# Record Acknowledgement

Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/scheduling/setup/what-support-workers-see/record-acknowledgement

> Require Support Workers to acknowledge they've read a record.

Scheduling add-on - This feature requires the Scheduling add-on, which is available on Astalty Premium. See How to enable Scheduling.

## Overview

Require acknowledgement when you need a record that a Support Worker opened and acknowledged a document in the Astalty app. It records the action, but does not prove that the worker understood the document.

## Setting Up Acknowledgement Requirements

To require acknowledgement on a Record, both conditions must be met:

- The Record's **Record Type** has **Visible to Support Workers** and **Documents required** enabled. The option does not appear on Records of any other type.

![The Create Participant Record Type drawer for an Allergy Information record type, with Has expiry date, Required record and Documents required ticked and the ticked Visible to Support Workers checkbox highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-1.png)

- The Record has at least one attached document. A Record with the **Requires Support Worker Acknowledgement** option on cannot be saved without one.

![The Add Participant Record panel for a Medication List record with Medication List.pdf uploaded under Documents, and the Support Worker Acknowledgement section highlighted with Requires Support Worker Acknowledgement ticked.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-2.png)

Enable **Requires Support Worker Acknowledgement** when creating or editing the Record.

> **Acknowledgement does not block a shift**
>
> Unacknowledged documents do not prevent Support Workers from completing their shifts or taking action in the app. This is intentional.
>
> Astalty uses **reporting and notifications** to show coordinators which Records have and have not been acknowledged, including when a worker is assigned at short notice.

## Where It Appears in the App

Once a Record requiring acknowledgement is created, Support Workers will be prompted in several places within the Astalty app:

- **Overview** - a row under **Needs attention** shows the number of unread Participant Records and opens the acknowledgement list.

![The Overview screen of the Astalty app, with the 3 unread participant records row highlighted under Needs attention, and Overview highlighted in the bottom menu.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-3.png)

![The Records to Acknowledge screen in the Astalty app, listing a Medication List record for each of three Participants, each document marked Unread.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-4.png)

- **Shift details** - pending Records display an **Unread** indicator under **Relevant Records**.

![Shift details in the Astalty app, with the Relevant Records row highlighted under Related, showing 1 record and a 1 Unread badge.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-5.png)

![The Relevant Participant Records screen in the Astalty app, with an arrow pointing to a Medication List document marked Unread under Outstanding.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-6.png)

- **Participant profile** - the Record appears under **Records** with its acknowledgement status.

![The Participant Details screen in the Astalty app, with the Records section highlighted showing a Medication List record marked Unread.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-7.png)

## How Workers Acknowledge a Record

When a Support Worker opens a Record that requires acknowledgement:

1. Open the Record and select its document.
2. For a PDF, review through to the last page. For an image, wait for it to load.
3. Turn on **I have read and acknowledge this document.**, then select **Acknowledge Document**.

![A Medication List PDF open in the Astalty app, with the I have read and acknowledge this document switch turned on and the Acknowledge Document button below it.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-8.png)

The Record is then marked as acknowledged for that Support Worker.

![The Relevant Participant Records screen in the Support Worker app, with a Medication List record listed under Acknowledged and a green tick beside its document.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/record-acknowledge-9.png)

Opening the document alone does not record acknowledgement. The worker must select the acknowledgement action.

> **Videos can be acknowledged without being watched**
>
> PDFs require the worker to reach the last page before acknowledging. Images can be acknowledged once they load. Videos and audio files can be acknowledged as soon as they open in the viewer; Astalty does not track playback progress.
>
> If watching or listening must be evidenced, verify it another way, such as a [Form](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/forms) the worker completes afterwards or a check during supervision.
>
> There's more on attaching videos in the [Participant Records](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/participant-records#file-types-and-size-limits) guide.

File types without a supported preview, including Word documents, cannot currently be acknowledged in the app. Provide a supported format such as PDF when acknowledgement is required.

See [Record Acknowledgement Notifications](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/notifications/record-acknowledgement-notification) for reminder settings.

See [Record Acknowledgement Report](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/reports/record-acknowledgement-report) to review acknowledgement status across Participants.

To check one person's acknowledgement status and send them a reminder, see the [Acknowledgements tab](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/users/user-acknowledgements) on their User profile.