New Chart Note Experience: FAQ
This FAQ is designed to help you navigate the updated chart note experience at Nourish. Please refer to the Charting at Nourish article for the full overview of the process and video walkthroughs.
Why did the chart note change?
This redesign is part of a broader effort to better support you - our RDs - and to elevate the care experience for every patient at Nourish.
Over the past few months, we’ve collaborated closely with CQMs, clinical advisors, and experienced Nourish RD thought leaders to define what high-quality care looks like across a range of conditions and patient journeys. The result of that work is our new Care Pathway framework - a flexible model designed to guide how we deliver care.
The updated chart note reflects that work and serves three key goals:
To ensure every patient at Nourish receives exceptional, consistent care. We want every patient to feel supported, empowered, and understood.
To support RDs in continuing to grow and refine their skills. In a virtual environment, it’s not always easy to observe other clinicians or get in-the-moment feedback. The new chart note and session flow are built to act as a thought partner - surfacing ideas, examples, and structure to support your growth while leaving room for clinical autonomy and creativity.
To reduce the documentation burden and make your workflow easier. We’ve streamlined where information lives, introduced an AI-powered ‘Assist’ tool, and aligned the flow of the note with the natural rhythm of a patient session.
This change is not about standardizing the way you speak or care for your patients. It’s about building a shared framework, so that no matter how long you’ve been practicing, you have the structure and tools to provide great care and keep improving over time.
We know change takes adjustment, and we’re here to support you through it. Your clinical expertise is at the center of this model - the chart note is just here to help you shine!
What’s new in the chart note?
All-in-one Chart Note tab: All documentation now lives in a single tab, organized to follow the natural flow of a session
Detail Mode: Optional in-line guidance and structure to support your documentation - especially helpful for newer RDs or when you want a little extra structure
‘Phase of Care’ structure: Allows you to track and guide care across different stages of a patient’s journey, with tailored content and recommendations
AI ‘Assist’ feature: Surfaces personalized example language in key sections (e.g., PES, goals, interventions) based on patient data and past chart notes
Improved data continuity: More pre-filled content from past sessions to reduce redundancy and help you pick up right where you left off
Built-in scheduling: A scheduling prompt at the bottom of the note makes it easier to book follow-ups directly from the chart note
What is the “Assist” feature?
Assist is an AI-powered tool that gives you personalized examples based on the patient’s: goals, conditions, and previous chart notes
You'll see an “Assist” button in key fields like: PES statements, Interventions, Short-term goals
Clicking “Assist” will surface several example phrases to help you brainstorm or rephrase your recommendations.
Where do I chart now?
All documentation fields are in the “Chart Note” tab. The “Session Summary” tab still works the same and can be used with Zoom recordings.
The sidebar remains available for appointment history, notepad, outcomes, and other patient details.
What are the “Phases of Care”?
Our care model is built around a structured 4-phase journey designed to improve outcomes, guide goal progression, and support personalized care.
These phases reflect how most patients progress over time. Each phase is paired with tailored note structure, content, and supportive tooling - so that you can focus more on care, and less on note formatting.
This structure is not meant to be rigid or one-size-fits-all. Please defer to your clinical judgement to move at the pace that’s right for your patients.
Phase 1: Initial Intake - Focus on getting to know the patient, building trust, and gathering foundational information (medical history, goals, lifestyle, etc.)
Phase 2: Laying the Foundations - Focus on education, early behavior change, and reinforce foundational habits to build momentum
Phase 3: Building on Progress - Focus on deepening insights and refining strategies based on outcome progress
Phase 4: Planning for Long-Term Success - Focus on long-term maintenance, lifestyle integration, flexible routines, and preparing for life’s challenges; Patient may continue care at a reduced cadence (e.g., monthly check-ins) or pause care when appropriate
How do I decide when to move phases?
You can change the patient’s phase using the dropdown at the top or bottom of the chart note. While more detailed guidance is in the Charting at Nourish article, general guidelines are:
Phase 2 → 3: At least 30 days since starting Phase 2, at least 3 sessions completed, at least 1 outcome logged (questionnaire, weight, A1C, etc.), and patient is making foundational progress
Phase 3 → 4: At least 30 days since starting Phase 3, at least 3 sessions completed, at least 2 outcomes logged (questionnaire, weight, A1C, etc.), and patient is showing sustained progress
Phase 4 → Maintenance or Soft Close: Discuss transitioning to a maintenance cadence when patient wants accountability or prefers lower frequency but still benefits from support. Discuss pausing care when patient has achieved goals, feels confident independently, and there are no clinical concerns.
While these are guidelines for the patient journey, please use your clinical expertise to decide when a transition is appropriate for your patient.
How do I transition a patient to the next phase?
Use the Phase dropdown at the bottom of the chart note to indicate what phase the patient should be in for the next session. This allows us to:
Surface the right content for that phase
Track progression over time
Support you with the most relevant tools for that stage of care
The system will suggest a default phase based on session number, but you can always override it based on the patient’s needs and your clinical judgement.
Do I have to follow the session structure and timing?
No - We provide suggested time blocks to support session flow, but you are not required to follow this structure rigidly. The goal is to:
Align the chart note with a more natural rhythm of a patient session
Provide a flexible, reusable rhythm across visits
Give newer RDs a clear starting point and offer more tenured RDs ideas for new discussion topics
If your patient needs to spend the full session exploring motivation, go for it. If something big comes up, let it guide the flow. You can always circle back to other pieces next time.
Think of the session structure as a guide, not a script. Personalization and empathy come first!
Do fields still carry over from my previous sessions?
Fields will auto-populate as they do today, including: conditions, diagnoses, interventions, long-term goals
Chart notes from previous patient appointments will be converted into the new format for a smooth transition.
Have any fields been changed from the old chart note?
Yes, there has been one change to the chart note fields. ‘Other Patient Assessment’ has been merged with the ‘Lifestyle’ field. Please include any relevant information there.
What’s the difference between “Chief Motivation” and “Long-Term Goals”?
Chief Motivation captures the patient’s “why” - their personal reason for starting care. This often comes up early in the initial session and might include things like: “I want to feel better in my body,” “I’m worried about my family history,” or “I want more energy to keep up with my kids.”
Long-Term Goals represent the desired outcomes of your work together. These can be both quantitative and qualitative, but they should be metric-focused when possible to help track progress over time. Examples include: Improve cholesterol levels, Increase daily vegetable intake to 3+ servings, or Support healthy body composition changes.
What about the AI Scribe?
There’s been no change to the AI Scribe - it works just like before!
Use the Zoom “Record” button to activate the scribe. Wait 5–15 min after session for the summary to generate.
I’m still unsure when to move a patient forward. What should I do?
Use the Phase Advancement checklist from the Charting Help Center article
Reflect on the patient’s goals, consistency, and progress
Reach out to your CQM for support on best practices if you have additional questions!