Attaching documents to a patient
Upload consent forms, scanned IDs, X-rays from external clinics, and other PDFs/images.
Overview
Documents attached to a patient are stored in the platform's object storage with versioning. Supported types: PDF, PNG, JPEG, DICOM. Each file counts toward your tier's storage limit.
Prerequisites
- Any clinical or front-desk role
- The patient record exists
- Files to upload, each under 25 MB
Steps
Open the patient profile. Patients list → click row.
Switch to the Documents tab. Empty by default; the panel says "Drag and drop files here, or click to browse".
Upload via drag-and-drop. Select files from your computer and drop them onto the panel. The upload progress shows per file; you can drop multiple at once.
Or upload via the browse button. Click the panel and choose files via the file picker. Same result.
Categorise each file. A modal appears asking the document category — Consent Form, ID, Insurance Card, External X-ray, Lab Result, Other. The category drives how the file is presented elsewhere (consent forms appear in billing, X-rays in imaging).
Add a description (optional). Useful for "Pre-op X-ray from Dr. Adekunle, June 2025". Searchable later.
Click "Upload". Files appear as cards with type icon, size, uploader, and timestamp. Storage usage at the bottom of the panel updates immediately.
View, download, or delete a file. Click a card to view; the viewer renders PDFs and images inline. Download for the raw file. Delete asks for confirmation; deletes are logged in the audit trail.
Tag a file as "Sensitive". A small switch on each card. Sensitive files require a second confirmation to view, and the access is audited at higher fidelity.
Expected outcome
- Each uploaded file exists as a
Documentrecord with clinic, patient, category, mimeType, size, and a storage key - Storage usage on the tenant rises by the file sizes
- Files appear on the Documents tab and (where applicable) on the Imaging or Consent Forms tabs
- An audit log entry exists for upload, view, and delete
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "File too large" | File over 25 MB | Compress the PDF or image; X-rays in DICOM may need the imaging-specific upload flow |
| "Storage limit reached" | Tier storage cap hit | Buy the storage addon or upgrade tier |
| Drag-and-drop doesn't work | Browser doesn't have drop handlers attached | Use the Browse button instead |
| Document doesn't appear in Imaging tab | Categorised wrong | Click the card → Edit → change category to External X-ray |
| Can't delete a file | Role lacks manage_documents permission | Ask a clinician or admin |