Practice Better lets you enter and track client measurements in either the imperial system (lbs, inches) or the metric system (kg, cm). This article shows you how to switch your measurement system, what each option in the conversion prompt does, and how to enter infant weights in pounds and ounces or heights in feet and inches.
Before You Begin
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The setting applies to your whole account. Your measurement system applies to all clients. Team members in a team account use the same system to track client measurements.
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Only the account owner can change it. Team members and clients see the change right away.
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The setting covers more than client measurements. Your measurement system applies to client measurements, client weight and water intake goals, journal entries, and measurement units wherever else they appear in the platform. Clients cannot change units from their Client Portal.
- When you save a change, Practice Better asks whether to convert your existing measurements or only change the units. Read Choosing Between Convert and Change Units Only below before you save.
📍 Note: If you use Nutrition Planning, your measurement system also sets the units for recipes and grocery lists. Imperial shows US units, such as cups and pounds, and Metric shows grams and liters. Learn more in Nutrition Planning FAQ →
Updating Your Measurement System
- Click the Settings (gear icon) > All Settings.
- Select Measurements from the Settings menu.
- Select either Imperial System or Metric System.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right.
- When the conversion prompt appears, choose Convert, Change units only, or Cancel. The next section explains each option.
Choosing Between Convert and Change Units Only
Each time you change your measurement system, Practice Better shows the conversion prompt again so you can choose how existing measurements are handled.
The prompt has three options:
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Convert: Converts your existing measurements and changes the units. For example, 25 lbs becomes 11.3 kg.
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Change units only: Keeps the numerical value and changes only the unit. For example, a weight recorded as 68 lbs becomes 68 kg.
- Cancel: Closes the prompt with no action.
⚠️ Important: Accuracy can be lost after conversion due to rounding. Choose Convert when your client records already hold accurate data and you want the measurements converted. Choose Change units only only when the numbers already match the new units.
Charts show values in your active measurement system. After Convert, charts show the converted values. After Change units only, charts plot the same numbers with the new unit label. Learn more in Analyzing your Practice Better Client's Measurements & Vitals → and Using WHO Child Growth Charts (Birth to 2 Years) →
Entering Weights in Pounds and Ounces (Imperial System)
If you work with infants, you can enter weights in both pounds and ounces. This option appears on the Measurements settings page only when Imperial System is selected.
- Go to Settings (gear icon) > All Settings > Measurements.
- Select Imperial System.
- In the Height & Weight Measurements section, enable the option to enter weights in pounds and ounces.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right.
After you save, a new field for ounces appears when you enter weights in your client's Measurements & Vitals section.
Entering Heights in Feet and Inches (Imperial System)
By default, you enter heights in inches only. You can enable an option to enter feet and inches separately. This option appears only when Imperial System is selected.
- Go to Settings (gear icon) > All Settings > Measurements.
- Select Imperial System.
- In the Height & Weight Measurements section, enable the option to enter heights in feet and inches.
- Click Save Changes near the top-right.
After you save, two fields for feet and inches appear when you enter heights in your client's Measurements & Vitals section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who can change the measurement system?
A: Only the account owner can change it. Team members and clients see the change right away.
Q: What does the measurement system change besides client measurements?
A: It also changes the units for client weight and water intake goals, journal entries, and wherever else measurements appear in the platform. With Nutrition Planning, it sets the units for recipes and grocery lists.
Q: What is the difference between Convert and Change units only?
A: Convert changes the units and converts the numbers, so 25 lbs becomes 11.3 kg. Change units only keeps the numbers and changes the unit label, so 25 lbs becomes 25 kg.
Q: Why do my clients' weights look different after I changed systems?
A: The result depends on the option you chose in the conversion prompt. Convert converts each value. Change units only keeps each number and changes the unit. If the numbers do not look right, contact Practice Better Support. Learn more in How to Contact Practice Better Support →
Q: Can my clients choose their own measurement units?
A: No. Units follow your practitioner measurement settings, and clients cannot change them from the Client Portal. Learn more in Using the Lifestyle Journal to log Measurements & Vitals →
Q: Does the Cancel button change anything?
A: No. Cancel closes the prompt with no action.