Preventing Duplicate Patient Records - hmislk/hmis GitHub Wiki
Overview
Duplicate patient records occur when the same person is registered more than once in the system. This fragments the patient's medical history, causes billing confusion, and can affect care quality. HMIS provides guidance and system controls to minimise duplicates at the point of registration.
How Duplicates Happen
Common causes of duplicate records:
- Patient presents without their PHN or previous visit details
- Name is spelled differently (e.g. "Mohamed" vs "Mohammed")
- NIC was not entered during the first registration
- Staff registers a new record without searching first
How to Avoid Creating Duplicates
Always Search Before Registering
Before clicking + New, search thoroughly using multiple fields:
| Search field | Tips |
|---|---|
| NIC / Passport | Most reliable — unique per person |
| Phone / Mobile | Useful when NIC is not available |
| Name | Try partial name; spelling may vary |
| PHN | Use if the patient has a card or previous bill |
| Date of Birth | Combine with name for a narrower match |
The patient search page supports all of the above. Use at least two fields before concluding the patient is not registered.
Check the Search Results Carefully
A patient may appear under a slightly different name or with an old phone number. Review the results list, including the PHN and NIC columns, before proceeding.
If a Duplicate Is Found After Registration
If two records exist for the same person, contact a system administrator. Do not attempt to merge records manually by editing names or NICs, as this can corrupt billing and clinical history.
Administrators can:
- Identify duplicates by searching on NIC or name+DOB
- Retire one record after verifying all history is on the correct record
- Transfer any outstanding balances or deposits before retiring
Related Features
- Blacklist a Patient — blocking a patient from billing system-wide
- Patient Lookup & Registration — search and registration workflow