Using the patient notebook

The notebook is a patient-scoped note area. In a visit, Notebook shows the same notes as Notebook in that patient's chart, so anything you add in one place appears in the other.

Use the notebook for free-text notes that live with the patient record. Signed, template-based clinical notes use the generated note workflow instead. See Reviewing and signing an AI-drafted note and Correcting a signed note.

How do I open the patient notebook?

Open the notebook from the patient chart when you want to review or add notes outside a specific visit. In the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook in the patient chart menu.

1. Select a note from the list.
2. If no notes exist, select create a new one.
3. To start a new note from the list, select the new note button.

The note opens in the editor on the right. If no note is selected, the page prompts you to select a note or create a new one.

How do I use the notebook during a visit?

Open the notebook from a visit when you need patient notes while charting the encounter. The visit notebook is not a separate visit-only notebook; it is the patient's notebook shown inside the visit.

1. In the left sidebar, click Visits, click the visit, then click Notebook in the visit section menu.
2. Select an existing note from the list, or select the new note button.
3. Write or update the note.

Your changes save to the patient's notebook and are available from the patient chart.

How do I create a notebook note?

Create a note from the patient's Notebook, or from Notebook inside a visit. A new note starts as a draft and is created only after it has a title or content.

1. In the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook in the patient chart menu.
2. Select the new note button.
3. Enter a title, or leave the title blank if the body makes the note clear.
4. Write the note body.

Notebook notes autosave as you edit. If you save a note with content and no title, it appears as Untitled Note.

The title field allows up to 200 characters. The note body shows a 10,000-character count. The editor supports markdown, and you can mention teammates in the note body.

How do I find an existing notebook note?

Use search in the patient's Notebook, or in a visit's Notebook, to narrow the note list.

1. In the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook in the patient chart menu.
2. Type in the search field at the top of the notes list.
3. Select a note from the filtered results.
4. Clear the search when you want to return to the full list.

If no note matches the search, the list shows No notes found.

How do I edit a notebook note?

Edit notes from the patient's Notebook, or from Notebook inside a visit. Notebook notes autosave, so there is no separate save button.

1. In the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook in the patient chart menu.
2. Select the note in the list.
3. Edit the title or body.
4. Check the autosave indicator at the bottom of the editor.

The list preview reflects the latest saved text. If a save fails, the autosave indicator shows an error state.

How do I delete a notebook note?

Delete a note from the patient's Notebook, or from Notebook inside a visit. Draft notes do not show the delete button; an empty draft can be left without saving.

1. In the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook in the patient chart menu.
2. Select the note in the list.
3. Select the trash icon in the note header.
4. Select the trash icon a second time to confirm.

The note is removed from the notebook, and no note remains selected.

What can't I do here?

In the patient notebook (in the left sidebar, click Patients, click the patient's name, then click Notebook) and the visit notebook (in the left sidebar, click Visits, click the visit, then click Notebook), the available actions are limited in these ways:

• Notebook notes are patient-scoped. You cannot create a note that belongs only to one visit from this notebook.
• Notebook notes do not use the signing and amendment workflow shown for generated clinical notes.
• You cannot save an entirely blank new note. Add a title or note body first.
• You cannot use the delete button on an unsaved draft note.

Common questions

Is the visit notebook separate from the patient notebook?

No. Open a visit (in the left sidebar, click Visits, then click the visit) and click Notebook to see the same patient-scoped notebook as the patient's chart. Notes added in the visit appear in the patient chart notebook too.

Do notebook notes save automatically?

Yes. Notebook notes autosave as you edit. The bottom of the editor shows the current save state.

What happens if I leave the title blank?

If the note has content and no title, Ona saves it as Untitled Note.

Can I sign a notebook note?

No. The notebook editor shown here is for free-text patient notes. Use generated notes when you need a note that can be signed and amended.

Can I mention a teammate in a notebook note?

Yes. Mentions are supported in the note body.