The Clinical Notes feature allows you to document patient encounters directly within the Sesame provider portal.
All visits on Sesame must have a Clinical Note completed within 24 hours of the appointment, ensuring timely and accurate documentation for both clinical quality and patient care.
Accessing and Writing Clinical Notes
You can start or continue a Clinical Note from multiple places in the portal:
From the patient chart: Click the paper-and-person icon to open a new or existing note.
From the Dashboard: Locate the visit, click the three-dot menu, and select Write a Note.
Once open, enter your encounter details, including diagnosis codes and any relevant clinical observations.
Using Clinical Notes Features
While writing your note, you can also:
Order labs directly from within the Clinical Notes window.
Request a follow-up appointment by checking the box labeled Request a follow-up appointment with patient.
When you lock the note, Sesame automatically emails the patient a reminder to schedule the follow-up with you.
You can specify a suggested timeframe (e.g., Follow up in 2 weeks or 1 month).
If you forget to check this box, you can still invite the patient to schedule a follow-up through the Messaging feature.
Saving and Locking Notes
You have two ways to save your documentation:
Lock Note (Mark as Complete)
Finalizes the note and sends it to the patient.
Prevents further editing—locked notes cannot be modified.
Indicates the encounter is fully complete and visible to the patient.
Save as Draft
Keeps the note internal to you and not visible to the patient.
Drafts are appropriate for counseling or therapy sessions, or when it’s clinically appropriate to keep the note private.
For internal purposes, draft notes still count as a completed visit.
However, if a patient requests access to their medical record, Sesame may contact you to confirm whether you’d like to lock the note to make it viewable to the patient.
Adding Addendums
If a locked note requires clarification or correction:
Open the patient’s encounter.
Click the locked Clinical Note.
Select Add Addendum.
Write your update and click Add to save.
Addendums are timestamped and automatically attached to the original note for full transparency.
Record Access & Retention
Sesame retains all Protected Health Information (PHI) and documentation for at least seven (7) years, or longer if required by state law.
This includes:
Clinical Notes and addendums.
Requests for access, amendment, or disclosure of PHI.
Documentation related to denied access.
Providers may also maintain records outside of Sesame, but must meet the same minimum retention requirements.
If a patient or third party requests a copy of their records, Sesame handles the request in compliance with HIPAA and applicable law. Providers agree to cooperate with these procedures as part of Sesame’s Access and Retention of Medical Records Policy.