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Merging a patient recorded twice

The search bar on Start, and possible duplicate on the patient's record, for those who hold the Accessibility privilege.

Where a search shows two or more patient records, Merge patients appears under the results. Keep is set on the oldest record, which is usually the one with the history; tick Fold in on each record that is the same person, and press Merge. Fedelsoft first says how many linked records will move and whether the pair is a clear duplicate, meaning the same name, a shared email or mobile, and the same organisation, and asks you to confirm.

Everything on a folded-in record moves to the one kept: appointments, operations, admissions, quotes, invoices, payment details, consents, letters, emails and texts, attachments, the log, and its memberships, portal access and other Fedelsoft records. A date of birth the kept record lacks is carried over. The folded-in record goes to the recycle bin, and a line on the kept record's log says who merged what.

The same merge is offered on the patient's own record. Where another live record has the same name, possible duplicate appears under the patient's name, in amber, for those who can see Administration. Press it and the two records open side by side in a window over the record, one row for each fact: the name, the date of birth, the organisation, the appointments with the last and the next, and how many operations, letters and quotes each holds. Under them Fedelsoft says whether they look like the same person, and why, line by line: the name, the date of birth, and whether they share an email address, a mobile number or a postcode. Contact details on the other record are compared, not shown.

Keep this one is set on the record with more history; change it if the other should stay. Open, beside the other record's number, opens it in a new tab where you are allowed to see it. Merge then asks Merge now before anything is done, and once it is finished the record kept opens. Not the same person takes the flag off this record, and off the other one too where this was its only namesake; it comes back if either name is changed. Compare, beside each record listed under Duplicates in Administration, opens the same comparison.

Two records with different dates of birth are never merged. Two records at different organisations are not merged here either: which one is kept is a question of whose record it is, so a Director decides, and when they are merged the record kept is shared with the other organisation so its staff can still open it. Old form responses, event invitations and emails filed in the separate emails store stay where they are and are held by Fedelsoft as the kept record's, so they are found with it.