Articles in this section

Inactivate Dormant User Accounts

  • Updated

Background

Step1: Initiate the Inactivation Round

Step 2: Review the list of Dormant Users

Step 3: Notify Users and Clinic Manager/Coordinator of the Inactivation

Step 4: Monitoring and Documentation of Responses:

Step 5: End of Two-Week Period:

Step 6: Post-Inactivation Monitoring:

Decision Log

 

 

Background

The inactivation process targets user accounts in Profile EMR that have been inactive for a certain period:

  • Providers (physicians and nurse practitioners): Accounts are inactivated if there has been no login activity for over 2 months.
  • All other users (including RO users): Accounts are inactivated if they have not logged in for over 6 months.

This inactivation is conducted on a quarterly basis.

First cycle started on September 28 2022.

Initiation Date Completion Date Result
September 28, 2022 October 18, 2022 Cycle complete
January 11, 2023 March 11, 2023 Cycle complete
April 18, 2023 June 7, 2023 Cycle complete
July 1, 2023 N/A Skipped
December 4 2023 January 29, 2024 Cycle complete
May 2024 June 19, 2024 Cycle complete
October 2024 December 2, 2024 Cycle Complete
February 2025 April 21, 2025 Cycle Complete
June 2025 N/A Due to V9 upgrade, this round will be skipped. 
October 2025 November 18, 2025 Cycle Complete
April 2026 May 25, 2026 Cycle Complete
July 2026    
October 2026    

 

Folder path: \\vch\departments\PCAC_EMR\01 - PCCEMR\01-Reports and Data Extracts\User_Inactivation

 

Outlined below are the steps to follow during an account inactivation cycle.

Step1: Initiate the Inactivation Round

  1. Create a JIRA story similar to the once from the past eg: EMR-XXXX. Then create subtask to the story by using the CSV import file saved in the Toolkit folder: \\vch\departments\PCAC_EMR\01 - PCCEMR\01-Reports and Data Extracts\User_Inactivation\Toolkit
    • Send Email to SA to Initiate the Dormant User Inactivation Round
    • Produce User Inactivation List
    • Review the list of Dormant Users
    • Create an exception list
    • Notify Users and Clinic Manager/Coordinator of the Inactivation
    • Monitor PCC EMR Inbox and document User response
    • Inactivate Users
  2. Business Analyst and Project Support to email System Admin to run the initial query.
  3. SA’s to notify Business Analyst and Project Support once excel file containing list of users that fit under the criteria set for inactivation is ready

User Inactivation Folder path:  \\vch.ca\departments\PCAC_EMR\01 - PCCEMR\01-Reports and Data Extracts\User_Inactivation

 

Step 2: Review the list of Dormant Users

Business Analyst and Project Support to review the inactivation list and determine the Dates for cut off as follows:

  1. Enter cut off dates in the In Scope cell
    • For physicians and nurse practitioners, enter the cut-off date in the In Scope cell. The cut-off date should be 2 months and 2 days ago from the report date. For example, if report date is October 10, 2024, the cut off date will be August 8, 2024. 
    • For all other users and RO users, enter the cut-off date in the In Scope cell. The cut-off date should be 6 months and 2 days ago from the report date. For example, if report date is October 10, 2024, the cut off date will be April 8, 2024. 
  2. Checking for anomalies - Based on the following criteria below:
    • Check 1 - Last Login Recent:
      • This field should always be Null.
        • If so, Mark Y for in-scope. Proceed with the Last Login Archived criteria. 
        • If there is a date present (Not NULL), the user should not be inactivated. Mark N for exclusion. 
    • Check 2 - Last Login Archived:
      • If their last login archived date is within the last 2 months minus 2 days (or 6 months and 2 days for Other Users), mark N for exclusion. 
      • Otherwise, mark Y for in-scope and proceed with the next check (Last Booking).
    • Check 3 - Last Booking:
      • If the users have booking within the last 2 months minus two days (or 6 months and 2 days for Other Users) or have any future bookings. Mark N for exclusion
      • Otherwise, mark Y for in-scope
  3. Verify Name and Email Match:
    • Ensure that the names match the email addresses.
      • The convention for email addresses is typically firstname.lastname@organization (e.g., firstname.lastname@vch.ca).
      • If the name does not match the email address, contact the user to verify and update the email address in their EMR user account.
      • For students, email addresses often contain numbers and start with an "S" (e.g., S9073).
  4. Handle Multiple Accounts:
    • If a user has multiple accounts, contact the Enrollment Support Analysts at IMITSPCCommunity@vch.ca.
      • Confirm if the user needs both accounts.
      • If both are required, proceed with the name and email verification.
      • If not, mark the account In Scope for inactivation.
  5. Check Name Validity:
    • Ensure the names appear to be those of actual users. Generic names like "Intrahealth" or a clinic name are out of scope. Mark N for exclusion.
  6. Record Corrections and Additional Information:
    • Document any corrections directly in the Excel file and add comments to describe the actions taken.
    • For users without email addresses who are In Scope, locate their email addresses and update the EMR user account and the Excel sheet.
    • Email addresses can typically be found in Outlook or under the Account Management folder.
    • For UBC users who cannot be verified, email UBC delegates for assistance.

 

Step 3: Notify Users and Clinic Manager/Coordinator of the Inactivation

Note - For RO users, notify them directly.  

  1. Copy and Paste Email Addresses:
    • For users who are marked In Scope, copy their email addresses.
    • Open a new Outlook email, paste the addresses into the BCC field, and use the relevant email templates (for Providers or All Other Users) from the User Inactivation Folder.

Email Template for Providers (Physicians and Nurse Practitioners):
 

Subject: Profile EMR Account Inactivation Notice

Hello,

As of <date of query run -1>, our records show that you have not logged into your Profile EMR account for over 2 months and the account has been flagged for inactivation. Please log into Profile EMR by to keep your account active. Your account will be inactivated if you do not log on by <two weeks from the date of email). If you have recently logged on, please disregard this email.

If you have any questions/concerns or find you have been inactivated in error, please email EMR Help at emrhelp@vch.ca.

If you’ve not already, please familiarize yourself with:

1. Guidelines around health records and electronic medical record account management: Paper/Electronic Documentation Standards - Vancouver Acute/Richmond

2. Profile EMR User Account Inactivation Process: Profile EMR Process for Managing Inactive/Dormant Profile EMR User Accounts – Profile EMR User Help)

In the event a Profile EMR account holder anticipates leaving the care team, or has left the care team, please ensure continuity of care by reviewing the recommended steps on our Offboarding (Departing Staff) Checklist: Offboarding (Departing Staff) Checklist – Profile EMR User Help

 

Thank you,
Profile EMR IMITS Team

 

Email Template for All Other Users:
 

Subject: Profile EMR Account Inactivation Notice

Hello,

As of <date of query run -1>, our records show that you have not logged into your Profile EMR account for over 6 months and the account has been flagged for inactivation.

Please log into Profile EMR to keep your account active. Your account will be inactivated if you do not log on by <two weeks from date of email>. If you have recently logged on, please disregard this email.

If you have any questions/concerns or find you have been inactivated in error, please contact EMR Help at emrhelp@vch.ca.

If you’ve not already, please familiarize yourself with:

1. Guidelines around health records and electronic medical record account management: Paper/Electronic Documentation Standards - Vancouver Acute/Richmond

2. Profile EMR User Account Inactivation Process: Profile EMR Process for Managing Inactive/Dormant Profile EMR User Accounts – Profile EMR User Help)

In the event a Profile EMR account holder anticipates leaving the care team, or has left the care team, please ensure continuity of care by reviewing the recommended steps on our Offboarding (Departing Staff) Checklist: Offboarding (Departing Staff) Checklist – Profile EMR User Help

Thank you,
Profile EMR IMITS Team

Step 4: Monitoring and Documentation of Responses

  1. Monitor PCC EMR Inbox:
    • After sending the notifications, the Business Analyst and Project Support should monitor the EMR Help and PCC EMR System Admin email inboxes for any user inquiries or requests to retain their accounts.
    • Users who express a desire to keep their accounts but do not log in regularly will be added to the exclusion list.
    • Update the In Scope column in the Excel sheet with any necessary changes.

Step 5: End of Two-Week Period

  1. In Scope Users:
    • At the end of the two-week period, copy the user codes for In Scope users into a text file and email it to the SA team for the next steps in the inactivation process.
  2. Next Steps for SA:
    • The SA team will run SQL statements against the final list to check if any users logged in during the grace period. 
      • If a user has logged in, they will be removed from the final list and excluded from inactivation.
      • Users who did not log in will remain on the list and proceed to inactivation.

Step 6: Post-Inactivation Monitoring

  1. Re-Activation Process:
    • If any users are inactivated by mistake, their accounts will be reactivated upon request.
    • The Business Analyst and Project Support will continue to monitor the EMR Help and PCC EMR System Admin mailboxes for any reactivation requests.
    • For requests received after the two-week post-inactivation period, submit a request to the ESA team to reactivate the accounts.
  2. Exception List Management:
    • Follow up with users who missed the deadline to understand the reason for the delay.
    • If necessary, add these users to the exception list, and ensure the running exception list is updated in the work item folder for future reference. We will only maintain running exception list if the return date is provided. 

Decision Log

Date Decision Made Decision Made By:
March 2025 Read only accounts will be inactivated if they have not logged in for over 6 months.  Irvin and Sharon Chan (Health Info Mgmt) - EMR-8157
September 2025

RO users in scope will be notified of the inactivation if they don't log in. 

Note: 

  • Email users directly, no need to notify their Managers. 
  • Users don't always have health authority email addresses to their RO accounts. Ensuring that health authority email address to their user account is out of scope for this work item. 
 Gail, Kelsey, Irvin, Raman and Aye - EMR-8157
April 14, 2026 For RO and Other Users, we should use the same email template Manson, Aye