Patients
Alerts and allergies
Record precautions and allergies on a patient's chart, and read the indicator that shows next to the patient's name.
The Alerts and Allergies pages of a patient's chart (under Clinical) hold what staff must know before working with the patient.
The indicator next to the patient's name#
A warning icon shows next to the patient's name in the chart header and in the patient list:
| Color | Means |
|---|---|
| Red | The patient has a critical alert in effect today, or an active severe allergy. |
| Amber | The patient has another alert in effect today, or another active allergy. |
| None | No alert is in effect and no allergy is active. |
Click the icon in the chart header to open the Alerts page. The icon shows only the level; the details stay on the Alerts and Allergies pages. When the patient has active allergies, the Alerts page lists them above the alerts with their severity and reaction, and View allergies opens the Allergies page.
Alerts#
An alert is a short note with a category: Precaution, Behavior, Medical, Safety or Billing.
- Click Add Alert.
- Enter the alert text and choose a Category.
- Turn on Critical when staff must not miss it. A critical alert turns the indicator red.
- Add a Start date or End date if the alert applies only for a while, then click Add Alert.
An alert counts toward the indicator only between its start and end dates. When an alert no longer applies, edit it and set an end date; it stays on the page as Not active. Use Delete only for an entry made in error.
Alerts every provider must acknowledge#
For a critical alert nobody may miss, such as a seizure plan or a no-contact order, turn on Require acknowledgement below Critical. Each provider then sees the alert in a Critical alerts window when they open a visit with the patient, and must click I Have Read This Alert before they continue. Closing the window instead goes back to the chart.
Each acknowledgement is recorded with the person and the date and time. The Acknowledged by column counts the providers who confirmed the alert, and Acknowledgements in the row menu lists who did and when. Editing the alert asks everyone to acknowledge it again; earlier acknowledgements stay in the list marked Before the last edit.
Allergies#
Each allergy has a substance, an optional reaction, a severity (Mild, Moderate or Severe), a status (Active, Inactive or Resolved) and the date it was noted.
- Click Add Allergy.
- Start typing the Substance and pick it from your clinic's allergen list, then do the same for the Reaction if known. If what you need is not listed, choose Add "..." to keep what you typed; it joins the allergen or reaction list when you save.
- Choose the Severity and Status, then click Add Allergy.
The chart keeps the substance and reaction as saved, so later changes to the lists never change them.
Only active allergies count toward the indicator. When an allergy no longer applies, mark it Inactive or Resolved rather than deleting it.
No known allergies#
An empty allergy list does not mean the patient has none; it can also mean nobody has asked yet. After you ask and the patient has no allergies, click Mark No Known Allergies. The page then shows No known allergies.
Adding an active allergy clears No known allergies for you. You cannot mark it while an active allergy is on file.
Who can change alerts and allergies#
Anyone who can edit the chart can add, change and delete alerts and allergies. Anyone who can read the chart can see them.