Merging duplicate patients
Combine two records that turn out to be the same person, preserving both records' data.
Overview
Duplicates happen — a patient's name was entered slightly differently, or they registered twice (once at the front desk, once via the portal). Merging consolidates both records under one. The history of both is preserved on the surviving record.
Prerequisites
- Owner or Admin role (the merge is a destructive-ish operation; restricted)
- Both patient records identified — note their patient numbers
Steps
Confirm they're really the same person. Open both profiles in different tabs. Cross-check date of birth, full name, primary phone, address. Same DOB + similar name + same phone = almost certainly a duplicate.
Decide which record survives. Pick the one with more complete data — more appointments, longer history, paid registration fee. The other record's data will move into this one.
Open the surviving record. Click More actions in the top-right (three-dot menu) → Merge with another patient...
Select the duplicate to merge in. A search box appears. Find the duplicate by patient number or name. Click to select.
Review the merge preview. The system shows what will move: appointments, invoices, payments, treatments, charts, notes, documents, communications. Conflicts (e.g., both records have a different primary phone) are highlighted; you choose which value wins.
Resolve every conflict. For each conflicting field, select the value to keep on the surviving record. Click Continue.
Confirm the merge. A final confirmation lists the changes. Type the duplicate's patient number to confirm — this prevents accidental clicks. Click Merge.
Wait for completion. Merges process server-side. Large merges (years of records) take a few seconds. A success toast appears.
Verify on the surviving record. The merged appointments, invoices, etc. now appear on the surviving patient. The duplicate record is archived (status ARCHIVED), retained for audit.
Expected outcome
- The surviving record now contains both patients' artifacts
- The duplicate record is archived (visible only in the Archived tab)
- An audit log entry exists with action
MERGE, with both source and destination IDs - The duplicate's portal account, if any, is unlinked; the patient must register the portal again at the surviving record
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Merge button missing | Your role isn't Owner or Admin | Ask one of them to do the merge |
| Conflict resolution can't be saved | A required field would become blank | Pick a value rather than leaving the conflict unresolved |
| Some appointments didn't move | They were already cancelled | Cancelled appointments stay on the original record (they're historical); only active and completed move |
| Patient portal login fails for the merged patient | Portal account was on the archived record | Patient creates a new portal account; clinic relinks via patient profile |
| Merge can't be undone | By design — it's destructive | Open a support ticket within 24 hours; backup restores can sometimes recover |