Configure Document Types

Overview

Document Types in Welkin are categorization templates that help organize and identify documents uploaded into patient records. By configuring Document Types, you create a standardized taxonomy for document management, making it easier for care team members to search, filter, and locate specific documents within a patient's chart.

Examples of Document Types might include: Lab Results, Discharge Summary, Insurance Card, Referral Letter, or X-Ray Reports. Each Document Type can have additional data fields for subcategorization or metadata.

Key Benefits

• Organization – Standardized categories reduce search time
• Consistency – Team members use same document naming across patients
• Searchability – Filter charts by document type
• Workflow Efficiency – Quickly find the right documents when needed
• Metadata Capture – Add custom fields (notes, subcategories, dates) to documents
• Security – Apply security policies to specific document types if needed

Prerequisites

1. You have access to Designer with appropriate permissions
2. You understand your organization's document management needs
3. You've identified the main document categories you'll need

Step-by-Step: Create Document Types

Step 1: Create a New Draft in Designer

1. Log into Designer
2. Click Create Draft to begin a new configuration draft
3. You're now in draft mode and can make changes

Step 2: Access Document Types Configuration

1. On the left sidebar, navigate to Custom Data section
2. Find and click on Document Types
3. You should see a list of existing document types (if any)
4. Click + New to create a new document type

Step 3: Enter Basic Document Type Information

Fill in the required fields:

Title

• What it is: Display name shown to care team and in patient charts
• Example names:

  • "Lab Results"
  • "Discharge Summary"
  • "Imaging Report"
  • "Referral Letter"
  • "Insurance Documentation"
  • "Progress Note"
• Best practice: Use clear, professional terms that your team understands

Name

• What it is: Internal system name (lowercase, numbers, underscores, hyphens)
• Auto-populated: Field auto-generates from Title but can be customized
• Example names:

  • lab-results
  • discharge-summary
  • imaging-report
  • referral-letter
  • insurance-docs

Step 4: Add Custom Data Fields (Optional)

Document Types can include additional fields to capture metadata:

Adding Fields

1. Click + Add Data Field or + New Field
2. For each field, configure:

   • Field Name – Name visible to users (e.g., "Lab Category")
   • Field Type – Type of data:

     • Text – Free-form text (e.g., "Notes about document")
     • Long Text – Multi-line text for detailed notes
     • List – Dropdown options (e.g., "Category" with Blood Work / Imaging / Pathology)
     • Date – Date field (e.g., "Date of Service")
     • Boolean – Yes/No checkbox (e.g., "Requires Follow-up")
     • Integer – Numeric value (e.g., "Page Count")
3. Required – Check if field must be filled when uploading document
4. Options (for List fields) – Enter available selections

Example: Lab Results Document Type

Document Type: Lab Results

Fields:
1. Lab Category (List - Required)
   Options: Chemistry / Hematology / Microbiology / Immunology

2. Lab Date (Date)

3. Result Status (List)
   Options: Preliminary / Final / Corrected

4. Critical Values (Boolean)
   Help text: "Check if any critical lab values present"

5. Provider Notification (Text - Optional)
   Help text: "Document how provider was notified"

Example: Insurance Documentation Type

Document Type: Insurance Documentation

Fields:
1. Document Category (List - Required)
   Options: Insurance Card / Policy Details / EOB / Verification Letter

2. Insurance Company (Text)

3. Policy Number (Text)

4. Effective Date (Date)

5. Notes (Long Text - Optional)

Step 5: Save Your Document Type

1. After configuring fields, click Save to save in draft
2. Document Type is saved but not yet available in Care

Step 6: Complete Security Policy Configuration

Important: Document Types need security policy configuration to be available in Care.

1. Still in your draft, navigate to Access Control > Security Policies in left sidebar
2. Find or create a Security Policy that applies to Document Types
3. In the policy, ensure the Document Type you just created is included with appropriate permissions:

   • Create – Who can upload documents of this type
   • Read – Who can view documents of this type
   • Update – Who can edit document metadata
   • Delete – Who can delete documents of this type

For detailed security policy configuration, see Configuring Security Policies.

Step 7: Publish Your Configuration

1. Review all changes made in your draft
2. Click Publish to activate the new Document Type
3. Document Type is now available in Care for document uploads

Using Document Types in Care

Uploading Documents

Once configured and published, care team members can:

1. In patient chart, navigate to Documents section
2. Click Upload Document or + New Document
3. Select the Document Type from dropdown (uses Title you configured)
4. Complete any required fields you defined
5. Select or upload the document file
6. Click Save to upload

Searching/Filtering Documents

Care team can then:

1. View patient's document list filtered by Document Type
2. Use Document Type filter to find specific categories
3. Search within metadata fields you created
4. Sort documents by type or date

Document Type Organization Strategies

Strategy 1: By Document Source

Group documents by where they come from:

• Lab Results
• Imaging Reports
• Pharmacy Records
• Insurance Documents
• External Hospital Records

Strategy 2: By Clinical Category

Group documents by clinical area:

• Cardiology Reports
• Psychiatry Notes
• Surgical Reports
• Pathology Results
• Radiology Imaging

Strategy 3: By Administrative Category

Separate clinical from administrative:

• Clinical Notes
• Test Results
• Administrative (Insurance/ID)
• Consent Forms
• Legal Documents

Strategy 4: By Care Workflow

Organize around your care processes:

• Initial Intake
• Ongoing Assessment
• Discharge
• Follow-up

Best Practices

1. Keep List Short – Limit to 15-20 document types; too many causes confusion
2. Clear Names – Use terms your team naturally uses (avoid jargon users don't recognize)
3. Avoid Duplication – Don't create similar document types that could overlap
4. Organize Logically – Order types in a way that matches workflow
5. Use Subcategories – Use List fields to sub-categorize within a document type rather than creating many parent types
6. Test Before Publishing – Have team review proposed document types
7. Train Users – Educate care team on which type to select for each document
8. Include Metadata – Use optional fields for important tracking information
9. Regular Review – Periodically check if document types still match your needs
10. Document Definitions – Keep written guidance on which documents go in which type

Example: Complete Document Type Configuration

Document Type: Discharge Summary

Title: Discharge Summary
Name: discharge-summary

Fields:
1. Discharge Type (List - Required)
   - Hospital Discharge
   - Clinic Closure
   - Transfer to Other Care
   - AMA (Against Medical Advice)

2. Discharge Date (Date - Required)

3. Primary Diagnosis ICD Code (Text)

4. Medications at Discharge (Long Text)

5. Follow-up Needed (Boolean)
   Help: "Check if patient requires follow-up appointments"

6. Follow-up Instructions (Long Text - appears if "Follow-up Needed" = Yes)

7. Discharging Provider (Text)

Security Policy:
- Care Team Roles: Can Create, Read, Update, Delete
- Admin Role: Can Create, Read, Update, Delete
- Patient Facing: Read Only

Troubleshooting

Document Type Not Appearing in Care

Problem: Document Type is created but doesn't appear in the upload dropdown

Solutions:

• Verify Document Type was published (not just saved in draft)
• Check security policy – Document Type must be included with "Create" permission
• Confirm user's role has permission to create this document type
• Refresh browser cache
• Verify Document Type isn't restricted to specific users/roles

Required Fields Not Enforcing

Problem: Can upload documents without filling required fields

Solutions:

• Verify field is marked as "Required" in Document Type configuration
• Publish a new version of configuration
• Clear browser cache
• Test with a different user account

Field Not Showing When Uploading

Problem: Field is defined but doesn't appear in upload form

Solutions:

• Check field is not hidden or restricted in security policy
• Verify Document Type was published after field was added
• Confirm field is marked with proper permissions in security policy
• Test with admin account to verify field exists

Related Topics

• Configuring Security Policies – Setting permissions for document types
• Custom Data Types (CDT): Designer – Creating custom fields for documents
• Designer: Feature Overview – Security Policies – Security policy overview
• Patient Profile Overview – Viewing documents in Care
• Welkin Naming Conventions Dictionary – Naming standards