A template is not just a document. It is a set of instructions Vero combines with source material, patient context, saved preferences, and your note style to produce a finished note.
This article explains how those pieces fit together so you can predict what Vero will produce and design templates that stay consistent.
What Vero uses when generating a note
Input group | Purpose |
Current source material | Transcript, written context, uploads, and attached patient details provide facts for the current note. |
Historical context | Reference Notes can provide prior documentation when enabled; review whether it is still relevant. |
Reusable output preferences | Memory, learned examples, the selected template, and Note Settings guide presentation and wording. |
The priority order
Vero separates clinical source accuracy from reusable output preferences.
Clinical content: Current source material and explicit instructions for this encounter take priority. Reference Notes remain background context and do not prove that older information is still current.
Output preferences: Clinician preference Memory applies first, followed by learned examples, then the template, and then broad Note Settings where the higher-priority source is silent.
Required template content: Fixed visible text, triggered conditional blocks, and specific required template instructions are still preserved when they are clinically safe and source-supported.
A few practical consequences:
Vero should not invent content to satisfy a template or learned example.
Current transcript, written text, and uploaded files override conflicting historical context.
Learned examples can control reusable section order, headings, grouping, and presentation when Memory is silent.
Generic template headings and placeholders may be fitted into the learned structure. Write required headings as fixed visible text and include them in the learned example when you want both sources to agree.
Specific template rules can override broad Note Settings when the rule is clinically safe.
How each input is used
Source material: transcript, written text, uploads
Vero treats the main source types differently.
Source | Role |
Transcript | Primary current-visit source when a recording or audio upload is used. |
Written text | Intentional clinician-provided context, corrections, pasted details, or note-specific instructions. |
Uploaded documents | Historical context, outside records, referral letters, forms, reports, or source material that should inform the note. |
Patient profile | Stable chart details such as demographics, pronouns, PMH, medications, allergies, social history, and family history. |
If you want to override a template for one encounter without editing the template, type the instruction into the encounter's written text before generating or regenerating.
Reference Notes
Reference Notes add saved notes as context when the relevant preference is enabled.
Reference Current Encounter Notes uses other saved notes from the same encounter.
Reference Previous Patient Notes uses up to five recent notes from earlier encounters for the same attached patient, selected by note creation date.
Use Reference Notes when a follow-up document should account for prior documentation. Do not use it as a substitute for reviewing the current note or confirming that older information still applies.
How Learnings interact with templates
Learnings are style examples. They teach Vero how you write when using a specific template.
What Learnings can shape:
Section headers and abbreviations, such as
S:vsSubjective:.List style, line breaks, and spacing patterns.
Clinical phrasing preferences, such as "denies chest pain" vs "no chest pain".
Capitalization, punctuation, and signature/footer style.
What Learnings should not do:
They should not add patient facts that are not in the current source material.
They should not override fixed visible template text, triggered conditional blocks, or specific required template content.
They should not replace clinician review.
Key idea: Templates teach Vero what goes where. Learnings teach Vero how you write. Detail level tells Vero how much to include.
Memory and preferences
Use templates for reusable rules about note headings, wording, structure, dates, signatures, or patient instructions. In Vero Chat, specify that the change should apply to the template or future notes. Use Note Settings for a broad default detail level.
Memory is for durable preferences about how Vero communicates with you or non-document workflows. For example: “Remember to keep your explanations to me brief.” Do not save patient information as Memory.
Previously saved note-formatting memories can still influence generated notes and take priority over templates. If a note keeps following an old preference, review Settings → Memory and remove the conflicting memory after putting the desired rule in the template. See Memory.
User settings
User settings are the broad preference layer.
Detail level - controls how concise or thorough the note is.
Quotes - includes direct patient quotes when clinically relevant.
Abbreviations - uses standard medical abbreviations when appropriate.
Bullets - favors list-style output.
Text replacements - applies your spelling, abbreviation, and terminology replacements.
Template-specific rules are usually better for preferences that apply only to one template. User settings are better for preferences that should apply broadly.
Design principles for strong templates
Use the template for content placement. Decide which sections get which facts.
Use rules for constraints. Examples: only include if mentioned, keep to one line, place pending tests under Plan.
Use Learnings for style. Teach Vero examples when you like the final shape of the note.
Use Text replacements for repeated spelling or terminology fixes. One text replacement can affect every template.
Keep reusable note rules in the template. Reserve new Memory preferences for Vero's communication or non-document workflows.
Test with edge cases. A good template should still produce clean output when some fields are missing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep a required heading?
Write it as fixed visible text in the template and include it in the learned example when you want both sources to agree. A generic placeholder alone does not reliably require a visible heading. See Template Intermediate: Rules, Fields, and Structure.