Visiting physicians, nurse practitioners and other outside providers are essential to long-term care, yet they are often the last people to get working access to your electronic health record. A new provider arrives for their first rounds and finds that no account exists, the account does not work from home or the permissions are wrong. Orders are delayed, notes are handwritten and nurses spend time on phone calls that access would have prevented.
The cause is rarely technical. It is usually an unclear process: nobody knows who requests access, who approves it or what the provider must do first. A repeatable onboarding checklist solves this. The steps below describe the general approach for PointClickCare and other long-term care systems; confirm the details with your own administrator.
Credentialing and account requests start only when the provider shows up.
Several people, such as the administrator, medical director and IT, each assume another is handling it.
The provider has not completed required training or agreements.
Security steps, such as multi-factor authentication, are set up for the first time on the day they are needed.
Role permissions are copied from the wrong template.
Make onboarding a step in the credentialing and contracting process, not an afterthought. As soon as a provider agrees to see your residents, begin access setup, so it is ready by their first visit.
Use a single intake form that captures:
Full legal name, professional credentials and license information.
National Provider Identifier and, if relevant, other identifiers your facility requires.
Practice name, contact information and a work email address.
The role they will have, such as attending physician, covering physician or nurse practitioner.
Which residents or units they will serve.
Which devices they will use, and where they will access the system from.
Confirm identity and credentials against your credentialing standards before activating an account. Check that the provider holds a current license and meets your medical staff requirements. Keep documentation of the verification.
Before access is granted, require:
A signed confidentiality or user agreement acknowledging HIPAA responsibilities.
A business associate agreement where the provider's organization requires one.
Short training on your policies, such as privacy, appropriate use and how to document in your system.
Keep this short and offer it online or by phone. Long, in-person orientations create delays.
Use a role template appropriate for the provider type, granting the minimum access needed for their duties. Providers who cover only certain units should see only those residents where the system allows it. Avoid copying an existing user's access, because it may carry permissions the new provider should not have.
If the provider will work from an office or home, make sure they can sign in securely. That typically means multi-factor authentication and an approved device or browser, and it may involve a secure connection. Test the sign-in process with the provider before the first visit, and have them confirm it from the place they will use it.
Give the provider a one-page guide: how to sign in, how to find assigned residents, how to enter and sign orders and notes, and whom to call for help. Include a direct phone number, not just an email address.
Clarify who does what.
Medical director or administrator: approves the provider and role.
Medical records or business office: collects documents and agreements.
IT or EHR administrator: creates the account and tests access.
Unit manager: introduces the provider on the first visit.
Set a target, such as access ready two business days before the first visit, and track it.
When a provider stops seeing residents, deactivate the account promptly. Review the provider list quarterly and remove accounts that are inactive. Stale accounts are a common security finding.
After each onboarding, ask the provider whether anything was confusing. Keep a short log of how long each step took, and use it to remove bottlenecks.
UnityCare IT helps long-term care operators set up provider onboarding checklists, secure remote access and keep user lists current. A clear process means visiting providers can focus on residents from their first day.
Keeping PointClickCare and other EHR systems fast, connected and available.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172