Incidents Frequently Asked Questions







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The following frequently asked questions provide details on the most commonly asked about pieces of the Incidents feature.  Click a question from the list here to navigate directly to the corresponding answer, or scroll through the full list of questions and answers below.

Can I electronically sign an incident record?

Can I limit the information a user sees in the incident report index?

How do I delete a form that has been included in an incident report?

How do I delete an incident?

How do I tell if an incident has been locked/filed?

How do I unlock/unfile an incident?

Which employees are included in the employee participants list during initial incident report data entry?

Who are incident review data entry notification messages sent to?

Who can add comments to an incident?

Who can edit an incident that has not yet been locked/filed?

Who can lock/file an incident?

Who can view data in forms included with an incident report?

Why am I only able to open initial incident reports with dates in the last year?

Why can I only see the full content of some incident records and not others?

Why can't I access the Incident Report or Incident ReportBuilder?

Why can't program directors/deputies add comments to an initial incident report as other users can?

Why does the aggregate incident report include incidents outside of the report date range?

Why is a form I completed as part of an incident not showing up in assessment reports?

Why is some Incidents ReportBuilder data shown as "viewing restricted?"

Why is the incidents report missing several incidents with dates in the report date range?

Why is there an incident I can see in data entry mode but not report mode?

Can I electronically sign an incident record?

No, the e-signing option is not currently available in the incidents module; however, it is on our development list for release at some point in the future.

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Can I limit the information a user sees in the incident report index?

Yes, you can limit what a user sees by assigning him/her the Restrict Incident View data entry/access permission.  For users with this permission all incidents information is redacted except for the Incident ID #, Date, and the Comment button.

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How do I delete a form that has been included in an incident report?

To delete a form included in an incident record, you must access the relevant record from data entry mode and click the red "x" icon next to the read-only name of the included form.  Once an included form has been removed, you can then include a different form if needed, or re-include the same form if you'd like to start it from scratch.

  NOTE: The Delete FormBuilder Form permission is not required to complete this process as it is when deleting forms from some other AWARDS locations.

  NOTE: Form deletions are captured in the audit trail and can be viewed using the Audit Trail ReportBuilder.

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How do I delete an incident?

Incidents can only be deleted by users with the "Delete Incident Reports" exception override permission (assigned using System Setup > Permissions Maintenance).  To allow them to do so, a "Delete Incident" button is provided at the bottom of the incident page in data entry mode (whether or not the incident in question has been locked).  To proceed with a deletion, click Delete Incident.  When prompted, click OK to confirm the deletion.  Both the initial incident report and review/follow-up (if applicable) are deleted and cannot be restored.  The deletion is recorded in the audit trail.

IMPORTANT! Due to the nature of incident reports, Foothold Technology STRONGLY encourages agencies to limit the assignment of the "Delete Incident Reports" permission to a select one or two employees.  When assigned, the permission should be used with caution and discretion.

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How do I tell if an incident has been locked/filed?

In report mode locked incidents will have the word "Filed" and a filing date beneath the "First Reported" date. Additionally, once an initial incident report is locked/filed, it is no longer available for updates in data entry mode, and the incident review form can be completed for it by users with the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission.

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How do I unlock/unfile an incident?

Locked/filed incident reports can only be unlocked by users with the "Unlock Incident Reports" exception override permission (assigned using System Setup > Permissions Maintenance).  To allow them to do so, an "Unlock" link is listed next to any locked/filed incidents in the Incidents module indexes.  To proceed with unlocking, click the link for the incident in question.  When prompted, click OK to acknowledge that the unlocking is complete.  The incidents page is then re-displayed, and the incident in question will no longer display as locked.  The unlocking itself is recorded in the audit trail.

IMPORTANT! Due to the nature of incident reports, Foothold Technology STRONGLY encourages agencies to limit the assignment of the "Unlock Incident Reports" permission to a select one or two employees.  When assigned, the permission should be used with caution and discretion.

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Which employees are included in the employee participants list during initial incident report data entry?

Any worker who has a Staff Information record entered for him/her under Human Resources is included in the employee drop-down list under participants.  Workers need not have a login to be included in the list.

  NOTE: After a staff member has been terminated, he/she is included in the drop-down for 180 days after the termination date. 

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Who are incident review data entry notification messages sent to?

When a new initial incident report is entered, the incident review data entry notification is sent to:

  The program director and deputies at the program for which the incident was entered

  Users with the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission who have chart access to the program for which the incident was entered

When an existing incident is updated prior to being locked/filed, the notification is sent to:

  The program director and deputies at the program for which the incident was entered

When an incident is locked/filed for review, the notification is sent to:

  The program director and deputies at the program for which the incident was entered

  Users with the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission who have chart access to the program for which the incident was entered

  TIP: NoA corresponding Incidents Data Entry Notification permission is also available.  Users with this permission AND the Receive External Email Notifications permission can receive external email notifications when an incident review data entry internal audit message is sent to them within AWARDS.  In order for those notifications to be sent the Notifications feature must be configured.

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Who can add comments to an incident?

Comments can be added to an open initial incident report by any user who has chart access to the program for which the incident was recorded. Exceptions are the program director/deputies and the user who entered the incident record. Those users can make edits directly to the incident content itself and cannot add comments.  For more information on who can do what with incidents, see the Incident Reporting Rules.

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Who can edit an incident that has not yet been locked/filed?

Incidents can be edited by the users who originally wrote them, as well as by the program director/deputy of the program in which they were written. Other users can only add comments to those incidents.  For more information on who can do what with incidents, see the Incident Reporting Rules.

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Who can lock/file an incident?

Incidents can be locked by the users who originally wrote them, as well as by the program director/deputy of the program in which they were written. For more information on who can do what with incidents, see the Incident Reporting Rules.

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Who can view data in forms included with an incident report?

Anyone with access to the incident record can see data in included FormBuilder forms until the incident is locked/filed.  After locking/filing, form data is limited to viewing by users with the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission, program directors, and the original incident writer.

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Why am I only able to open initial incident reports with dates in the last year?

Initial incident reports are automatically closed from further data entry after a year, effectively locking them without the user doing so manually.

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Why can I only see the full content of some incident records and not others?

Once an initial incident report is created, it can be viewed in its entirety by:

  The person who originally entered it

  Users with the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission

  Individuals designated as the Program Director and Deputy Director(s) under System Setup

Of those individuals users, only the person who originally entered the initial incident report and the program director and deputies can edit it.  Other users, whose view of the incident is limited if they don't have the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission, can add comments to the initial report describing their version of the incident in a comments text box. 

For more information on who can do what with incidents, see the Incident Reporting Rules.

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Why can't I access the Incident Report or Incident ReportBuilder?

Users with the Restrict Incident View data entry/access permission, assigned under Permissions Maintenance, do not have access to incidents reports.

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Why can't program directors/deputies add comments to an initial incident report as other users can?

Program directors and deputy directors are not presented with the Add Comments text box on initial incident reports as they have the ability to view and edit those reports in their entirety.  As a result, it is expected that they will add further comments into the incident descriptions themselves, rather than into comments.

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Why does the aggregate incident report include incidents outside of the report date range?

If an incident took place outside of the report date range but was filed (locked) during that range, it is included in the report.

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Why is a form I completed as part of an incident not showing up in assessment reports?

When a consumer is not included as a participant in an incident, any form associated with that incident is not available on assessment reports where one would otherwise expect to see it.

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Why is some Incidents ReportBuilder data shown as "viewing restricted?"

Which pieces of ReportBuilder data you can view is based on incident reporting rules.  For more information on who can view which portions of individual incident records, see the Incident Reporting Rules.

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Why is the incidents report missing several incidents with dates in the report date range?

If an incident report has been "locked/filed," it will not be included in the incident report unless the user has the "Incident Review Data Entry" permission. This permission is intended for users who comprise an incident review committee, and it is assumed that only they should see the sensitive information that may be included in locked/filed reports.

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Why is there an incident I can see in data entry mode but not report mode?

Incidents are not included in the report if no consumers were involved and the "Include Non-Consumers" report setting was not checked. When running the report, be sure to check the "Include Non-Consumers" checkbox if all incidents should be included.

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  https://demodb.footholdtechnology.com/help/?10645