Case intake

A case starts with the person the team is investigating. The Clinical Coordinator records the patient number, display name and contact details, then assigns the investigator. That assignment provides a clear handoff before an investigation is scheduled. If the same person has more than one investigation, the case remains the shared point of reference while each investigation has its own dates, status and evidence.

The case carries a consent position. A separate consent record captures the particular purpose, version, document, signature date and expiry date. The coordinator can see a case marked Pending while a purpose-specific consent is still awaiting signature. When a consent is signed, the date and document belong on that consent record so the team can distinguish it from a later version or another purpose.

• Case identity. Use the patient number and display name to find the right case before creating related work.
• Investigator ownership. Assign a person who can take the first investigation handoff and remain visible on the case.
• Consent trail. Keep each purpose and version as its own record, with a status and dates that explain when it applied.

A coordinator opening a new case can set the assigned investigator, record a pending consent and then schedule the first investigation. The Licensed Clinician can see the case context when documenting the investigation. The Clinical Reviewer can inspect the same case and consent trail when reviewing evidence.

Agree how patient numbers are issued and who resolves a duplicate or incorrect identity. Decide which consent purposes your team records and who enters the signed document. The status on the case and the status on each consent answer different questions, so agree when the case status changes after a purpose-specific consent is signed or withdrawn.

Choose how the coordinator hands work to an investigator. A team assignment can carry an access purpose and effective period for a person on a case. Keep that assignment current when an investigator rotates out, while retaining the earlier assignment and its effective dates.

Rehearse a case with a pending consent and an assigned investigator. Confirm that the coordinator can find it, that the investigator can locate the related investigation, and that the reviewer can see which consent version was signed. Then withdraw the consent in the rehearsal and check that the team notices the changed consent position before continuing. Use a case with a second investigation to ensure the two sets of notes and specimens remain attached to their own investigation.

• Active case consent — Cases waiting for a signed or current consent decision, with the assigned investigator in view.
• Pending consent — Purpose-specific consent records awaiting signature.

Continue through case and consent and investigation review.