Comments still exist in circleOS for legacy workflows and API compatibility, but they are no longer the main collaboration tool in the app.
For most teams, Notes are the better default.
When to use Notes instead
Use Notes when the information should stay part of the patient record or clinical workflow.
Compared with comments, Notes:
- show up more broadly in circleOS, including Live Mode
- support note types and more structured workflows
- are considered by AI features
Where comments still show up
Most day-to-day screens no longer show a dedicated comment box. You may still encounter comments in older workspace-specific flows, integrations, or data that still relies on the legacy comments API.
In practice, that means comments still exist in the platform, but they are not a core part of the current day-to-day UI and they do not have a prominent everyday navigation surface.
If you still see a comment box in your workspace, treat it as a lightweight discussion on that item rather than as a full patient note.
A small but useful distinction
Some screens still have a field labelled comments inside another workflow, such as a briefing or booking-related step.
That is not the same thing as the legacy Comments feature described on this page. This guide is only about the old standalone comment workflow and its older mention-based alerts.
Mentioning a colleague
Legacy comments can support @ mentions.
When a mention is created, circleOS can trigger the configured mention-notification workflow. The exact delivery channel depends on your workspace setup. Mentions inside newer note editors are a separate workflow from the legacy Comments feature described here.
Practical rule of thumb
- Use Notes for anything that should matter later.
- Use Comments only when an older screen or integration still exposes them.
- If you are unsure, default to Notes.