What do Wild Cards in Epic represent?

Wild Cards in Epic represent free text fields identified by specific characters, commonly asterisks (***). These fields allow users to input unstructured or variable information that does not fit into the predefined templates or structured formats of the electronic health record. By utilizing Wild Cards, users can enhance their documentation flexibility, capturing unique details tailored to the patient's circumstances or the specific context of the clinical encounter. This is crucial in ensuring that all relevant information can be documented effectively, even when it does not conform to standard data entries.