Printing an appointment letter in Helix

🧭 Overview

Before you can print appointment letters, your clinic must choose whether to:

1. Use the default Helix letter format

2. Upload and assign custom templates (PDF format with placeholders)

Once set up, letters can be printed directly from the Calendar when viewing a booked appointment.

📝 Configuration Guide

A. Choose Default Template Mode

📍 Path: Control Panel → System Settings → Branch Settings

1. Scroll to the Appointments and Scheduling section.

2. Find the option: Use Appointment Letter Templates

3. Choose:

   • OFF → Use Helix’s default letter format

   • ON → Use custom templates (uploaded by your team)

B. Upload a Custom Appointment Letter Template (if ON)

📍 Path: Control Panel → Templates → Document Templates

1. Click + Add (top right)

2. In the pop-up:

   • Name your template (e.g., “Dermatology Letter”)

   • Select which branches it applies to

   • Upload your PDF template

3. Once uploaded:

   • A preview appears

   • Use the green arrows to navigate if the PDF has multiple pages

Add Placeholders to the Template

Placeholders are smart fields that automatically fill in details like patient name, appointment time, or doctor name.

1. From the dropdown list, select a placeholder (e.g., “Patient Name”, Doctor's Name, etc)

2. Click the spot in the template where it should appear

3. To create a new placeholder:

   • Type the name into the dropdown

   • Click Add Item, then place it

4. Click Undo to remove the last placement if needed

5. Click Add to save the template

🟢 Log out and back in to activate the new template

Print the Appointment Letter

📍 Path: Calendar → Click on a booked appointment

1. Click the “Print Appointment Letter” icon

2. Depending on setup:

   • If default mode is active → letter prints immediately

   • If using custom templates → a dropdown appears

3. Choose the desired template

4. Helix fills in all placeholders and generates the printable letter

❗Common Issues & Fixes

✅ Pro Tips

• Use custom templates to include clinic logo, disclaimers, or instructions

• Create different templates for departments (e.g., Dental, Surgery, Pediatrics)

• Always preview placeholders before finalizing a template

• Use placeholders for consistent and error-free letters