Archiving and Deleting Patients

What you'll learn: How to remove patients from your active list, the difference between archiving and deleting, and when to use each option.

Archive vs. Delete

The option you see depends on your practice type:

Practice Type	Action	What Happens
Medical	Archive	Record preserved, removed from active view
Non-Medical	Delete	Record permanently removed

Medical practices use "Archive" because healthcare regulations often require keeping patient records for extended periods.

Non-medical businesses can "Delete" since there's no regulatory requirement to maintain records.

Archiving Patients (Medical Practices)

What Archiving Does

• Removes the patient from your active patient list
• Preserves all historical records
• Maintains appointment history
• Keeps notes and documents
• Allows retrieval if needed later

How to Archive

1. Open the patient's profile
2. Click the Archive button (amber/yellow color)
3. Confirm the action

Or from the patient list:

1. Click the three-dot menu on the patient card
2. Select Archive
3. Confirm

Viewing Archived Patients

• Archived patients may be viewable through a filter or separate section
• Check your Settings for archive access

Deleting Patients (Non-Medical Businesses)

What Deleting Does

• Permanently removes the patient record
• Removes all associated notes
• Removes appointment history
• Cannot be undone

How to Delete

1. Open the patient's profile
2. Click the Delete button (red color)
3. Confirm the action

Or from the patient list:

1. Click the three-dot menu on the patient card
2. Select Delete
3. Confirm

Warning: Deletion is permanent. Make sure you want to remove all record of this patient before confirming.

Bulk Deletion

To delete multiple patients at once:

1. Go to your patient list
2. Select the patients you want to delete (check boxes)
3. A confirmation prompt appears
4. Confirm to delete all selected patients

Caution: Bulk deletion cannot be undone. Double-check your selection before confirming.

When to Archive/Delete

Good Reasons

• Patient has permanently left your service area
• Duplicate record that needs cleanup
• Test records created during setup
• Patient requested removal (check regulations first)
• Business relationship ended permanently

Consider Keeping (Use Inactive Status Instead)

• Patient might return someday
• You need records for billing or insurance
• Regulatory requirements mandate retention
• Historical data is valuable for your practice

Before You Archive/Delete

Check for open items:

• Pending appointments
• Outstanding payments
• Incomplete treatment plans

Consider the alternatives:

• Changing status to "Inactive" keeps the record visible
• Adding a note explaining the situation preserves context

For medical practices:

• Review your retention requirements
• Some records must be kept for years
• Archiving is safer than deleting

Recovering Archived Patients

If you need to restore an archived patient:

• Access your archive through Settings or filters
• Find the patient record
• Look for a "Restore" or "Unarchive" option
• The patient returns to your active list

Deleted patients cannot be recovered.

---

Next: Calendar Overview | Previous: Patient Notes