Before you begin
Please note that a patient merge is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Always confirm that the merge is occurring in the correct sequence. Patient A (the source patient) will no longer exist in Instinct. Patient A’s chart documents and visits will now be found in Patient B (the destination patient).
Train all relevant team members on the merging process to minimize errors.
Use clear and consistent naming conventions for patient records to avoid confusion.
How to merge patients
Navigate to Business Office → Patient Registration
On the top right of the page, you’ll see a Merge Patients button
Patient merges are done in the Business Office → Patient Registration
Select Merge Patients → Search by name or PIMS ID, paying close attention to which patient is in the Patient A field and which is in the Patient B field.
Note: Financial information (invoices and payments) remains with the original client account and does not move with patients when a patient merge is completed. If payments or invoices need to be moved between accounts after a patient merge, please reach out to our Support team. |
What happens to open visits when I merge patients?
When a source patient (Patient A) has open visits at the time of a merge, Instinct automatically checks them out.
Initiate a Patient Merge from the Business Office as usual.
Instinct checks whether Patient A (the source patient) has any open visits.
If open visits are found, Instinct automatically checks them out.
The merge completes as normal, and all visits from the source patient (Patient A) are transferred to the destination patient (Patient B).
Once the merge is complete, you can verify the visit history of the destination patient. The previously open visit will appear as checked out.
Note: Any open orders on the source patient's visits will be discontinued as part of the automatic checkout. |
Frequently asked questions
Can a patient merge be undone?
No. Patient merges are permanent and cannot be reversed. Before merging, always confirm which patient is in the Patient A (source) field and which is in the Patient B (destination) field, as Patient A will no longer exist after the merge.
What if I merged patients accidentally or in the wrong order? If two patient records were merged incorrectly, follow these steps:
Create a New Patient Record: Set up a new patient record with the correct details for the pet that was merged.
Reach Out to Our Support Team: Contact our support team to submit a ticket for moving all relevant visits and documents from the merged record to the new patient record. This step ensures that the data is moved accurately.
Provide Detailed Information: Compile a precise list of visits and documents that belong to the new patient and share this list with the support team to facilitate the process.
Does merging patients also merge the client accounts?
No. Only the patient documents and visit history are merged. The client accounts remain separate. Financial information will continue to live on the original client account. If a client account needs to be merged (which includes financial data and all patients) you can do so by navigating to Business Office → Accounts → Merge Accounts
Will I lose any visit history after a merge? No. All visits from the source patient are transferred to the destination patient. After merging, the destination patient will show the combined visit history from both patient records.
Still need help?
Contact support via live chat or email: [email protected]