Clinical documentation as blocks, not forms.

Source: Dev.to

Background

I work in clinical settings, and every EHR I’ve used treats a patient encounter like a web form from 2003. You fill in fields, submit, and that’s it. The structure is decided for you — and it’s usually wrong for what you’re actually doing.

The Central Idea

Instead of a fixed form, an encounter is a timeline of typed blocks: a vitals block, a history & physical block, a note block, etc. You add only what’s relevant to the patient and the visit—nothing more.

Block Types

• Vitals block – not just a text field; it includes BP, HR, RR, temperature, SpO₂.
• History & Physical (H&P) block – contains structured ROS checkboxes and physical‑exam sections by system.
• Plan block – problem‑based, tailored to the patient’s issues.

Each block has its own shape and data model.

Versioning

Blocks have versions. Every edit creates a revision, allowing you to see the full history of any block.

Scalability

• Solo practitioner – can start with a blank encounter and add only the blocks needed for a particular visit.
• Multi‑department center – admins can define department‑specific block types (e.g., psychiatry notes vs. surgical admissions) and build encounter templates for each service. The same system adapts its shape depending on who is using it.

Demo

• Demo site:
• Admin credentials:
  • Email: dr.james@demo.com
  • Password: Demo1234!

Call for Contributors

I’m looking for contributors to push this toward a proper open‑source EHR. Even just trying the demo and reporting where the workflow breaks is useful. Does this match how you actually think through a visit, or is it solving the wrong problem?