User security roles

A breakdown of the different security roles in Cliniko!

Emily avatar
Written by Emily
Updated over a week ago

Each user can be assigned a role according to what level of access they need to have. Cliniko has six different roles to choose from:

When you add a new user to your Cliniko account, you'll be able to set them up with one of these roles (and you can change their role at any time, as well). Users will show up in your Cliniko account in the Users & practitioners settings, where you can see their name, their role, and whether or not they're a Practitioner:

Let's go through the specifics of each user security role —and if you'd prefer to view these in a table form, check out our security roles matrix!


Scheduler

A scheduler is the most basic role that Cliniko offers. This role is designed to perform a very limited number of functions, and can only access a select few areas of Cliniko. If you've hired a virtual receptionist for the sole purpose of booking appointments, the scheduler role might be a good fit! 📆 Here's what schedulers can do:

  • Book, view, modify, cancel, uncancel, or archive appointments.

  • View basic patient details.

  • Create new patients and modify existing ones.

  • Unarchive patients.

  • Send SMS messages to patients.

  • View Contacts.

  • See all messages and comments on the dashboard, and post/modify/archive their own messages and comments.

  • View and modify their own user details.

  • View the following reports: appointments schedule (daily and weekly), missed appointments, and recalls.

A scheduler will never be able to see any of your financials or confidential patient details, such as treatment notes or completed patient forms.


Receptionist

The receptionist role is well-suited for that user who handles all things "front desk"—booking appointments, issuing invoices and recording payments, and checking up on appointment schedule or payment reports! 📝 This role can do everything the scheduler can do, as well as:

  • Create new invoices and payments, and view existing invoices and payments.

  • Create, view, and modify products (including adjusting the stock level).

  • Create expenses, and view only their own expenses (not expenses created by any other user).

  • Create, view, and modify their own letters (but this can be modified if you'd like).

  • Upload and view a list of file attachments (but not the actual attachment—this can be modified, though).

  • Create, view, and edit contacts.

  • View the communications log for patients.

  • View completed patient forms (but permissions can be modified for each form template).


Power receptionist

The power receptionist has all the same permissions as a receptionist, but with a little more oomph added in! ✨ A user with this role is kind of like an administrator, but without some of the main "admin" permissions (i.e. they can't see a patient's medical information, add users, or export data). But, they can do a bit more than a regular receptionist, and help the administrator out with some of the "behind-the-scenes" stuff! Here's what a power receptionist can do:

  • Modify and archive any messages on the dashboard.

  • Delete patients.

  • Modify and archive file attachments.

  • Modify and archive invoices and payments.

  • Archive products.

  • Archive contacts.

  • View, modify, and archive all expenses.

  • View the following reports: payment summary, expenses, and marketing reports (as well as reports that a regular receptionist can see).

  • View completed patient forms.

  • Manage everything in the settings area except for adjusting permissions (Settings → General Settings), adding new users, changing the subscription, and exporting data.


Practitioner

A practitioner is classified as anyone who sees patients, so this role allows for access to patients' medical details (such as medical alerts and treatment notes). 📈 Practitioners can almost do everything that receptionists can, though reports access is a bit different and financial functions can be restricted. They also have the following permissions:

  • View, create, modify, and delete medical alerts.

  • Create and view all treatment notes. (However, restrictions can be enabled that allow them to view only the notes they have written.)

  • Modify only their own treatment notes, if they are still in draft mode.

  • View and modify all letters (but if you want to restrict them to only letters that they have authored, you can set this up in general settings).

  • View all file attachments.

  • Modify and archive file attachments that only they have uploaded.

  • Create, view, and modify products (including adjusting the stock level). You can restrict Practitioner's access to Products if you have the "cannot see any financial details" enabled in general settings.

  • View the invoices, payments, expenses screens. (This can be restricted on an account wide basis in the general settings screen under permissions; look for the "cannot see any financial details" setting.)

  • View completed patient forms (but permissions can be modified for each form template).

  • View the following appointments and patient reports: appointments schedule, missed appointments, recalls, and the treatment note completion report. (Practitioners cannot generate treatment note reports for anyone other than themselves.)

  • View the following financial reports: uninvoiced appointments, daily payments, patients by total invoiced, and their own practitioner revenue reports. (A practitioner cannot view revenue reports for anyone other than themselves.) You also have the ability to restrict access to these reports if you have the "cannot see any financial details" enabled. 


Bookkeeper

The bookkeeper role is designed for users that manage financial information within Cliniko. 📊 Generally speaking, this role is typically given to someone who would not have anything to do directly with patients—purely the financials! This means that someone with the bookkeeper role cannot directly view any completed patient forms or patient details (although they can view their invoices and payments). Here's what a bookkeeper can do:

  • See all messages and comments on the dashboard, and post/modify/archive their own messages and comments.

  • View and modify their own user details.

  • Manage all aspects of expenses, invoices, payments, and products.

  • Set up billable items, payment types, and taxes.

  • Export the following data: products, invoices, payments, and expenses.


Administrator

Administrators have got the power! 👑This role can do almost everything✩ within Cliniko's suite of functions, and is designed for the practice manager in your life. Administrators can perform the same actions as every other type of user, as well as a couple very notable ones that are unique only to them:

  • Add and modify other users.

  • Export all data.

  • Delete data.

  • Change the subscription or cancel/reactivate a Cliniko account (they are the only role that can do this).

Administrators who are not also practitioners cannot write treatment notes. They can view them, but the only type of role that can actually write notes is a practitioner.

It's important to keep in mind that anyone who's listed as an administrator will be able to do everything that Cliniko has to offer (including adding and removing users, modify the subscription, and exporting data). We recommend that you don't equip just anyone with this role (in fact, it's best if only the practice manager is the one and only administrator!). If you need to grant someone with many of the "admin" settings, but you are the administrator, consider adding them as a power receptionist.


In the event that you need to restrict someone's access to Cliniko, you can downgrade their security role or make them inactive

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