📌Note: There is a monthly fee for CHR AI-powered features based on usage. Contact the TELUS Health Sales team for more information (refer to Contact us).
With the CHR's AI-powered writing tools, you can now use the AI letter variable feature to create reusable, AI-ready letter templates that automatically generate content when applied. By adding custom instructions, you can tailor the tone, style, or language of the generated output, such as preferred abbreviations or a formal writing style. You can also blend AI-generated content seamlessly with your own text and other patient data variables to fully customize your template.
When you apply a template containing an AI Letter Variable, the CHR automatically opens the AI writing tool and generates the letter body using your AI writing settings and any custom instructions you've provided.
You can use this feature to:
Create specialized referrals with specific clinical requirements.
Manage administrative tasks like insurance pre-authorizations or worker’s compensation requests.
⚠️Important:
Always review AI output for professional quality and medical accuracy before using it in communications or records.
The AI-powered writing tool works within TELUS CHR’s controlled environment, ensuring no patient-identifiable data is shared outside approved, secure channels. While leveraging AI capabilities, it adheres to patient privacy and security standards.
Steps to create a letter template with an AI variable
From the main menu, click Settings > Templates > Letter.
Add a letter template or open an existing template. For more information refer to Creating letter templates.
Click Insert Variable and select Add AI Letter Variable from the list.
📌 Note: If you are editing an existing template, the AI Letter Variable will replace the letter body. You can still add additional information, such as other patient data variables from the patient chart, before or after the AI Letter Variable.
4. Select an AI Letter Base template type for your letter.
📌Note: The Generic Letter option provides an open-ended prompt where you can generate various types of letters not covered by the standard templates. For example, a doctor can use this to write a letter for an insurance company, or a worker's compensation form.
5. Specify whether a patient encounter is required.
For Generic letter: You can toggle whether a patient encounter is required for generation. This allows you to create letters that work with or without encounter data.
For all other letter bases (Encounter notes, Sick note, Referral letter, Consultation report), an encounter is required by default and cannot be changed.
6. Add Custom Instructions (optional for standard templates, required for Generic Letter) to shape how the AI generates your letter. The better your instructions, the less editing you'll need after generation.
💡Tips for creating custom instructions.
💡Tips for creating custom instructions.
For Encounter notes, Sick note, Referral letter, and Consultation report, layer instructions on top of the AI's built-in knowledge.
Specify formatting (for example, "List medications as a numbered list").
Set tone (for example, "Keep language concise and clinical").
Name the audience (for example, "This letter goes to a specialist, include relevant history").
Exclude sensitive information (for example, "Never include mental health notes unless the referral is for a therapist").
For Generic letter, your instructions will shape the entire letter.
State what the letter is for (for example, "Write an insurance medical assessment letter").
Describe what to include (diagnosis, functional limitations, treatment plan, prognosis).
Specify tone, length, and required sections or sign-off language.
Best practices that apply to all:
If the letter is created from an encounter, reference the encounter notes directly (for example, "Use the complaint and history from the encounter").
Shorter, specific instructions work better than long, vague ones.
If output is consistently missing something, add it to the instructions rather than editing every time.
7. Before saving the template, click Generate preview to see a sample letter and receive AI suggestions for improving your instructions. If you update your instructions, click Regenerate preview to refresh the output. Suggestions appear in the same language as your custom instructions.
8. Click Save. The purple AI Letter Generation variable is inserted at your cursor position. You can place the variable exactly where you want the AI-generated content to appear in your letter.
9. You can add additional template elements such as other patient data variables, static text, or formatting to customize your template further. You can position these elements before or after the AI Letter Variable.
📌 Note: The AI Letter Variable will generate the main letter body, but you can enhance your template with other variables (for example, patient name, date of birth, or clinic information) or custom text sections as needed.
10. Click Save. Your AI-enabled template is now ready to use.
📌 Note: The template icon in the list now displays a purple AI icon to indicate it contains an AI Variable.
Steps to apply your AI variable template
Start or access a letter from an encounter. Refer to Creating letters from encounters.
In the Select template window, select the AI-enabled template from the list (marked with a purple AI icon). Click Apply this template.
💡Tip: Default templates appear at the top, while your custom templates appear below.
4. The AI writing tool opens and the letter is automatically generated in accordance with the template type you selected with your custom instructions applied automatically.
5. Continue filling in the rest of your letter (recipient, CC, etc.) as usual.
6. When you are finished, click Save.
Updated July 3, 2026