Use Visit Record sections for standard care fields and Documents for additional chart documents. This article describes configuring custom document templates; it does not require staff to add a built-in chart tile before recording a pregnancy test or ultrasound.
CoolFocus ships with built-in chart templates (such as Ultrasound, Pregnancy Test, Medical History, Abuse & Safety Screening, and other visit-specific charts). Built-in templates are available at every subscription level and can be activated, configured, and used no matter your subscription tier.
Creating your own chart template, cloning a built-in template into a custom one, or editing an existing custom template requires the Premium plan.
Package note: Custom chart templates and custom approval chains require CoolFocus Premium.
• Built-in chart templates: available and fully editable at every tier. Turning them on or off, changing their icon or color, and using them to create chart entries all work regardless of plan. Editing a built-in template only affects your organization: CoolFocus saves your changes to your own copy of that template, and other organizations keep seeing the standard version unless they make their own edits.
• Custom chart templates: creating a new custom template, cloning a built-in template to start a custom one, and editing an existing custom template's name, slug, icon, color, or active status all require the Premium plan.
• Custom approval chains: switching a custom template to a multi-step approval chain is also available only at the Premium subscription level. See Custom Approval Chains for Custom Charts.
If your organization does not have CoolFocus Premium:
• The Charts settings area is still visible, along with a hint that upgrading the subscription will unlock custom chart templates.
• Opening an existing custom chart template shows a banner: "Custom chart templates require the Premium plan." The template's fields are read-only until your organization upgrades.
• Trying to create or clone a custom template returns an upgrade message rather than silently failing or saving.
• If CoolFocus can't confirm your plan (for example, a temporary connectivity issue), you'll see a "Couldn't verify your plan" message with a Retry button instead of the upgrade message. This is different from being told you need to upgrade, since the check couldn't complete either way.
Every chart template has an underlying chart type (its slug). For built-in templates this slug is fixed and can't be changed, even by editing the template. A custom template also can't be created, cloned, or renamed to use a slug that already belongs to a built-in template. If you try, CoolFocus shows a validation error explaining that the slug is reserved for a built-in chart type.
Choose a distinct name for each custom chart template so staff can distinguish its document questions from the standard Visit Record sections.
If a custom chart template is linked to an appointment type (see Appointment Types and Booking Rules), CoolFocus can automatically create the chart entry for you instead of requiring staff to add it manually every time:
• When a visit starts for that appointment type, CoolFocus creates a draft chart entry for each linked custom template. It appears on the visit's Charts tab ready to be completed.
• This auto-creation only applies to custom templates. A built-in chart (Pregnancy Test, Ultrasound, STI Test, Client Advocacy/Counseling, Vitals, Medical History, Abuse & Safety Screening) still renders directly from the visit's own fields and does not need a separate chart entry just to be completed.
• Use the standard section's actions for native visit care. Ultrasound Send to Physician starts Doc Alert; it is separate from completing or sending an additional chart document.
A custom chart field can be mapped to a field on the client record or the case, not just to the visit. That flexibility means a value typed on today's chart can update information that shows up on every past and future visit for that client, so CoolFocus marks these fields clearly while staff are filling out the chart and confirms the change again before it happens.
Each field on a chart shows one of these states:
• Quiet. A field that stays on the visit, or isn't mapped to a record field at all, shows no marker. This covers most chart fields.
• client tag. A field mapped to a client field that staff can edit gets a small blue client tag and a highlighted left edge. Below the field, a line explains what will happen: ↳ Overwrites (205) 555-0142 on the client record for a text value, or ↳ Currently "Call" on the client record for a dropdown, so staff can see the current value before they change it.
• reads client / reads case tag. A field the template locks to read-only is disabled for editing and shows a muted reads client or reads case tag. Its line reads ↳ Client record · set May 3 by Carmen R. · locked by template, showing who last set the value and when.
• Case fields. A field mapped to the case shows its own line, such as ↳ Updates Case #1 · currently "Intake", but no colored tag, since case fields are part of the same care record staff already work in.
Hovering over any marked field shows the fuller provenance, for example "Client record · last set May 3 by Carmen R."
When a chart has one or more fields that write to the client record, a callout appears at the top of the chart: "One field on this form writes to Jane's client record. It's marked below." (or "Two fields..." and so on). A line under the chart reminds staff that "Nothing is written until you complete the chart, and you'll see exactly what changes first."
Client and case writes do not happen while a chart is still a draft, even if you save your progress along the way. They happen only when staff choose Mark Completed.
If completing the chart would write any value to the client or case record, CoolFocus shows a confirmation dialog titled "This updates records outside today's visit" before completing it. The dialog:
• Lists every affected field with its previous value, an arrow, and the new value, for example Client · Phone: (205) 555-0142 → (205) 555-0199.
• Explains in one line how many values are changing and where, for example "Completing this chart writes 2 values to the client and case records. Previous values stay in history."
• Gives you Cancel to back out and keep editing, or the same completion action (for example Mark Completed) to confirm and proceed.
Previous values are not lost. They stay in the client's and case's history even after the chart overwrites them.
If nothing on the chart writes outside the visit, completing it works exactly as before, with no extra confirmation step.
• Go to Settings > Care Settings > Charts.
• Open a built-in template to configure it, or clone one to start a custom template (Premium subscription required).
• Open an existing custom template to edit its name, slug, icon, color, and active status (Premium subscription required).
• To have a custom template's entries created automatically at visit start, link it to the relevant appointment type under Settings > Scheduler Settings > Appointment Types.
• Custom Approval Chains for Custom Charts
• Forms vs. Charts
• Managing Chart Templates
• Chart Fields That Write to the Client or Case Record
• Appointment Types and Booking Rules
• Plan & Billing Settings
