How do I personalize Standard and Advanced templates and the records they generate?

Why Use the Personalize Function?

Personalizing a template in CoVet lets you customize the records generated by our standard templates. Essentially, you can add your own specific instructions on top of the default ones already included in the template. Please note, these changes will only apply to records created using the particular template you modify.

If you want to make modifications that affect records generated by all templates, please visit My Account > My Tools > Personalization in the app.

You can use the Personalize function to do things like:

Capturing additional information
Removing information you don't want included
Reorganizing how and where information is displayed
Changing the wording of certain text
Changing the formatting of the record

There are two ways to customize the records CoVet generates for you:

The Personalize function outlined in this article is great for making small-to-medium sized changes.
Creating a fully Custom Template is your other option, and is best for large-scale changes and unique use cases. Check out How do I create a Custom Template? for more about this option

Locating the Personalize Function

Browse to My Account > Templates, and then click into whichever template you would like to Personalize. Near the top of the page, just below the description you'll notice the Personalization section. Click the "Personalize" button.

This is where to find the Personalize function on Standard templates.

For Advanced templates, personalizations work in the exact same way, but where you find the interface is slightly different. Please visit the article to find out where this function is on an Advanced template.

The Personalize option does not exist for Custom templates, which you can edit directly.

Using Personalization Instructions

After you've typed up your instructions (see below for writing tips) just click "Save Changes" and your instructions are now in effect. That's it!

Next time you use this template to generate a record, your instructions will automatically be applied, and they will continue to be applied to future records until you change them.

If you ever decide you no longer want your Personalization Instructions to affect future records, just go back to the template page, delete those instructions and "Save Changes". Future records created with this template will now revert to using the standard instructions.

Tips for Writing Personalization Instructions

When you are writing Personalization Instructions, keep the following in mind:

It's a good idea to tell CoVet what section of the record you would like these instructions to affect.
Be very clear and direct about what you are trying to achieve.
If there are multiple things you want to achieve, consider using bullet-points to keep the list organized and easy for CoVet to process.
The sky's the limit! Don't hesitate to experiment and try things out. If you don't get the exact result you want the first time, tweak the instruction and try again. It's easy to re-generate records on old cases after implementing new instructions in order to test them out.
If you are unable to get an instruction working to your satisfaction please contact support@co.vet and we'll be happy to help. Please include the text you are currently using for the instruction to help get us started.

Regarding nomenclature, you will see the word "label" used in some of the examples below. This is a good way to describe the headers in your records (e.g. "Eyes:", "Oral:" or "Cardiovascular" in the physical exam section of a SOAP template).

Try to avoid using the term "Section" in this regard, as that refers to the larger sections of the template (e.g. "Subjective", "Objective", "Assessment" and "Plan").

Examples of Personalization Instructions

Please feel free to copy and paste these examples directly into the SOAP templates on your account to test out what the Personalization feature can do. Alternatively, use them as inspiration and apply your own twist!

Example 1 - History in Paragraph Form

For the Subjective Section of this record:
- Write the entire content of this section in paragraph format, despite any other instructions to the contrary. Use the same information from the headings/labels in the body of this template section, but write it all in sentence form with no labels. Do not use point form or bullet points for this part, despite any other instructions to the contrary.
- Your task here is to summarize the patient's history, as presented from the client's perspective. Never include comments from the veterinarian about physical exam findings, other observations or the treatment plan here. They belong in other sections lower down in this report.
- This note is being written from the veterinarian's perspective for their medical files so do not include references like "the veterinarian" here.

Example 2 - Current Weight vs. Target Weight

For the Objective section of this template
- Change the label for “Wt:” to “Current Wt:”. The information after this label should indicate the patient’s weight as it was measured today.
- Insert a new label for "Target Wt:", and place it underneath the label "Current Wt:" in the body of this template section. When a target weight (i.e. ideal future body weight for a patient) is mentioned, please list it after this label. When a target weight is not mentioned, please leave the space after this label blank.

Example 3 - Diet Recommendations

In the Plan section of my SOAP records create a specific "Diet Recommendations:" label and place it after the one for "Medications/Treatments:.". Be sure to put any information about recommended diets there, instead of putting it under "Additional Discussion".

Example 4 - Microchip Information

For the Objective section of this template
- Insert a new label for “Microchip:” after the one called “MM:”
- After that label, place any information relating to the patient’s microchip. If the microchip number is listed, it is typically a string of 15 alphanumeric characters. Be sure to record these characters accurately and always start by listing the microchip number as the first piece of information.
- After listing the number, also confirm whether or not the microchip was scanned. If a scan was performed, note that that is the case and note whether or not a chip was detected.
- If the microchipping procedure was done during the consultation (i.e. if the microchip was inserted today) confirm that this is the case and also list the route and site of administration following the microchip number

Example 5 - Inserting Team Member Names

For the Subjective section of this template
- Insert a new label for “DVM:” at the very top of the section and after this information place the name of the veterinarian.
- Below that label, insert another one for “Assisting:” and after that list the name of any veterinary technician or veterinary assistant who is helping with the record generating process
- Be sure not to mix up the names of the veterinarian or the veterinary assistant with that of the client(s) or patient.

FAQ About Personalizing Your Templates

How to I know if the customization I want is better done through Personalization, or by creating a fully Custom Template?

It never hurts to try things out and experiment, but in general Personalization is great for a few small changes. The more substantial the change the more likely it is that a Custom Template is the better option. If in doubt, contact support@co.vet and we'd be happy to help!

Are there any advantages to using Personalization over Custom Templates?

Yes! Not only are personalizations easier and faster to create, but they also benefit from the fact that we constantly update and improve our standard templates. As a result, with the Personalization option you'll be able to maintain your customization while the underlying template improves over time in the background.