# Patient Documents for portal and staff rework **URL:** \ **Category:** OpenEMR Development\ **Tags:** feature\ **Created:** [March 21, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303 "2021-03-21T01:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/1 "2021-03-21T01:30:32Z")
I’ve reworked the portal documents workflow to be easier to use and added a canned help/instruction template. The new Help.tpl is available as a global or per patient help and is used in the same way normal templates are used except, there is no disposal action available. What this means is that one can markup the help and brand to their needs. Also possible to send individualized help to individual patients that may explain particular forms or form category(coming soon, categories of forms). The patient document home page will now always show the new help. This is the default version for production: ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/9/944eded23ff71ae2c1d7b245c0927aa9d39f99e4.png) Note that all pending/required documents now are in a sidebar. Also by default, document history is hidden and managed by the new History button in form edit actions bar. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/d/d212a1254e1654aecb7e16c865d3b99684f123dd.png) Here’s a sample LBF with various ways to sign form: ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/8/832e1076948482f9c27fcde235fe84bd631136f2.png) And an example charted form from history: ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/b/b4dfb70016c29e920bfb72b1a3b2c95ba3e2284c.png) Anyway, I think this change is much cleaner and more user friendly. Feedback is encouraged while i’m poking around this feature. Some changes to Dashboard Audit will include rejecting changes with comments to patient, soft delete of audits/documents and maybe a goldstar popup alert to brighten the users day!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 4:59pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/2 "2021-03-21T16:59:01Z")
Just to add that patients can fill and sign forms from front desk or exam from demographics Documents. One could bring up the document template on a tablet then hand to patient. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/f/f84f6738bcfc79e60438d3c39aedaac49937b9a4.png) ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2021, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/3 "2021-03-21T22:36:28Z")
Notice: For the History form in portal(or any LBF that has code popups) you need to use the Exclude in Portal option for any diagnosis codes. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/6/6bbeac3b4e6ccfeed294d3028f74e358f51095b7.png) ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 2:01am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/4 "2021-03-23T02:01:57Z")
Here’s categories which get setup in Dashboard where categories are set in a Document Template Categories List. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/f/f365ceb686a465afa1a0a4da15e19a6d02d0a01b.png) I know this is boring everyone but, maybe will help document later plus, I think this is cool so, there!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2021, 4:44am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/5 "2021-03-23T04:44:14Z")
Move Patient Documents into portal Home page plus can also pop out full screen if wanted. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/5/527e693932598893fd33f7cb24556168d45b2c1f.png) If i’d spend a week on nothing but template parser and better integration of LBF, this could turn out really nice. But, back to CCDA tomorrow! 😓 ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/6 "2021-03-24T18:02:32Z")
New Portal Dashboard Template Management: ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/0/0fe8c5453cfdaea54e43892c70eab9d6e48aea29.png) ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2021, 1:11am UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/7 "2021-05-24T01:11:46Z")
I believe I found a bug in the patient portal, rather in the system, or maybe just in my system. If I am in patient A’s chart, then I go to “Portal Audits”, and click on patient B’s document, the system never changes to patient B. See image below: ![openemr-bug](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/2X/1/176484400d6a179f306dea3313eab74de200da24.png) ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2021, 10:45pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/8 "2021-06-24T22:45:48Z")
> [@sjpadgett](#): > > Here’s categories which get setup in Dashboard where categories are set in a Document Template Categories List. How does one edit these categories? ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/9 "2021-06-28T17:02:36Z")
Hi Sandra- I’m using the OpenEMR demo [https://eight.openemr.io/c/openemr/](https://eight.openemr.io/c/openemr/) here since the functionality isn’t in my v6 dev install. You can edit template categories by first going to the list editor (from the main menu: Administration/ Forms/ Lists) and locate the ‘Document Template Categories’ list. Add your new category. By default the list consists of ‘Repository’. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/7/b/7bd0c8fd523f5e804ca626865fec7e8464dfc1fd.png) Then to assign your new template to the desired category, go to ‘Patient Document Template Maintenance’ (main menu: Miscellaneous/ Portal Dashboard, under ‘Templates’ click on ‘Manage Templates’. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/7/e/7eec6620d5862aded0d1bba66f99c2f2c726a3fe.png) In section, ‘Active Templates’ select the category you want to assign the template to. This is also where you would set the patient it was being uploaded for, if not for general use. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/8/0/80d73ca1c64154f688084f5112e041fc94efea56.png) Click ‘Browse…’ and locate the .tpl file (not pictured) then click the highlighted area, ‘Uploading For All Patients to Category Repository’. ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/2/2/22374e6a4f736be8f3f2f5f11ce03f820c24873f.png) See it join the list of templates (oval), in its assigned category (rectangle) ![image](https://discourse-uploads-openemr.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/original/3X/6/6/6674a1de15bd8706063a7c8a4791b3488ed1ba0b.png) Yes, this will be in the upcoming new portal documentation. Best- Harley ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/10 "2021-06-29T13:44:31Z")
OMG, thank you so much. It never occurred to me to check lists. Should we add this to the wiki? Under V6 please See, the way a programmer thinks, the way a doctor thinks and the way a patient thinks are all different. > [@htuck](#): > > Click ‘Browse…’ and locate the .tpl file (not pictured) then click the highlighted area, ‘Uploading For All Patients to Category Repository’. But what about the templates I have already uploaded? Is there a way for me to link them? I guess perhaps phpmyadmin? I think I figured it out, it looks like it is directory based, correct? ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 4:56pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/11 "2021-06-29T16:56:58Z")
@gutiersa - yes, I’m putting together an overview of the current pt portal and the upgrades that SJP has added since OpenEMR 6.0 came out, especially the new templating capabilities. The page links are in the section [https://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/OpenEMR\_6.0.0\_Users\_Guide](https://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/OpenEMR_6.0.0_Users_Guide) @sjpadgett would know better about where the templates went but I would imagine that it depends where you uploaded them to. Best- HT ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/12 "2021-06-29T17:01:38Z")
@sjpadgett - speaking of the new templating functions, I see an editor in there that pops up when the template is clicked on but I don’t see how to initiate a new template with it. Is the recommended method to locally create an empty .tpl file then upload it and open it in the editor? - HT ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/13 "2021-06-29T17:02:44Z")
I was able to move the templated simply by creating the directory in the openemr\>documents\>sites\>default\>documents\>onsite\_portal\_documents\>templates\>“category\_id” then moving the “template\_name”.tpl file to the corresponding category\_id directory ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:04pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/14 "2021-06-29T17:04:40Z")
Ah, the dev approach, getting into the file system and directly making it happen! Is there a way to do it through the OpenEMR interface? ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/15 "2021-06-29T17:06:31Z")
Yes, I know what you mean, via the UI. I am not sure. Not that I saw, but I tend to overlook things. So, in this particular situation, OpenEMR is assuming a new setup. What if the user wants to change the category of a template? That is another thing that eventually will need to be addressed. But we already do very similar things in the patient documents section. Perhaps templates can be managed similarly, but without the hash signature part. ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/16 "2021-06-29T21:37:31Z")
Re: changing a template’s category, I’m hoping SJP will look in here in the near future and enlighten us! The best I can guess is to download it, re-upload it to the new category then delete the original. But that’s such an inelegant solution… As far as doing similar things in the Patient Documents, I haven’t seen that the templates put in ‘General’ category go into the pt’s ‘Documents’ section in their EMR dashboard; am looking in the patient’s portal account for a ‘Patient Documents’ section to see if it’s there. - HT ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:52pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/17 "2021-06-29T21:52:39Z")
…and yes, that’s where it shows up. ---
**Author:** ![gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/gutiersa/32/11958_2.png) [@gutiersa](https://community.open-emr.org/u/gutiersa)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/18 "2021-06-29T21:55:59Z")
Yes, it is a way to categorize the portal-patient-documents. For example, I will set up a package of new patient forms, place it under the category “new” and then tell the patient to go to the portal, complete the demographics and complete all the documents under the new category. That is of course, after I generate the patient chart. I do that, by using fname, lname, gender, dob and email. The patient enters everything else. Then at some point, I will tell the patient to renew consents and the like by going to the portal documents and complete documents again under the yearly category. ---
**Author:** ![htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/htuck/32/15185_2.png) [@htuck](https://community.open-emr.org/u/htuck)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/19 "2021-06-29T21:57:47Z")
very cool, thanks for the info. - HT ---
**Author:** ![sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/user_avatar/community.open-emr.org/sjpadgett/32/21623_2.png) [@sjpadgett](https://community.open-emr.org/u/sjpadgett)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/20 "2021-06-29T22:58:51Z")
I’ll try to remember to put up what will be patch 3 with latest portal changes on this thread for you guys. Too tired now. General category is a hard coded category and is just the root to all categories i.e same as before cats and holds the legacy templates and don’t show as general in portal. Repository is coded in code to be ignored and is a place you can store templates you are working or are used occasionally. If you want to move a template best way would be to select category and upload from the sites template directory where they reside i.e. sites/default/documents/onsite\_portal\_documents/templates then the category sub directory etc. Or maintain on your system. The editor is there to do quick changes and is not meant to develop templates though you can but easier to use a good text editor or ensure the template is saved as a non formatted txt file if using word etc. and upload where you want it. I probably missed questions but tired and I’ll review thread tomorrow. I just remembered I created a portal patch so here is the latest: download patch here: [Patient Documents for portal and staff rework](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303/36) btw: there’s some good stuff in the patch where I - fix a bug with templates not showing correctly in portal. - Better validation on category management. - Added a new top menu sidebar toggle in portal so patient can hide sidebar as needed. Think documents. - Portal dashboard now uses the user selected system theme. - Portal patient document scrolling now work on IOS devices - and probably some I’m forgetting at the moment. The screenshots from earlier in this thread are from this patch. [Next page](https://community.open-emr.org/t/patient-documents-for-portal-and-staff-rework/16303.md?page=2)