Create a visit

A visit holds everything for one encounter: the context you write before or during it, the transcript, and the note. You can create it before the patient arrives or as they sit down.

Start a new visit

1. Open Visits in the left rail and choose New visit.
2. Under Patient, search for an existing patient by name. If they are new, type their name and choose Create "…". Details such as date of birth and pronouns can be completed on the profile later.
3. Choose a Note template, for example SOAP Note, Follow-Up Visit or Telehealth. If your practice has encounter bundles, pick one to apply its template and defaults together.
4. Choose Create visit.

The visit opens in the editor and appears in the visit list under Today, Upcoming or Earlier.

The visit editor

The editor has three tabs across the top of the document card:

• Context: what you know before or alongside the conversation. Free text, plus the chart sources Terra may use. See Context and preparing a draft.
• Transcript: live transcription, dictation, recordings and pasted text. See Live transcription and consent.
• Note: the draft in your template, section by section, with citations.

The chat column on the right lets you ask questions about the patient's record while you work. See Record chat.

Saving and working in two places

Terra saves each change against the visit's current version. If the same visit is changed in another tab or by a colleague, Terra stops and shows both versions rather than silently overwriting either. Your unsaved text is kept so you can compare and choose.

Before the visit

If you have a few minutes beforehand:

1. Open the patient's Overview and read the record brief and what changed since the last signed note.
2. Check that allergies and active medications in Facts are reviewed. Approved facts are what the draft will see.
3. Write a line or two in Context, such as the reason for the visit.