Source Authority
How should overrides be documented?
Last reviewed
Direct answer
Each override should record the field and decision affected, the original source value, the value that now governs, the reason and supporting evidence, who approved it and when, how long it applies, and whether the source system was corrected. The record should stay attached to the governing number so anyone using that number can see that an override applies.
Why this happens
Overrides documented in email threads cannot be found when the number is challenged months later.
An end date or review date keeps temporary overrides from quietly becoming permanent rules.
Example: authority depends on the decision
Clinical system
Authoritative for level of care
Assessments are recorded and signed there.
Billing system
Authoritative for the rate billed
The contract and payer terms are applied there.
Payroll
Authoritative for hours paid
It is the system of record for compensation.
- Which number governs?
- Operator Authority
- Governing Record
- SeniorCRE Intelligence
- Execution
Illustrative figures. Governance first. Intelligence second. Execution last.
No single system is authoritative for everything. Authority is assigned per field and per decision.
The governance question
Authority is an organizational decision that software should record, not invent. When the authoritative source is wrong, the right response is a documented override with the original value preserved, not a silent edit.
Evidence → Disagreement → Authority → Governing Record
What good operating infrastructure should do
- Per-field, per-decision authority rules approved by named owners.
- Visible authority: users can see which source governs a number.
- Override workflows that capture reason, approver and time.
- Original values preserved after every override.
- Periodic review of authority rules as systems change.
SeniorCRE perspective
SeniorCRE’s architecture records authority as a rule the operator approves, applies it when sources disagree, and keeps the overridden value with its reason and approver. Software can recommend; only the operator’s authority decides what governs. Status: the Governed Operating Record is designed and not yet implemented in any community. What has been built, validated and deployed is published on the evidence page, and nothing here should be read as a production result.