How to Add a New Patient in OpenEMR

Introduction

• Presenter: Robert Down, Project Administrator of OpenEMR
• Objective: Learn how to add a new patient in OpenEMR

Initial Steps

1. Log in: Use a standard receptionist account.
2. Navigate: Hover over 'Patient' and select 'New Search'.

Required Fields

• OpenEMR requires the following four fields by default:
  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Sex

Additional Information

• Optional fields include:
  • Provider
  • HIPAA-compliant paperwork acknowledgment
  • Language (set to English in this example)

Creating a New Patient

• After filling in the required and additional information:
  • Click 'Create New Patient'.
  • OpenEMR will automatically check for duplicate records.
  • Click 'Confirm Create New Patient' to proceed.

Patient Summary Screen

• After creation, you're taken to the patient summary screen.
• Information can be viewed through various tabs.
• Information can be edited by clicking the edit button next to each section.

Adding an Address

1. Edit Demographics: Click edit next to demographics.
2. Contact Information: Go to the contact tab and enter the address.
3. Save: Click save to update the information.
4. Verification: Hover over the contact tab to verify entered information.

Handling Duplicate Patients

• Try adding a patient that already exists:
  • Hover over 'Patient' and select 'New Patient'.
  • Enter the same required information.
• Duplicate Detection:
  • OpenEMR identifies duplicate records.
  • If a duplicate is confirmed, click on the patient row to go to the patient summary screen.