Every VipLIMS user has a role. The role decides which menus they see and what they can do. Giving each person the lowest role that lets them do their job keeps patient data safe and your audit trail clear.
The seven roles
| Role | Typical user | Main purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Laboratory director, IT lead, the person who signed up | Manages the laboratory's account: settings, users, institutions, terminology, data export and account closure |
| Laboratory manager | Operations or quality manager | Runs day-to-day work: oversees cases and worklists, assigns work, monitors turnaround times |
| Data entry | Reception, booking-in and clerical staff | Registers patients and cases, records specimen details and attaches request forms |
| Pathologist | Pathologists, doctors, consultants, scientists who report | Accepts assigned cases, writes reports and authorises them |
| Referrer / hospital user | Clinicians and staff at a referring institution | Sees only their own institution's cases and reports, through the referrer portal |
| Auditor | Internal or external auditor, quality reviewer | Read-only access for review and audit |
| Billing | Finance staff | Works with invoices and fees |
The Pathologist role label
Not every laboratory uses the word "pathologist". An Administrator can change the label to suit your laboratory, for example Doctor, Consultant or Scientist. The role works the same way whatever it is called.
Referrers see only their own institution
Referrer users are linked to one referring institution. In the referrer portal they see only cases from that institution, and only reports that have been authorised. They cannot see other institutions' cases or the laboratory's internal work.
Auditors cannot change anything
The Auditor role is read-only. It is designed for quality reviews and accreditation visits, so an auditor can inspect records and the audit trail without any risk of changing them.
Inviting a user
Before you start, you need the Administrator role.
- Open Users from the menu.
- Choose the option to invite a new user.
- Enter their name and work email address.
- Choose their role.
- For a Referrer, choose the institution they belong to. If the institution is not listed, add it first under Institutions.
- Send the invitation.
The invited person receives an email, sets a password of at least 12 characters, and sets up two-factor sign-in before they can use VipLIMS. See Two-factor sign-in.
Changing a role
- Open Users and select the person.
- Change their role and save.
Role changes are recorded in the Audit log.
Removing access
When someone leaves, or no longer needs access, disable their account in Users straight away. Their past work, including reports they authorised, stays in the record and in the audit trail, so nothing is lost.
Good practice
- Use the lowest role that works. For example, reception staff who book cases in need Data entry, not Laboratory manager.
- One person, one account. Never share sign-in details. The audit trail records who did what, and shared accounts make that meaningless.
- Keep at least two Administrators. If your only Administrator is away or leaves, nobody can manage users or export data.
- Review users regularly. Check the user list every few months, and remove anyone who no longer needs access.
- Limit Billing access. Give the Billing role only to people who handle invoices.
Settings that affect what roles can do
Some actions can be switched on or off for particular roles in Settings. For example, an Administrator can choose which roles may archive completed cases. Check these settings during set-up so they match your laboratory's procedures.
Common questions
Can one person have more than one role? Each user has one role in a laboratory. Choose the role that covers the work they do most, and adjust if needed.
Can someone belong to more than one laboratory? Yes. A user can be a member of several laboratories on VipLIMS, with a different role in each, and switch between them.
Can a referrer see unauthorised reports? No. Reports become visible in the referrer portal only when they are authorised.