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Free Evidence-Based Physiotherapy Note Templates

A good note template does two jobs at once. It makes the note faster to write, and it makes sure the questions the guidelines say to ask actually get asked, on the busy afternoon as well as the quiet morning. We have written a set of free physiotherapy note templates for the conditions physios see most, and each one names the guideline it follows.

By the Clinidiary team · Updated · 4 min read

Why a template, and why an evidence-based one

Most physios carry a template in their head. The trouble is that a head template drifts: the red flag questions get shorter as the day gets longer, and two physios in the same clinic end up writing two different kinds of note. A written template fixes both. Everybody asks the same screening questions, the note reads the same from one visit to the next, and anyone covering a patient can find what they need.

An evidence-based template goes one step further. The structure comes from the published guidelines, so the note prompts you to screen for serious causes first, record a standard outcome measure, and write a plan the guidelines would recognise. It is a prompt, not a protocol. Your clinical reasoning still decides what happens.

What every template shares

Each assessment template has the same skeleton, so moving between them feels familiar:

  • Subjective basics. History of the presenting problem, pain now and at worst on a 0 to 10 scale, what it stops the patient doing, and their goals in their own words.
  • Serious causes screened first. The red flags for that region, as tick boxes, with a note on what a yes means.
  • An outcome measure. A standard score you can repeat, so progress is a number and not a feeling. See outcome measures for why that matters.
  • Plan basics. Your clinical impression, what you explained to the patient, treatment today, the home program, the expected number of visits, and whether a referral to the GP, imaging or a specialist is needed.

The templates, and what each is built on

Every template is on our resources page, where you can read the whole thing before you use it.

Using them in Clinidiary

Open Settings, then Resources library, and press Add to my practice on the ones you want. Each becomes one of your own note templates. When you start a note, pick it from the list and the sections are ready to fill. Your treatment notes save as you type, so nothing is lost if the phone rings.

If you work alone, the same templates are the quickest way to write notes faster without cutting corners. If you see patients at home, pair the assessment with the home visit note and read writing treatment notes between home visits.

Make them yours

These are starting points. Change the wording to how you talk, add the special tests you use, and take out what you never fill in. Two things are worth keeping however much you trim: the serious-cause screening, and an outcome measure you repeat. Those are the parts that protect the patient and show the change.

Guidelines are updated, too. Each template names its sources so you can check you are working from the current version.

Frequently asked questions

Are these physiotherapy note templates free?

Yes. You can read every template on our resources page, and add any of them to Clinidiary in one click.

Do I have to fill in every question?

No. A template is a prompt. Skip what does not apply to the patient in front of you, and change the template so it fits how you work.

Which guideline does each template follow?

Each template's page lists what it is built on, from NICE guidelines to the OARSI recommendations and the Melbourne ACL guide.

Can I change a template after I add it?

Yes. Once added it is your practice's own copy, and changes you make do not affect anyone else.