Before you can add context from Elation or send notes to a patient's chart, you need to select which patient you're working with. Attend provides two ways to find patients: viewing today's schedule or searching by name across all patients in your Elation system.
This article explains both methods and how to troubleshoot common patient selection issues.
Two Ways to Find Patients
Today's Schedule
View all patients scheduled for appointments today, pulled directly from your Elation calendar.
Search by Name
Search across all patients in your Elation system to find anyone, regardless of whether they have an appointment today.
💡 Tip: Use today's schedule for your planned appointments and search by name for walk-ins, follow-ups, or patients you're documenting after hours.
Accessing the Patient Selection Window
You'll see the patient selection window in two scenarios:
When Adding Context from Elation:
Click New Encounter
Click the tile that says "Add content to be used in your note"
Select "Add from EHR"
The patient selection window appears
When Sending a Note to Elation:
Generate and review your note in Attend
Click the "Send to EHR" button
The patient selection window appears
Using Today's Schedule
When you open the patient selection window, you'll automatically see a list of patients scheduled for today.
What Appears in Today's Schedule
All appointment types: The schedule shows every patient with an appointment today, regardless of appointment type (office visits, telehealth, consultations, etc.)
Pulled from Elation calendar: The list comes directly from your Elation appointment calendar
Refreshing Your Schedule
⚠️ Important: Attend pulls in your schedule periodically. If a patient is recently added or removed from your Elation calendar, you might need to refresh to see the changes.
To refresh your schedule:
Look for the circular arrow button in the top right of the schedule screen
Click the button to reload your current schedule from Elation
Your updated schedule will appear with any additions or changes
When to refresh:
A patient was just added to your schedule in Elation
An appointment was cancelled or rescheduled
You don't see a patient you expect to see
Selecting a Patient from the Schedule
Review the list of patients displayed
Click on the patient's tile to select them
If adding context: You'll proceed to the context selection screen
If sending a note: You'll see a confirmation that the note was sent successfully
Important: Clicking a patient tile immediately selects them. Make sure you're selecting the correct patient before clicking.
Searching for Patients by Name
If your patient isn't on today's schedule, you can search for them by name across your entire Elation patient database.
How to Search
In the patient selection window, locate the search field (typically at the top)
Type the patient's name
Results will appear as you type
Click on the correct patient tile to select them
What You Can Search By
Patient first name
Patient last name
Date of Birth
Search spans all patients: The search looks through your entire Elation patient database, not just today's appointments.
Search Tips
Start with last name: For common first names, searching by last name often yields fewer results and makes it easier to find the right patient.
Use partial names: You don't need to type the complete name—results appear as you type.
Check carefully: Make sure you're selecting the correct patient, especially with similar names or common names.
Troubleshooting: Patient Not Found
If you can't find a patient when searching, try these steps:
Check Your Spelling
The most common reason for not finding a patient is a spelling variation or typo.
Try these approaches:
Verify the spelling of the patient's name in Elation
Try alternate spellings (e.g., "Smith" vs. "Smyth")
Search by date of birth
Check for hyphenated names or special characters
Common Spelling Issues
Names with apostrophes (O'Brien vs OBrien)
Hyphenated names (Mary-Jane vs Mary Jane)
Names with spaces (De La Cruz vs Delacruz)
Nicknames vs. legal names (Bob vs. Robert)
Other Reasons a Patient Might Not Appear
Patient not in Elation system: If the patient hasn't been registered in Elation yet, they won't appear in Attend's search. Add them to Elation first.
Spelling differs in Elation: Check how the patient's name is spelled in their Elation chart and search using that exact spelling.
Recently added to schedule: If a patient was just added to your Elation calendar, click the circular arrow button in the top right to refresh your schedule.
System sync delay: In rare cases, recently added patients may take a moment to sync. Wait a few minutes and try searching again.
Common Questions
Q: What if I have two patients with the same name?
A: The patient tiles should show additional identifying information to help you distinguish between patients. Select carefully and verify you have the correct patient.
Q: Can I see patients from other providers' schedules?
A: Today's schedule shows patients scheduled with you specifically. However, the name search allows you to find any patient in your Elation system.
Q: What if my schedule in Attend doesn't match what I see in Elation?
A: Click the circular arrow button in the top right of the schedule screen to refresh. If there's still a discrepancy after refreshing, check that the appointments are properly entered in Elation. If the issue persists, contact [email protected].
Q: Why don't I see any patients on my schedule?
A: If your today's schedule is empty, either you don't have any appointments scheduled in Elation for today, or there may be a connection issue. Try clicking the refresh button. You can still search for patients by name. If you believe you should see appointments and refreshing doesn't help, contact support.
Q: Do I need to refresh my schedule every time I open the patient selection window?
A: No. The schedule automatically loads your current appointments. You only need to refresh if appointments were added or changed in Elation recently.