Real-World Plugin Use Cases
This page showcases how organizations use Canvas plugins to solve real business problems. Each use case describes a common challenge, how plugins address it, and the business impact you can expect. Use these examples as inspiration when scoping new projects or evaluating whether Canvas can meet a specific need.
For a complete map of plugin capabilities, see the Plugin Capabilities Overview.
Chronic Care Management #
Automated CCM Activity Tracking and Billing #
The problem: Chronic care management (CCM) programs require meticulous time tracking for billable activities. Manual tracking is error-prone, leads to missed billing opportunities, and creates administrative burden for care teams.
How plugins solve it:
- A timer-based plugin tracks time spent on CCM activities automatically as staff interact with patient records
- When monthly time thresholds are reached, the plugin assigns the appropriate CPT codes (99490, 99491, etc.) and adds billing line items to the patient’s record
- Monthly CCM notes are generated automatically, summarizing activities performed and time spent
Business impact: Reduced revenue leakage from missed billing, lower administrative overhead, and more accurate documentation for audit compliance.
📄 Technical reference: Billing Line Items, Cron Tasks
Clinical Screening and Risk Assessment #
Tobacco Use Screening Protocol #
The problem: Quality measure compliance (e.g., CMS138v14) requires systematic screening of all eligible patients, but it’s easy for screenings to fall through the cracks during busy visits.
How plugins solve it:
- A protocol evaluates each patient’s record to determine screening eligibility and status
- When a patient is due for screening, a recommendation card appears at the top of their chart
- Clinicians can act on the recommendation with one click, documenting the screening and any interventions
- The protocol automatically resolves once screening is completed
Business impact: Higher quality measure scores, reduced compliance risk, and less manual tracking by quality teams.
📄 Technical reference: Protocol Cards, Events
Sleep Apnea Risk Scoring (STOP-BANG) #
The problem: Sleep apnea is significantly underdiagnosed. Providers may not consistently apply validated screening tools during routine visits.
How plugins solve it:
- A questionnaire plugin administers the STOP-BANG assessment within the patient portal or during the visit
- Responses are automatically scored and the risk level is documented in the patient record
- High-risk results trigger a protocol card recommending next steps (sleep study referral, follow-up appointment)
Business impact: Earlier identification of at-risk patients, improved care quality, and potential revenue from follow-up diagnostic services.
📄 Technical reference: Questionnaires, Protocol Cards
Mental Health Screening Automation #
The problem: Depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) screenings need to be administered at specific intervals, scored accurately, and followed up on — all of which are easy to miss in high-volume practices.
How plugins solve it:
- Questionnaires are surfaced in the patient portal before visits or presented during check-in
- Scores are calculated automatically and documented as structured observations
- Score trends are visible in the chart, helping providers track progress over time
- Critical scores trigger immediate alerts and recommended interventions
Business impact: Better outcomes tracking, improved compliance with behavioral health quality measures, and earlier intervention for patients in crisis.
📄 Technical reference: Questionnaires, Banner Alerts, Patient Portal Forms guide
Revenue Optimization #
Automated BMI Coding with Z-Codes #
The problem: BMI-related Z-codes (Z68.x) are frequently missed during documentation, resulting in under-coding and lost revenue — especially in value-based care models.
How plugins solve it:
- When a BMI observation is recorded, a plugin automatically calculates the appropriate Z-code based on the BMI value and patient age
- The Z-code is added to the encounter’s billing line items without any additional provider action
- Existing diagnoses are cross-referenced to avoid duplicate coding
Business impact: Increased per-encounter revenue capture, more accurate risk adjustment scores, and zero additional documentation burden on providers.
📄 Technical reference: Billing Line Items, Events
AI-Powered Claim Coding Assistance #
The problem: Manual coding review is time-consuming and subject to human error. Under-coding leaves revenue on the table; over-coding creates compliance risk.
How plugins solve it:
- A plugin analyzes note content using an AI service and suggests appropriate diagnosis and procedure codes
- Suggestions are presented as protocol cards that coders can accept, modify, or dismiss
- Coding patterns are tracked over time to identify systematic gaps
Business impact: Faster coding turnaround, reduced denial rates, and improved coding accuracy across the organization.
📄 Technical reference: Protocol Cards, Clients, Simple API
HCC Coding Gap Closure #
The problem: In Medicare Advantage and other risk-adjusted payment models, unaddressed coding gaps directly reduce reimbursement. Gaps often come from external sources (health plan data, prior claims) and need to be validated and addressed by clinicians.
How plugins solve it:
- Coding gaps from external sources are ingested via the FHIR API and stored as detected issues
- A protocol surfaces unreviewed gaps as cards in the patient chart for clinical validation
- Once validated, gaps are presented to providers with one-click commands to add the diagnosis and close the gap
- Resolved gaps are tracked for reporting and audit purposes
Business impact: Maximized risk adjustment revenue, streamlined CDI workflows, and comprehensive audit trails.
📄 Technical reference: Improve HCC Coding Accuracy guide
Telehealth and Virtual Care #
Auto-Populated HPI from Intake Forms #
The problem: Telehealth visits often start with providers re-asking questions that patients already answered on intake forms, wasting valuable visit time and frustrating patients.
How plugins solve it:
- Patients complete a structured intake questionnaire in the portal before their visit
- When the provider opens the note, relevant intake responses are automatically populated into the HPI section
- Providers can review and edit the pre-populated content rather than starting from scratch
Business impact: Shorter visit times, higher patient satisfaction, and more visits per provider per day.
📄 Technical reference: Note Effects, Questionnaires, Patient Portal Forms guide
Carry-Forward Notes for Follow-Up Visits #
The problem: Follow-up visits for chronic conditions often require reviewing and updating the same information. Providers waste time re-documenting stable findings.
How plugins solve it:
- A custom command copies relevant sections from the most recent prior note into the current encounter
- Carried-forward content is clearly marked so providers know what to review and update
- Only clinically relevant sections are carried forward based on visit type and diagnoses
Business impact: Reduced documentation time per visit, more consistent longitudinal records, and less provider burnout.
📄 Technical reference: Commands, Note Effects
Patient Portal Enhancement #
Custom Landing Page with Self-Service Widgets #
The problem: The default portal experience may not highlight the actions most important to your patient population, leading to low engagement and increased call volume for routine tasks.
How plugins solve it:
- A custom landing page displays the most relevant widgets for your patients: upcoming appointments, unread messages, recent lab results, and outstanding forms
- The layout and content adapt based on patient characteristics (e.g., new patient vs. established, chronic condition panels)
- Direct action buttons let patients schedule, message, or complete forms without navigating through menus
Business impact: Higher portal adoption rates, reduced call volume, and better patient preparation for visits.
📄 Technical reference: Patient Portal Effects, Custom Landing Page guide
Intake Form Enforcement Before Visits #
The problem: Incomplete intake data leads to longer visits, missing information for billing, and gaps in the clinical record.
How plugins solve it:
- Required questionnaires are assigned to patients when appointments are scheduled
- The portal prominently displays outstanding forms and sends reminders
- Form completion status is visible to staff in the scheduling view, enabling proactive outreach for incomplete forms
Business impact: More complete data at the start of each visit, shorter check-in times, and fewer billing issues from missing information.
📄 Technical reference: Patient Portal Forms guide, Questionnaires
External System Integration #
Single Sign-On with Auto-Patient Creation #
The problem: Organizations using external identity providers need seamless access to Canvas without manual account provisioning, and patient records should be created automatically when new patients authenticate.
How plugins solve it:
- A plugin exposes an API endpoint that receives SAML assertions from the identity provider
- On successful authentication, the plugin checks for an existing patient record and creates one if needed
- The patient is redirected to their portal with a valid session, with no manual registration required
Business impact: Frictionless patient onboarding, reduced IT support burden, and seamless integration with existing identity infrastructure.
📄 Technical reference: Simple API, Patient Effects
Calendar Sync with External Scheduling Systems #
The problem: Organizations using external scheduling tools (cal.com, third-party schedulers) need appointment data synchronized with Canvas in real time.
How plugins solve it:
- Webhooks from the external scheduling system call a plugin API endpoint when appointments are booked, modified, or canceled
- The plugin creates or updates the corresponding Canvas appointment, including patient matching and provider assignment
- Confirmation data is sent back to the external system to close the loop
Business impact: Single source of truth for scheduling, no double-booking, and reduced manual data entry.
📄 Technical reference: Simple API, Calendar Effects
Webhook-Based Data Synchronization #
The problem: Data lives in multiple systems (CRM, care management platforms, analytics tools) and keeping it in sync requires manual exports or fragile batch processes.
How plugins solve it:
- Plugins listen for relevant Canvas events (new patients, note completions, lab results) and push data to external systems via API calls
- Incoming webhooks from external systems trigger plugins that update Canvas records
- Bidirectional sync keeps all systems current without manual intervention
Business impact: Eliminated data silos, real-time data availability across systems, and reduced manual reconciliation effort.
📄 Technical reference: Creating Webhooks guide, Events, Clients
Lab and Diagnostic Workflows #
Automated Task Creation for Fasting Labs #
The problem: When a provider orders fasting labs, someone needs to ensure the patient is contacted with instructions and that the lab is completed within the appropriate window. This follow-up is often manual and inconsistent.
How plugins solve it:
- When a fasting lab is ordered, a plugin automatically creates a task assigned to the appropriate staff member
- The task includes patient contact information, lab instructions, and a due date
- If the task isn’t completed within the specified window, an escalation task is created
Business impact: Fewer missed labs, better patient compliance with ordered tests, and less manual coordination by nursing staff.
📄 Technical reference: Task Effects, Events, Staying on Top of Tasks guide
Abnormal Lab Result Notifications #
The problem: Critical or abnormal lab results require timely provider review, but results can sit unnoticed in a busy inbox.
How plugins solve it:
- A plugin monitors incoming lab results and evaluates them against configurable thresholds
- Abnormal results trigger immediate banner alerts in the patient’s chart and create urgent tasks for the ordering provider
- Critical values can also trigger automated outreach to the patient
Business impact: Faster response to critical results, reduced liability risk, and better patient safety.
📄 Technical reference: Banner Alerts, Task Effects, Events
Provider Efficiency #
One-Click Note Templates from Previous Visits #
The problem: Providers seeing patients for recurring issues spend significant time recreating similar notes from scratch each visit.
How plugins solve it:
- A custom command is available within the note editor that pulls structured content from the most recent relevant visit
- The template pre-fills common sections while highlighting areas that need updating
- Different templates can be configured for different visit types or specialties
Business impact: Reduced documentation time, more consistent notes, and more time for patient interaction.
📄 Technical reference: Commands, Note Effects
Vitals Trend Visualization #
The problem: Reviewing vitals trends over time requires clicking through multiple encounters. Providers need a quick visual summary to spot trends and make decisions.
How plugins solve it:
- A chart-level application displays vitals data as interactive trend lines directly within the patient chart
- Providers can quickly see blood pressure trends, weight changes, or growth patterns without leaving the chart
- Abnormal trends are highlighted visually for quick identification
Business impact: Faster clinical decision-making, better chronic condition monitoring, and improved patient conversations about health trends.
📄 Technical reference: Visualizing Data guide, Applications
Custom Action Buttons for Common Workflows #
The problem: Frequent tasks like ordering a standard lab panel, sending a patient education packet, or creating a referral require multiple clicks through menus and forms.
How plugins solve it:
- Action buttons are added to the chart panel for the most common workflows
- A single click triggers a multi-step process: creating orders, sending messages, updating records, or calling external services
- Buttons can be shown or hidden based on patient context (e.g., only show diabetes-related actions for diabetic patients)
Business impact: Fewer clicks per common task, more standardized workflows, and less time spent navigating the application.
📄 Technical reference: Action Buttons, Customize Panel Buttons guide
From Idea to Plugin #
Turning a business need into a working plugin follows a straightforward path:
| Step | Who | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Define the need | Product / Operations | Describe the workflow problem and desired outcome. Use this page and the Capabilities Overview to identify which capabilities apply. |
| 2. Spec the solution | Product + Engineering | Map the business requirements to specific plugin capabilities. Identify which events to listen for, what data to display, and what actions to automate. |
| 3. Build and test | Engineering | Develop the plugin using the Canvas SDK, test locally, and validate against acceptance criteria. |
| 4. Deploy | Engineering | Install the plugin on your Canvas instance using the Canvas CLI. Plugins can be deployed to staging first for validation. |
| 5. Monitor and iterate | Product + Engineering | Review plugin logs to monitor behavior, gather user feedback, and iterate on the solution. |
For a hands-on walkthrough of building your first plugin, share the Your First Plugin guide with your engineering team.