Overview
The Physician Approval Workflow ensures that every completed Care Plan undergoes the appropriate clinical review before it becomes an approved, active care plan. Once a care coordinator has completed the Care Plan and all required evaluations, the plan is submitted to the assigned physician for review, modification (if necessary), and approval.
This workflow creates a collaborative process between care coordinators and providers, ensuring that care plans are clinically appropriate, compliant with organizational requirements, and accurately reflect the patient's current health status.
Care Plan 2.0 provides visibility into the approval status of every Care Plan, allowing users to easily determine whether a plan is awaiting review, requires changes, has been approved, or has been published for patient use.
Purpose of Physician Approval
The physician approval process is designed to:
Ensure clinical oversight of patient care plans.
Verify the accuracy of diagnoses, goals, and interventions.
Confirm that the proposed care aligns with current medical recommendations.
Allow providers to recommend modifications before final approval.
Maintain regulatory and documentation compliance.
Create an auditable record of physician review and approval.
Before You Begin
Before submitting a Care Plan for physician approval, verify that the following sections have been completed:
Patient Information
Medical History
Assessments
Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Vitals
Preventive Services
SMART Goals
Interventions
Self-Management
Risk Classification
Evaluation Notes (if applicable)
Care Team Review
Incomplete Care Plans should be finalized before initiating the approval workflow.
Navigation
Log in to the HealthArc Portal.
Navigate to Patients.
Select the patient.
Open the Care Plan tab.
Open the completed Care Plan.
Select Physician Approval from the left navigation menu.
Understanding the Approval Workflow
The Care Plan moves through several stages before becoming an approved document.
Draft
↓
Care Coordinator Review
↓
Care Team Review
↓
Submitted for Physician Approval
↓
Physician Review
↓
Approved or Returned for Revision
↓
Published Care Plan
Each stage is recorded to provide a complete history of the Care Plan lifecycle.
Care Plan Statuses
Throughout the workflow, the Care Plan displays its current approval status.
Draft
The Care Plan is still being completed and has not yet been submitted for review. Characteristics include:
Editable by authorized users.
Clinical sections may be incomplete.
Not visible as an approved care plan.
Pending Physician Review
The Care Plan has been submitted and is awaiting provider review. During this stage:
The physician can review all documented information.
Care coordinators may have limited editing capabilities depending on organizational configuration.
The Care Plan cannot yet be considered finalized.
Returned for Revision
The physician has requested changes before approval. Common reasons include:
Missing documentation.
Incorrect medications.
Goals requiring clarification.
Additional interventions needed.
Incomplete assessments.
Missing evaluation notes.
The physician may include comments explaining the requested revisions.
Approved
The physician has reviewed and approved the Care Plan. Approval indicates that:
Clinical information has been reviewed.
Goals and interventions are appropriate.
The Care Plan is ready for publication or continued use.
Published
Once approved, the Care Plan may be published for patient access or organizational use, depending on your organization's workflow.
Published Care Plans become the active version used during ongoing care management and future evaluations.
Submitting a Care Plan for Approval
Once the Care Plan is complete:
Review all sections for completeness.
Verify that required documentation has been entered.
Navigate to Physician Approval.
Click Submit for Approval.
Confirm the assigned physician.
Submit the Care Plan.
The system updates the status to Pending Physician Review.
Reviewing the Approval Status
Care coordinators can monitor the progress of submitted Care Plans. The approval section displays information such as:
Current approval status.
Assigned physician.
Date submitted.
Date reviewed.
Approval date.
Revision requests (if applicable).
Physician comments.
This allows staff to quickly determine whether additional action is required.
Physician Review
When reviewing a submitted Care Plan, the physician evaluates the overall clinical appropriateness of the document. Typical review areas include:
Diagnoses
Medication list
Allergies
Assessments
Vital signs
Risk Classification
SMART Goals
Interventions
Self-Management recommendations
Preventive Services
Evaluation notes
The physician may also review AI-generated documentation and Care Team Review comments before making a decision.
Physician Actions
After reviewing the Care Plan, the physician typically has several options.
Approve the Care Plan
If the Care Plan is complete and clinically appropriate, the physician approves it. The system records:
Physician name
Approval date and time
Approval status
Version history
The Care Plan then becomes eligible for publication.
Return for Revision
If modifications are required, the physician can return the Care Plan to the care coordinator. Examples include:
Missing clinical information.
Goals requiring modification.
Medication discrepancies.
Additional patient education needed.
Incomplete documentation.
The physician should provide comments describing the requested changes.
Add Clinical Comments
During review, physicians may document recommendations or guidance without substantially altering the Care Plan. Examples include:
Monitor blood pressure more frequently.
Repeat A1C in three months.
Schedule cardiology follow-up.
Continue current medication regimen.
Reinforce dietary education.
These comments help guide future care management activities.
Responding to Revision Requests
If a Care Plan is returned:
Open the Care Plan.
Navigate to the Physician Approval section.
Review all physician comments.
Make the requested updates.
Save the revised Care Plan.
Resubmit the Care Plan for approval.
The approval cycle repeats until the physician approves the Care Plan.
Version History
Care Plan 2.0 maintains a history of revisions throughout the approval process. Version history may include:
Initial draft creation.
Submitted versions.
Returned revisions.
Approval dates.
Published versions.
Evaluation updates.
Maintaining version history provides an audit trail that supports compliance and allows users to review the evolution of the Care Plan over time.
Notifications
Depending on your organization's configuration, notifications may be generated when:
A Care Plan is submitted for approval.
A physician approves the Care Plan.
A revision is requested.
A Care Plan is published.
An evaluation requires reapproval.
Notifications help keep care coordinators and providers informed throughout the workflow.
Publishing the Care Plan
After physician approval:
Verify that the approval status is Approved.
Publish the Care Plan, if required by your organization's workflow.
Confirm that the published version reflects the latest approved content.
Once published, the Care Plan becomes the active version used for patient care and future evaluations.
Relationship to Evaluations
Future evaluations may require additional physician review if significant updates are made to the Care Plan. Examples include:
New diagnoses.
Major medication changes.
Updated SMART Goals.
Revised interventions.
Significant changes in Risk Classification.
New chronic conditions.
This ensures continued physician oversight throughout the Care Plan lifecycle.
Best Practices
Review the entire Care Plan before submission.
Ensure all required sections are complete.
Resolve validation errors before requesting approval.
Clearly document any significant clinical changes.
Respond promptly to physician revision requests.
Review physician comments carefully before making updates.
Avoid submitting incomplete Care Plans.
Maintain clear communication between care coordinators and providers throughout the approval process.
Troubleshooting
The Submit for Approval button is unavailable.
Verify that all required sections have been completed and that your user role has permission to submit Care Plans for physician review.
The physician returned my Care Plan.
Open the Physician Approval section to review the physician's comments, make the requested changes, and resubmit the Care Plan.
Can a physician edit the Care Plan directly?
Depending on your organization's workflow and permissions, physicians may be able to edit portions of the Care Plan or may instead provide comments requesting revisions by the care coordinator.
Can I edit an approved Care Plan?
Approved Care Plans may require a new evaluation or a new approval cycle before additional changes can be finalized, depending on your organization's configuration.
Is physician approval required for every Care Plan?
Approval requirements are determined by your organization's clinical workflow, regulatory requirements, and user permissions. Organizations can configure approval processes based on their operational policies.