# Programs and Phases

## Overview

Programs are structured care pathways that patients follow in Welkin. Each program contains one or more **phases** – defined stages representing where a patient is in their care journey. Programs and phases are configured in the Designer and drive patient workflows, assessments, automations, and reporting.

<figure><img src="/files/zYh8hUPQeNyTy1QHg55X" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

## Programs

A program represents a care pathway (e.g., "Diabetes Management", "Behavioral Health Onboarding"). Patients can be enrolled in one or more programs simultaneously.

### Creating a Program

1. In the Designer, navigate to **Programs**.
2. Click **+ Add Program**.
3. Enter a **Name** (used in conditions, automations, and reporting – names are case-sensitive).
4. Optionally add a **Description**.
5. Save and publish when ready.

### Program Settings

* **Multiple enrollment** – by default, a patient can only be in a program once at a time. Re-enrollment behavior can be configured if your workflow requires it.
* **Auto-enrollment** – programs can be triggered automatically via Automations when a patient meets defined criteria.

***

## Phases

Phases are the stages within a program (e.g., "Intake", "Active Care", "Maintenance", "Discharged").

### Creating Phases

1. Open a program in the Designer.
2. Under **Phases**, click **+ Add Phase**.
3. Enter a **Name** for the phase (case-sensitive – must match exactly when used in conditions).
4. Set the phase **order** by arranging phases in the desired sequence.

### Phase Transitions

Phase transitions can happen:

* **Manually** – a care team member changes the phase in the patient's profile.
* **Automatically** – via an Automation that triggers a phase change when conditions are met.

***

## Using Programs in Automations and Widgets

Programs and phases are commonly used as conditions in:

* **Automations** – trigger actions on phase entry/exit
* **New Homepage Widgets** – filter patients by current phase or program (see [New Homepage Configuration](/designer/homepage-configuration/new-homepage-designer.md))
* **Assessments** – associate assessments with programs so they appear at the right stage

***

## Publishing

After configuring programs and phases, create a draft in the Designer and publish to make changes available in the Care Portal.

***

## Related Topics

* [Patient Programs and Phases](https://welkin-health-1.gitbook.io/welkin-health-docs/care/care-programs-and-phases) – managing programs in Care
* [How to Create Automations](/designer/automations/designer-how-to-create-automations.md) – automations triggered by program enrollment
* [How to Associate Assessments with Programs](/designer/documents-and-assessments/how-to-associate-assessments-with-programs.md) – linking assessments to programs
* [New Homepage Configuration](/designer/homepage-configuration/new-homepage-designer.md) – program/phase widgets on homepage


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.welkinhealth.com/designer/programs-and-profiles/programs-and-phases.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.