Merging Duplicate Patients

Overview

When the same patient has multiple records, NICE HMS merges them so all data appears under one patient. This is a soft link — the source record continues to exist but its data is displayed through the target.

How Merging Works

Merging sets the source patient's merge field to the target patient's ID. It does not physically move or copy data.

After merging:

All records from the source (encounters, prescriptions, bills, lab reports) appear when viewing the target patient.
Encounters remain mapped to their original patient. Accounting, which is tallied per encounter, stays with the encounter.
Balances display together under the target, but each encounter's accounting belongs to its original patient.

Merge Rules

Target Selection

Scenario	Rule
One patient has ABHA, the other doesn't	ABHA patient must be the target. Reverse is prevented.
Both are non-ABHA	Either can be the target — choose which record to keep.
Both have ABHA	Merge is blocked — ABHA must be unique per organization.

Encounter States Before Merging

Merging does not block on encounter state — you can merge even if the source patient has in-progress encounters. However, after merging, the system enforces a strict rule: only one encounter may be in-progress at a time across the merged patient record.

If the source and target together have more than one in-progress encounter after merging, the system warns you and blocks new encounters until all but one are marked finished. Finish any unwanted encounters on the source before merging to avoid this.

Once an encounter is marked finished, only an admin can revert it back to in-progress. If you accidentally finish the wrong encounter, an admin must step in to reopen it.

Accounting

All accounting is per encounter, not per patient.
Merging does not recalculate or combine balances — each encounter keeps its own accounting.
When viewing the target patient, totals across all encounters (both target's and source's) are shown for convenience.

How to Merge

Identify the target record (the one to keep).
Open the source record (the duplicate).
Click Merge.
Enter the target patient's ID.
Confirm the merge.

The source record becomes linked to the target. All data from the source is now visible under the target patient.

Pre-Merge Checklist

If the target will have an ABHA, create the ABHA patient record first, then merge duplicates into it.
Review in-progress encounters on the source. Finish any that should not carry over.
Ensure the source patient has no ABHA linked (ABHA must be unique per organization).
If unsure which record to keep, consult the patient history — choose the record with more complete data.

FAQ

Q: Can I undo a merge? A: No. Merging is not reversible. Verify before confirming.

Q: What happens to the source patient after merging? A: The source record continues to exist (it is not deleted). It is hidden from normal views and its data appears under the target.

Q: Can I merge more than two records? A: Yes. Merge duplicates one at a time into the same target.

Q: Does merging affect the patient's ABHA? A: The merge target keeps its ABHA. The source must not have an ABHA. If both records have ABHA, merge is blocked.