Beehind the Scenes with James Cook University

At a glance

Institution: James Cook University (JCU), Australia
Practice type: Multi-disciplinary student-led teaching clinics
Who uses Zanda: 200-250 students per rotation, plus supervisors and administration teams
Zanda features used: Notes, templates, waitlist management, SMS and email communication, secure records, and data migration support
Favorite result: Notes completed within the session hour 95% of the time

“Because it’s working so well, we want to introduce it to other locations.”

JCU runs student-led clinics across multiple health disciplines, prioritizing documentation, supervision, accreditation, and confidentiality.

Psychology is a flagship program at the university, ranked #1 in Queensland for graduate outcomes and support, with top student–teacher ratios. Clinical placements are a core component of the program, putting students in direct contact with clients under supervision. This real-world experience reinforces learning and determines JCU’s EMR requirements.

The challenge: Oversight, visibility, and secure documentation

In student-led clinics, every client interaction is supervised, and every record must meet accreditation standards.

Before implementing Zanda, the university struggled with fragmented workflows, oversight, and documentation management. Core processes were spread across multiple tools, notes and documents were scattered, and communication records were inconsistent, making coordinated supervision and record-keeping a challenge.

“We used to have Excel and Word documents saved on a shared drive. We wanted to avoid that.”

Manual tracking left staff managing two-year waitlists. The long timelines required more reliable documentation and better visibility.

To address these problems, the university needed a more structured, centralized system.

Why Zanda: Built for supervised learning environments

JCU reviewed software options and narrowed the options to platforms that supported supervised documentation. Zanda stood out.

Students draft notes within the EMR, and supervisors review, revise, and return tasks when required. All documentation remains contained within the client record.

“Students enter their notes in the system, supervisors review them, and tasks can be returned so students can revise and learn through the process.”

That workflow supports both accountability and training.

What changed in daily operations

Note drafts and supervision remain inside the EMR.

Staff no longer move client documentation between systems.

“There are no documents related to the clients outside of the system…which can be in breach of the security.”

Better waitlist management

Communication activity is recorded within the client file.

“If you send or receive an SMS, it’s recorded straight away, and the same with emails.”

In-platform communication

Reception and clinical staff can document interactions directly in the system, keeping communication history attached to the client record.

Security and compliance

Security was a deciding factor.

Zanda met all of the cybersecurity requirements for JCU’s internal assessment, including data storage in Australia.

“Security was number one for us. The requirements for accreditation, especially in psychology, are very high, so we needed to make sure client data and student records were handled properly.”

Structured implementation

The university followed a defined plan during rollout.

“We did a lot of preparation before implementation to understand the workflow and make sure everything was set up correctly.”

IT and key stakeholders got involved early to ensure:

• Data migration was tested before they went live
• Workflow planning sessions were held with clinical teams
• Naming conventions and templates were aligned
• Weekly meetings were held during the first month post-implementation
• Role-based training was conducted for clinicians and administration

Student onboarding was built to scale.

The Zanda team created a structured training program for JCU’s clinics, including a 45-minute recorded session stored in the university’s learning platform. Before gaining access to the system, each student must complete confidentiality protocols and a cybersecurity test. The materials are used across cohorts, creating consistency between rotations.

The results: An estimated 5–10 hours saved per intake cycle, easing the transition between student groups and reducing workload for supervising clinicians.

Now the process runs with minimal disruption across clinics.

A focus on clinical development

Feedback from staff and students has been positive. One clinic reported saving over an hour per day through streamlined documentation processes.

“They [students] can focus on improving their clinical skills and understanding the client, not just writing notes.”

What would JCU say to another university?

“We wanted to keep everything in one location.”

For JCU, having one system to manage client records, student documentation, and communication was essential for running supervised teaching clinics.

That meant:

• A system well-suited for student-led clinics
• Structured workflows for student-drafted notes with supervisor review and task return
• Secure, centralized client documentation
• Visibility across teams and clinic communication
• Implementation supported with preparation, workshops, and workflow planning
• Structured onboarding and training for clinicians, staff, and students
• Responsive support throughout migration and rollout

Zanda addresses those needs across the university’s clinics, supporting clinical education and operational governance.