Sharing Answers

MARCUS answers are most useful when the recipient can still understand where they came from. A perfectly written answer without citation context is often less trustworthy than a shorter answer that clearly shows its evidence trail.

This guide explains how to share output responsibly.

Current data boundary: MARCUS is an institutional non-PHI workspace. Never place PHI, patient identifiers, patient-specific clinical facts, credentials, secrets, or other prohibited data in an answer, share, title, note, or report.

The Main Rule

The built-in answer share creates a public, read-only snapshot. Anyone with the valid link may be able to open its question, answer, and citation labels. It does not grant access to the underlying project documents.

Preferred Sharing Pattern

Share answers that include:

• the answer text
• the relevant citations
• enough project or source context for the recipient to understand scope
• any important caveat, such as low coverage, source conflict, or local-only applicability

Share the synthesis as a starting point for evidence review, not as an approved directive.

Before You Share

Check these questions:

1. Is the answer grounded in the right project?
2. Are the cited sources the ones you actually want to circulate?
3. Is the answer specific to a local workflow that may not generalize?
4. Does the question, answer, source title, or citation label contain anything that should not be public?
5. Would the recipient know how to verify the claim if they needed to?

If the answer depends on nuance, include the nuance.

Use The Public Share Deliberately

Before creating a public link:

1. Read the complete question and answer.
2. Inspect every visible citation label.
3. Confirm that the content contains no PHI, patient-specific facts, credentials, secrets, or restricted information.
4. Choose the shortest practical expiration. The standard default is 30 days; the available range can be 1 to 365 days.
5. Open the link as a recipient would and confirm the visible content.
6. Revoke the link when it is no longer needed.

If the recipient needs the original source, distribute that document through an approved institutional system. The public MARCUS link does not grant source access.

When To Share The Answer As-Is

An answer is more shareable when:

• the citations are strong and directly relevant
• the answer is narrow and concrete
• the library context is clear
• the recipient is inside the same operational environment

Examples:

• a local discharge criterion pulled from the current protocol
• an escalation threshold directly supported by the cited institutional source
• a workflow step where the cited passage is straightforward

When To Add Commentary Before Sharing

Add your own framing when:

• coverage is low
• the answer draws from multiple sources with different authority
• the conclusion depends on local context
• two sources conflict
• the answer is correct but easy to overgeneralize

Useful commentary can be as simple as:

• "This appears to come from our local protocol rather than an external guideline."
• "The library shows disagreement here; see both cited sources."
• "Coverage is limited, so this should be verified before use."

If Two Sources Conflict

Do not share only the synthesized conclusion. Include the conflict explicitly or ask a follow-up question that narrows the scenario first.

If needed, share:

• both competing citations
• which source appears more authoritative
• whether one is local policy and the other is general background

Hiding disagreement creates false certainty.

Sharing Inside Versus Outside The Team

Inside the same project team

Do not use a public share link merely because the recipient works on the same team. Use the organization's approved internal channel when the content should remain restricted, and preserve citations for anything important.

Across teams or outside the immediate workflow

You need more context:

• what project the answer came from
• what kind of source supported it
• whether it reflects local process or general evidence
• whether it should be treated as informational rather than directive

The farther the answer travels from its original context, the more explanation it usually needs.

What Not To Do

• Do not strip away citations and forward only the prose.
• Do not circulate a strong-sounding answer that rests on weak evidence.
• Do not share a local policy answer as if it were universal guidance.
• Do not share a synthesis that hides an unresolved conflict between sources.
• Do not assume that expiration makes an active public link private.

Best Operational Use

MARCUS is strongest when it shortens the path to the right passage in the right document. Share answers as a starting point for review, not as an uncited final directive.

One Safe Habit

Before sending any important MARCUS answer to someone else, ask yourself: "If they challenged this statement, would they have enough information to verify it?" If the answer is no, share more context.

Continue

• Clinician handbook: Collaboration and Administration
• Safety: Safe Use and Limitations