Intermediate guide: The logic behind templates to structure them effectively

Learn template foundations to build your own custom template.

March 5, 2025•5 min read

Learning Objectives

Understand the four key components of a template to create customized notes.
Learn how to format templates using paragraphs, line-by-line text, or lists.
Understand how the placement of AI instructions affects note output.

1. Understanding Template Components in Heidi

When creating a template in Heidi, you’ll work with four key components that guide the AI in generating accurate, structured content. These components can be used individually or in combination to customise your notes and documents. Below is an overview of each component and how to use it effectively.

1. Section Headings

🔍 What They Do: Provide structure and guide Heidi on what information belongs in each section.

📌 How to Use: In a SOAP note, you might use headings like:

Subjective
Objective
Assessment
Plan

‍2. Placeholders

🔍 What They Do: Act as markers for specific information that will be automatically inserted into the template.

📌 How to Use: Placeholders should be enclosed in square brackets:

[Patient Name] → Automatically fills in the patient’s name.‍

[Insert past medical history] → Populates the patient's medical.

3. AI Instructions

🔍 What They Do: Tell Heidi how to process or display specific information, refining placeholders or adding extra guidance.

📌 How to Use: Enclose AI instructions in round brackets.

(Only include relevant past medical history if explicitly mentioned in the transcript or contextual notes.)

4. Verbatim Text

🔍 What They Do: Keeps specific text unchanged every time the template is used.

📌 How to Use: Enclose verbatim text in quotation marks:

‍
"Dr. Kieran McLeod
Emergency Medicine Specialist
MBChB (UCT)
Contact: dr.kieran@example.com"

- This text will always appear exactly as written in every document.‍

💡Tip: Kick things off with Section Headings and AI Instructions—they do most of the heavy lifting! You’ll be surprised how much of your template comes together with just these two. 🚀

2. Format your templates with paragraphs or lists

Heidi defaults to bullet points, but you can easily adjust your template to fit your preferred documentation style. Whether you want a narrative format, line-by-line structure, or specific lists, here’s how to customise your notes:

📖 1. Paragraph Format

Prefer a flowing paragraph for the Subjective section? Follow these steps:

✅ Update the Template

Go to View/Edit Template.
Remove any bullet points (- or •) from the placeholders in the Subjective section.

✅ Add AI Instructions
Insert this under the Subjective heading:

(Never use bullet points to write the Subjective section below. Use full sentences and paragraph format to capture the information.)

📋 2. Line-by-Line Format

Want a structured but not paragraph-based format? Use this:

✅ Update the Template
Remove bullet points as described above.

✅ Add AI Instructions
Use the following instruction under the Subjective heading:

(Never use bullet points to write the subjective section below. Use full sentences and line-by-line format to capture the information in the subjective section.)

📑 3. Creating Lists Within Your Notes

For specific sections like medications or diagnoses, you can include AI instructions to generate lists.

💡Example for medications
Use a placeholder with an AI instruction like this:

[Medications] (Make a numbered list for medications, with each medication mentioned on a new line along with details such as dosing.)

3.How Placement of AI Instructions Affects Note Output

The placement of AI instructions in your template can influence how Heidi generates notes.

[Medications used in the past](only include if explicitly mentioned in the transcript, contextual notes or clinical note, otherwise leave blank)

Ensures only relevant information is included.
Placing the instruction right next to the placeholder applies it only to that section.

💡Tip: To create Global instructions, place the instructions at the very beginning or end of your template. Heidi will use it throughout the generated note.