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Creating a New Patient

Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Learn how to register a new patient in OpenEMR by completing this hands-on tutorial. By the end, you'll understand the patient registration workflow and be comfortable creating patient records.

Learning Objectives

After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:

  • Navigate to the patient registration screen
  • Enter patient demographic information accurately
  • Understand required vs. optional fields
  • Save and verify a new patient record
  • Search for and retrieve the patient record

Prerequisites

  • Access to OpenEMR training environment
  • User account with patient registration permissions
  • Test patient information (do not use real patient data)

Estimated time: 15-20 minutes

What You'll Need

For this tutorial, we'll create a test patient using the following information:

  • Name: John Test Doe
  • Date of Birth: 01/15/1980
  • Gender: Male
  • Contact: (555) 123-4567
  • Email: john.test@example.com
  • Address: 123 Main Street, Anytown, ST 12345

Step 1: Navigate to Patient Registration

Let's start by accessing the patient registration screen.

  1. Log into OpenEMR using your training account credentials
  2. Look at the top menu bar - you should see tabs like "Calendar," "Patients," "Procedures," etc.
  3. Click on the "Patients" tab or "Patient/Client" menu item

!!! Tip: "Why this matters" The Patients menu is your central hub for all patient-related activities. Getting comfortable with this area is essential for daily work.

  1. In the Patients menu, select "New/Search" or "Add New Patient"

You should now see the patient registration form.

Step 2: Enter Patient Demographics

Now we'll fill in the basic demographic information for our test patient.

Personal Information Section

  1. First Name: Enter John
  2. Middle Name: Enter Test (this helps identify test patients)
  3. Last Name: Enter Doe
  4. Date of Birth: Enter 01/15/1980 - Use the date picker or type in MM/DD/YYYY format - The system will calculate the patient's age automatically

!!! Info: "Required Fields" Required fields are typically marked with an asterisk (*) or colored differently, e.g. red. First Name, Last Name, and Date of Birth are usually required.

  1. Gender: Select Male from the dropdown
  2. Social Security Number: Leave blank (not required for test patients)

Contact Information Section

  1. Address: Enter 123 Main Street
  2. City: Enter Anytown
  3. State: Select your state from the dropdown (e.g., ST)
  4. ZIP Code: Enter 12345
  5. Phone (Home): Enter 555-123-4567
    • The system may auto-format this as (555) 123-4567
  6. Email: Enter john.test@example.com

!!! Tip: "Data Entry Best Practices" - Use consistent formatting for phone numbers - Verify email addresses have proper format - Double-check address spelling for future mailings

Additional Information

Scroll down to see additional fields:

  1. Emergency Contact: Enter Jane Doe
  2. Emergency Phone: Enter 555-123-4568
  3. Preferred Language: Select English (or as appropriate)
  4. Race/Ethnicity: Optional - select if desired for reporting purposes

!!! Note: "Why collect race/ethnicity?" This information is used for public health reporting and identifying health disparities. It's optional but valuable for population health management.

Step 3: Review and Save

Before saving, let's review what we've entered.

  1. Scroll through the form and verify all information is correct
  2. Check for any red-highlighted fields indicating errors or missing required data
  3. Make corrections if needed

Common issues to check: - Date of birth is in the correct format - Phone numbers are complete - No typos in name fields

  1. Click the "Save" button (usually at the bottom of the form)

!!! Success! "What happens when you save" OpenEMR will:

- Assign a unique Patient ID (usually automatically)
- Create the patient record in the database
- Open the patient's demographic summary screen
  1. After saving, you should see a confirmation message and the patient's summary screen

Step 4: Verify the Patient Record

Now let's verify that the patient was created successfully.

  1. Note the Patient ID number displayed at the top of the screen - This unique identifier will be used throughout the system - In our example, it might be something like "PT001234"

  2. Review the demographic summary - confirm all information appears correctly: - Name is spelled correctly - Date of birth and age are accurate - Contact information is complete

  3. Look for the patient status indicator: - Should show as "Active" - May show color coding (green for active)

Step 5: Search for the Patient

Finally, let's practice finding the patient record we just created.

  1. Return to the Patients menu
  2. Select "Search" or "Find Patient"
  3. Try searching by: - Last Name: Type Doe and click Search - You should see "John Test Doe" in the results

!!! Tips: "Search Tips" - You can search by partial name (e.g., "Do" will find "Doe") - Date of birth is very useful when you have common names - Patient ID is the most precise search method

  1. Click on the patient name in the search results
  2. Verify you're viewing the same patient record you just created

What You've Learned

Congratulations! You've successfully completed your first patient registration. Let's review what you learned:

✅ How to access the patient registration screen from the main menu

✅ Which fields are required vs. optional for patient demographics

✅ Best practices for entering patient contact information

✅ How to save a patient record and interpret the confirmation

✅ How to search for and retrieve patient records

Key Concepts

Patient ID
A unique identifier assigned to each patient in the system. This is permanent and used throughout OpenEMR.
Demographics
Basic identifying information about the patient (name, DOB, contact info, etc.)
Required Fields
Minimum information needed to create a patient record - typically name, date of birth, and gender.

Next Steps

Now that you know how to register patients, you're ready to:

  1. Schedule an appointment for your patient
  2. Learn about patient dashboard in more depth
  3. Organize patients into patient groups

Practice Exercise

To reinforce your learning, try:

  1. Creating 2-3 more test patients with different demographics
  2. Practicing searching by different criteria (name, DOB, patient ID)
  3. Reviewing each patient's summary screen

Common Questions

  • Can I edit patient information after saving?

    • Yes! Select the patient, then use the "Edit" or "Demographics" button to update information. Always verify you have the correct patient before making changes.

  • What if I make a mistake?

    • If you catch it before saving, simply correct the field. After saving, use the edit function. For test patients, you can ask your administrator to delete them.

  • How do I know what fields are required?

    • Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*) or highlighted. The system will prevent saving if required fields are empty.

  • Can patients have the same name?

    • Yes, which is why date of birth and Patient ID are important. Always verify you have the correct patient before working with their record.

Ready for the next tutorial? Continue to Creating a New Appointment →

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