Updating the Client Registry

The following guidelines outline best practices for adding or updating a patient in a Certified EMR.

Overview

The Client Registry integration enables EMR users to access current patient demographic information directly from the provincial Client Registry. The CR Add/Update functionality allows EMRs to contribute updated patient demographics back to the Client Registry, helping keep records current, support system-wide data accuracy, and ensure other users have access to the most up-to-date information.

Field labels may vary by EMR, so the guidelines below focus on general practices to ensure updates are accurate. For EMR-specific instructions, please refer to training provided by your EMR vendor.

This guide is also available as a PDF download: Adding and Updating Patient Information Quick Reference Card (PDF 4 MB)

Area Do's Dont's

general
  • ask to see their provincial health card 
  • verify the expiry date on the card
  • always confirm demographic information at the time of the encounter
  • ask the patient to provide the information ​
  • don't read the information to the patient for validation​
  • don’t create duplicate patient records
  • don’t overwrite an existing patient with another’s information
names
  • enter the patient’s name exactly as it appears on their official identification to ensure it accurately reflects their identity
  • use the patient's legal name (i.e. documented first, second and last names only)
  • include the space, dash (-), hyphen or apostrophe that might be part of a two-part given name as verified on supporting identification
  • if a patient has only one legal name, record the name in the last name field and the first name field: e.g. FirstName: "Madonna", LastName: "Madonna"
  • don't enter initials as part of a name unless it is actually a one character name (e.g. "J")
  • don't enter a title as part of a name - keep it separate if a title field is available in your EMR (e.g. Dr., Sr., Fr. etc.)
  • don't rely on the Medicare card as having the full legal name as the card may not have enough space for the full name​
alternate names, nicknames or preferred names if the patient goes by a name that is different from their legal name, record them as alternate names in the EMR. This field may be labelled "nickname" or "preferred name" in your EMR don't use an alias or nickname as part of a patient's legal name

date of birth
  • confirm the date of birth when the patient presents for care
  • if the date of birth is unknown, enter it as January 1, 1900
  
address
  • enter street address, city, province and postal code - these are mandatory parts of all Canadian mailing addresses
  • use Canada Post approved abbreviations for the street type and the province. (e.g. "St" not "Street", "Ave" not "Avenue" etc)
  • always enter the postal code for Canadian addresses using the "A1A 1A1" format
  • don't use special characters such as # , : ; ( )
  • don't use dots (.) in street and province abbreviations (e.g. "NB" not "N.B.")
  • don't input information in any address lines that is not part of the address (e.g. do not put someone's name as the first part of the address)
phone numbers enter in the home phone number field whenever possible don't enter text indicating telephone type in the number field (e.g. "506 555 1212 cell")
non-human patients enter a "ZZZZ" prefix to the last name for any non-human patients that are registered (e.g. "ZZZZDOG, FIDO")