Do you prefer taking handwritten notes in your client sessions? If you’re like most therapists, the answer is probably yes.
If you take handwritten notes, you probably realize that typing the notes up afterwards isn’t a good use of your time. And saving paper notes is both a security risk and inefficient when it doesn’t link up with your modernized digital practices.
Luckily, you can now say goodbye to the need for typing up handwritten notes with Owl Practice’s Handwritten Notes features!
How to Start Taking Handwritten Notes for Digital Use
Writing a handwritten note with Owl is almost as easy as writing it in a paper notebook. All you need is a stylus and a tablet with a compatible touchscreen.
To start taking a Handwritten Note with Owl Practice, open any Session or Non-Session Note. Handwritten Notes can be added in addition to any Session or Non-Session Notes; open or create a Session or Non-Session first. Then add a Handwritten Note that coincides with it. Once you’ve opened a note, you can access Handwritten Notes by clicking the left-hand sidebar. You’ll see a blank piece of paper, ready for you to start writing!
Depending on the quality of your stylus, you’ll be able to write as fast and as legibly as you would on paper. An Apple Pencil or Surface Pen are both highly regarded by artists for responsiveness. You can then use Owl Practice’s editing tools to erase or delete text and elements, choosing different pen colours, widths, and more.
Handwritten notes are kept within the Session Note of their origin. This means that, whenever you click on a profile, you can select your handwritten note from their Sessions & Notes section. From there, you can view, edit, remove, or rename it. You can also print or export a handwritten note to a PDF file.
Templates for Handwritten Notes
Do you like the idea of streamlining your note-taking process? Luckily, you don’t always have to start writing on a blank piece of paper. You can create a new handwriting template within Owl Practice to have on hand and ready for each of your sessions.
Creating a handwritten template is just as easy as setting up a new, blank note. You can upload an image file to import into a template or you can create a template from scratch using your pen and standard handwriting tools.
Once you’ve created your template, you can use it every time you want to create a new handwritten note from within your Session Notes. Being able to create handwritten notes that use and reuse the same elements (including standard charts and diagrams) can be a massive timesaver.
Other Benefits of Handwritten Notes
One of the most significant benefits of Owl Practice’s handwritten notes is that we do automatic versioning. Consider this: What if you make a mistake in a record? Or what if you want to refer back to earlier versions of the note? All you have to do is check out the Revisions section. There, we permanently save previous versions of all your handwritten notes. If you ever want these previous versions deleted for security reasons, just click on one and remove it from the Session Notes.
Just like everything within Owl Practice, all of your data is completely secure. Your handwritten notes are stored on our secure, PHIPA-compliment Canadian servers. These are backed up regularly so there’s no risk of ever losing your practice’s data. Even better, none of this information is stored on your devices. It’s accessed remotely through your practice’s web portal. With Owl, all of your valuable and sensitive data will be secure in case of a device malfunction, or during a border crossing in case you’re property is confiscated and searched.
Handwritten notes are a vital part of many therapists’ practices. If writing by hand is part of your workflow, the idea of switching to a practice management system that doesn’t support your notes is probably unthinkable. Thankfully, we’re fully equipped for handwritten notes at Owl Practice, so there should be nothing stopping you from digitizing your private practice.
To try our handwritten note functionality for yourself, we offer a 14-day free trial. We also invite you to book a demo! And if you have any questions or comments about our services, please contact us at support@owlpractice.ca.
As Always,
Practice Wisely
