These instructions will guide you through the process of setting up your computer with a set of openEHR clinical models (archetypes and templates), and a number of tools that will let you create new models or modify existing models.
Please note that the current Archetype Editor and Template Designer will only work with Windows, but it is not critical that every course participant has access to the tools during the workshop. It is generally beneficial for participants to work in small groups, and there are usually a sufficient number of Windows machines available.
For interest, a new set of open-source web-based tools is in early development and can be found at these links.
Archetype Designer
Template Designer
Source Code
Please note that these tools are not yet suitable for training use.
As clinical modellers we make extensive use of mind map tools and find that the free XMIND tool is one of the best. It works on Windows, Linux and MacOSX.
You should download XMIND from XMIND installer.
The Archetype Editor is the tool we use to create and adapt archetypes.
Download the latest version of Archetype Editor.
This installs the openEHR Archetype Editor (ArchetypeEditor.exe) in the folder …
C:\Program Files\openEHR\Archetype Editor on Windows-32 systems
C:\Program Files(x86)\openEHR\Archetype Editor on Windows-64 systems
and should set up links on your Desktop or Start Menu etc.
Further details are available at the openEHR Archetype Editor Download page.
The Ocean Template Designer is a free download available at …
Ocean Template Designer Latest Beta Release
Once installed you can run the Template Designer from the Desktop or Start Menu.
Further details are available at the openEHR Modelling Tools Page.
This is the folder structure you are going to create in this step:
* openehr_training
* local
* archetypes
* templates
* remote
* ckm
* archetypes
-
Create a new folder in a location of your choice called
openehr_training. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training -
Add a new folder named
localunderopenehr_training. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\local.
This will hold archetypes and templates that we create ourselves.- Add a new folder named
archetypesunderlocal. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\local\archetypes - Add a new folder named
templatesunderlocal. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\local\templates
- Add a new folder named
-
Add a new folder named
remoteunderopenehr_training. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\remote. This will hold archetypes and templates that we download from other places.- Add a new folder named
ckmunderremote. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\remote\ckm - Add a new folder named
archetypesunderckm. e.g...\Documents\openehr_training\remote\ckm\archetypes
- Add a new folder named
The openEHR Foundation Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM) is a web-based tool that stores openEHR clinical models that are developed collaboratively by the openEHR community and made freely available for others to use and copy.
Go to openEHR Foundation CKM then from the top menu select Archetypes->Bulk Export.

This will create a zip file with the latest versions of openEHR Foundation CKM archetypes.
Download this zip file and unzip it into the remote/ckm folder you created earlier e.g. ..\Documents\openehr_training\models\remote\ckm\archetypes making sure you preserve the folders.
You should now have something like
* openehr_training
* local
* archetypes
* templates
* remote
* ckm
* archetypes
* cluster
* composition
* demographic
* entry
* section
* readme.txt
Depending on how your zip program works you may need to move the unzipped folders around to match this pattern.
Git is a common software version control tool. The CKM archetypes and templates are ‘mirrored’ out to a Git repository hosted at the openEHR Github.

If you are familiar with using Git, you can clone the repository as git clone https://github.com/openEHR/CKM-mirror.git.
Run the Archetype Editor from the Desktop or Start Menu.
At the initial screen, open any existing archetype on your system e.g. one of the CKM archetypes previously downloaded
..\Documents\openehr_training\remote\ckm\archetypes\cluster\OPENEHR-EHR-CLUSTER.device.v1.adl
Or one of the sample archetypes provided at
..\Users\Public\Documents\My Clinical Models\Sample Set\Archetypes
Go to Tools->Options->File Locations and set both
Archetype Repository path
and
Archetype XML Repository path
to ..\Documents\openehr_training
Go to Tools->Options->User Defaults
and enter your details e.g.
Name: Ian McNicoll
Email: [[email protected]]
Organisation: freshEHR Clinical Informatics, UK
Run the Template Designer from the Desktop or Start Menu.
Go to Tools->Knowledge repository->Edit Repository List
- Add a new Repository e.g.
openEHR Training
- Complete these paths…
Archetype Files
..\Documents\Archetypes\openehr_training\remote
Working Archetype Files
..\Documents\openehr_training\local\archetypes
Template Files
..\Documents\openehr_training
The Archetype Workbench is a technical tool used for experimentation and testing, and it is not usually required by archetype authors.
The latest version is available at openEHR ADL Archetype Workbench
openEHR CKM: Models maintained by the international openEHR community.
NEHTA CKM: Models maintained by NEHTA for the Australian national eHealth program.
UK CKM: Models maintained by a consortium of UK health organisations.
HSCIC CKM: Models maintained by the UK Health and Socical Care Information Centre.
Norwegian CKM: Models maintained by the Norwegian national eHealth program.
Slovenian CKM: Models maintained by the Slovenian national eHealth program.
The Archetype Editor and Template Designer can be setup to use non-English languages.
Instructions on setting language and other internationalisation options






