Detailed Comparison of Healthcare Agent Admin, Editor, and Reader Roles Focusing on Their Access Levels and Responsibilities in Service Management

Companies like Simbo AI are changing how medical offices handle patient communication, especially using automated phone answering services.
These tools use AI and are managed through platforms like Microsoft’s Azure Portal.
User permissions need to be controlled carefully to keep data safe, follow rules, and run smoothly.

For healthcare groups in the United States, it is important to know the differences between the Healthcare Agent Service user roles.

These roles are Admin, Editor, and Reader.
They decide what each user can do and help keep patient information private and system settings secure.
Starting July 1, 2025, Microsoft will require all new Healthcare Agent Service systems to use Microsoft Entra ID via Azure Portal for managing access.
Existing systems will switch over gradually.
This means healthcare managers and IT staff must learn what each role does.

Overview of Key Roles in Healthcare Agent Service Management

Healthcare Agent Service is a cloud-based AI bot system worked through Microsoft’s Azure platform.
It helps healthcare providers by automating tasks like answering calls, sending appointment reminders, and sorting patient questions.
User permissions control what people can do and help meet HIPAA rules.

The three main roles are Healthcare Agent Admin, Editor, and Reader.
Each has different levels of access and responsibility.

Healthcare Agent Admin Role: Full Control with Security Responsibility

The Admin role has the highest access level in the Healthcare Agent Service.
People with this role can control the entire system, including security settings and managing users.
This role is key for keeping the system safe and following healthcare laws.

Key Responsibilities and Permissions:

• Full Sign-in and Access: Admins can log in to both Azure Portal and Healthcare Agent Service to see, change, and manage all bot tools.
• User Access Management: Only Admins can assign roles (Admin, Editor, Reader) to users through Azure Access Control (IAM). This includes managing Microsoft Entra Access Management that controls user permissions.
• Configuration Management: Admins can create, update, or delete bot scenarios, conversation flows, and AI skills used for automation.
• Handling Bot Instance Keys & Secrets: Admins have exclusive access to these sensitive credentials needed for bot authentication and data access.
• Monitoring and Compliance: Admins keep audit logs in Microsoft Entra ID to meet healthcare security requirements like HIPAA.

Because the Admin role deals with sensitive info and critical system parts, it is usually given to IT managers or senior healthcare leaders who know both healthcare privacy and technology.

Healthcare Agent Editor Role: Operational Access without Security Privileges

The Editor role allows users to work on bot functions but not change security settings.
Editors help design and improve how the bot works but cannot control access or handle sensitive data.

Primary Capabilities and Restrictions:

• Editing Bot Resources: Editors can log in and change bot scenarios, flows, and AI features to improve patient calls.
• Configuration Changes: They can adjust call handling, automated messages, and scripts used by the bot.
• Read-only Access to User Management: Editors can see who has access but cannot change roles or permissions.
• Restricted from Sensitive Data: Editors cannot see bot keys, secrets, or patient inputs like feedback or conversation logs to protect privacy.

This role fits healthcare staff who improve patient communication, call center supervisors, and office managers who do not need full admin access but can update how the system works.

Healthcare Agent Reader Role: Viewing Access for Oversight and Reporting

The Reader role is the most basic.
It allows users to view but not change anything.

Features:

• Sign-in Ability with Read-Only Access: Readers can see bot resources, settings, and scenarios but cannot edit them.
• No Access to Sensitive Credentials: Readers cannot see keys, secrets, or user conversation details.
• Used for Reporting and Compliance: This role is good for compliance officers, auditors, or outside reviewers who monitor the system without making changes.

The Reader role helps keep watch on the system without risking unwanted changes.

Transition to Microsoft Entra Access Management

From July 1, 2025, Microsoft will require all new Healthcare Agent Service systems to use Microsoft Entra ID with the Azure Portal to manage user access.
Existing systems will move over slowly, and there will be an option for early users to switch sooner.

This centralized system brings several benefits for U.S. healthcare groups:

• Simpler User Role Assignment: Admins assign roles in the Azure Portal’s Access Control (IAM) pane, which helps avoid mistakes.
• Better Security Compliance: Microsoft Entra improves identity checks, activity logging, and audits vital for HIPAA rules.
• Older User Management Disabled: When Microsoft Entra is active, the old way to manage users on the Healthcare Agent Service page stops working.
  All roles must then be assigned through Azure Portal.
• Audit Trails & Monitoring: Detailed logs show who does what, helping with accountability and meeting regulations.

Healthcare admins need to learn this system well to keep everything running and protect sensitive info.

AI and Workflow Automation within Healthcare Agent Service

The Healthcare Agent Service uses AI bots to automate front-office tasks that usually need a lot of human work.
These bots lower work pressure, shorten patient wait times, and better manage appointment scheduling while keeping data safe.

Key AI Workflow Functions:

• Automated Phone Answering: AI bots answer calls, understand patient needs, route calls, or provide info like appointment times or clinic hours.
• Patient Interaction Scenarios: Bots use preset conversation flows to handle common questions or collect patient information before connecting to staff.
• Feedback Capture: Admins can review patient feedback to help improve the AI over time.
• Role-Based Access Controls: Editors update conversations without access to sensitive bot keys.
• Integration: Admin-managed bot keys let the AI connect with electronic health records, scheduling, and practice systems smoothly.

In the U.S., where rules are strict and patient satisfaction matters, this automated system helps frontline workers and keeps compliance with laws like HIPAA.

Who Should Manage These Roles in U.S. Healthcare Settings?

Because of HIPAA rules, patient privacy, and system uptime needs, role assignments should match the organization’s structure and expertise.

• Healthcare Agent Admin: Usually IT managers or senior healthcare leaders with technical skills and responsibility for security and compliance.
• Healthcare Agent Editor: Suitable for operations managers, clinical supervisors, or trained staff who improve AI interactions.
• Healthcare Agent Reader: Good for compliance officers, quality assurance, or auditors who watch the system without managing it.

In many healthcare offices, IT staff, medical managers, and sometimes outside experts work together to manage these roles.

Practical Steps for U.S. Healthcare Administrators to Manage User Roles in Azure Portal

To assign user roles using Microsoft Entra in the Azure Portal, Healthcare Agent Admins should:

• Sign in to the Azure Portal securely.
• Go to the Healthcare Agent Service page.
• Open the Access control (IAM) pane.
• Click Add role assignment.
• Choose the role: Admin, Editor, or Reader.
• Add the correct users or Microsoft Entra ID groups.
• Confirm by selecting Review + assign.

Using Microsoft Entra ID groups helps healthcare offices manage many users at once by grouping them by department or role instead of assigning roles one by one.

Implications for Healthcare Practices in the United States

The change to Microsoft Entra access control fits with the healthcare sector’s move toward more digital systems.
It helps AI phone systems work with secure and flexible user management, improving patient communication and following laws like HIPAA and others.

Medical practice owners and managers in the U.S. need to:

• Train staff on the differences between Admin, Editor, and Reader roles.
• Plan for moving existing systems to Microsoft Entra Access Management before the 2025 deadline.
• Check internal policies to make sure roles are properly divided.
• Work closely with IT teams to manage the Azure Portal activities.

If roles are set up poorly, the practice could face risks like data breaches, system problems, or legal troubles.

Final Thoughts

Managing roles and access in AI-driven healthcare services shows how the U.S. healthcare system is becoming more secure and private.
This helps automate important front-office work while keeping patient data safe and meeting laws.