FollowUp Visit - GS"

  • Pre-Op Assessment {PreOp - GS} - Maps to "PreOp - GS"

  • Post-Op Note {PostOp Visit - GS} - Maps to "PostOp Visit - GS"

Cardiology

  • Cardiology {Office Visit - CARD} - Maps to "Office Visit - CARD"

  • Cardiology Follow-Up {FollowUp Visit - CARD} - Maps to "FollowUp Visit - CARD"

  • Post-Op Cardiology {PostOp Visit - CARD} - Maps to "PostOp Visit - CARD"

Dermatology

  • Dermatology {Office Visit - DERM} - Maps to "Office Visit - DERM"

  • Procedure Note {Procedure Visit - DERM} - Maps to "Procedure Visit - DERM"

Orthopedics

  • Orthopedics {Office Visit - ORTHO} - Maps to "Office Visit - ORTHO"

  • Surgery Note {Surgery - ORTHO} - Maps to "Surgery - ORTHO"

Neurology

  • Neurology {Office Visit - NEURO} - Maps to "Office Visit - NEURO"

  • Consult {Consult - NEURO} - Maps to "Consult - NEURO"

Other Specialties

  • Urology {New Patient - URO} - Maps to "New Patient - URO"

  • Rheumatology {Follow-Up - RHEUM} - Maps to "Follow-Up - RHEUM"

  • Endocrinology {Office Visit - ENDO} - Maps to "Office Visit - ENDO"

  • Pediatrics {Well Child - PEDS} - Maps to "Well Child - PEDS"

  • Pulmonology {Clinic Visit - PULM} - Maps to "Clinic Visit - PULM"

  • Gastroenterology {Office Visit - GI} - Maps to "Office Visit - GI"

  • Oncology {Treatment Visit - ONC} - Maps to "Treatment Visit - ONC"

Important Details

Spacing and Capitalization

  • Must match exactly (case-sensitive)

  • Include all spaces and hyphens

  • No extra spaces inside the curly braces

Correct: Cardiology {PostOp Visit - CARD}
​ Incorrect: Cardiology {PostOp Visit- CARD} (missing space)

The Friendly Name

The part before the curly braces is what users will see:
- Can be any name you want
- Should be descriptive for your users
- Examples: "Primary Care", "Surgery Follow-Up", "New Patient Visit"

Multiple Templates for One Note Type

You can create multiple templates for the same note type with different names:
- Quick Primary Care {Office Visit}
- Comprehensive Primary Care {Office Visit}
- Telehealth Note {Office Visit}

All three will use the same TouchWorks note type, but users can choose which template to use.

Troubleshooting TouchWorks Names

Problem: Template doesn't save to EHR
- Check that the note type in {} exactly matches your TouchWorks configuration
- Verify no extra spaces or different capitalization

Problem: Note appears in wrong section
- The note type in {} doesn't match what's configured for that section
- Ask your EHR administrator to verify the note type name

Problem: Template isn't showing up
- Verify the template was saved successfully
- Make sure your user account has permission to use that note type
- Check that the note type exists in your TouchWorks configuration

Veradigm (VEHR) Template Naming

If your clinic uses Veradigm (formerly Allscripts), use these naming conventions.

Identifier Options

Veradigm templates use identifier markers to determine how to parse and structure your notes:

Standard SOAP Note (Default)

If your template name doesn't include any special identifier, it's treated as a standard SOAP note:

Primary Care Visit
Office Follow-Up
Acute Care Note

No special marker needed - these default to SOAP parsing.

Veradigm-Specific Parsing

Include [Veradigm] or {Veradigm} (case-insensitive) to use Veradigm-specific section parsing:

At the start:

[Veradigm] Office Visit
[Veradigm] Follow-Up

At the end:

Office Visit [Veradigm]
Follow-Up [Veradigm]

Using curly braces (equivalent):

{Veradigm} Office Visit
Office Visit {Veradigm}

History & Physical (H&P) Templates

For History & Physical templates, include the H&P identifier:

Option 1 - Bracket format:

[H&P] Complete Physical Exam
[H&P] New Patient Assessment

Option 2 - Curly brace format:

{H&P} Complete Physical Exam
{H&P} New Patient Assessment

Option 3 - Abbreviated:

[History & Physical] Initial Evaluation
{HP} New Patient Visit

All of these are equivalent and tell the system to use History & Physical section parsing.

Example Names for Veradigm

Standard Templates (SOAP)

  • Primary Care Office Visit - Standard SOAP parsing

  • Acute Care Note - Standard SOAP parsing

  • Follow-Up Visit - Standard SOAP parsing

Veradigm-Optimized Templates

  • [Veradigm] Comprehensive Office Visit - Veradigm parsing

  • Cardiology Follow-Up [Veradigm] - Veradigm parsing

  • Specialty Consultation {Veradigm} - Veradigm parsing

History & Physical Templates

  • [H&P] Complete Physical Examination - H&P parsing

  • {H&P} New Patient History and Physical - H&P parsing

  • Initial Comprehensive Visit [H&P] - H&P parsing

When to Use Which

Template Type

Use This Pattern

Example

Standard clinical notes

No special marker

Office Visit

Uses Veradigm's custom sections

[Veradigm] identifier

[Veradigm] Office Visit

History & Physical notes

[H&P] identifier

[H&P] Initial Evaluation

SOAP notes (default)

No marker needed

Primary Care SOAP

Marker Case Sensitivity

The markers are case-insensitive, so these are all equivalent:
- [Veradigm] = [veradigm] = [VERADIGM]
- [H&P] = [h&p] = [HP] = [hp]

Recommended: Use uppercase [Veradigm] and [H&P] for consistency.

Creating Your Templates

Step 1: Check Your EHR System

Contact your EHR administrator or check your settings:
- TouchWorks? Use the {Note Type} pattern
- Veradigm? Use the [Identifier] pattern

Step 2: Find Your Note Types (TouchWorks only)

For TouchWorks, get the exact note type names:
1. Open TouchWorks administration
2. Find the list of encounter note types
3. Write down exact names with proper capitalization

Step 3: Name Your Template

Follow the appropriate pattern for your EHR:
- TouchWorks: Descriptive Name {Exact Note Type}
- Veradigm: Descriptive Name or [Veradigm] Descriptive Name or [H&P] Descriptive Name

Step 4: Create Template

  1. Go to Settings > Templates

  2. Click Create New Template

  3. Enter your properly formatted name

  4. Build your template content

  5. Test with a sample encounter

FAQs

Q: What if my note type name has a dash in it?
A: Include the dash exactly as it appears in TouchWorks. Example: Cardiology {PostOp Visit - CARD}

Q: Can I use special characters in the friendly name?
A: Yes, the friendly name (before the curly braces) can contain most characters. The name in the curly braces must match your EHR configuration exactly.

Q: What happens if I use the wrong note type?
A: Your note may not save to the EHR, or it may be saved to the wrong section. Always verify the note type name with your EHR administrator.

Q: Do I need a different template for each note type?
A: Yes, each different note type in TouchWorks requires its own template. You can have multiple friendly names for the same note type though.

Q: Are the Veradigm markers required?
A: No, they're optional. Without a marker, your template defaults to standard SOAP parsing. Use markers only when you need different parsing behavior.

Q: Can I mix TouchWorks and Veradigm naming?
A: No, your clinic uses one EHR system. Follow the pattern for your specific EHR.

Q: What if my note type name is very long?
A: Use it exactly as configured. Include the entire name in the curly braces or as the identifier.

Q: How do I change a template name after creating it?
A: Edit the template in Settings and update the name to follow the correct format.

Troubleshooting

"Template can't save to EHR"

  • TouchWorks: Verify the note type name in {} matches exactly

  • Veradigm: Ensure proper identifier format if needed

  • Check that note type exists in your EHR

"Note goes to wrong location"

  • Verify the note type name matches EHR configuration

  • Ask your EHR administrator to confirm note type mapping

  • Double-check capitalization and spacing

"Template not appearing in template picker"

  • Verify template was saved successfully

  • Check that you have permission to use that template

  • For TouchWorks, confirm the note type is available to your role

"Different users see different templates"

  • This is normal - users only see templates for note types they have permission to use

  • Contact your EHR administrator to adjust permissions if needed

Best Practices

  1. Always verify note type names - Get exact names from your EHR administrator

  2. Use descriptive friendly names - Help your team choose the right template

  3. Test with real encounters - Create a test encounter to verify it saves correctly

  4. Document your templates - Keep a list of what templates you've created and what they're for

  5. Be consistent - Use similar naming patterns across your clinic

  6. Update regularly - As your note types change, update your templates to match

Next Steps

  • Create your first template with the correct naming format

  • Test that notes save to the correct location in your EHR

  • Train your team on which templates to use

  • Reach out to support if you have questions about your EHR's configuration

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