Audit Logs

The Audit Logs module is your system's security and activity record. This is where you can see exactly who did what, when, and where in your healthcare system. Think of it as the security camera footage for your digital clinic.

Understanding Audit Logs

An Audit Log is an automatic record of every important action in the system. The system creates these logs automatically—you cannot create or edit them manually. They exist to:

• Track activity: See what users are doing
• Ensure security: Monitor for unauthorized actions
• Maintain compliance: Required for healthcare regulations
• Investigate issues: Trace problems or errors
• Provide accountability: Know who made changes

Important: Audit logs are read-only. You can view and filter them, but not change them.

The Audit Logs Page

When you open the Audit Logs section, you'll see a timeline of all system activities.

What You'll See:

1. Activity Timeline: All logged actions in chronological order (newest first)

2. Key Information Displayed:

   • Date & Time: When the action happened
   • Actor: Which user performed the action
   • Severity: Importance level (with color badges)
   • Entity: Which module/area was affected
   • Entity ID: Specific record number
   • Action: What was done (created, updated, deleted)
   • IP Address: Where the action came from

3. Hidden Information (click eye icon to show):

   • User Agent: Browser/device used
   • URL: Specific page where action occurred
   • HTTP Method: Technical action type (GET, POST, etc.)
   • Correlation ID: Technical tracking ID
   • Updated/Deleted Dates: System timestamps

Understanding Severity Levels

Each audit log entry has a severity level shown with colored badges:

Badge Color	Severity Level	What It Means	Example Actions
Red	Critical	Serious security or system issues	Failed login attempts, unauthorized access, data breaches
Yellow	Warning	Important but not critical	Permission changes, sensitive data access, bulk deletions
Green	Info	Normal system activity	Patient created, appointment scheduled, prescription issued

Tip: Red badges need immediate attention. Yellow badges should be reviewed. Green badges are normal operations.

Finding Specific Activities

Common Search Scenarios:

1. Find actions by a specific user:

• Search in "Actor" column
• Or look for their name in the list
• See everything they've done

2. Find changes to a specific patient:

• Filter by entity_table: "patients"
• Search by entity_id (patient's ID number)
• See all actions related to that patient

3. Check for security issues:

• Look for red "critical" badges
• Check for failed logins
• Monitor unusual IP addresses
• Review permission changes

4. Investigate a specific incident:

• Use date filter for time period
• Look for related actions
• Check IP addresses and user agents
• Trace sequence of events

5. Review system usage:

• See which modules are most active
• Monitor user activity patterns
• Identify training needs
• Plan system improvements

What Gets Logged

System Automatically Logs:

Patient-Related Actions:

• Creating new patients
• Updating patient information
• Deleting patient records
• Viewing sensitive patient data

Clinical Actions:

• Creating prescriptions
• Ordering lab tests
• Documenting visits
• Admitting/discharging patients

System Actions:

• User logins and logouts
• Permission changes
• System configuration changes
• Data exports and imports

Security Events:

• Failed login attempts
• Unauthorized access attempts
• Password changes
• Account lockouts

Using Date Filters

Built-in Date Filtering:

• Filter logs by specific date ranges
• Useful for:
  • Daily activity reviews
  • Incident investigations
  • Monthly compliance reports
  • Quarterly audits

How to Filter by Date:

1. Click the date filter icon
2. Select start and end dates
3. Apply filter
4. See only logs from that period
5. Clear filter to see all logs again

Understanding Audit Log Details

What Each Column Means:

Actor:

• Which user performed the action
• Shows their system display name
• "null" means system-generated action

Entity Table:

• Which part of system was affected
• Examples: "patients", "appointments", "prescriptions"
• Tells you what type of record was changed

Entity ID:

• Specific record number
• Example: Patient #123, Appointment #456
• Use this to find the exact record

Action:

• What was done to the record
• Common actions: "created", "updated", "deleted", "viewed"
• May include specific details like "status_changed"

IP Address:

• Computer/network location
• Helps identify where action came from
• Useful for security investigations

Severity:

• Importance level (critical, warning, info)
• Color-coded for quick scanning
• Guides your review priority

Actions You Can Take

What You CAN Do:

• View: See detailed audit information
• Filter: Narrow down by date or other criteria
• Review: Check for security or compliance issues
• Export: Copy data for reports (if supported)

What You CANNOT Do:

• Edit: Cannot modify audit logs
• Create: Cannot add manual entries
• Change: Cannot alter any logged information
• Selectively Delete: Can only bulk delete (use with caution!)

Bulk Actions (Use Carefully!):

1. Check boxes next to logs
2. Choose:
   • Delete Selected: Remove from system (permanent)
   • Force Delete: Immediate removal
   • Restore Selected: Bring back from trash

Warning: Deleting audit logs removes important security and compliance records. Only delete if absolutely necessary and you have backups.

How Audit Logs Support Other Functions

For Compliance:

• HIPAA/Healthcare Regulations: Required tracking of patient data access
• Audit Trails: Proof of who accessed what and when
• Incident Response: Evidence for investigations

For Security:

• Intrusion Detection: Spot unauthorized access
• User Monitoring: Ensure proper system use
• Policy Enforcement: Verify compliance with rules

For Operations:

• Usage Analytics: See how system is being used
• Training Needs: Identify where users struggle
• System Optimization: Find bottlenecks or issues

Best Practices for Audit Log Review

Daily/Weekly Tasks:

1. Scan for red badges - immediate attention needed
2. Check failed logins - potential security threats
3. Review sensitive actions - patient deletions, permission changes
4. Monitor unusual patterns - odd hours, unfamiliar IPs

Monthly Tasks:

1. Review all critical events - complete investigation
2. Check user activity patterns - training opportunities
3. Verify compliance coverage - ensure all required actions logged
4. Clean up old logs - if storage is limited (keep minimum required period)

Do:

1. Review regularly - don't wait for problems
2. Document findings - keep records of reviews
3. Investigate anomalies - don't ignore red flags
4. Train staff - everyone should know actions are logged
5. Keep backups - preserve log history

Don't:

1. Don't ignore red badges - they indicate problems
2. Don't delete logs hastily - may need them later
3. Don't share log access widely - security-sensitive
4. Don't skip regular reviews - compliance requirement
5. Don't forget to act - logs are useless if no one reviews them

Common Investigation Scenarios

Scenario 1: Patient Complaint About Unauthorized Access

What to do:

1. Filter by patient's entity ID
2. Check all "viewed" actions
3. Look for unusual actors or times
4. Check IP addresses
5. Document findings

Scenario 2: System Error or Data Loss

What to do:

1. Filter by date/time of incident
2. Look for "deleted" or "updated" actions
3. Check for error messages in logs
4. Trace sequence of events
5. Identify root cause

Scenario 3: Security Breach Suspected

What to do:

1. Filter by "critical" severity
2. Check failed login attempts
3. Look for unfamiliar IP addresses
4. Review permission changes
5. Document evidence

Scenario 4: Compliance Audit Preparation

What to do:

1. Export logs for required period
2. Verify all required actions are logged
3. Check for gaps in logging
4. Prepare summary report
5. Document review process

Quick Reference Guide

What you want to do	Steps to follow	Important Notes
Find user's actions	Search by actor name or filter by date	Shows everything they've done
Check patient access	Filter by entity_table: "patients" and entity_id	See who accessed patient record
Review security issues	Look for red badges and failed logins	Requires immediate attention
Prepare for audit	Export logs for required period	Keep minimum 7 years for healthcare
Investigate incident	Use date filter for specific time	Trace sequence of events

Troubleshooting

If logs are missing:

• Check date filter isn't excluding them
• Verify user has permission to view logs
• Check if logs were deleted
• Contact system administrator

If can't understand an entry:

• Click View to see details
• Check entity_table to understand context
• Look at action for what happened
• Check severity for importance level

If too many logs to review:

• Use date filters to narrow down
• Filter by severity to see important ones first
• Search for specific users or entities
• Consider automated monitoring tools

If logs show suspicious activity:

1. Document everything
2. Notify security team
3. Preserve evidence (don't delete)
4. Investigate immediately
5. Take corrective action

If storage is full from logs:

• Consider archiving old logs
• Review retention policy
• Increase storage if needed
• Don't delete required compliance logs

Time-Saving Tips

1. Use filters - don't scroll through everything
2. Focus on red badges - prioritize critical issues
3. Set up alerts - if system supports it
4. Regular reviews - little and often beats big audits
5. Document patterns - know what's normal for your system
6. Train delegated reviewers - share the workload

Compliance Checklist

Healthcare Regulations Require:

• ✓ All patient data access logged
• ✓ All modifications to patient records tracked
• ✓ Security incidents recorded
• ✓ Regular reviews documented
• ✓ Minimum retention period met (often 6-7 years)
• ✓ Access controls on logs themselves

Daily/Weekly:

• ✓ Critical events reviewed
• ✓ Security alerts addressed
• ✓ Unusual patterns investigated
• ✓ Findings documented

Monthly/Quarterly:

• ✓ Comprehensive log review
• ✓ Compliance verification
• ✓ Retention policy check
• ✓ Storage management
• ✓ Report preparation

Annually:

• ✓ Full audit trail review
• ✓ Policy effectiveness assessment
• ✓ System improvements identified
• ✓ Training needs updated

Security Considerations

Access Control:

• Only authorized staff should view audit logs
• Log access should itself be logged
• Different levels of log access for different roles
• Regular review of who can access logs

Log Protection:

• Logs should be tamper-evident
• Backups should be secure
• Access should be traceable
• Changes should be prevented

Incident Response:

• Know how to use logs in investigations
• Preserve log evidence properly
• Document investigation procedures
• Train staff on incident response

Remember: Audit logs are your best evidence in security incidents, compliance audits, and operational investigations. They're not just records—they're protection for your organization, your staff, and your patients.

Good audit log management means better security, stronger compliance, and greater trust in your healthcare system!