Is there any way to have variables inserted into AC templates?

For example, in the HPI:

He/she complains of (sore throat, cough, runny nose, fever) for __ days duration.

I would like to be able to "click on" the symptoms I want within the parenthesis (like Praxis). And insert a number before days without word processing. I would like branching templates that would open new choices when a new symptom is selected.

Now, I don't use any HPI templates, just boiler plate FamHx, SocHx, Exam, Assess, Plan.

More powerful templates would make charting in the exam room more facile.

Unfortunately, no. Most of us would either leave a blank to insert the days manually or provide the list and delete the ones that don't apply. There are a million ways to do the templates but living templates in AC don't exist. My templates would be "sore throat" which would say, "the patient complains of sore throat for * days duration".

Agree that putting in variables would be nice but that's an entirely different software program. I looked very hard at a program called "Medtuity" which had enormous capabilites and adaptabilities. It could easily do this and was cheap. Unfortunately, the time spent on the front end to build all of this was much longer than simple templates in AC.

Travis already answered your question, but in case you weren't aware, there are a few simple variables that will work in AC templates:

%he - will insert either he or she, depending on the sex of the patient
%his - his or hers

I know there are some others, but I can't recall them. Help, anyone?

What I know is:

%MR
%FNAME
%LNAME
%AGE
%him
%he
%his
%Him

These are nice little shortcuts and additions to know as well. These are the only ones I know of. Is there any others that people know of? Like %REFERRING PROVIDER or %LASTDATESEEN or %MARRIED.

I'm too computer illiterate to know how these work. Can we make one with %NUMERICDROPDOWNMENU? I know we can't but I don't know the code that makes these things pull from the demographics.

Oh, and why don't these shortcuts work in the letter writer? I would love for my template to say "Thank you for referring Mr. Jones" instead of "Thank you for referring this patient"

They tried to get them to work in the letter writer. Apparently, there is a technical issue that prevents it from working. I wonder if MS Word can do it though. Bert?