Release Notes 3.4 (2025-05)

Platform 2.7 introduced backend support for flexible concept ranges (thanks to @isaiahmuli's work in 3.3.0). Version 3.5.0 builds on this foundation by implementing age-based reference ranges for temperature, pulse, oxygen saturation, and respiratory rate. See the config file here: https://github.com/openmrs/openmrs-content-referenceapplication-demo/blob/main/configuration/backend_configuration/conceptreferencerange/conceptreferenceranges.csv

For Platform 2.7+ implementations: Use the new conceptreferencerange endpoint to fetch age-specific vitals metadata. This enables proper validation across the vitals header, data tables, and biometrics workspace forms.

For Platform 2.6 and below: @Daniel Kayiwa added fallback behavior so you'll continue receiving the previous hardcoded reference ranges—no changes needed.

@Chi Bong Ho delivered comprehensive visit workflow improvements:

Cleaner navigation: Consolidated visit controls into the patient header (removing the separate visit header) and moved the location picker to the main navbar for easier access.

Better visit history: Replaced static summary cards with an interactive table that shows visit details in expandable rows with customizable columns.

Flexible visit context: Added the ability to switch between different patient visits while working in charts and forms—especially useful for entering historical data when the Retrospective data entry feature is enabled.

Enhanced visit creation: The visit form now supports creating new visits, continuing existing ones, or adding past visits with proper date validation.

Concept mapping selection: Form builders can now choose their preferred concept mapping (like CIEL:5090 instead of 5090AAAAA) directly in the Create/Edit question modal, eliminating the need to manually edit form JSON. Only SAME-AS type mappings are available for selection (courtesy of @jayg).

Section expansion control: Set whether form sections start expanded or collapsed by default when creating or editing forms (courtesy of@jayg).

Restored tooltip functionality: Re-added the ability to enter tooltip text that appears when users hover over question info icons (courtesy of @mohamedalimefteh).

Faster patient data loading: @Ian Bacher fixed a performance issue where patient information was being fetched multiple times simultaneously, causing slow page loads and UI lag in the Patient Chart. Patient data now loads once and gets shared across all chart components, making navigation noticeably faster.

Registration form responsiveness: @Dennis Kigen fixed sluggish performance when editing existing patient records using the registration form. The form previously felt slow and unresponsive during typing—updates now happen instantly without delays or lag.

Upgraded Carbon design components to v1.76.0, bringing visual consistency improvements and better performance across all apps. This modernization effort included migrating to updated component APIs, standardizing spacing and typography with Carbon's design tokens, and optimizing stylesheets for faster loading. Users will notice more polished interfaces and smoother interactions throughout the system.

@Samuel Male delivered a major clinical workflow improvement that was previously missing from O3:

Edit vitals and biometrics: Click the overflow menu on any existing record to modify values directly. The form pre-populates with current data for easy correction, and changes update in place without creating duplicate entries.

Delete erroneous data: Remove bad readings through the overflow menu with confirmation prompts to prevent accidental deletion.

Critical behavior: Editing or deleting affects both vitals AND biometrics together since they're recorded as a single encounter, even though they appear in separate tables.

This allows clinicians to correct data entry mistakes and remove erroneous readings that could impact clinical

@Ian Bacher Building on @Ian Bacher's custom OpenMRS datepicker from 3.1.0, this release standardizes all date input fields to use the same component. Users now get consistent date picker behavior across the entire system, with improved internationalization support and better handling of different calendar systems. This foundation enables future enhancements like enhanced input validation and expanded localization features.

Setup requirements: See the Ward app’s README for installation prerequisites and the Bed Management app README for configuration details.