Opening a Patient's Record on Multiple Computers

For concurrent access to patient records over your network to work, you may be required to configure your TCP port range. This can be done using the Communication Services utility, available from the MedicalDirector Maintenance suite.

 

You can open a patient's record on more than one computer, simultaneously.

The first instance of the patient's record is opened normally, on the first computer, and is writable.

On subsequent computers, the record is opened in read-only mode. You will be prompted that another user has the record locked.

 

Click Yes to take write access from the first user. The first user will be prompted that you want write access, and must elect to relinquish access to you.

You cannot take access without consent from the first user. The exception to this rule is when both users are the same user - i.e. the same user logs onto two computers simultaneously, and attempts to open the same patient's record on both computers. In this scenario, the Force Access check box will be available to the prompt (as seen in the image above). Tick this check box to take ownership from the other computer. On the other computer, a prompt will appear to indicate that this has happened. In this fashion, you can move between multiple locations in your practice, and work on the same patient's record on multiple computers.

 

Click No to open the record in read-only mode.

In read-only mode you can record Progress Notes and Immunisations on the secondary computers.

Where multiple users create a Progress Note simultaneously, each is saved as a unique Note.

Each user can edit their Note(s) up until midnight of the day of creation.

 

You will not see changes made by other users until you close and re-open the patient's record. The exceptions to this are;

When you are granted full access to a patient’s record by another user.

Where other users have saved Progress Notes to the patient's record - you can refresh your instance of the record to show these past notes. This does not affect the Progress Notes you are currently recording. See Progress Notes for more information.

Where other users have saved Immunisations to the patient's record - you can refresh your instance of the record to show these new Immunisations. Note that in the unlikely event multiple users record the same immunisation simultaneously, the last user to save the record will be notified that the immunisation record already exists, and be given the opportunity to cancel their recording, or to overwrite the previous one.

When you add/edit/delete an Immunisation item.

When you first select a given tab in the Clinical Window (at which time its content data is loaded into it).

 

You will not see changes made by other users until you close and re-open the patient's record. The exception to this is where other users have saved Progress Notes in the patient's record;

When the first instance of a patient’s record is closed, full-access is transferred to the next user in the list.

If you wish to request full access from another user, can also do so from within the patient’s record, by selecting Patient > Request Full Access.

Depending on your network configuration, you may be required to configure the TCP port range settings to allow the advanced patient record sharing to work. This can be done using the Communication Services utility, accessed via the Maintenance suite.