New vs Returning Patients

Every Health Facility has to deal with both new and returning patients. The process implemented by the HRP should ensure that ABHA address can be verified and linked for both new and returning patients.

New Patients

For New users, All demographic information saved by the HRP should be exactly the same as in the ABHA Address profile shared by the user.

Returning Patients

• Capture the user’s ABHA address and demographic details.
• Search the HRP system to see if there is an existing patient registration with the same mobile number / name.
• If an existing patient is found - save the ABHA address against existing patients only if the following condition is met:
  • Mobile number is an exact match
  • Gender is an exact match
  • Age is an exact match or is +/- 2 years
  • Name is a close phonetic match

The HRP may also first find a returning patient using a Hosptital MRD Number. In such a case, it is important that the demographic information in the ABHA Address and the information in the HRP is matched to ensure that a incorrect ABHA Address is not linked to any patient.

It is recommended that the demographic information in the hospital be updated to the demographic information from the ABHA address for returning patients.

Patients not sharing ABHA Address

Patients may not share their ABHA address at the time of registration because of reasons like:

• They do not have a ABHA Address or are not aware of ABDM
• They have an ABHA address but decide not to share it with the health facility

This is prefectly valid scenario and ABDM principles are designed such that the users can decide when to join ABDM and collect their records.

The HRP software must continue to register patients that do not share their ABHA Address.