No chart exists in isolation. While you’re documenting today’s visit, you’re also thinking about last month’s labs, the problem list, current medications, recent requisitions, and what the patient told you in their intake form. Healthquest has two features that bring all that context right to your fingertips while you chart: the Reference Panel and Historical Field Values. Most users never discover either — which means they’re spending time clicking between screens that they don’t need to leave.
The Reference Panel: Everything You Need, Right There
The Reference Panel is a persistent sidebar that stays open on the right side of your screen while you work. It gives you quick access to:
- Most recent labs and requisitions
- Intake forms
- Allergies
- Problem list
- And more — all without leaving the charting window
Opening it is simple: click Show Reference Panel. It stays open until you close it, and you can customize what appears using the Settings icon.
Drag and drop directly into your notes
Any item in the Reference Panel that shows six dots on the left can be dragged directly into a chart note or form. Labs, medications, problems — instead of copying and pasting or switching screens to look something up, you drag it in.
You can also right-click any tab along the top of the chart to bring up a list and then click and drag individual items into your chart notes. It’s a small workflow change that adds up quickly across a busy clinic day.
💡 Pro Tip: Leave the Reference Panel open during appointments. It works as a real-time clinical companion — you can see what’s there, act on it, and keep charting without breaking your focus.
Click Healthquest | Reference Panel Knowledge Base to learn more.
Historical Field Values: The Smarter Alternative to Copying Old Notes
In Part 2 of this series, we covered copying old chart notes for repeat visits. Historical Field Values offers a more surgical approach: instead of duplicating an entire previous note, you open a fresh template and pull in only the specific historical data you need, field by field.
How to use it:
- Open a new chart note
- Hold Ctrl and left click in any individual field
- A window appears showing all previous values and notes for that specific field — across all past visits
- Click any historical entry to copy it into the current note
This is particularly powerful for fields like assessments and plans where you want continuity without wholesale copying. You get the history without the risk of carrying over outdated information accidentally.
Trending vitals:
There’s a bonus function worth knowing: Ctrl + left-click in the vitals field doesn’t just show historical entries — it shows a trend view. For patients where you’re tracking blood pressure, weight, or other vitals over time, this gives you a quick visual read without running a separate report.
💡 Pro Tip: Use Historical Field Values when you want selective continuity — grabbing the previous assessment for a chronic condition, for example, while writing a fresh subjective and plan.
Combining These Features with the Rest of Your Charting Toolkit
The Reference Panel and Historical Field Values work best alongside the features from Parts 1 and 2 of this series. While your template default and macros handle the structure of your note, the Reference Panel and historical values give you the clinical context to fill it in accurately — without hunting through past encounters.
Together, these tools represent a meaningful shift in how charting can feel: less administrative overhead, more clinical presence.
This wraps up the Charting Efficiency series.
Interested in a Practice Optimization session? Connect with your Healthquest account manager.