Pre-Chart: Automatic Patient Context from Your EHR
Article Type: Feature Guide
Target Audience: EHR-integrated users
Last Updated: January 2026
Overview
Pre-Chart automatically pulls patient demographic data from your connected EHR system and includes it in the AI's context window. This ensures your generated notes contain accurate patient identifiers without manual data entry.
What is Pre-Chart?
When enabled, Pre-Chart retrieves key patient information from your EHR before note generation begins. This data helps Ambient Scribe produce more accurate, personalized clinical documentation.
Data Retrieved
Pre-Chart pulls the following demographic information:
Data Field | Description | Example |
Full Name | Patient's complete name | John Michael Smith |
First Name | Given name | John |
Last Name | Family name | Smith |
Date of Birth | DOB in standard format | June 15, 1985 |
Age | Calculated from DOB | 40 years |
Biological Sex | Male, Female, or Unknown | Male |
MRN | Medical Record Number | 123456789 |
How to Enable Pre-Chart
Step 1: Access Settings
Open Ambient Scribe on web or desktop
Click on Settings (gear icon)
Navigate to the EHR section
Step 2: Enable the Feature
Find the Pre-Chart toggle
Switch it to On (enabled)
Your setting saves automatically
How It Works
Patient Context: When you launch Ambient Scribe from your EHR with a patient selected, the system receives patient context
Data Retrieval: Pre-Chart automatically fetches demographics from the EHR
Context Injection: Patient information is added to the AI's context window
Note Generation: The AI uses this context to generate accurate notes with proper patient identifiers
Benefits
Accuracy: Notes contain correct patient names, ages, and identifiers
Age-Appropriate Language: Documentation reflects patient's actual age
Time Savings: No need to manually enter or verify patient details
Reduced Errors: Eliminates transcription mistakes for patient data
Seamless Integration: Works automatically with your EHR workflow
Supported EHR Systems
Pre-Chart works with the following EHR integrations:
EHR System | Support Status |
Veradigm (VEHR) | Fully supported |
TouchWorks (TWEHR) | Fully supported |
FHIR-compatible systems | Supported |
Privacy and Security
Session-Only: Patient data is used only for the current encounter
No Persistent Storage: Demographics are not stored after note generation
HIPAA Compliant: All data handling follows HIPAA requirements
Encrypted Transit: Data is encrypted during transmission
Troubleshooting
"No demographics available"
Cause: EHR connection issue or missing patient context
Solutions:
1. Verify your EHR integration is active in Settings
2. Ensure you launched Ambient Scribe with a patient selected in your EHR
3. Check that you have appropriate permissions in your EHR to access patient data
4. Try refreshing the EHR connection
Wrong patient data appears
Cause: Incorrect patient context from EHR
Solutions:
1. Verify the correct patient is selected in your EHR
2. Close and relaunch Ambient Scribe from the correct patient chart
3. Check for multiple patient windows open in your EHR
Pre-Chart toggle not visible
Cause: EHR integration not enabled or not supported
Solutions:
1. Confirm your EHR integration is active (Settings > EHR)
2. Contact your organization admin to enable EHR integration
3. Verify your EHR system is supported (see list above)
Data appears incomplete
Cause: Limited data availability in EHR
Solutions:
1. Some EHR configurations may restrict certain fields
2. Contact your EHR administrator about data access permissions
3. Missing optional fields (like middle name) won't affect note quality
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Need Help?
If Pre-Chart isn't working as expected after trying these steps, please contact support with:
- Your EHR system name
- Screenshot of your EHR settings in Ambient Scribe
- Description of the issue