recommend if adding a field to patient_data to add to end of structure to avoid what may be issue with current sql’s.
I’m going to start a new table called patient_status. Patient_data is large enough.
Archiving has a benefit for sure, it makes sense to push out inactive records. For instance, a patient that is deceased for a year does not need to be taking up space in the DB. It has the benefits of faster queries and leaner results in general. I like it.
@juggernautsei I’m leery of adding a ew table for statuses. Could really complicate many queries. If you decide to go that route I’d suggest investing heavily in finding the most optimized SQL first. Probably include some level of join or sub-select’ing
After taking time to think about adding a table and all the complications it could add in doing queries. It would be simpler to add a column to the end of patient_data. It would be nice to have a dBA to weigh in on this topic.
Thinking out loud you may want to consider how this may tie in with institutional settings. If adding an indication for patient status you may want to make it a pull down populated from list so that other patient status can be used besides inactive. Transfer, Deceased, Inactive and on. come to mind. Depending if deceased is actually used anywhere in reports you could rob date deceased and reason and make them status date and status reason adding a pull down for status.
That is why I was thinking for a new table because there are other statuses that can be set for patients. But I understand what you are saying and that is why I started this conversation back so that it can tie into more than just the individual piece that I have built.
Keep the ideas coming!
I agree that soon we are going to need a companion relational table for patient data especially concerning institutional but I fear however you introduce an inactive status to patients then does that mean we have to follow through and look at patient status for all our reports? As sure as day when a user see that a patient can be made inactive they will expect to not see that patient in reporting. Until we can get a handle on what we need for institutional, I would try to the last not to touch demographic’s. Maybe there is a way you could setup a rule of what would constitute an inactive patient for your needs. Maybe in globals
For last few years we have used series of reports and sql updates to identify and archive patient records. While processor power mitigates impact on database performance by keeping inactive patient records , these records do impact clinical measurements and related actions such as follow ups.
If there is any interest in this area and the objectives are known, we can share our experience and few tools.
Has there been any progress on this?
Not trying to necro, but listing my approach. I added an Active field with the yes/no list type to the patient_data table and demographics layout. I added the Active field to the patient list columns to act as a filter. We have not gone live with this yet, so I have not addressed any other locations that patients would need to be checked for active. As I find these locations I will make notes.
Hi. It has been suggested in here that people use usertext1 to userlist7 to achieve active/inactive, however the OpenEMR documentation at https://www.open-emr.org/wiki/index.php/Administration_Lists#User_Defined_List_1 says:
“User Defined List 1 … Rather than do this, however would recommend instead making a New List in Administration->Lists module.”
Thus, is the following an acceptable means of creating an active/inactive flag?:
Administration > Lists > New List
List Name: Active
ID: active
ID: inactive
Administration > Layouts > Demographics
Misc
Add Field
ID: active
Label: Active or inactive?
Data Type: list box
List: Active
Thanks
My DBA has come up with a way to filter active/inactive when reporting by a custom report he is developing, but not within the core functionality of OpenEMR.
These are our current Parameters that can be toggled on the fly to modify the output of the patients listed. These are all custom fields that I have added to the Patient Demographic LBF.
Hi all. I have run into a new situation where having an active/inactive status would be important but all we want to do is remove them from the patient finder list. One of our clients serves infants who have opioid addictions because of their parents. Typically when the infant is discharged they won’t come back, they will go to another clinic or they are discharged.
That looks like what we are going to do 
You can take a look at this - just for laughs.
To clarify, we translated ‘Deceased’ to ‘Inactive’ to make current processes unaffected. Initially there was concern if real ‘Deceased’ state need to be documented but over last 10+ years no specific use cases have been encountered. In any case, adding a ‘Deceased’ checkbox will make the status ‘Inactive due to death’…