📝 Overview
The Patient Chart SOAP Notes screen is where providers document every visit. It brings together clinical charting, patient history, appointment tracking, x-ray viewing, AI assistance, and note management in one workspace. This is the preferred SOAP Note method going forward and is being actively developed with new capabilities.
Accessing Patient Chart SOAP Note Screen
Navigate to your Live Location, SOAP tab, Patient Chart.
Patients who have been Marked as Arrived will appear in the queue on the left side of the screen.
The queue is organized by provider.
Click a patient's name in the queue to open their SOAP Notes screen.
NOTE: Users must be set up as a Provider to access the SOAP Note tab. Administrator-only users will not see this option. Please see our resources on Understanding User Types if you have further questions on this.
Left Side: Patient SOAP Note Queue
Each provider has their own queue on the left side of the screen listing patients who have been arrived for that provider.
Queues can be expanded or collapsed.
Draft notes and incomplete notes are accessible here for easy management.
Click a patient's name to open their SOAP Notes screen.
Left Navigation Bar
When a patient's SOAP Note is open, the left navigation bar contains the following elements:
Patient Info: Displays the patient's Name, Date of Birth, Age, and Profile Picture (if one has been uploaded).
Case Information: Shows the patient's active case(s). Toggle between cases if the patient has more than one open. Case Information tracks which case context applies to the current visit.
Snapshot: Quick access to the full Patient Snapshot without leaving the SOAP Notes screen.
Call Patient: Signals that the patient is ready to return to the adjusting area (if using Calling Module feature).
Treatment Date: Defaults to today's date. Adjust if documenting for a different date.
Appointment Type: The appointment type associated with the current visit is displayed here and can be changed directly during the visit. For example, if a visit was scheduled as an Adjustment but a Progress Exam is needed, switch it to Re-Exam and it will save as that appointment type.
Current Visits: Displays the number of visits for the patient's current active case.
Total Visits: Displays total visits across all case types for this patient.
Extra Patient Notes Box: The Extra Patient Notes box is for information that needs to stay visible regardless of which case is open — billing flags, medication sensitivities, communication preferences, or any note that should follow a patient long-term.
Notes entered here stay visible across all cases in the SOAP Notes screen. They do not reset between visits and do not disappear when a case closes.
Text can be enlarged or reduced using the font size controls (plus or minus).
The standard blue Patient Notes box (visible in the snapshot and front desk view) and Chief Complaint and Care Notes are all case-specific. The Extra Patient Notes box is the only notes field that actively follows the patient across all cases on the SOAP Notes screen.
Listings: The Listings panel gives providers quick access to spinal listings for the current visit. Click into the Listings area to assign listings for the current appointment.
Default View (Extra Patients Notes Box vs Listings): You can choose which panel — Listings or Extra Patient Notes — loads as your default view when opening a patient. Click the pin icon on the panel you would like to keep as default.
Patient Appointment Bar
The Patient Appointment Bar runs across the top of the SOAP Notes screen and gives providers a quick read on appointment history and upcoming visits before beginning the note.
Next Appointment: Displays the appointment type, date, and appointment type color for the patient's next scheduled visit. For example: Re-Exam, 8/18 (blue).
Last Appointment: Displays the appointment type, date, and appointment type color for the most recently completed visit. For example: Adjustment, 7/24 (green).
Last Exam: References the date the last exam charge (or CPT code) was entered — meaning the last time that specific service was performed, regardless of appointment type. Because this is tied to a charge rather than an appointment type, no appointment color is displayed.
Appointments Button and History: Click the Appointments button to view a full appointment history for the patient, including:
Past appointments (completed, treated, or missed)
Future scheduled appointments
Appointment notes alongside each appointment type and color
Future Only Filter: Use the Future Only filter to narrow the view to upcoming appointments, or remove the filter to see all appointments.
Compliance Scroll Bar (History Viewer Bar): A visual bar showing at a glance how consistently a patient has been keeping their appointments.
Covers 24 weeks (approximately 6 months) of appointment history.
Each box represents one week. Hover over a box to see its date range.
Within each box, colored marks represent individual appointments scheduled that week.
Appointment status colors:Black - Missed
Yellow - Rescheduled
Green - Treated/Completed
Red - Canceled
This gives providers a fast visual read on care plan compliance, rescheduling patterns, and cancellation frequency over the past six months.
Visit Tracker Bar: The Visit Tracker Bar displays the patient's visit progress within their current care plan — giving providers a quick sense of where the patient stands relative to their recommended visits.
Pregnancy Tracker: Displays pregnancy information from the patient's profile. Pink indicates a girl; blue indicates a boy.
If you have questions on how to set up the pregnancy tracker, please see our other resources on Patient Profile - Info Tab.
Patient Info Tab
The Patient Info tab gives providers reference information without leaving the SOAP Notes screen.
Patient Notes Box: The standard blue notes box, synced with front desk and provider views. Updates made here are visible across all areas that display this notes field.
Diagnosis Codes: View and edit diagnosis codes associated with the patient's case.
Upcoming Alerts: Displays upcoming alerts tied to the patient — for example, an upcoming re-exam or x-ray schedule due date.
Tags: View and edit patient tags directly from the SOAP Notes screen.
Recent Visits: View recent SOAP notes, identify missing notes, and reuse any specific past note — not just the most recent one. Helpful for re-exams or service-specific templates.
Re-Use Last Note — Same Provider: Copies the most recent note in the same case written by the same treating provider. Use this when multiple provider types share a case but document differently.
Reuse a specific past note: From the Patient Info tab > Recent Visits, select and reuse any past note. Helpful for re-exams or service-specific templates.
Case boundaries are always respected — Re-use only looks within the current case. Notes from a different case will not be pulled.
Trackers: View any active Visit Trackers configured for this patient, such as outcome measure tracking or progress monitoring tools.
Note Tab
The Note Tab is the primary documentation area where providers write and manage visit notes.
Charges, Chief Complaint, and Care Notes
Expand / Collapse: A collapse control (caret icon) to the left of this section lets you collapse the entire Charges, Chief Complaint, and Care Notes panel. Collapsing it expands the SOAP note area below, giving significantly more screen space to read or write the visit note. Click the caret again to restore the full view.
Charges: Displays default charges for the patient. If no default charges are set, a red warning appears — click the area to set defaults quickly. Edit charges directly: add or adjust services, modify units, DX mapping, modifiers, or financial responsibility, and apply copay, deductible, or co-insurance.
Chief Complaint and Care Notes: Pulled directly from the patient's case settings. Auto-syncs between the SOAP screen and the patient profile — updates in either location reflect instantly. These notes boxes are case-specific and are not visible across cases. Increase or decrease the font size in the Chief Complaint and Care Notes boxes using the font size controls.
Re-Use Last Note: Copies the most recent note in the same case, regardless of which provider wrote it.
SOAP Note Macros
Macros allow providers to insert pre-written text blocks into the SOAP note quickly.
Please see our SOAP Note Macros resources for setup and usage tips.
AI SOAP Note Features
Two AI features are available on or alongside the SOAP Notes screen.
AI Intake to Subjective: When a patient completes their digital intake paperwork (ChiroHD paperwork only), the AI reads their responses and generates a summary. The provider can review and import that summary directly into the Subjective section of the SOAP note.
Please see our resources on this AI Intake to Subjective feature if you have any further questions.
AI Care Summary: Accessible from the Documents tab on the patient's profile. Generates a condensed summary of the patient's full care history across all SOAP notes and all cases.
Please see our resources on the AI Care Summary if you have any further questions.
Document Tabs
The document tabs provide access to the patient's imaging, documents, and supplemental clinical data. X-rays and other documents uploaded to the patient's profile are viewable here.
X-Rays:
Drawing tools are available for patient discussions — these do not annotate the actual file. Side-by-side X-ray comparison is supported by clicking directly on an image to open the inline view.
X-ray images can be opened in a separate, movable browser window — allowing providers to view imaging and document a SOAP note simultaneously.
The pop-out icon only appears on image files (JPEG, PNG). PDF documents do not support the pop-out option.
Multiple x-rays can be popped out into separate windows simultaneously.
Each pop-out window shows the patient's first name and last initial for HIPAA-safe identification when multiple windows are open.
Clicking an image directly (without the pop-out icon) opens the standard inline view with annotation and side-by-side comparison tools.
How to pop out an x-ray:
Hover over an x-ray image on the SOAP Notes screen.
A pop-out icon appears in the top corner of the image.
Click the icon. The image opens in a separate, movable browser window.
Drag the pop-out window to a second monitor or reposition as needed.
Continue working in the main ChiroHD window — the pop-out stays open independently.
Thermal Images: View thermal imaging uploaded to the patient's profile.
EMGs: View EMG data associated with the patient.
Posture: View posture analysis data or images uploaded for the patient.
Documents: Access general documents attached to the patient's profile.
Forms: View completed intake and clinical forms associated with the patient.
Digital Submission: Access digital submission tools for sending or managing clinical documentation electronically.
Saving and Submitting Notes
At the top right of the screen, the following options are available:
Close: Exit the SOAP Notes screen without saving any changes.
Save as Draft: Save the note into the Draft Queue to finish later. The note will appear in the adjustment queue for easy access.
Submit and Assign: Submit the current note and assign the patient to another provider or room.
See our Submit and Assign resource for full details on this workflow.
Submit: Submit the SOAP note and automatically post charges to the Ledger.
Patient Mode SOAP Note Screen
A Patient Mode SOAP Note Screen option is available that works specifically with Patient Chart, allowing patients to check in at the adjusting table by typing their identifier — the screen opens directly into their Patient Chart.
Please see our other resources on Patient Mode SOAP Note Screen if you have further questions on this.
✅ Key Takeaways
The Patient Chart SOAP Notes screen is the primary, all-in-one workspace for visit documentation — combining charting, imaging, appointment history, AI tools, and note management in a single view.
Only users set up as Providers can access the SOAP Note tab; administrator-only users will not see this option.
The Extra Patient Notes box is the only notes field that follows a patient across all cases — use it for billing flags, medication sensitivities, or long-term patient information.
Re-Use Last Note respects case boundaries — it only pulls notes from within the current active case, never from a different case.
X-ray images can be popped out into a separate browser window, allowing providers to view imaging and document simultaneously — especially useful with a second monitor.
Notes can be saved as a Draft to finish later, submitted directly to post charges, or submitted and assigned to another provider using Submit and Assign.
Two AI features are available: AI Intake to Subjective (imports patient intake responses into the Subjective section) and AI Care Summary (accessible from the Documents tab on the patient's profile).
📌 Conclusion
The Patient Chart SOAP Notes screen brings everything a provider needs into one focused workspace — from clinical documentation and imaging to appointment history and AI-assisted tools. As ChiroHD's preferred and actively developed SOAP Note method, getting comfortable with its layout and features will streamline every visit and keep your documentation accurate and efficient.