Digital Document Elements

This tab is where you define the individual form pieces that go into the Digital Documents. Each Digital Document Element can be re-used on multiple forms, but they can also be customized for every possible instance where they might need to be slightly differently on a form. This allows complete flexibility in recreating your existing paper forms into a digital format without having to alter the text or layout drastically.

Each Digital Document Element is saved under a unique name, and they can be adjusted and adjusted as necessary.

Search Document Elements

The top part of this screen contains the Search options for the Digital Document Elements. You can search by the element's name or a keyword within the name, the code assigned to it, or the specific type of element. You can also filter by active, inactive, or both.

The results from the search will emit below in the Element List.

Element List

Elements that already exist in the system will load on the screen when it is first loaded. After filtering, the elements that match your search will then appear in this list.

You can also sort these elements by Description, Element Type, the Value List used, the Standard Code, and whether they are active.

Add Element

Click on the Add Element button to create a new element. A blank Element Form will load.

Related Elements and Macros are not available until you have saved at least once.

Edit Element Form

To edit an existing element from the list, click on the Element Name. These are hyperlinks and the element form will load. You can also use CTRL+Click to open multiples in other tabs,

Element Details

At the top of the Edit Form screen is the element details. These define how the element will appear on documents, and also how they can be searched on this screen. They also control additional options, such as a species filter.

Field	Description
Element Name	The name of the element. This will display on the Digital Documents, and is also how it can be searched. To avoid confusion, each element should be briefly but clearly labeled and also contain a unique name. Additional details can be saved in the description.
Description	A more detailed description of the form element. Use this to include any keywords you want to be available for searching.
Element Type	Digital Document Elements use common form types, such as checkboxes, dates, and signatures. They can also be unique types that pull in information from the patient record itself. See the Element Types section below for details about each one.
List of Values	When the Element Type is a value list, this field becomes available. Value Lists are created and maintained on the Value List setup tab.
Enable Comments	This option is available on certain Element Types and will add a comment check box next to the element on a digital document.
Standard Code	This option allows you to more precisely name each digital document element, for those times when the element cannot have a unique name. Codes also allow for direct searching.
All Species	When this flag is turned on, the element will appear on documents for all species. When this flag is turned off, a new tab for species filtering will appear on the page.

Element Types

Each document element type is described below in detail.

Body System

The Body System element has three radio buttons that represent Normal, Abnormal, and Not Examined.

Body Systems have three options: Short, Long, and Multiline.

When they have been put on a Digital Document, body system elements appear like this:

Checkbox

The Checkbox element is a simple on/off toggle. You can enable comments on this element.

When they have been put into a Digital Document, checkbox elements appear like this:

Date

The Date element displays a date picker, and includes a small green button that will automatically pull in the current date. This allows for the user to select the date that is appropriate to the form, whether that is today's date or a date in the past for a procedure, or a date in the future for a return trip.

When they have been put into a Digital Document, the Date elements will appear like this:

Image

The Image element allows the user to attach an image, or multiple images, to the digital document. Attached images using the element will appear in-line on the document. Use this option for scanned body condition score charts, animal photos, or any other graphical image that should appear inside the document.

When the Image element is added to a Digital Document, it will appear on the patient record or request like this:

If multiple images have been uploaded, you can select how many should appear on a row before they have a carriage return.

VetView does not currently support pre-defined images in the digital document itself. The Image element is intended for attachments the clinical staff will upload.

However, images can be added to the printed version of these reports within the application using Report Setup, or manually using Jasper iReport. For example, you can have your school logo appear on the printed version of the report for all digital documents as the Report Header image.

Number

The Number element restricts the allowed text to Arabic numbers, either in integers or decimals to a specified precision. You can also permit mathematical symbols.

Use this element for any objective measurements that should be entered into the report, outside of the scope of the Vitals element or any lab tests. For example, a horse's pace as measured in the arena in meters per second, or the length of an exotic from nose to tail.

By default, integers will allow a precision of 0.0 and will auto adjust to display this.

When added to a patient record, the Number element will appear like this:

Patient ID

The Patient ID element type can be used to link an alternate ID for the patient to the ID / Tag system on the patient record. This can be especially useful for a Rabies Vaccine form, for example, where you want to ensure that the state rabies ID is entered on the patient record, but don't necessarily want to enter the ID multiple times.

The field can also be left blank, for other forms of ID that aren't linked to the ID / Tag system, such as nicknames.

Each individual Digital Document Element should be name matched to the ID/Tag type, to prevent confusion.

Reminder

The Reminder element will automatically pull in any patient reminders. This element cannot be modified and does not have the option for comments. Use this for Discharge reports, or any other report that should include upcoming appointments for the patient, such as surgery follow ups.

Report Info

The Report Info element pulls in information from the patient record itself to the report. It can also be used for formatting on the report, as these elements will transfer over to the printed version of the Jasper report.

This table contains an overview of each of the Report Info types available in VetView.

Report Info Type	Purpose on Digital Document
Animal ID	The patient's name as it is stored within the medical record
Age	The patient's age as it is stored within the medical record
Breed	The patient's breed
Case Number	The assigned case number for the patient
Color	The patient's coloration, if it has been added
Sex	The patient's sex as it is stored in the medical record
Species	The patient's species
Weight (grams)	The weight of the patient in grams.
Reason	The reason for the visit, as established in the episode/visit to which this digital document has been added
Unit	The unit for the episode to which this digital document has been added
Date	Today's date
Primary Owner	The owner of patient as stored within the medical record
Primary Referrer	Primary RDVM as stored within the medical record
Primary Clinic	The clinic stored on the medical record
Prescriptions	A list of all of the prescriptions assigned for the patient on this episode.
Diagnosis	The diagnosis for the patient, as established in the current episode to which the digital document was added
Vaccinations	A list of all the vaccines assigned to the patient, past and present, and their assigned dates
All Personnel	The personnel on the episode to which the document was added
Attending Personnel	The clinician assigned as the attending DVM
Estimate	The most recent estimate, as established in the current episode to which the digital document is added
Request Personnel	The personnel assigned to the request on which this digital document is added
Request Questions	Any questions associated with the request on which this digital document is added
Request Verified By	The clinician who reviewed and verified the request as complete
Verified Time Stamp	The date and time that the request was official verified
Upcoming Appointments	Any future appointments for this patient
Predefined Text	A set block of text that cannot be altered on the report. Use this for disclaimers that do not need to be adjusted for each patient, for section breaks, and any other unchangeable text on a report. This can also be used to create things like a signature line, decorative boxes, etc.
Page Break	A formatting report info intended to force a page break on the printed version of the Jasper report.
Horizontal Line	A formatting report info that creates a thin horizontal line to break up sections on the printed version of the Jasper report.

When added to a digital document, the various Report Info elements may appear something like they do in the example below:

Rich Text Box

The Rich Text Box element puts in an empty or pre-filled text box on the report, that includes options for formatting such as bold, italics, text colors, bullet points, etc.

When added to the patient's record, a digital document that contains the Rich Text Box element will appear like this:

Signature

The Signature element pulls in the previously established signed digital signature of the user whose name is entered in the text box. Use this to add the signature of the clinician for the case.

When added to a digital document, the signature element will appear like this:

The digital signature is added under the User Management tools. The physical signature itself is password protected on this screen, but is not password protected on a Digital Document, to allow for students or staff to add the signature of the attending DVM as part of the report. Verification should be used in conjunction with any document or request containing a physical signature.

Text Boxes

The Text Box elements allow the user to enter in custom text. These elements can be used to create questions and answers on digital document forms.

Text boxes can also be used in conjunction with a List of Values, which appear on the right side of the patient record as a Result Set.

When added to the patient record or a request, a digital document that contains a text box element will appear like this:

To add the List of Values / Result Set to the text box, double click the value you want to add.

Append will add the selected value to the next of the text box
Replace will clear out the existing text and instead put in the selected value

Document Drafting is available on Text Box elements. This allows you to take one part of the patient record and insert it into the text box. Use this as a shortcut to pull in parts from a patient's history, surgery reports, physicals, etc. into a Discharge statement without having to copy and paste.

A comment field may be appended to Text Element types if desired.

The current User and the current Date and Time can be automatically appended to any Text document element by clicking the appropriate icon on the right side.

Text Element Icon Key

Icon	Purpose
	Macros: Opens the Macro window
	Result Set: Opens a predefined result set for this text box
	Draft: Insert other documents into this document. When creating Discharge instructions, this allows you to rapidly pull in the physical, history, surgery report, etc.
	User: Adds the current user to the document at the point of the cursor.
	Date and Time: Adds the current date and time to the document at the point of the cursor.

Time Stamps

The Time Stamp element allows the user to manually enter in a date and time. (This is in contrast to the Report Info time stamp, which passively pulls in the current date and time.)

When added to a Digital Document, the time stamp element will appear on the patient record like this:

Click on the small green button to insert the current date and time.

Value List

The Value List element pulls in a custom list of values from the Value List setup tab. These restrict the answers to a question to only the specified choices, and can also be used in conjunction with the Related Elements to create a conditional question and answer series.

Related elements will use one answer from the value list as the condition for appearing. Multiple conditions can be added, including report info elements for page formatting if necessary.

Allow Custom Value List Entries enables the clinical staff to override the value list and put in a unique text value if necessary. If this box is not checked, they are restricted to only the values from the list.

When the digital document is added to a patient record, the Value lists will appear like this:

Vitals

The Vitals element type will appear as a TPR in a digital document. This element type will automatically input the TPR data entered into the document into the patient record as a TPR as well. This element is especially useful for Request digital documents, where they are not working on the patient record but may still want to record vitals as part of the procedure.

When added to a digital document, the Vitals element appears like this:

Species Filter

By default, an element will appear on a document for all species.

When the All Species flag is unchecked and the element is saved, the edit form screen will reload and a new Species Filter tab will appear.

Click on the Add Species button to create a species condition for the element.

A pop up window will appear to select the species.

Click on the Save button to add the species. The selected species will appear on the Species Filter tab.

Now, on the patient record and on the request screen, digital documents that contain this element will only display the element if the patient is one of the matching species.

Element Macros

Element Macros are pre-defined blocks of text that are available to clinical staff. When used in conjunction with text type document elements, this allows a user to quickly build reports using a standard template.

Macros in VetView are a separate concept than the Default Value Text entered on the digital document itself. Default Values will always appear when the document is added. Macros will only be inserted when the user selects them from the macro list. Default Values do not allow for placeholder text, but Macros do. Thus, if you intend to pull in patient data as part of the text, it is better to create a macro for the text value rather than use a default value on the document.

Click on the Add button to create a new macro. The Edit Macro window will open.

Field	Description
Macro Name	The name as the macro as it will appear on the macro selection window. This should be clear and concise. A name is required.
Employee	By default, a macro is available to all employees. If you want to limit this macro to a specific clinician, so that only they can add it, you can select the name from the employee list.
Request Item	If this digital document element is already added to multiple digital documents, you can restrict its availability to only one of the elements if you want. If the digital document element is only added to one digital document, the only option available is All Request Items.
Add Placeholders	Pulls in the patient info to the text itself. Like Report Info, this pulls in the information based on the episode to which this digital document element is added.
Macro Text	The text that will be pulled into the macros, including any formatting.

An example of partially filled out macro text:

Click on the Save button to apply the changes. When saved, the Macro text will appear in the macro list on the digital document element.

When a macro has been saved to a digital document element, it will appear on the Macro List on the patient request or request like this:

If the text was restricted to a specific user, then it will not appear for any other users in the macro list.

VetView Wiki

Most recent releases of VetView: Version 5.0.4 (Released 3/10/2025) and 4.2.10 Hotfix (2/28/2025)

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