How To Make Smart Phrases In Epic

How To Make Smart Phrases In Epic: A Step‑by‑Step Guide

Electronic health record (EHR) platforms like Epic can feel overwhelming, but mastering SmartPhrases transforms documentation into a lightning‑fast task. This article walks you through the basics of creating, editing, and sharing SmartPhrases, helping you reduce documentation time while maintaining accuracy.

What Are SmartPhrases?

SmartPhrases are short text shortcuts that expand into full sentences, tables, or even check boxes when you type a dot (.) followed by the phrase name. They are designed for quick entry of common clinical statements, discharge instructions, or procedural notes. Using SmartPhrases, clinicians can focus more on patient interaction and less on typing.

Why Use SmartPhrases?

Accelerate note creation and improve workflow efficiency.
Standardize language across providers, reducing variability.
Include dynamic elements such as date, time, and patient‑specific data.
Share useful phrases with colleagues via SmartLists.

Getting Started: Accessing the SmartPhrase Builder

This is an introduction to the Epic SmartPhrase editor. Follow these steps to open the builder:

Log into Epic and navigate to the Notes tab.
Click the SmartPhrase icon (often a lightning bolt) in the toolbar.
Select Manage SmartPhrases from the dropdown menu.
Choose New SmartPhrase to begin crafting your shortcut.

Crafting a Basic SmartPhrase

When you create a new phrase, you’ll see a simple text box. Here’s how to write a concise epic smartphrase short entry:

Enter a memorable name after the dot, for example .hpi for “History of Present Illness”.
In the description area, type the full sentence you want to appear, such as “Patient reports onset of chest pain 2 hours ago, described as pressure‑like.”
Use Enter to add line breaks where needed.
Save the phrase and test it by typing .hpi in a note.

Adding Tables and Check Boxes

For more complex documentation, Epic allows you to embed tables and check boxes directly into a SmartPhrase. This is especially useful for eRecord SmartPhrase creation with tables and check boxes. Follow these steps:

In the SmartPhrase editor, click the Table icon.
Define the number of rows and columns, then label each header (e.g., “Medication”, “Dose”, “Frequency”).
To insert a check box, use the Insert Symbol menu and select the square box (☐).
Place the check box where you want a provider to indicate completion, such as “☐ Consent obtained”.
Save the phrase. When the phrase expands, the table and check boxes appear ready for quick completion.