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EHR Connections for Organizations

Wesley Combs avatar
Written by Wesley Combs
Updated over a week ago

EHR Connections for Organizations

Overview

Learn how to configure and manage Electronic Health Record (EHR) connections for your Ambient Scribe organization.

What is EHR Integration?

EHR integration connects Ambient Scribe with your organization's electronic health record system, enabling:

  • Single Sign-On: Launch from EHR with automatic authentication

  • Patient Context: Receive patient information when launching from EHR

  • Direct Note Transfer: Send completed notes to patient charts

  • Seamless Workflow: Reduce copy/paste and manual entry

Accessing EHR Settings

  1. Sign in as an organization admin

  2. Navigate to Organization

  3. Click the EHR Connections tab

  4. View and manage integration settings

Organization Remote Authentication

At the top of the EHR Connections page is the Organization Remote Authentication toggle:

Setting

Description

Remote Authentication Enabled

Users can manually authenticate to configured EHR systems

Remote Authentication Disabled

Users can only access EHR via SSO integration

This is a master switch for all EHR connections. When disabled:
- Users cannot manually authenticate to any EHR
- SSO-based authentication still works
- Individual connection settings are overridden

Warning: Disabling this will prevent all manual EHR authentication for your organization.

EHR Connections Table

Below the master toggle, a table shows all configured EHR connections:

Column

Description

Connection Name

Display name for this connection

EHR Type

System type (VEHR, TWEHR, FHIR, etc.)

Client ID

Friendly identifier used in URL parameters

Remote Auth

Whether this connection allows manual authentication

Actions

Edit or delete the connection

Adding an EHR Connection

Step 1: Open the Modal

  1. Click Add EHR Connection

  2. The connection configuration modal appears

Step 2: Configure Connection Details

Fill in the following fields:

Field

Description

Example

Connection Name

Display name shown to users

"VEHR - Main Clinic"

EHR Type

Select from dropdown

VEHR, TWEHR, FHIR, Epic, Cerner, Athena

Client ID

Friendly name used in URL parameters

"VEHR-PTE", "keena"

API Endpoint URL

EHR API endpoint

https://unity.veradigm.com/unity/api

Step 3: Configure Service Account Credentials

EHR connections require service account credentials stored as SST secrets:

Field

Description

Common Values

Username Secret Key

SST secret name for username

VEHR_UNITY_USERNAME, TWEHR_UNITY_USERNAME

Password Secret Key

SST secret name for password

VEHR_UNITY_PASSWORD, TWEHR_UNITY_PASSWORD

Note: Most organizations can use the shared secrets. Only create custom secrets for special cases.

Step 4: Set Remote Auth Permission

Toggle Allow Remote Authentication for this Connection to control whether users can manually authenticate to this specific EHR.

Step 5: Save

Click Create Connection to save. The connection appears in the table immediately.

Supported EHR Systems

EHR Type

Code

Description

Veradigm

VEHR

Veradigm (formerly Allscripts Professional)

TouchWorks

TWEHR

Allscripts TouchWorks

FHIR

FHIR

FHIR R4 compatible systems

Epic

EPIC

Epic Systems

Cerner

CERNER

Oracle Cerner

Athena Health

ATHENA

athenahealth

Editing a Connection

  1. Find the connection in the table

  2. Click the Edit button (or three-dot menu)

  3. Modify any fields in the modal

  4. Click Save Connection

Changes take effect immediately for all organization members.

Deleting a Connection

  1. Find the connection in the table

  2. Click the Delete button (or three-dot menu > Delete)

  3. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deleting a connection immediately removes EHR access for all users configured to use it.

Understanding Client IDs

The Client ID is a friendly name used in URL parameters when launching from the EHR:

For VEHR (Veradigm):
- URL parameter: acct=
- Examples: VEHR-PTE, VEHR-QA, SOFHA

For TWEHR (TouchWorks):
- URL parameter: twacct=
- Examples: keena, tw-unity-vc, SOSTWTEST

The Client ID must match what's configured in your EHR's launch URL.

Pre-Chart Feature

Pre-Chart (automatic patient context) is a user-level setting, not an EHR connection setting. Users enable Pre-Chart in their personal Settings.

When Pre-Chart is enabled and EHR integration is active:
- Patient demographics are pulled from the EHR
- Data is used for note generation context
- No manual patient entry needed

See Pre-Chart: Automatic Patient Context for details.

Security and Compliance

Data Protection

  • All data encrypted in transit (TLS)

  • Service account credentials stored as encrypted SST secrets

  • Audit logs maintained for connection changes

  • HIPAA-compliant infrastructure

Access Control

  • Only admins can modify EHR connections

  • Individual users cannot bypass organization settings

  • Connection changes are logged

Troubleshooting

Connection Not Working

  1. Verify credentials are correct (check SST secrets)

  2. Confirm API endpoint URL is accurate

  3. Check that EHR system is online

  4. Verify Client ID matches EHR configuration

Users Can't Authenticate

  1. Check Organization Remote Authentication is enabled

  2. Verify the specific connection has Remote Auth enabled

  3. Confirm user is in the organization

  4. Have user try signing out and back in

Wrong Patient Context

  1. Verify correct patient is open in EHR

  2. Relaunch Ambient Scribe from the EHR

  3. Check for multiple patient charts open

  4. Contact support if issue persists

Common Questions

Do I need separate credentials for each connection?

Not typically. Most organizations can share the standard service account secrets (VEHR_UNITY, TWEHR_UNITY). Custom secrets are only needed for special configurations.

What if my EHR isn't listed?

Contact support to discuss integration options. We're continually adding new EHR partnerships.

Can users opt out of EHR integration?

Users can disable Pre-Chart in their personal settings, but organization-level EHR connections apply to all members when using SSO.

How do I test a connection?

Launch Ambient Scribe from your EHR with a test patient selected. If patient context appears, the connection is working.

Best Practices

Before Going Live

  1. Test with a non-production EHR environment if available

  2. Verify with a small user group first

  3. Document the launch URL configuration

  4. Train staff on the new workflow

Ongoing Maintenance

  1. Monitor for authentication failures

  2. Update credentials before they expire

  3. Review connections when EHR configurations change

  4. Audit connections quarterly

Related Articles

Need Help?

For EHR integration setup or troubleshooting, contact [email protected].

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