NextGen Knowledge Center

Search and Merge Duplicate Person Records

The search for duplicate records to be merged is database intensive and requires large amounts of system resources that can affect all other users in the system. To merge duplicate records, you can run the Person Merge process after business hours. You must ensure that you are the only person logged on to the system.

  1. To start the Person Merge process, do one of the following:
    • In NextGen® Enterprise PM, select File > Processes > Person Merge.
    • In File Maintenance, select File > Person Merge.
    In the confirmation window that appears, select Yes. The Person Merge window opens.

    Figure 1. . Person Merge window allows you to merge duplicate entries.

  2. In the Person Merge window, do the following:
    1. Select a scenario from the Search Scenario list.
    2. Select one of the following for the search range or merge type:
      • System
      • Enterprise
      • Association
      • Practice
    3. To set the maximum number of records ranging from 100 to 3,000 to display in your search result, select the range icon.
    4. To include in the search results people and patients who do not have Social Security numbers, select Return Blank Social Security #s.
    5. Select Find.
      The search results are displayed in the Merge Candidates section.
  3. Review duplicate records.
  4. To view additional information for the merge candidates, right-click the patient record, and then select one of the available options.
  5. Select the checkbox in each row that contains patient records to merge.
    By default, appears in the Retain and Merge columns for the patient.
  6. To change the default retain or merge selection, select the Retain column next to the patient record to keep.
    A check mark automatically appears in the Retain column. Another check mark automatically appears in the Merge column next to the other patient record to indicate it should be merged into the retained record.

    You must select the person record to retain or merge. You cannot select both options.

  7. Continue to make your selections for each row (pair) of potential duplicate records until you have selected all the records to merge.
  8. For any row that displays Assign in the Templates column, merge the NextGen® Enterprise EHR Demographic templates associated with the patients' charts.
  9. Select Merge.
    A message appears to remind you that the merge process is database intensive and should only be run after business hours.
  10. Select Yes.
    A message appears to confirm the number of patient records selected for merging.
  11. Select Yes.
    A merge completion message appears.
Search and Merge Duplicate Person Records