Is there a way to get rid of the "smoking" part of the patient note?
I would like to know how to get ride of the start date/end date that populates automatically in the social history box.
Same answer to both: you cannot permanently drop these, but you can erase as you go along, and they do not appear in the finished note.
I'm also trying to figure out how to adjust the basic note template.
One of the limitations of AC is that you cannot customize the basic note template; the different sections cannot be deleted, re-ordered, or otherwise altered.
Is there any way to just have a SOAP note or a free text box?
Iris, this is my post #2198 on this board. Post #1 in 2009 asked the "SOAP note" question. To be honest, I am surprised that it is not more commonly asked.
No, you cannot create or save your notes in SOAP format. You do have the option to print them that way. This is done with the letter writer. You can either bring up the letter writer as you finish each note (you can set this as a default) OR right-click on the patient name in the scheduler or patient list, and select "Print notes and letters". In the box that opens, choose the DOS on the left and on the right choose "SOAP note" and voila... a SOAP note is printed.
You cannot create a "free text box". On the other hand, you will note that when you print a SOAP note, the assessment and plan boxes are combined. If I need a place for free text, I put the "assessment" and "plan" in the assessment section, and use the "plan" box for additional text. That section is also automatically inserted into the patient's printed instructions.
