What happens to hospital records when the internet goes down?

When the internet goes, staff can use whatever is already on their device, and nothing else. In RizCare, a device prepared for offline use can continue supported work with the records and access already available there. Sending that work to the practice and receiving updates from colleagues are separate steps.

So ask which patient information this person can use right now, and what happens to what they save.

First identify what has stopped working

A lost internet connection, an expired sign-in permission and a flat battery can all interrupt a visit, but they need different responses.

• Internet unavailable: the device still works, but cannot reach the practice online.
• Information unavailable: the record needed is not available on that device, or the staff member does not have permission to read it.
• Device or application unavailable: a flat battery, damaged device or inaccessible app prevents staff using even locally saved information.

Our recommendation is to teach staff these distinctions during preparation. Repeatedly restarting the app is not a plan for all three, especially if work has been saved but has not reached the practice.

What a prepared RizCare device can do

RizCare needs its application files, enrolled records and valid offline access available before it can reopen without a connection. Initial device enrolment and access renewal require internet access. Installing an app icon alone does not complete that preparation.

Within the records and permissions available to the staff member, supported work includes registration, visits, observations, notes and recording invoice payments. The device saves that work locally first. A successful local save does not mean the practice has accepted it or another staff member has received it.

A disconnected device cannot fetch an older record that it does not hold. It also cannot know about a new entry saved on a colleague's device unless that information reaches it through a supported transfer. Do not assume two offline devices show the same current record.

Some administration requires a connection. If access has expired, staff must renew it online; they should not expect indefinite offline access. Before making an operational decision, ask to see the preparation and renewal process on the devices your practice intends to use.

A fictional interruption during reception work

Imagine a receptionist has opened a fictional patient's invoice and confirmed receipt of 5,000 naira. The internet connection drops before the payment reaches the practice.

If RizCare confirms that the entry has been saved on the device, keep that device and entry intact. The next receptionist may see an older balance on a different device. Recording another payment to make the two screens agree could create a second record of the same receipt.

The handover should say that the payment was recorded, identify the invoice through the approved internal process and explain that synchronisation remains outstanding. Staff should check the original entry and its status before deciding what to do next. The amount in this example is fictional; it is not a service price.

The same distinction matters for notes. A note can be signed on the authoring device while its delivery to the practice is still pending. Signing and sharing are different events.

Use an outage drill with observable results

The 2025 SAFER contingency-planning guide recommends preparing paper forms, testing backups and training staff in downtime and recovery procedures. It is US implementation guidance, not a Nigerian legal requirement or a claim about RizCare's performance.

Our suggested drill uses fictional records in a separate demonstration setting:

1. Prepare the device online and confirm which records the staff account can access.
2. Open a fictional patient's current visit, then disconnect the internet.
3. Save one clearly identified entry and check the status shown after saving.
4. Close and reopen the application, then confirm that the entry can still be found.
5. Reconnect, allow synchronisation and check whether the practice accepted the entry or requires review.
6. On another authorised device, catch up and confirm that the same entry appears once.

Have the person who will do the task perform the drill. Repeat the relevant scenario on the actual intended device and browser. A demonstration on a different computer does not answer whether the hospital's chosen setup is ready.

Reconnection needs a check, too

When internet access returns, leave time for saved work to reach the practice and for the device to receive updates. Check the outstanding-work screen. Something needing review should have a responsible person, rather than being ignored because the connection indicator is green.

A record that requires review has not simply disappeared. RizCare retains attempted work, but that does not mean every conflict is automatically resolved. Do not create a replacement payment or consultation merely to get around a refusal. Establish what was already accepted and follow the appropriate review process.

For how corrections preserve the original record, read correcting a record without erasing it.

When staff cannot use the device

Keep an agreed paper downtime procedure for device failure or inaccessible records. It should identify the patient, author, event time, temporary record location and the person who will reconcile the entries afterwards. The clinical lead should decide how unavailable history affects care; reception should not guess what the missing record contains.

Do not clear browser data or reinstall casually while unsynchronised work may remain. Protect the device and obtain help through the agreed support route.

Offline access is also different from recovery after loss. RizCare's encrypted device export cannot be imported back into the app. Before relying on live records, agree and rehearse the recovery arrangements with the implementation team. A successful outage drill alone does not settle that question.

The Health IT Playbook treats staff preparation and implementation as planned work. Our paper-to-digital guide puts downtime readiness within that wider transition.

Ask for an outage-and-reconnection walkthrough in a RizCare demonstration, using fictional records and the device types your team plans to use.