Changelog v1.17 - September 18, 2025
Summary
This release introduces the capability to configure an installation to mandate that a non-MD/DO provider request a supervisor’s signature prior to submitting an encounter for billing. Additionally, new features include Global Templates for the EHR and an early release of an Ambient Scribe which is designed to aid providers in documenting encounters.
Supervisor Approval requires several steps. The first is a non-MD/DO provider requests approval of their encounter on Review & Sign. Senior staff, MDs and DOs, are not asked.

Once requested, on the Discharged tab of the tracking boards, an MD/DO provider will see an 'Approve' button on the far right of that encounter. Also the encounter will have the status of "Awaiting Supervisor Approval".

Clicking on the 'Approve' button will take the MD/DO to the Progress Notes where they can review the encounter and then press 'Confirm' when ready.

Then a confirmation dialog will appear informing the provider that confirmation will submit the encounter to the RCM system.

After confirmation, on the Discharged tab of the tracking boards, the encounter will have the 'Approve' button replaced with a note that it was 'Approved' along with a timestamp.

The Ambient Scribe is available on the Encounter Progress Note screens for the provider in the lower right corner.

Once pressed, it will reveal a modal where you can start dictation to the scribe.

When started, it will listen and extract information to assist the provider in encounter documentation. You can pause and resume dictation to the scribe as needed, or end the session when done.

New Features & Enhancements
- Encounters: Added the ability for organizations to optionally require supervisor approval of Reviewed & Signed encounters before claim submission. (#3540 (opens in a new tab))
- Global Templates: Implemented global templates for medical diagnoses to standardize documentation. (#3899 (opens in a new tab))
- Orders: Order numbers are now capitalized, improving consistency and appearance. (#3985 (opens in a new tab))
- Labs: The system now displays unparsed orders in both the external and in-house orders tables, providing more complete information. (#2456 (opens in a new tab))
- RCM: Claim submissions now include the service location, which is a required field for the RCM system. (#3813 (opens in a new tab))
- Reports: The report issue template now includes the project name, making it easier to identify the source of the issue. (#3661 (opens in a new tab))
Bug Fixes
- Virtual Visits: Fixed the issue where the alert for abnormal vitals wasn't showing up on the vitals screen. (#3529 (opens in a new tab))
- Scheduling: Resolved a bug where appointment slots were missing from the end of the day. (#3294 (opens in a new tab))
- User Interface: The "Next" label on the In Person Tracking Board now correctly appears for users on Safari browsers. (#2637 (opens in a new tab))
- Labs: In-house medication doses now have a proper space between the value and the units for better readability. (#3631 (opens in a new tab))
- Radiology: Fixed the Radiology Orders screen to display the correct empty state text instead of an object. (#3660 (opens in a new tab))
- Payments: The system now correctly handles and displays the "insufficient funds" error message for payments. (#3538 (opens in a new tab))
- Tracking Board: Eliminated the repeated error logging that occurred when a location's phone number failed validation. (#2932 (opens in a new tab))
Development & Infrastructure
- Testing: Added new end-to-end (E2E) tests for procedures and in-house labs to ensure the happy path works as expected. (#3689 (opens in a new tab)), (#3688 (opens in a new tab))
- Configuration: Zambda names were migrated to constants or inline strings for more stable and manageable code. (#2280 (opens in a new tab))
- Infrastructure: Added core Ottehr templates to our Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for easier management. (#3897 (opens in a new tab))
- Labs: The reflex logic for external labs has been updated to correctly use the DR. tag. (#2914 (opens in a new tab))
- Deployment: The deploy script now supports using a profile other than the default "ottehr" profile. (#2245 (opens in a new tab))