Analyzing Client Journal Entries

In this article:

• Before You Begin
• Viewing Predefined Reports
• Comparing Entries vs. Targets
• Connecting Missing Data Points (Interpolation)
• Analyzing Nutrient Details by Food, Meal, and Day

Before You Begin

Before analyzing a client's journal entries, confirm the following are in place:

• Journals are enabled for your client. Journal access and entry types must be configured in your client's journal settings before they can begin logging entries. See How to Access Practice Better Client Journals and Entries →
• The client has an activated Client Portal account. Clients add journal entries through the Client Portal, so their account must be active and in use. See Sending a Client Invitation in Practice Better →
• The client has submitted journal entries. Analysis is generated automatically based on available entries. The more entries a client has logged over time, the more meaningful the analysis will be. For clients, see Using the Food & Mood Journal →

By default, journal analysis is only visible to practitioners. To let clients view their own analysis in the Client Portal:

1. Go to your Settings > Portal Preferences.
    
2. Under the Journals section, click the check box beside Allow clients to view journal analysis.
   
    
3. Click Save Changes near the top-right. 

Viewing Predefined Reports

To access the Journal analysis:

1. Go to My Clients and double-click on a client's name.
    
2. Click on the Journals link in the left navigation bar.
    
3. Click on the Analysis button in the navigation bar.
   

On the Journal Analysis page, you can select from a list of predefined reports and specify the date range for evaluation.

• Activity: Calories burned vs. duration vs. calories consumed
• Bowel Movements: Number of daily bowel movements
• Calories In/Out: Calories consumed vs. calories burned
• High Nutrient Foods: Foods high in a specific nutrient and the number of times consumed
• Measurements: Compare weight, height, BMI, and other measurements or vitals
• Nutrient Consumption: Compare nutrient intake over a specific period (e.g., calories vs. carbs)
• Sleep: Duration vs. awakenings vs. time awake
• Water Consumption: Daily water intake tracking
• Wearables Activity: Calories burned vs. duration vs. distance (from client-integrated wearables)
• Wearables Sleep: Compare nightly sleep stages (e.g., REM, light, and deep sleep from client-integrated wearables)
• Custom Comparison: Compare up to 4 metrics for a given period (e.g., water vs. sleep duration)

Comparing Entries vs. Targets

For metrics with targets (e.g., a 2,000 kcal nutrient target):

• A dotted horizontal line appears in the chart to indicate the target level.
  
   
• A trophy icon will be displayed next to days where the target has been met.
  

This visual comparison helps track progress and identify patterns.

Connecting Missing Data Points (Interpolation)

By default, days with missing data are excluded from the report charts.

To connect data points between missing days:

1. Click the More Options Menu (three dots) to the right of the chart.
   
    
2. Select Connect missing data points from the menu.
   

This allows for smoother trend visualization across incomplete data.

Analyzing Nutrient Details by Food, Meal, and Day

You can drill down into nutrient information in several ways:

• By Food or Meal:

  • Click Nutrient Totals to review the whole nutrient breakdown for a specific meal time.
  • Or, click Details and then select Nutrients beside a specific food entry.

  

• By Day:

  • Click the icon beside Nutrient Summary to view an expanded list of nutrients for the day’s targets and totals.

  

This opens the Nutrient Breakdown popup, which includes:

• Macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins)
• Vitamins and minerals
• Full nutrient profiles for foods, meals, or daily totals

You can also view and compare multiple nutrient profiles at the same time, such as:

• Food vs. food
• Food vs. meal
• Day vs. day

You can close a comparison by clicking the small "x" near the top-right of each Nutrient breakdown, or use the option in the bottom-right corner to close all but the left nutrient breakdown.