HTsTestPage

Introduction

OpenEMR requires a minimum set of unique data to decrease the likelihood of creating duplicate records. Strictly speaking, in an unmodified stock instance of OpenEMR the only data required to create a new record are the demographic data of Name, Sex and DOB. If those data are not provided the patient record will not be created.

However, different practices have different requirements and it is possible to make other data required, or not used. The interface shown here is that of a default install without specialty requirements, elective modules or integrated features such as 3d party e-Prescription or telemedicine applications.

New/ Search

The basic tool to create a new record is provided on the Main Menu, at ‘Patient / New/Search’

This is a dual purpose tool, used to:

1) create a new patient record and

2) perform searches of most any data in a patient record

To create a new patient record

1) Click the title to open each data entry section (arrow below)

2) fill in the patient data

3) click blue 'Create New Patient' button at bottom.

4) confirm this is a unique patient

5) the new record is created.

This screen and its sections allows entry of all the patient information that creates a complete patient record, but only the red colored items are required.

Who

• has the 3 default required fields, with red headings: Names, DOB, Sex
• 'User Defined' - available for storing any arbitrary information. For details see ‘Customization’ section in previous page.
• 'Billing Note' – free text note that will display in the patient's Billing widget
• 'Previous Names' - Click 'Add' button first, to add new names
  

Contact

1. click '+' button (arrow) to open the panel and to add another address

2. select 'Address Use', 'Address Type', Effective dates, and other data.

3. click '+' button again to add as many other addresses as needed

Choices

Circled items in image above are typically used for new patients:* 'Provider' and 'Referring Provider' list will be populated by the OpenEMR users (staff) who have 'Provider' selected in their user profile

• Pharmacy - will be populated by entries in the Address Book that are identified as pharmacies.
• CMS Portal Login - obsolete feature; this is not the current native Patient Portal. <nowiki>See The_OpenEMR_6.0+_Patient_Portal for instructions on the current portal.
• Care Team items – Meaningful Use feature, discussed in forum post: https://community.open-emr.org/t/choices-care-team-use/10960/4
• <nowiki>Patient Categories - part of the Portal Template Document organization system; see section 'Assigning Groups, Patients or Profiles' in page: Patient_Portal_Templates for basics and search the forum for later developments

Employer

• collects information about the patient's workplace; used in some reports

Stats

• miscellaneous information pertaining to the patient's living situation and needs

Misc

• at this time this section only shows info pertaining to a patient's death
• is a suitable space for adding new controls to collect and display miscellaneous other pt information

Guardian

• if patient has one

Insurance

• contains patient insurance coverage information for primary, secondary and tertiary insurers
• The health plan insurance companies that the practice will interact with must first be entered into the practice settings before they can be selected in the dropdown here. <nowiki>For details see: OpenEMR_7_Practice_Settings#Insurance_Companies
  

Search

As a search tool this screen can very useful but is rather more detailed to use than the other quick search tools that OpenEMR offers. Its advantage is that you can search on most any of the patient data fields, not only the basic identifiers from the 'Who' panel that are found in the 'Finder' search tool.

1. From main menu open Patient/ New/Search (per above)

2. Locate any field in the collection of panels

3. Enter a value or select list item (arrow)

4. Click 'Search' at bottom

5. See popup of the patient records with that value in that location:

Next page: Dashboard Links

Previous page: Patient Dashboard