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Version: 3.1

How to close an encounter

Overview​

This flow describes how to close an encounter when the episode of care ends. A closed encounter accepts no new clinical records.

Pre-requisites​

  • The encounter is open, and you record the completion for that encounter.
  • You recorded the clinical information of the episode, because a closed encounter accepts no new records.
  • If the encounter is an Inpatient encounter, you complete the discharge details first.
  • You have the permissions listed below.

Permissions​

PermissionAccess
Update Encounter non clinicalChange the status of the encounter to Completed

Admin, Doctor, Nurse, and Facility Admin hold this permission. Your administrator grants a role to you through a department of the facility.

Steps​

1. Open the encounter​

Select Patients in the facility menu. Select the patient, then select the encounter.

The overview page of the encounter opens.

2. Select the close action​

Open the Actions panel on the overview page.

For an Inpatient encounter that is not yet Discharged, the panel shows Mark for discharge. For every other encounter, the panel shows Mark as Completed.

3. Record the discharge details​

Follow this step only for an Inpatient encounter that is not yet Discharged.

Select Mark for discharge. Care opens the encounter questionnaire and sets the status to Discharged.

ComponentsWhat it captures
Discharge DispositionWhere the patient goes after the facility
Discharge Summary AdviceThe advice that the patient takes home
Diet PreferenceThe diet of the patient during the admission
Re-AdmissionWhether this admission repeats an earlier one

Select Submit. Care records the end of the episode.

Return to the Actions panel, then select Mark as Completed.

4. Confirm the completion​

Care asks you to confirm. Select Mark as Complete.

If the encounter comes from an appointment, Care warns that the action also closes the appointment and the token.

Expected Outcome​

  • The status of the encounter changes to Completed, and Care records the end time.
  • Care confirms with the message "Encounter Completed".
  • The encounter accepts no new clinical records.
  • If the encounter comes from an appointment, Care closes the appointment and the token.
  • Staff with permission to update the encounter can reopen it with Restart Encounter, within the time limit that your deployment sets.

Concepts:

Flows: