Patient Timeline
The patient timeline gives you a complete picture of a patient’s history with your practice. Use it before, during, and after visits to stay informed.
The patient timeline in DPC Pro shows a chronological record of clinical notes, prescriptions, medical history changes, visit history, and membership events. As a clinician, the timeline is one of your most valuable tools for understanding a patient’s context before walking into the exam room.
This page covers how to access and navigate the timeline, filter it for the information you need, and use it effectively during patient encounters.
For the full technical reference, see Patient Timeline and History.
Accessing the Timeline
Section titled “Accessing the Timeline”There are several ways to view a patient’s clinical history:
From the Patient Record
Section titled “From the Patient Record”- Navigate to Patients and open the patient’s record.
- The patient detail page shows their medical history, practice enrollment, and linked actions.
- Select View Clinical Notes from the actions panel to see all notes for this patient.
From the Clinical Notes List
Section titled “From the Clinical Notes List”- Navigate to Clinical Notes.
- Search for the patient by name in the search field.
- The list filters to show all notes for that patient, sorted by date.
From the Note Editor
Section titled “From the Note Editor”While writing a note, the right sidebar shows:
- Previous notes: the five most recent notes for the current patient
- Upcoming visits: the next three scheduled visits
- Active prescriptions: current medications
- Membership status: plan and payment status
Select any previous note to open it without leaving your current editor.
What the Timeline Shows
Section titled “What the Timeline Shows”Clinical Notes
Section titled “Clinical Notes”Each note entry displays:
- Patient name and MRN
- Note type (SOAP, Progress, Phone, Telehealth, Procedure, Consultation)
- Visit date
- Chief complaint (truncated in list view)
- Author: the clinician who wrote the note
- Status: Draft, In Progress, Completed, Signed, or Amended
The list paginates at 25 notes per page.
Prescriptions
Section titled “Prescriptions”Prescriptions linked to visit notes appear in the note detail:
- Medication name and strength
- Dosage form and directions
- Quantity, refills remaining, and status (Draft, Sent to Pharmacy, Filled, Cancelled)
Active prescriptions also appear in the note editor right sidebar for quick reference.
Medical History
Section titled “Medical History”Updates to a patient’s medical history are visible from the patient record:
- Allergies: prominently displayed in the note editor sidebar
- Chronic conditions: shown as labeled tags
- Current medications: listed in the patient context panel
- Surgical history: available in the sidebar
Visit History
Section titled “Visit History”Scheduled visits appear in the patient’s record and link to clinical notes when documentation exists. From a note, you can navigate to the linked visit to see scheduling details.
Filtering the Timeline
Section titled “Filtering the Timeline”By Note Status
Section titled “By Note Status”Filter clinical notes by status to focus on specific documentation stages:
- All Statuses: see everything
- Draft or In Progress: find notes that need attention
- Signed: review finalized documentation
- Amended: find notes that have been corrected
By Note Type
Section titled “By Note Type”Filter by SOAP Note, Progress Note, Phone Note, Telehealth Note, Procedure Note, or Consultation Note to narrow to specific encounter types.
By Date Range
Section titled “By Date Range”Set a From and/or To date to limit results to a specific period. Combine with other filters (for example, signed SOAP notes from the past six months).
By Search
Section titled “By Search”Type a patient name or chief complaint keyword in the search field. Results update as you type.
Using the Timeline During Visits
Section titled “Using the Timeline During Visits”Pre-Visit Preparation
Section titled “Pre-Visit Preparation”Before a visit, review the patient’s timeline to:
- Check the last note: What was the previous assessment and plan? Has the patient followed through?
- Review active medications: confirm what the patient is currently taking.
- Note chronic conditions: see the problem list for context on ongoing issues.
- Look for patterns: multiple visits for the same complaint may indicate an unresolved issue.
During the Visit
Section titled “During the Visit”The note editor is designed to provide timeline context without requiring you to navigate away:
- The left sidebar shows the patient’s allergies, medications, conditions, and surgical history.
- The right sidebar shows the linked visit, previous notes, upcoming visits, and active prescriptions.
- Select any previous note in the right sidebar to review it.
Post-Visit Documentation
Section titled “Post-Visit Documentation”After the visit, the timeline context helps you:
- Reference the previous plan when documenting follow-up.
- Verify diagnosis codes are consistent with prior visits.
- Confirm that medication changes are reflected in the current note.
Quick Navigation
Section titled “Quick Navigation”| From | To | How |
|---|---|---|
| Note detail | Patient record | Select View Patient |
| Note detail | Notes list | Select Back to Notes |
| Patient record | All clinical notes | Select View Clinical Notes |
| Note editor sidebar | Previous note | Select the note entry in the right sidebar |
| Note editor | Linked visit | Select the visit link in the right sidebar |
Related Pages
Section titled “Related Pages”- Quick Start for Clinicians: getting started
- Daily Clinical Workflow: your daily routine
- Charting Tips: efficient documentation
- Patient Timeline and History: full technical reference
- Write Visit Notes: note-writing guide
- Problem Lists and Medications: managing conditions and prescriptions
Need Help?
Section titled “Need Help?”If you run into issues with the patient timeline, reach out to the DPC Pro support team at [email protected] or visit the troubleshooting guide.