Hiring new people isn’t the hard part—getting them set up in your EHR is. If you use Eclinicalworks, you know the onboarding process is more than just creating a username. Setting up user roles and permissions can be tedious, but getting it wrong means headaches later: frustrated staff, privacy issues, or even compliance problems. This guide is for clinic managers, IT leads, and anyone who has to get new staff up and running in Eclinicalworks, minus the wasted time and confusion.
1. Understand Why Roles & Permissions Matter
Before you dive in, it’s worth spelling out why this stuff isn’t just red tape. Eclinicalworks is a powerful system, but that means users can do a lot—sometimes too much if you’re not careful. Permissions affect:
- What staff can see or do (like viewing medical records, prescribing meds, or running reports)
- Compliance (HIPAA and other privacy laws)
- Workflow bottlenecks (too many restrictions, and people can’t do their jobs; too few, and things get risky)
Resist the urge to just copy what you did last time or click through the default settings. A little thought here saves a lot of mess later.
2. Prep Before Adding Anyone
Don’t jump into Eclinicalworks and start creating users right away. Take five minutes to:
- List out the job roles you’re onboarding for (e.g., front desk, nurse, physician, billing).
- Clarify what each role needs to do in Eclinicalworks—not just “doctor stuff” or “billing.” Get specific: prescription refills, appointment scheduling, running reports, etc.
- Check your existing roles and permissions. Eclinicalworks lets you reuse templates, but they get messy over time. Take a look: are there old, unused roles, or custom ones that don’t make sense anymore?
Pro Tip: If your user role list is a mile long with cryptic names like “NURSE_Temp2,” it’s time for some cleanup. Don’t pass along confusion to new hires.
3. Create or Update User Roles
Eclinicalworks lets you define user roles, which are basically permission bundles. Here’s how to keep it sane:
A. Use Roles Whenever Possible
- Don’t assign permissions one by one for every user. Create clear, job-based roles (e.g., “Front Desk,” “Nurse,” “Physician,” “Biller”).
- When you need to make a change later, you can update the role once instead of every user.
B. Review Built-In Roles Carefully
- Eclinicalworks comes with default roles—some are helpful, but others are too broad or don’t match how your clinic works.
- Don’t trust defaults blindly. Review what each role actually can and can’t do.
C. Customize, But Don’t Overdo It
- If you need to tweak a role, clone it and make changes. Avoid creating a new role for every tiny difference (“Nurse With Billing Access,” “Nurse With No Billing Access,” etc.). That way lies chaos.
- Document what each custom role is for, or you’ll forget in six months.
What to Ignore: Avoid the temptation to make everyone an admin “just for now.” It’s never temporary.
4. Add New Users the Right Way
Now for the hands-on part. Steps may vary a bit by Eclinicalworks version, but the basics are:
A. Collect the Right Info
Don’t guess—get all the info you’ll need first:
- Full name (as it should appear in the system)
- Email address
- Job title
- Department/location
- Start date
- Supervisor name (who approves access or gets notified)
B. Create the User Account
- Log in as an admin.
- Go to the user management area (usually Admin > User Settings > Users).
- Click “Add New User.”
- Fill in the details.
C. Assign the Correct Role(s)
- Assign one (or more) user roles you set up earlier.
- Double-check the permissions summary—make sure nothing is missing or too open.
- If you need to tweak permissions, do it at the role level, not the user level, unless you have a good reason.
D. Set Up Initial Passwords & Security
- Set a temporary password, and make sure your policy requires a password change on first login.
- Add security questions if your organization uses them.
Heads Up: Don’t send usernames and passwords in plain email. Use a secure method or at least explain how they’ll get their credentials.
E. Test Access
- Log in as the new user (or use a test account with the same role).
- Try the key tasks that user will need to do—schedule an appointment, prescribe meds, print a report, etc.
- Fix anything before the staff member’s first day.
5. Train Staff on What They Can (and Can’t) Do
Permissions aren’t magic. If you don’t explain what users are supposed to do (and what they shouldn’t), people will find workarounds—often bad ones.
- Give a quick orientation to Eclinicalworks, focusing on the screens and features they'll use.
- Explain why certain things are restricted (“You can’t access billing because...”) so people don’t think it’s a glitch.
- Make sure staff know who to ask if they hit a permission wall.
6. Review and Adjust After Week One
It’s rare to get permissions perfect on the first try. Plan a check-in after the first week:
- Ask new staff if they’re getting blocked from anything they need.
- Watch for “permission creep”—requests for extra access that aren’t really needed.
- Adjust roles as needed, then update the roles (not just the individual user).
Pro Tip: Keep a simple log of changes. If you tweak a role, note the date and why—future you will thank you when something breaks.
7. Regularly Audit Roles and Permissions
Onboarding isn’t a one-and-done deal. Over time, people change jobs, leave, or pick up new tasks. Set a reminder (quarterly or twice a year) to:
- Review all user accounts. Disable accounts for people who’ve left.
- Audit all roles and permissions. Make sure they still match your clinic’s actual workflows.
- Clean up old or unused roles.
What’s Not Worth Your Time: Overengineering with endless sub-roles and exceptions. The simpler your structure, the easier it is to manage and troubleshoot.
Onboarding staff in Eclinicalworks doesn’t have to be a slog. Keep your roles simple, focus on what people actually need, and don’t be afraid to tweak things as you go. A little upfront effort saves you way more time (and headaches) down the road. Keep it simple, keep it clear, and remember: software should fit your clinic—not the other way around.