Template Authoring Tools¶

Templates assemble archetypes for specific clinical use cases. In ADL 2 the distinction blurs because a template is a specialised archetype, but in ADL 1.4 templates are separate artefacts with their own tooling.

Archetype Designer - template mode¶

Archetype Designer handles both archetype and template authoring in a single tool. It is the recommended path for template work today.

Template Designer (Ocean Informatics / Ocean Health Systems)¶

What it is: The original template authoring tool from Ocean Informatics, now Ocean Health Systems, used alongside the Archetype Editor. It produces .oet files, the pre-ADL 2 template format, which are then compiled to OPTs.

Why it is legacy: It is Windows-only, produces the older .oet format, and has been superseded by Archetype Designer for new work. Many existing templates in CKM and UK national programmes were built with this tool.

Who might still use it: Anyone maintaining older .oet templates. Avoid it for new projects.

Medical Flows Template Designer¶

What it is: A modelling tool for creating executable medical workflows with openEHR CDR support. It is not a replacement for Archetype Designer: it targets clinical pathways, guidelines, protocols, and task-planning workflows.

Who should use it: Organisations modelling and executing care processes and clinical decision logic, not only data structures.