Joining & Following Cases

The OpComm Clinical Portal automatically imports the Case List from Epic, including initial staff assignments. To stay involved and updated, however, team members can join or follow cases as needed.

• Join – Assigns you to the case as an active participant, indicating your direct involvement in the surgical preparation and workflow. Joining a case ensures you are part of the surgical team, allowing you to complete checklist items and communicate with the team through Internal Chat.

• Follow – Allows you to track the progress of a case without being formally assigned to the surgical team. Following a case is useful for supervisors, coordinators, or staff who need visibility into the case without being responsible for specific checklist tasks. The Case List makes it easy to find cases you follow and monitor, helping you stay informed about updates and outcomes.

When to Join vs. When to Follow

Action	When to Use It	What It Means
Join Case	You are actively participating in the patient's care, such performing tasks, preparing the patient, or providing anesthesia.	You are part of the surgical team, able to complete checklist items and communicate through Internal Chat.
Follow Case	You want to stay informed about the progress of the case but are not directly responsible for checklist tasks.	You can easily monitor updates, messages, and case status without being assigned specific responsibilities.

Joining or Following a Case

1. On the Case List, browse or search for the Case Card for the patient case you want to join or follow.

2. Click the Case Card to launch the Case Details page.

3. Specify whether you are joining or following the case.

   • To actively participate:

     1. Click Join.

     2. Select your desired Role, and then click OK.

   • To monitor progress without active participation, click Follow.

4. Confirm your status.

   • After joining, your name will appear under the Staff section on the Case Card.

   • After following, the case will be easier to find in the Case List when you use the Following filter.

5. Stay engaged.

   • If you have joined, complete your assigned checklist tasks and participate in the Internal Chat.

   • If you are following, regularly review updates and communications related to the case.

You can join and follow multiple cases based on your role and responsibilities during your shift. To help keep your case list clean and focused, be strategic about which cases you choose to join or follow.