Notes and Source Material
How to write notes, paste outside material, upload documents, take photos, use simple markdown, and use optional AI note tools during the pilot.
Notes in PracticeRunner are designed to start where clinicians already are: with the material from the session, the clinician's judgment, and the format the practice uses for documentation.
The source material can come from several places. You can write directly in the note, paste rough notes or an external transcript, upload a PDF or image, take photos of handwritten material, or use an attachment that is already on the appointment. Source material is meant to help you prepare the note. It is not the final clinical note until you review, edit, and save or sign the note yourself.
Starting a note
Open the appointment, then open the note area. The Start note from section lets you choose the way you want to begin:
- Write directly when you want to enter the note yourself.
- Paste source text when you have a transcript, rough notes, or other text from outside PracticeRunner.
- Upload document when the material is in a PDF or image file.
- Take photo when you want to capture paper notes or a printed page with the camera on your device.
- Use existing attachment when the appointment already has a document attached.
The goal is to avoid forcing every practice into one documentation path. A clinician may start with a blank note after a routine session, paste a transcript after a consultation, upload a document from another system, or photograph handwritten notes after an in-person visit.
Using pasted text
Pasted source text is useful when you have material from somewhere else and want it available while writing the note. This may include a transcript, a rough outline, previous system notes, or brief session reminders.
When optional AI note features are enabled, pasted text can also be used as source material for a draft or rewrite. When those features are not enabled, you can still paste material and use it as a reference while writing manually.
Uploading documents and taking photos
Uploaded PDFs and images can be used as source material for the appointment note. If a PDF already contains usable text, PracticeRunner can use that text directly before falling back to image text extraction. Scanned pages and photos may need text extraction first.
The photo option uses the device camera and can capture more than one page into a single PDF. When the browser exposes more than one camera, the capture dialog lets you choose which camera to use.
Simple markdown formatting
Notes support simple markdown-backed formatting for common clinical note structure:
- bold
- italic
- bulleted lists
- numbered lists
The editor shows the formatted note while keeping the stored text simple. Printed notes render the same basic formatting, so bold section labels and lists appear cleanly on the printed page.
AI Assistant and Tidy note during the pilot
AI Assistant and Tidy note are optional note tools during the current pilot phase, and they are free while the pilot is active.
These tools are meant to reduce drafting friction, not replace clinical review. The clinician remains responsible for deciding what belongs in the note, correcting errors, removing unnecessary detail, and confirming that the final note fits the care provided.
Depending on what is enabled for your organization, AI Assistant can help:
- tidy the note you have already written
- draft a note from pasted source text or extracted attachment text
- rewrite a note into a selected format, such as SOAP, DAP, or a custom note template configured by the practice
Tidy note is a smaller action for cleaning up the current note without changing the basic clinical intent. Review the result before saving or signing.
Signing and review
Before saving or signing a note, read it as you would any other clinical documentation. Source material can include transcription errors, irrelevant details, duplicated text, or information that should not be included in the final record.
Once a note is signed or locked by your practice workflow, editing may be limited. Make sure the final note reflects your professional judgment before you complete it.