MedTracker Caregiver User Guide

Your complete guide to managing medications for your loved ones

Getting Started as a Caregiver

What is a Caregiver in MedTracker?

A caregiver is someone authorized to help manage medications for one or more patients. You might be:

  • A family member caring for an elderly parent
  • A spouse helping with medication management
  • A professional caregiver
  • An adult child coordinating care
Getting Access: You must be authorized by a healthcare provider. The patient's provider creates your caregiver account, you receive login credentials via email, and you're assigned to specific patient(s).

Understanding Your Role

✅ What You CAN Do

  • View patient medications - Complete lists, schedules, adherence stats
  • Log doses - Record when medications are taken, missed, or skipped
  • Request refills - Submit and track refill requests
  • Monitor adherence - View weekly/monthly statistics and alerts
  • View dose history - See complete logging history and patterns

❌ What You CANNOT Do

  • Prescribe or change medications (only doctors can do this)
  • Approve refill requests (only pharmacists/providers)
  • Add new medications (must be prescribed first)
  • Delete patient records (only administrators)

Your Caregiver Dashboard

Your dashboard is designed for managing multiple patients efficiently.

Top Statistics

  • Total Patients - How many patients you're caring for
  • Medications Managed - Total active medications across all patients
  • Doses Due Today - Total doses needed today (all patients)
  • Pending Refills - Refill requests awaiting approval

Patient List

Each patient card shows:

  • Patient name
  • Active medications count
  • Next dose due (with time and urgency color)
  • Weekly adherence percentage (with color coding)
  • Alerts (missed doses, low inventory)
  • Quick access button to patient details

Color Codes

  • Green Everything looks good
  • Yellow Needs attention soon
  • Red Urgent action needed

Alerts & Notifications

Alert Type What It Means Action Needed
Missed Doses Patient missed scheduled medication Check on patient, log dose status
Low Inventory Medication running low (<7 days) Request refill soon
Pending Refills Refill awaiting approval Monitor status, check pharmacy

Finding and Requesting Patients

MedTracker allows you to proactively find patients who need caregiving help.

Enabling Patient Discovery

Before you can search for patients:

  1. Go to your Dashboard or Profile → Privacy Settings
  2. Find "Patient Discovery" toggle
  3. Turn it ON to enable searching for patients

Searching for Patients

  1. Click "Find Patients" on your dashboard
  2. Search by patient name, email address, or MRN
  3. Only patients who have enabled caregiver discovery will appear
  4. Patient email is hidden until they approve your request

Sending an Access Request

When you find a patient you want to help:

  1. Click "Request Access" next to their name
  2. Fill in the request form:
    • Relationship Type: Family, Professional, Friend, or Other
    • Access Level Requested:
      • View See medications and adherence (read-only)
      • Manage View and log doses
      • Emergency Full access
    • Message (optional): Introduce yourself, explain why you want to help
  3. Click "Submit Request"

Receiving Care Requests from Patients

Patients can also search for and request your help:

  1. Check the "Care Requests" section on your dashboard
  2. Review requests with: patient name, relationship type, access level, their message
  3. Click "Approve" to accept or "Deny" to reject
Request Expiration: Access requests expire after 7 days if not responded to. Either party can re-submit after expiration.

Privacy & Discoverability

Control whether patients can find you:

  1. Go to Profile → Privacy Settings
  2. Find "Allow Patients to Find Me"
  3. ON = Patients can search for you and send care requests
  4. OFF = You are hidden from patient searches

Managing Multiple Patients

Switching Between Patients

Method 1: Click on any patient card from your dashboard

Method 2: Use the patient selector dropdown in navigation menu

Method 3: Click "View All Patients" and select from the list

Organizing Your Workflow

Morning Routine:

  • Check dashboard for all doses due today
  • Prepare medications for each patient
  • Log doses as they're taken
  • Note any missed doses or issues

Weekly Review:

  • Check adherence for each patient
  • Review inventory levels
  • Submit refill requests as needed
  • Note patterns or concerns for doctors

Priority Indicators

Focus on patients with:

  • 🔴 Red adherence (<70%) - Needs immediate attention
  • 🔴 Multiple missed doses - May need intervention
  • 🟡 Low inventory - Refill soon to avoid gaps
  • 🔴 Urgent doses - Due within 1 hour

Logging Doses for Patients

Why Accurate Logging Matters

Accurate dose logging helps:

  • ✅ Track adherence for doctor discussions
  • ✅ Identify patterns (forgotten morning doses, etc.)
  • ✅ Trigger refill reminders at the right time
  • ✅ Ensure patient safety
  • ✅ Maintain compliance with care plans

Quick Dose Logging

From Dashboard (Fastest):

  1. See upcoming doses for all patients
  2. Click "Log Now" next to the dose
  3. Done! Recorded as "Taken" at current time

Best for: Regular, on-time doses with no issues

Detailed Dose Logging

Use when you need to:

  • Record a dose taken earlier
  • Mark a dose as missed or skipped
  • Add notes about side effects
  • Document unusual circumstances

Steps:

  1. Go to the medication details
  2. Click "Log Dose"
  3. Fill in: Scheduled time, actual time, status, notes
  4. Click "Log Dose"
Pro Tip: Add detailed notes! Examples: "Took with breakfast as directed", "Missed - patient was sleeping", "Patient complained of nausea 30 min after"

Logging for Multiple Patients

Organized Approach:

  1. Prepare all medications first
    • Use pill organizers labeled by patient
    • Double-check each medication
    • Set them out in order
  2. Administer systematically
    • Give medications to one patient at a time
    • Watch them take it (don't just leave pills)
    • Immediately log the dose
  3. Log as you go, not later
    • Prevents forgetting who took what
    • Reduces errors
    • Takes only 5 seconds per dose

The Five Rights of Medication Administration

Before giving any medication, verify:

  1. ✅ Right Patient - Confirm who you're giving medication to
  2. ✅ Right Medication - Check the medication name and label
  3. ✅ Right Dose - Verify the amount (number of pills, mg)
  4. ✅ Right Time - Ensure it's the scheduled time
  5. ✅ Right Route - Oral, topical, injection, etc.

Handling Missed Doses

What to do when a patient misses a dose:
  1. Don't panic - It happens!
  2. Don't double up - Never give extra without asking doctor
  3. Log it as missed immediately
  4. Add a note explaining why
  5. Contact the provider if critical medication or multiple doses missed

Documenting Side Effects

If patient experiences side effects:

Severity Examples Action
Mild Minor nausea, slight headache Monitor and document
Moderate Vomiting, dizziness, rash Call provider
Severe Difficulty breathing, chest pain Call 911 immediately

Example Note:

"Patient took 10mg Lisinopril at 8:00 AM. At 8:45 AM, complained of dizziness when standing. Sat down, drank water. Resolved by 9:30 AM. Monitoring blood pressure per care plan."

Using the Pillbox Dashboard

MedTracker's Pillbox Dashboard provides a visual, time-period-based view of patient medications - similar to a physical pill organizer.

How the Pillbox Works

The Pillbox organizes medications into four time periods:

Period Time Range Icon
Night 10:00 PM - 5:59 AM 🌙
Morning 6:00 AM - 11:59 AM 🌅
Afternoon 12:00 PM - 5:59 PM ☀️
Evening 6:00 PM - 9:59 PM 🌆

Logging with Pillbox

Log All Medications for a Period:

  1. Review the medications in the time period
  2. Verify the patient has taken all of them
  3. Click "Log All" for that period

Log Individual Medications:

  1. Find the specific medication
  2. Click the checkbox or "Log" button
  3. Just that medication is recorded

Using Pillbox for Multiple Patients

Efficient Multi-Patient Workflow:

  1. Prepare medications - Use separate pill organizers per patient
  2. Administer one patient at a time - Go to their Pillbox, watch them take meds
  3. Log immediately - Use "Log All" or individual checkboxes
  4. Move to next patient - Repeat the process

Voice Logging

MedTracker includes voice recognition to make logging doses even easier:

  1. Click and hold the microphone button
  2. Speak clearly (e.g., "I gave Mom her Lisinopril")
  3. Release the button when finished
  4. Review the matches and confirm to log

Bulk Dose Logging

When a patient takes multiple medications at the same time:

  1. Find the "Bulk Log Medications" section
  2. Medications are grouped by time of day
  3. Check the box next to each medication taken
  4. Click "Log Selected" to record them all at once

Monitoring Adherence

Understanding Adherence Percentages

Adherence = (Doses Taken / Doses Expected) × 100

Example:

  • Patient should take 14 doses per week (2 per day)
  • Patient took 12 doses
  • Adherence = (12/14) × 100 = 85.7%

Adherence Color Codes

  • 🟢 90% or higher
    • Excellent adherence
    • Keep up the good work
    • Maintain current routine
  • 🟡 70-89%
    • Good, but room for improvement
    • Identify why doses are missed
    • Adjust routines if needed
  • 🔴 Below 70%
    • Needs immediate attention
    • Contact healthcare provider
    • Review medication schedule

Improving Adherence

Strategies that Work:

Environmental Cues:
  • 📱 Set phone alarms for medication times
  • 📅 Use pill organizers (7-day or monthly)
  • 🏠 Keep medications in visible location (but safe from children)
  • 📝 Post medication schedule on refrigerator
Routine Integration:
  • Tie medications to daily activities (breakfast, bedtime)
  • Use same time every day (builds habit)
  • Prepare next day's medications the night before
Patient Engagement:
  • Explain why each medication is important
  • Celebrate adherence successes
  • Involve patient in the process (if able)
  • Make it a positive experience, not a chore

When to Contact the Provider:

  • ❗ Adherence drops below 70%
  • ❗ Patient consistently refuses medication
  • ❗ Multiple doses missed in a row
  • ❗ Side effects interfere with taking medication
  • ❗ Schedule is too complex to follow

Don't wait - poor adherence can lead to serious health consequences!

Adherence Analytics Dashboard

MedTracker provides a powerful Adherence Analytics Dashboard with detailed insights into your patients' medication-taking patterns.

What You'll See

  • Adherence Trend Chart - Line graph showing patient adherence percentage over 7, 30, or 90 days
  • Medication Breakdown - Bar chart showing adherence per medication
  • Time-of-Day Analysis - When patients are most likely to miss doses
  • Weekly Heatmap - Calendar-style view showing adherence by day of week

Using Analytics for Better Care

Identify Patterns:

  • "John always misses his Friday evening doses"
  • "Morning medications have 95% adherence, but evening only 60%"
  • "Mary's adherence dropped after starting the new medication"

Take Action:

  • Adjust your visit schedule to cover problem times
  • Set additional phone reminders for the patient
  • Use pill organizers for difficult days
  • Discuss patterns with the patient's doctor

Adherence Reports

Generate and share professional reports about your patients' medication adherence.

Report Options:

  • PDF Export - Professional reports for doctor appointments
  • CSV Export - Spreadsheet data for detailed analysis
  • Shareable Links - Create secure links with expiration dates to share with healthcare providers

Comparing Multiple Patients

  1. Click "All Patients" view in Analytics
  2. See adherence summary for each patient
  3. Sort by adherence percentage (lowest first)
  4. Prioritize patients needing most attention

Drug Interaction Warnings

MedTracker monitors your patients' medications for potential drug interactions:

Severity Meaning Action
Severe Potentially dangerous combination Contact prescribing doctor before giving together
Moderate Use caution Monitor for side effects, discuss at next visit
Minor Low risk Be aware, mention at next provider visit
Don't Panic! Warnings don't always mean you need to stop a medication. Never stop a prescribed medication without doctor approval.

Managing Refill Requests

When to Request Refills

Timing is critical - request refills when:

  • 📊 7-10 days of supply remain - Ideal timing
  • 🔔 Low inventory alert appears - Don't wait!
  • 📅 Before weekends/holidays - Pharmacies may be closed
  • ✈️ Before patient travel - Ensure adequate supply
Never let medications run out! A gap in medication can cause serious health issues.

Refill Status Progression

Status What It Means Your Action
Pending Submitted, waiting for review No action needed
Approved Provider authorized, pharmacist will fill Check pharmacy for pickup time
Denied Not approved - check notes for reason Follow instructions in notes
Filled Medication ready for pickup Go to pharmacy, update inventory

After Picking Up Refills

Important: Update the medication supply!
  1. Pick up medication from pharmacy
  2. Count the pills/doses received
  3. Go to patient's medication in MedTracker
  4. Click "Edit" and update "Current Supply"
  5. Add note: "Picked up 90-day supply from CVS on [date]"
  6. Save changes

Alert Settings & Notifications

MedTracker can send you alerts about your patients' medication adherence.

Available Alert Types

Alert Type Description Recommended For
Missed Dose Patient misses a scheduled dose All patients
Adherence Drop Adherence falls below threshold All patients
Low Inventory Supplies running low All patients
Weekly Summary Weekly adherence report email All patients

Configuring Alerts Per Patient

  1. Go to the patient's page
  2. Click "Alert Settings"
  3. Enable/disable specific alert types
  4. Set adherence threshold (e.g., alert if below 80%)
  5. Configure time delay after missed dose (e.g., alert 30 min after)

Quiet Hours

Set times when you don't want to be disturbed:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Enable "Quiet Hours"
  3. Set start time (e.g., 10:00 PM)
  4. Set end time (e.g., 7:00 AM)
  5. Choose exception policy (allow critical alerts only, or block all)

All Alerts Dashboard

View alerts across all your patients in one place:

  1. Click "Alerts" in the navigation
  2. See unified list of all alerts
  3. Filter by patient, type, or date
  4. Quickly identify who needs attention

Mobile App & Notifications

Installing MedTracker as an App

MedTracker is a Progressive Web App (PWA) - install it on your phone for the best caregiving experience!

Benefits for Caregivers:

  • 📲 Push notifications - Get alerts for patient missed doses
  • 🔄 Works offline - Log doses even without internet
  • ⚡ Quick access - Launch from home screen icon
  • 🏃 Faster loading - App opens instantly

iPhone/iPad:

  1. Open MedTracker in Safari
  2. Tap the Share button (box with arrow)
  3. Tap "Add to Home Screen"
  4. Tap "Add"

Android:

  1. Open MedTracker in Chrome
  2. Look for the "Install" banner, OR
  3. Tap menu → "Install app"
  4. Tap "Install"

Push Notifications for Caregivers

As a caregiver, push notifications help you stay on top of multiple patients:

  • Missed dose alerts - "John Smith missed Lisinopril at 8:00 AM"
  • Low inventory warnings - "Mary Jones has 3 days of Metformin left"
  • Adherence alerts - "Patient adherence dropped below 80%"
  • Care requests - "New care request from a patient"

Offline Mode

MedTracker works without internet - essential for caregivers on the go!

What Works Offline:

  • ✅ View all patient medications
  • ✅ Log doses for any patient
  • ✅ See schedules and adherence
  • ✅ Review recent dose history

Requires Internet:

  • ❌ Submitting refill requests
  • ❌ Searching for new patients
  • ❌ Receiving new care requests
How It Works: When you lose internet, an "Offline" indicator appears. Continue logging doses normally - data saves locally and syncs automatically when internet returns.

Caregiver Best Practices

Daily Medication Routine

Morning:

  • Check MedTracker dashboard
  • Review doses due today
  • Prepare all morning medications
  • Administer to patients
  • Log doses immediately
  • Check for alerts or low inventory

Throughout Day:

  • Set alarms for afternoon doses
  • Log doses as they're taken
  • Monitor for side effects
  • Respond to any alerts

Evening:

  • Administer evening medications
  • Log all doses
  • Review adherence for the day
  • Prepare tomorrow's medications

Weekly:

  • Review adherence for each patient
  • Check inventory levels
  • Submit refill requests as needed
  • Clean and refill pill organizers

Medication Storage

Proper storage is critical:

  • 🌡️ Store at room temperature unless otherwise directed
  • 🌊 Keep in original bottles with labels
  • ☀️ Avoid direct sunlight
  • 💧 Keep away from moisture (not in bathroom!)
  • 🔒 Lock up controlled substances (opioids, etc.)
  • 👶 Keep all medications away from children

Self-Care for Caregivers

Caregiving is demanding - take care of yourself!

Prevent Burnout:

  • 🛌 Get adequate sleep
  • 🍎 Eat healthy meals
  • 🚶 Exercise regularly
  • 🗣️ Ask for help when needed
  • 📅 Schedule respite care
  • 👥 Join caregiver support groups

Remember: Taking care of yourself allows you to better care for others!

Frequently Asked Questions

How many patients can I care for?

There's no hard limit, but consider your time availability, complexity of medication regimens, and comfort level.

  • 1-2 patients: Very manageable
  • 3-4 patients: Requires organization
  • 5+ patients: Consider professional caregiver training

Quality over quantity - Better to provide excellent care for fewer patients than stressed care for many.

What if I forget to log a dose?

Log it as soon as you remember:

  1. Go to the medication
  2. Click "Log Dose"
  3. Enter the actual time it was taken
  4. Add note: "Logged late - forgot to record earlier"

Can other family members access MedTracker?

Only if they're authorized as caregivers. Contact the healthcare provider to add another caregiver. Multiple caregivers benefit from:

  • Shared responsibility
  • Coverage when you're unavailable
  • All see same information
  • Better continuity of care

What if patient refuses medication?

Try to understand why:

  • Side effects bothering them?
  • Forgot why they need it?
  • Difficulty swallowing?
  • Tired of taking medications?

Gentle strategies:

  1. Remind why it's important
  2. Make it easier (offer water, juice, break pills if allowed)
  3. Give choices ("now or in 5 minutes?")
  4. Don't force - take a break and try later
If patient consistently refuses critical medications, contact healthcare provider immediately.

How do I know if a medication is working?

Look for:

  • Symptom improvement (pain decreasing, blood pressure normalizing)
  • Lab results (cholesterol lowering, blood sugar improving)
  • Absence of problems (no seizures, no clots)

Track observations in MedTracker notes - add notes about symptom changes and share with provider.

Never stop medications because patient "feels fine" - many medications prevent problems you can't see!

Quick Reference Card

Five Rights of Medication Administration

Before giving any medication, verify:

  1. ✅ Right Patient - Who is this for?
  2. ✅ Right Medication - What medication is this?
  3. ✅ Right Dose - How much should be given?
  4. ✅ Right Time - When should it be taken?
  5. ✅ Right Route - How should it be taken?

When to Contact Provider

Urgency Situations Action
Urgent Severe side effects, patient refuses critical meds, multiple missed doses, signs meds not working Call immediately
Non-Urgent Persistent mild side effects, adherence problems, expired prescriptions Call during business hours
Can Wait General questions, schedule optimization, minor issues, cost concerns Discuss at next appointment

Emergency Contacts

  • Medical Emergency: 911
  • Provider Office: ________________
  • Pharmacy: ________________
  • Technical Support: support@domain101.xyz
  • Security Issues: security@domain101.xyz