Audit & History Overview
Comprehensive audit tracking is one of InSched's defining features. When InSched was designed, none of the available scheduling systems handled audit tracking, although once InSched introduced it, others followed.
Why Audit Tracking Matters
In a busy practice, questions arise constantly:
- "Did someone accidentally remove this appointment, or was it never created?"
- "What did the schedule look like yesterday morning?"
- "Who changed this patient's appointment time?"
- "When was this event confirmed?"
Without audit tracking, these questions are unanswerable. With InSched's audit system, every question has a definitive answer.
What Gets Tracked
Every database change in InSched is automatically stamped with:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Date and Time | Exactly when the change was made |
| Station | The computer name where the change was made |
| User | The logged-in Windows user |
| Initials | The initials of the person at the keyboard |
| Change Type | Whether the record was added, modified, or deleted |
| Before/After Values | The old and new values for modified fields |
This applies to all data in InSched: events, patient records, plans, billing transactions, and configuration changes.
Initials Tracking
InSched uses a unique initials system to track who is actually at the keyboard:
- When you make a database change, InSched asks for your initials
- A timer starts, and you are not asked again for additional changes within the timeout period (configurable, default one minute)
- Each subsequent change restarts the timer
- The Status Bar shows your active initials and the remaining timer
- Press F3 to log out your initials immediately
Why Initials?
In many practices, staff move from station to station without logging in to Windows each time. If audit tracking only recorded the Windows user, it would not show who actually made the change. The initials system ensures accountability even at shared workstations.
Configuring Initials
Per-station settings control:
- Whether initials are requested at all
- Whether initials are required (the change is rejected without them)
- How long initials remain valid before being asked again
Even if initials are not required, InSched always records the date, time, station, and logged-in user.
Audit Tools
InSched provides several tools for reviewing audit information:
Audit Reports
Multiple report formats for reviewing changes. See Audit Reports.
Time Machine
Step through schedule changes over time, seeing the schedule as it appeared at any past moment. See Time Machine.
View Schedule As In The Past
Quickly view the schedule at a specific historical moment. See Time Machine.
Per-Event Audit
Right-click any event and select Audit Report For This Event to see the complete history of changes for that specific event.