What is a Risk Flag?

A Risk Flag is a visual indicator that helps you quickly identify patients who require special attention or monitoring. Each patient can have a risk flag set to Red (high risk), Amber (medium risk), Green (low risk), or left unset. The flag appears throughout CAREFUL wherever patient information is displayed, making it easy for your team to spot at-risk patients at a glance.

• You must be a team member with access to the patient to set or change their risk flag
• System administrators cannot change risk flags (this is an organisational user function only)
• No special permissions are required beyond team membership

Risk flags are visible in several locations across CAREFUL:

Patient Profile Page: The risk flag appears as a labelled field in the Profile tab. Click the pencil icon next to "Risk flag" to update it.

Patient Lists: In team patient tables and the My Organisation patients view, risk flags appear as small coloured flag icons next to the patient's surname. Hover over the flag icon to see the reason for the risk designation.

Patient Header: When viewing an individual patient's details, the risk flag appears as a coloured circular icon next to their name at the top of the page.

1. Navigate to the patient's profile by clicking their name from any patient list
2. Select the Profile tab if not already selected
3. Click the pencil icon next to the Risk flag field
4. In the "Update risk flag" dialogue that appears, you'll see the current risk flag (if one is set)
5. Select the new risk level by clicking one of the coloured flag options:
   • Red for high-risk patients requiring urgent attention
   • Amber for medium-risk patients who need monitoring
   • Green for low-risk, stable patients
6. Enter a reason for the risk flag in the text box (up to 500 characters). This helps other team members understand why the flag was set
7. Click Submit to save the risk flag
8. The flag will immediately appear on the patient's profile and in all patient lists

If a patient no longer requires a risk flag:

1. Open the risk flag update dialogue (follow steps 1-4 above)
2. Click the Clear Risk Flag link (this only appears if a flag is currently set)
3. Click Submit to remove the flag

The patient will no longer show any risk indicator.

Red: Use for patients who are unstable, deteriorating, or require urgent clinical attention. This is your highest-priority warning.

Amber: Use for patients who need careful watching but are not in immediate danger. Examples include those with recent changes in condition or complex care needs.

Green: Use for stable patients or to indicate that a previously flagged risk has been resolved.

No flag: Most patients won't have a risk flag. Only set one when there's a specific reason to alert the team.

• All team members who can view a patient can also see their risk flag
• Any team member can set or change a patient's risk flag (no special role required)
• In the My Organisation patients view, risk flags are only visible to administrators
• All risk flag changes are recorded in the patient's audit log, showing who made the change, when, and what reason they provided

• Be specific with reasons: Instead of "High risk", write "Unstable BP, monitor hourly". This gives your colleagues actionable context
• Update when circumstances change: If a patient's condition improves or deteriorates, update the risk flag to reflect the current situation
• Use the audit log: If you're unsure why a flag was set, check the patient's Log tab to see the full history of risk flag changes
• Hover for quick context: On desktop, you can hover over any flag icon in a patient list to see the reason without opening the patient's profile