Introduction:

We've introduced a new setting to give labs more control over how patient information is populated when they are creating a bill for a recurring patient. Previously, when you searched for an existing patient, the system would automatically fill in details like the Referring Doctor, Organisation, and Branch based on their past records. While this was convenient in many cases, it could lead to errors if the source business (Referral, Organisation, or Branch) was different for a particular visit but wasn't updated during billing.


To address this, we've added an option to restrict the auto-filling of Referral, Organisation, and Branch for recurring patients. When this setting is enabled, users will be prompted to select these details manually for each new bill, ensuring accuracy and reducing the need for post-billing corrections.



How it Works:

A new flag has been added to the registration settings: "Restrict Auto-fill of Referral, Organisation & Branch." Here's how to enable and use this feature:


1. Enabling the Restriction:

  • Navigate Registration Settings -> Advance Settings
  • Within this section, you will find the option: "Restrict Auto-fill of Referral, Organisation & Branch."
  • Check the box of "Restrict Auto-fill of Referral, Organisation & Branch" to enable this feature.


2. Billing for Recurring Patients (with the setting enabled):

When you search for and select a recurring patient to create a new bill:

  • You will notice that the fields for Referring Doctor, Organisation, and Branch will not be automatically populated.
  • You will need to manually select the correct Referral, Organisation, and Branch for this specific bill.
  • All other existing functionalities related to default organisations/referrals, mandatory field checks, and other registration workflows will remain the same.


Benefits of this Change:

  • Improved Accuracy: Ensures that the correct Referral, Organisation, and Branch are associated with each bill, even if they differ from the patient's previous visits.
  • Reduced Errors: Minimizes the chances of billing under the wrong source business, preventing the need for time-consuming post-billing corrections.
  • Greater Control: Provides registration staff with explicit control over these key business-related fields for every patient encounter.