I'm really glad to see this feature finally in AC. I submitted this as a suggestion to Jon about 3-4 years ago, and it really humanizes the note. Until now, I've done all my templates in gender-neutral phrases, which can be pretty cold. This now makes the note more "dictation-like".
Another field that might be useful is sex, as in "male" or "female" or more formal "Gentleman" or "Lady". An example: "Mr. Johnson is a 46 year-old gentleman who presents today...".
The most exciting aspect of this goes far beyond simple substitution. Fully implemented scripts with simple decision trees embedded into templates will make it possible to generate complex integrated notes with a wealth of data instantly.
Another idea I'm waiting to see is "linked templates". Selecting one template for the HPI, for example, would automatically select and enter another template in another field, such as Physical Exam and/or Diagnosis codes. Selecting the "Flu" linked HPI template could automatically fill in the physical exam, diagnosis and plan fields.
Keep up the great work!
Chester Lapeza, MD
