Templates

SOAP and discharge templates tell Noctune how to structure generated notes. The editor keeps markdown instructions on the left and a rendered preview or quality review on the right.

SOAP and discharge templates

Use the tabs at the top to switch between the two purposes:

SOAP Templates produce the clinical note.
Discharge Templates produce the client-facing summary.

System templates are maintained by Noctune and open read-only. Custom templates belong to you or your workspace and can be edited, saved, set as the default, published, or deleted. The selector labels system, personal, practice, default, and published entries where applicable.

Create a custom template

Choose New Template, name it, and select an existing template as the starting point. Noctune creates an editable copy, which is safer and faster than beginning with an empty prompt.

After creation, edit the plain markdown. The toolbar supports headings, bold, italics, bulleted and numbered lists, inline code, undo, and redo. Preview shows how those instructions are organized; it does not generate a patient note.

Choose Save Template after making changes. New encounters use the saved content; existing notes are not rewritten.

Review template quality

Open Review and choose Review Template, or save changed content to run the same review gate. The reviewer looks for sample values, missing sections, weak structure, placeholders, unclear instructions, and clinical prompting best practices.

Template Review tab with two evidence-focused suggestions, locations, proposed replacement text, and Fix controls

Suggestions are guidance, not a publishing requirement. Use Locate to find the source text, apply a single replacement, or use Fix All when every suggestion still matches the current draft. If you edit after the review, re-run it before applying a batch so the fixes target the intended text.

Set the default

Choose Set Default on the template you want preselected for new encounters. SOAP and discharge defaults are independent. The default does not change existing encounters.

Publish to the community

Owners of saved custom templates can choose Publish. The confirmation explains that every Noctune user will be able to preview, duplicate, and report the template. Add optional notes to tell other clinicians what the template is for.

Publish to community gallery confirmation with privacy guidance and optional notes for other veterinarians

Remove patient information, client names, and internal-only instructions before publishing. Publishing is reversible with Unpublish; clinicians who already duplicated the template keep their copies.

Write reliable clinical instructions

A template is an instruction set, not a filled example. These patterns make the generated note easier to verify.

Give each section one job


## Subjective
 
Summarize the owner's concerns, symptom timeline, home observations, and relevant history.
 
## Objective
 
Record only examination findings, measurements, and test results explicitly stated in the encounter.
 
## Assessment
 
List each supported problem and the veterinarian's clinical interpretation.
 
## Plan
 
Capture diagnostics, treatment, client education, and follow-up timing discussed during the visit.

Avoid asking both Assessment and Plan for the same treatment content; overlapping instructions create duplicate prose.

State what to do when information is missing


If a finding or value is not stated in the transcript, omit it. Do not infer or invent it.

This is especially important for vital signs, medication doses, diagnostic results, and follow-up intervals.

Prefer markdown headings

Use ## and ### headings on their own lines. Models and the Noctune preview interpret them more reliably than all-caps labels or custom delimiters.

Put global conventions first


## Formatting conventions
 
- Use the units stated in the encounter.
- Refer to the patient by name.
- Use bullets for Plan items and prose for Subjective and Assessment.
- Preserve every stated abnormal finding.

Instructions near the top can apply to every later section without repetition.

Do not include realistic sample data

Avoid example patient names, weights, doses, and test results. They can be mistaken for encounter facts. Describe the source instead:


**Weight:** Use the weight stated in the encounter, including its unit; otherwise omit.

Use a community template

The Community Template Library contains published templates from other clinicians. Choose Duplicate on a detail page to create your own editable copy; the published original stays unchanged.