Introduction
Actions are tasks assigned to team members for patient care. When you complete an action, you document what was done and mark it as finished. This creates an audit trail and keeps the care team informed about completed tasks.
Before You Start
Permissions required: You must be able to view the patient associated with the action. Actions are typically completed by the person they're assigned to, but any team member with patient access can complete them.
What you need:
- The action must still be open (not already completed)
- Details about what you did to complete the task
- Any relevant files or images to attach (optional)
Steps
CAREFUL offers two ways to complete actions: a quick method for simple tasks, and a detailed method for documenting outcomes.
Method 1: Quick Complete (from My Actions table)
Use this method when you don't need to document detailed outcomes or attach files.
- From the sidebar, click My Actions
- Find the action you want to complete in the table
- Click the green checkmark icon in the right-most column of that row
- The button changes to Click to Complete and you have 2 seconds to confirm
- Click Click to Complete to finish
The action closes immediately and disappears from your open actions list. If you don't click within 2 seconds, the button reverts to the checkmark and you can try again.
Method 2: Complete with Documentation (recommended)
Use this method to record what you did and attach supporting files. You can access this from three locations:
Option A: From My Actions table
- From the sidebar, click My Actions
- Find the action in the table
- Click the kebab menu (⋮) at the end of the row
- Select Complete Action
Option B: From the action detail page
- From the sidebar, click My Actions
- Click on the action name to view its details
- Click the kebab menu (≡) in the top right corner
- Select Complete action
Option C: From a patient or team page
- Navigate to the patient or team
- Click the Actions tab
- Click on the action name to view its details
- Click the kebab menu (≡) in the top right corner
- Select Complete action
In the completion dialogue:
- A dialogue box appears titled "Complete action [Action Name] for patient [First Name] [LAST NAME]"
- In the Action result field, describe what you did and the outcome
- Example: "Contacted patient by phone. Discussed medication compliance. Patient confirms taking all medications as prescribed. Will continue current regimen."
- (Optional) Under Attachments, click Choose File to upload supporting documents or images
- You can upload multiple files
- Click the remove icon to delete unwanted attachments
- Click Submit
The dialogue closes automatically and the action is marked as complete. Your notes and attachments are saved to the patient's record.
To cancel: Click the X button in the top right corner of the dialogue. No changes will be saved.
What Happens Next
When you complete an action:
- The action status changes to "closed"
- Your outcome notes are added to the patient's clinical summary
- The action disappears from open action lists
- If someone else was assigned to the action, they receive a notification that you've closed it (if they're on duty)
- All action lists refresh across the platform (My Actions, team actions, organisation actions)
Tips
Choose the right method:
- Use quick complete for straightforward tasks that don't need documentation (e.g., "Check blood pressure" when the result is recorded elsewhere)
- Use complete with documentation for clinical decisions, patient conversations, or anything requiring an audit trail
Document thoroughly:
- Include the outcome, not just what you did. "Spoke to patient about discharge" is less helpful than "Spoke to patient about discharge. Patient agrees to go home tomorrow. Family arranged to collect at 2pm."
- If the action couldn't be completed as intended, document why and what you did instead
Attachments:
- Upload relevant images, test results, consent forms, or correspondence
- Files are permanently associated with the patient's record
Timing:
- Complete actions promptly so colleagues can see current status
- If you're going off duty with open actions, consider reassigning them or handing them over
Common Questions
What if I click the quick complete button by mistake? You have 2 seconds to avoid confirming. Simply don't click the Click to Complete button and it will revert to the checkmark.
Can I edit an action after completing it? No, completed actions cannot be edited. If you made an error, add a note to the patient's clinical summary explaining the correction.
What if the action result field is empty? The system may accept an empty result, but it's best practice to always document outcomes for clinical actions. Your organisation may have policies requiring documentation.