Handling Duplicate Patients / Merging Patients & Clients

Currently in SpecVet, there is not a way to delete or remove a Patient or Client record*.   Oftentimes situations arise where a new Patient and Client are entered into SpecVet and then afterwards it is realized that there is a duplicate Patient/Client record, or the Patient/Client is identified. 

For example, the local Humane Society brings in a stray pet that was hit by a car. At the time the pet is admitted, the Client would be the Society (Client ID 15783), and the Pet would be “Stray2009March04” (Pet ID 53531), for example. Hours later, the true owner is found, and they then take responsibility for the case.  


What we need do for this situation is to transfer this Case to a new Patient ID. When changing the Patient ID we are also changing the Owner information to that Patient IDs owner.

Steps needed:

  1. Check to see if Owner and Patient are already in SpecVet. 

    1. If YES, locate the Patient ID, and write it down.

    2. If NO, go ahead and add the appropriate information (Either Client AND Patient, or just the Patient if the Client already has been in the hospital). Then, locate the new Patient ID, and write it down.

  2. Ask current users to exit and stay out of that particular case so you can make this change.

  3. Go to the case and click on the Case Info button in the upper left corner. 

  4. Under Case Actions, Click on Change Patient button. 

  5. Enter your PIN

  6. Enter in the New Patient ID in the field and hit the <TAB> key or click on the background. 

  7. Verify the New Patient’s and Owner’s names are correct, and click Change.

SpecVet will go and check to make sure that there is nobody in any of the records that it needs to change, and then it will go and make the change and this visit/case is now tied to the new client and patient. 

If, for example, a new patient was originally added (Stray2009March04) you might want to go to that Patient Record and change the name of the pet to “Use Next” or “Void” or something to identify that this Patient record is not meant to be used. 

* There is a mechanism in place to delete a Client record only if there are no cases or patients related to that Client.