Hi Josh- I'm sure we don't want the navigation path associated with this article, but I had some questions.
- Do you want this to be public-facing, just explaining the feature and, if they are interested, to contact support to enable it?
- Or do we want this to be a public-facing setting and not in the MA section of Options?
JOSH: As of the last release, this feature should be enabled for all clinics (20260722_EnableBroadcastingFeatures). So while I agree with your general observation that we shouldn't be putting MA references in end-user documentation, I don't think there needs to be anything other than an explanation of how it works and how to interpret the avatars you're seeing on-screen.
[Accordion] Overview
Parallel Access allows staff to see which other staff members are viewing or editing the same record in real time. When multiple staff members have the same record open, presence avatars appear on the record to show who else is currently accessing it. Each avatar represents another staff member on the record and indicates whether they are Viewing, Editing, or Idle. This gives staff a quick way to see who else is working in the record, helping them coordinate their work and reduce the risk of duplicate work or unintentionally overwriting changes.
The 'Also Here' section displays the avatars (photo if available, initials otherwise) of other staff members who are currently accessing the same record. This live indicator appears directly on the record, so you can see who else is there without opening a separate page or report. The color of each avatar indicates the staff member's current activity on the record
- Idle: The gray avatar indicates a staff member who has the same record open, but has not interacted with the page recently.
- Viewing: The yellow avatar indicates a staff member who is actively viewing the record, but not making any changes.
- Editing: The blue avatar indicates a staff member who is actively making changes to the record.
[Tip] Hover over an avatar to view the staff member's name and current activity status.
[Accordion] Best Practices Shortcuts
- No page refresh is required: Presence avatars and their activity status update automatically as staff members access, leave, or interact with the record.
- Check the avatar status before making changes: If another staff member is shown as editing, coordinate with them before making changes to the same record to help avoid conflicting updates.
- Use presence avatars as a guide: Presence avatars show who else is accessing the record, but they do not stop others from making changes.
- Only staff members on the same record are shown: The 'Also Here' section displays staff members accessing the exact same record, not those interacting with another part of the same patient's chart, or everyone currently logged into the system
[Accordion] FAQs
[Q] What do the different avatar states mean?
[A] Viewing means the staff member has the record open but is not making changes. Editing means the staff member is actively making changes. Idle means the staff member has the record open but has not interacted with it for a period of time.
[Q] Does this show everyone logged into the clinic, or just people on the same record?
[A] It only shows the staff members who are currently accessing the exact same record you are viewing.
[Q] Will I get a warning before someone else's changes overwrite mine?
[A] No, presence avatars let you see who else is active so you can coordinate, but they don't automatically prevent conflicting edits.