Template Editor: The Edit Field

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The Edit Field

Next to the Label button, the Edit Field button is the most-used feature within the NextGen Template Editor. The Edit Field button is mainly for the user to enter data.

Using the same example as above, the patient's name will be typed into the Edit Field.

To insert an Edit Field, select the Edit Field button from the Fields toolbar and drag it onto the template design area where you want it to be placed. You are then given the "Insert Data Entry" dialog pop-up.

The first step is to define the Table if you are pulling an already-created Field from an existing template. From the drop-down menu, choose the existing template you're pulling from (if you're creating a new field then you can leave this blank). Below the Table drop-down, the Field drop-down is where you choose the field that you want to pull from the existing template that you selected to the new template you are editing. This can be a huge timesaver if used correctly. If you are not pulling from an existing template, you can type the name that you want for the new field you are creating. For example, on my new template I want to pull in the patient's date of birth. I know that the patient date of birth can be found in the "person" table by looking at the "Patient Demographics" template. So instead of re-creating that field I can select from the Table drop-down, choose the "person" table, and select the "date_of_birth" field.

If I want to create a new data entry field, it's good practice to first save the template with a unique name, then start the customization. To create a field, you have to give it a name. It cannot be more than 18 characters in length and cannot begin with a number. Since spaces are not allowed in the field name, use an underscore instead. It's always good template development practice to label your Data Entry field names with txt_ followed by the field name.

The different types of field types are:

Date:	A date. NextGen EMR verifies the validity of the date entered.
Decimal:	Decimal values. Only whole numbers can be entered into a numeric field.
Text:	Alphanumeric characters.
Time:	Time span measured in specific units. You must define the format of the time units to be entered. Click the time button to prompt the time format dialog.

You can also define the X and Y positioning of the data entry, the size, the style, and how the text will align.

The different style types are:

Normal:	A regular edit field where data is entered
Read-Only:	An Edit Field where data can only be read. No data can be entered via the keyboard; users may still enter data through the use of triggers.
Required:	A field that requires a civil action to be entered in order to save the entire template.

From the Mask field you can have the data formatted depending on what kind of information will be entered into it. If the field is going to be a phone number, social security, zip code, or a date, use the Mask field to have it automatically formatted correctly.

Select the Hidden check box if you wish to field to be hidden.

And finally, add comments about the purpose of this field when necessary.

Font and Colors Tab

Click on the font and colors tab at the top of the label properties dialog to change the label's font, size, style (whether you want it to be bold or italicized), and also the color of the label.