Kalix’s auto-calculated elements simplify your workflow by automating common calculations directly within your documents and templates. From body mass index (BMI) to energy needs and gestational age, these elements save you time and ensure accuracy by using client data to generate results in real-time. This guide will walk you through the process of adding and managing auto-calculations and troubleshooting common issues to ensure a smooth and efficient experience.
Contents of this article:
Adding Auto-Calculated Elements
K alix offers a variety of auto-calculated elements to enhance your documentation process. Follow these steps to add auto-calculations to your templates or documents:
How to Add Auto-Calculated Elements:
Open your document or template where you want to add auto-calculations.
In the Add New Elements panel, select Auto Calculations.
Drag and drop the auto-calculation element into the desired location within your document.
Use the search bar to find the specific auto-calculation you need (see below for supported calculations) and select it.
Supported Calculations
Body mass index
Gestation age
HbA1c
Head circumference
Height
Ideal body weight (IBW)
Total carbohydrate estimated needs
Total carbohydrate intake
Total energy estimated needs
Total fiber estimated needs
Total fluid estimated needs
Total protein estimated needs
Weight
Weight (Pediatric)
Weight change
Troubleshoot Auto Calculations
If you encounter any issues with generating auto-calculations, review these common solutions:
1. Document Not Linked to a Client
Ensure the document is linked to a client. At the top of the page, check for the link icon. If missing, click the icon to link the appropriate client record.
2. Missing Client Details (Date of Birth or Gender)
Auto-calculations for energy and macronutrients require the client's date of birth and gender. Verify that this information is saved on the Client Details page. If details are missing, click here for more information.
3. Resetting Client Details on Saved Documents
When you update a client’s information (such as date of birth or gender), these changes won’t automatically apply to already saved documents. To update auto-calculations, reset the client’s details:
Click the refresh icon next to the client’s name to update the information.
Why Kalix Behaves This Way:
When you create a client document in Kalix, the system takes a snapshot and locks in the client's details when the document was created. This is done for several reasons, one of which is to prevent the document's calculated fields from automatically updating every time you open the saved document.
Age and gender are used as variables in many of Kalix's automatic calculations, such as energy, protein, and fluid needs. If Kalix were to update a client's details every time you opened a saved document, the client's energy and micronutrient needs would keep changing over time and would no longer be accurate for the time when the document was created.
Due to this snapshotting, if you initially create a document when the age and/or gender are missing but later update it, the new information will not automatically update the saved document. To update a client's information on the created document, you need to follow the steps above.
4. Missing Weight, Height, or IBW
Check that valid values for weight, height, and ideal body weight (IBW) are entered for calculations to work.
5. Auto-Calculations Switched Off
If a field isn't calculating automatically, it may have been switched to manual entry. To check:
Auto-calculated fields appear orange when active and black when switched to manual mode.
If a field is set to manual, you can reactivate it by clicking the field and selecting the orange lightning bolt icon.
6. Completing All Applicable Fields
Make sure all required fields are filled out for the selected calculation.
For example, in Total Estimated Energy Needs:
A unit of measurement must be selected (kJ/day, kcal/day, etc.)
You can adjust for weight loss/gain (optional)
Select an energy equation and an activity level
Add a stress factor or choose None.
Select whether you are using Actual or Adjusted body weight.
Turning Auto-calculated Fields On & Off
Kalix allows flexibility in switching between auto-calculated and manual data entry modes for fields.
Turn Off Auto-Calculation
Click inside the desired field.
Click the lightning bolt icon to switch to manual entry. The field will turn black, indicating it’s no longer auto-calculated.
Turn On Auto-Calculation
Click the field.
In the tooltip, select the gray lightning bolt icon to reactivate auto-calculation.
