In a lot of clinics, the login to the clinic software lives on a sticky note under the reception keyboard. Everyone uses it. The owner, the receptionist, the practitioner who pops in on Tuesdays and the temp who covered last summer all sign in as the same person.
It feels easier at first. Nobody gets locked out, and there is only one password to remember. But it also means everyone can change everything. Opening hours, prices on the treatment menu, payment settings, the lot. And when something changes, nobody can say who did it or why.
The other common pattern is the opposite: every team member has their own login, but each one has full access to the settings, because that was the default when they were added.
There is a simpler middle ground. Give each person their own login, and give them the access their job needs. Here is how that works in Clinic Membership.
Why one shared login causes problems
Sharing a login is rarely a decision. It usually starts with one person setting up the system and never quite getting round to adding anyone else. Over time, the problems pile up quietly:
- Anyone can change the settings. A well meaning receptionist adjusting a setting to fix one booking can change how the whole clinic runs.
- You cannot tell who did what. If every action comes from the same account, a mistake has no owner and no easy fix.
- Leavers keep access. When someone moves on, the only safe option is to change the password and tell everyone else the new one.
- Rotas and targets get muddled. Working hours, time off and sales targets belong to a person, not to a shared account.
None of this is about trust. It is about giving people a login that fits the work they actually do.
Two access levels: Admin and Staff
Clinic Membership keeps access simple. Each person who needs the admin dashboard gets their own login, with one of two roles:
- Admin (full access). Admins can change clinic settings. This is usually the owner, and perhaps a practice manager.
- Staff (dashboard only). Staff can manage patients, the calendar and sales, but not Settings. This suits reception and clinicians who run the day without needing to change how the clinic is set up.
That is the whole split. Admin for settings, Staff for the day. It is easy to explain to a new starter, and easy to check at a glance.
There is one extra switch for Staff logins. If a team member should see your KPIs, switch on Can access Dashboard & reports for them. If not, leave it off and they can still do their day to day work.
How to add a team member
Adding someone takes a couple of minutes:
- Go to Settings, then Team.
- Scroll to Team logins.
- Enter their email address and, if you like, their name.
- Choose their role: Admin or Staff.
- Set a password now if you want to, or let them reset it when they first sign in.
- For Staff, switch on Can access Dashboard & reports only if they should see your KPIs.
- Click Add team member.
Team logins are part of the paid plans, so check the pricing page for which plan you need. The add team members and staff logins guide shows each screen.
Who should get which access
Every clinic is different, but this is a sensible starting point for most:
- Owner: Admin. You set prices, opening hours, payments and the rest of the clinic settings.
- Practice or clinic manager: Admin if they run the settings with you, Staff if they mainly run the day.
- Reception: Staff. They check patients in, manage the calendar and take payment, which is exactly what Staff covers.
- Practitioners and clinicians: Staff. They see their patients and their calendar without being able to change clinic-wide settings by accident.
- Temporary or locum cover: Staff, added for the time they work with you.
If you are unsure, start with Staff. It is easier to give someone more access later than to undo a change made with access they never needed.
Each person's details live in one place
Once someone has their own login, you can click their name in Settings, Team to open their panel. Their rotas, time off, calendar sync and sales targets all live there, attached to the right person rather than a shared account.
That makes a few everyday jobs simpler. Working hours are set per person in the staff rota section of the same Team tab, and leave or training days go in staff time off. When each clinician has their own login, their hours, leave and targets stay with them.
If you use an EMR alongside
Clinical notes, treatment records and consents belong in your EMR. If you use Documenti, the EMR that connects to Clinic Membership, add each clinician there with the same email address as their Clinic Membership login. That way appointments, tasks and the daily list match the right person.
With the EMR connected, you can also assign follow-up tasks to your team, such as calling a patient back or chasing a form. The person you assign it to needs the same email in both systems, which is one more reason to give everyone their own login.
What to do when someone leaves
Because each person has their own login, a leaver does not mean changing a password for the whole team. You deal with one login, not every login in the building. Everyone else carries on as normal, and the rest of the team never needs to learn a new password.
It is worth a quick review a few times a year. Check who has Admin, check that everyone listed still works with you, and check that Staff logins with Dashboard & reports access still need it.
A simple plan for this week
If your clinic still shares a login, you can sort it in one quiet afternoon:
- List your team. Everyone who signs in to the clinic software, including part time and locum cover.
- Decide the role for each person. Admin for settings, Staff for the day.
- Add them in Settings, Team. One login each, using an email address they actually check.
- Tell them to set their own password. They can reset it on first sign in.
- Retire the shared login. Once everyone is in, change its password and stop using it.
- Match emails in your EMR. If you use one, so tasks and appointments line up.
Spending a little time on admin like this pays back every day. If you want more ideas, our post on cutting clinic admin with the right software covers the wider picture.
Clinic Membership brings your team logins together with your patients, calendar, payments and memberships. Free covers up to 10 patient records. See pricing for paid plans.
