A complete step-by-step guide for converting any document into a PDF and attaching it to the correct patient chart — from any program, in under two minutes.
Every patient file in dental sleep medicine depends on a complete chart. Sleep study results, physician notes, prior authorizations, and referrals all need to live inside Charm — and the fastest way to get them there is a skill every team member should master in their first week.
This guide covers the full workflow: creating a PDF from any printable document, organizing it in the designated upload folder, and attaching it to the correct patient chart in Charm EMR — including how to categorize it, set the date, and route it to your Provider for review.
This workflow applies to any document you can print — HRPO and PSG sleep study results, physician referral notes, prior authorization letters, patient-completed questionnaires, medical records, and insurance correspondence. If it can be printed, it can be a PDF. If it's a PDF, it can go into Charm.
This workflow has two distinct phases. In Phase 1, you work inside whatever program holds the document — Word, a web browser, a sleep lab portal, or any other application — and convert it to a PDF. In Phase 2, you switch to Charm EMR and attach the PDF to the right patient chart.
Open the document in any program → File → Print → Select "Save as PDF" or "Print to PDF" → Save to the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder with a clear file name.
Open Charm → Patients → select the patient → Documents → upload from Local Drive → categorize the file → assign reviewer → click Upload.
Always name PDF files using this format: Patient_FileType_Date — for example: Johnson_SleepStudy_2026-03-19.pdf or Martinez_PriorAuth_2026-03-19.pdf. Consistent naming makes finding and auditing records fast and reliable.
The steps below were captured in Microsoft Word Online, but this process works identically in any Windows or Mac application that supports printing — including Chrome, Edge, Excel, your fax software, or any third-party sleep lab portal.
Locate the document you need to upload. This could be a Word document stored on OneDrive, a report downloaded from a sleep lab portal, a fax received in your fax software, or any other printable file. Open it fully so the complete content is visible on screen before proceeding.
In the top-left corner of Microsoft Word (or any Office application), click the word File. This opens the File menu where print and export options are found. In a browser like Chrome or Edge, File is typically in the top-left menu bar or you can skip directly to the keyboard shortcut in Step 3.
In the File menu, click Print. The print dialog will open. You can also press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) from anywhere in almost any application to jump directly to this step — this shortcut works in Word, Chrome, Edge, Excel, and most other programs you'll encounter.
In the print dialog, locate the Printer or Destination dropdown. Instead of selecting a physical printer, choose one of these virtual PDF options:
Windows: Select "Microsoft Print to PDF" from the printer list.
Mac: Click the "PDF" button in the lower-left corner and choose "Save as PDF."
Chrome/Edge browser: The destination dropdown will show "Save as PDF" directly.
Once selected, click Save or Print — a Save dialog will appear to choose where your PDF file will be stored.
A standard file-save dialog will appear. Complete three actions before clicking Save:
(a) Navigate to the designated folder: Browse to the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder on your computer or shared drive. This folder is specifically maintained to hold PDFs that are ready to be uploaded — keeping them separate from other files prevents confusion and missed uploads.
(b) Rename the file: Clear the default filename and type a descriptive name using the format: Patient_FileType_Date — for example: Williams_HRPO_2026-03-19.pdf
(c) Click Save. The PDF is now ready to upload to Charm.
Phase 1 is complete. You now have a properly named PDF sitting in the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder — ready to be attached to any patient's Charm chart in under 60 seconds.
TDSS Chart Management StandardWith the PDF saved and named, you're ready to switch to Charm. The next eleven steps walk through navigating to the correct patient chart, opening the Documents section, uploading the file, and completing the required metadata before finalizing the upload.
After logging into Charm EMR, locate the Patients icon or link in the left-side navigation panel. Click it to open your patient list. This is the starting point for navigating to any individual patient chart.
Use the search bar to find the patient by last name, first name, or date of birth. Verify the patient's name and date of birth before clicking into the chart — uploading a document to the wrong chart is a clinical records error that requires correction. Click the patient's name to open their chart.
Inside the patient's chart, you'll see a row of navigation options. Click Documents to open the document management section of the chart. This is where all uploaded files — sleep studies, referrals, letters, authorizations — are stored and organized for this patient.
Once you're on the Documents page, Charm supports drag and drop. If you have your file manager open side-by-side with Charm in your browser, you can drag the PDF from the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder directly onto the Documents page — Charm will detect it and begin the upload process automatically. This is often the fastest method once you're comfortable with the workflow.
Keep your Windows File Explorer (or Mac Finder) open alongside Charm in your browser. Once you're in the patient's Documents tab, simply drag the PDF from the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder and drop it directly onto the Charm page. This skips the file picker dialog entirely and saves 30–45 seconds per upload.
If you're not using drag and drop, click the "From Local Drive" button. This is located in the upper-right area of the Documents section. Clicking it will open your computer's standard file picker, allowing you to navigate to the file you want to upload.
Your computer's file picker dialog will open. Complete these three actions:
(a) Navigate to the _UPLOAD TO CHARM folder on your computer or shared drive. This is the same folder where you saved the PDF in Step 5.
(b) Click once on the PDF file to select it. Confirm the file name matches the patient you have open in Charm before proceeding.
(c) Click Open. Charm will load the file into the upload interface and display the metadata options screen.
After the file is selected, Charm displays a metadata panel where you categorize the document, confirm the date, and route it for review. This step is critical — correct categorization is what makes documents findable and auditable over the life of the patient's chart.
Charm's upload panel presents three fields to complete:
(a) Document Type: Use the dropdown to select the category that best describes this file. Choose from options such as Sleep Study, Referral, Prior Authorization, Medical Records, Correspondence, Lab Results, or other available categories. Selecting the correct type is essential — it determines how the document appears in the chart and how it can be filtered and searched later.
(b) Date: Confirm or set the date associated with the document. This should reflect the date of the document itself (e.g., the date the sleep study was conducted), not today's upload date.
(c) File for Review: If this document requires review by a provider before clinical action is taken, toggle this option on. For most incoming clinical documents — sleep studies, physician notes, referrals — you will want this set to Yes and routed to your Provider.
Use this as a guide for selecting the correct category in Charm's Document Type dropdown:
| Document You Received | Select This Type |
|---|---|
| HRPO or home sleep test results | Sleep Study |
| PSG / attended lab sleep study | Sleep Study |
| Physician referral or prescription | Referral |
| Prior authorization approval letter | Prior Authorization |
| Medical records from another provider | Medical Records |
| Lab work, X-rays, other imaging | Lab Results |
| Insurance correspondence | Correspondence |
| Patient questionnaires, ESS, STOP-BANG | Patient Forms |
If you toggled "File for Review" to Yes in Step 12, a Reviewer dropdown will appear. Click on this field to open the list of available providers. You will select the reviewing provider in the next step.
From the reviewer dropdown, select your Provider. Routing documents to your Provider through Charm ensures they appear in their review queue and are acknowledged in the medical record.
With the file selected, Document Type set, date confirmed, and reviewer assigned, click the Upload button. Charm will process the file and permanently attach it to the patient's chart. The upload typically completes in a few seconds depending on file size and connection speed.
After uploading, Charm returns you to the Documents section of the chart. You will see the newly uploaded file appear in the document list with its category, date, and status. Always verify the upload completed correctly by checking that:
• The file name matches the patient and document type
• The Document Type category is correctly set
• The date reflects the document's service date (not today's date)
• Your Provider appears as the assigned reviewer
This screen is also where you can view, organize, and manage all of the patient's previously uploaded files — sorted by document type, date, or status.
Mastering this workflow means you can get any clinical document into any patient's Charm chart in under two minutes — without a scanner, without special software, and without asking for help. The habit of uploading documents the same day they arrive is what separates a complete chart from an incomplete one.