Merging Two Patients

Introduction

Merging two patient folders combines the patient information, including studies, into one folder. After the merge, Synapse moves the source patient studies to the destination folder and removes the source patient folder. Synapse displays the relocated studies with the destination patient information.

Note:

  • If AIPF integration is enabled for your site and one of the studies involved in a merge or reallocation of studies, series, or images includes AI findings, a message displays informing you that the AI findings will be cleared and rescanned. A message also displays if the clear and rescan operation fails.

  • AI findings are cleared at the start of the merge or reallocation operation and the rescan is triggered at the end. If the operation is cancelled or interrupted in the middle (for example closing the browser window while the operation is in progress), the rescan may not be triggered. In that case, you can trigger a scan manually from the Worklist.

  • If IOCM is enabled the following happens:
    • You can only complete a Patient Merge if both of the patient records involved have not previously sent any studies to the Archive. (If IOCM is not enabled, there are no restrictions on patient merge.)
    • Annotations do not display when you merge studies.
  • This action is restricted because the IOCM protocol does not specify the behavior to follow. If a user wants to merge patients, they must perform the operation in both the connected VNA and Synapse by using HL7 messages.

  • If you want to delete a study and that study is locked by another user, use the Unlock Study option in the Worklist or PowerJacket. See Changing the Study Status from the Worklist or Using PowerJacket Context Menu .

Prerequisites

You must have the Content Management privilege to access this tool through SWAT. Synapse logs all changes.

Steps

  1. Navigate to System > Utilities > Content Management.
  2. If necessary, click Split Screen to change the display to split pane.
  3. Open to All Patients in two separate panes.
  4. In the left pane locate the source patient (the patient to be merged).
  5. In the right pane locate the target patient (the patient that will receive the merge).
  6. In the left pane, click, hold and drag the source patient to the target patient.

Results

Synapse transfers all the contents of the source patient folder to the destination patient folder and removes the source patient folder (shell).

Related Topics

Merge Information for AR Studies