Finding and merging duplicate patients

Duplicate patient review starts from Patients. In the left sidebar, click Patients to open the patient list. When Ona finds records that may be the same person, the patient list shows a warning card that opens Potential duplicate patients.

How do I find duplicate patients?

Use Patients to see whether there are possible duplicates to review. The duplicate warning appears only when the scan finds at least one group.

1. In the left sidebar, click Patients.
2. Look for the possible duplicate patients warning card.
3. Select the warning card to open Potential duplicate patients.
4. Use All, Likely or Same name to narrow the review list.
5. Select Rescan if you want to run the check again.

The dialog shows how many patients were checked and when the duplicate list was generated. If no records look like the same person, it shows No duplicates to review.

If the dialog says only the first patients were checked, resolve the listed groups and select Rescan to check the rest.

How do I review a duplicate patient group?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then select the duplicate warning card to open Potential duplicate patients. Compare each suggested group before you merge anything. Each group shows matching reasons, whether it is a Likely duplicate or Possible duplicate, and the records in that group.

Review these details before deciding:

• Patient shows the name, when the record was added, invitation status when present, and whether the record is inactive.
• Email, Phone and Date of birth help you confirm whether the records belong to the same person.
• Activity shows visit and note counts, which helps you decide which record should remain.
• Different values are highlighted against the record selected as Keep.
• The open icon opens that patient record in a new window so you can inspect the chart without closing the review dialog.

The selected Keep record is the record that remains after the merge.

How do I merge duplicate patient records?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then select the duplicate warning card to open Potential duplicate patients. Merge after you have confirmed the records are the same person. The merge moves chart and billing history to the record you keep and archives the others.

1. Confirm the records are the same person.
2. In the duplicate group, choose the radio button next to the record you want to keep.
3. Review the Email, Phone, Date of birth and Activity columns.
4. Select Merge into {patient name} for the kept record.
5. Read the confirmation message.
6. Select Merge records.

Visits, notes, invoices, claims, messages, forms and files move to the kept record. Blank details on the kept record are filled in from the other records. The other records are archived, and the merge cannot be undone from this dialog.

How do I merge several duplicate groups at once?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then select the duplicate warning card to open Potential duplicate patients. Use bulk merge when you have reviewed several groups and are ready to merge them in one action.

1. Review the groups you want to merge.
2. For each group, choose the record to keep.
3. Select the checkbox for each group you want to merge.
4. Use Likely only if you want to select only likely duplicate groups in the current view.
5. Select Merge 2 groups; the number changes to match your selection.
6. Read the confirmation message.
7. Select Merge 2 groups.

Each selected group is merged into its chosen kept record. If any group cannot be merged, it remains listed with an error message.

How do I mark records as not duplicates?

In the left sidebar, click Patients, then select the duplicate warning card to open Potential duplicate patients. Use Not duplicates when a suggested group contains separate people.

1. Review the records in the group.
2. Select Not duplicates on that group.

For multiple groups, select their checkboxes and choose Not duplicates from the bulk action bar. The selected groups are dismissed from duplicate review.

What can't I do here?

In the left sidebar, click Patients. Duplicate patient review has these limits:

• Clinicians do not see duplicate detection in the patient list.
• A merge cannot be undone from the duplicate review dialog.
• Records that are not selected as Keep are archived during merge.
• If a group fails to merge, it stays in the review list with an error.
• Rescan, Not duplicates and merge actions are unavailable while another duplicate action is running.

Common questions

What does Likely mean?

Likely shows higher-confidence duplicate groups. The warning card also separates likely groups from same-name groups when both exist.

What does Same name mean?

Same name shows possible duplicates grouped by name. Review Email, Phone, Date of birth and Activity before merging.

Which record should I keep?

Keep the record with the details and activity you trust most. The kept record remains after the merge, and the other records are archived.

What moves during a merge?

Visits, notes, invoices, claims, messages, forms and files move to the kept record. Blank details are filled in from the other records.

Can I open a record before merging?

Yes. Use the open icon at the end of a patient row to open that patient record in a new window while keeping the duplicate review open.