Patient Admissions

The Admissions module is where you manage patient hospital stays. This is where you admit patients to the hospital, assign them to wards and rooms, track their stay, and discharge them when their treatment is complete.

Understanding Admissions

An Admission is the official record of a patient staying in the hospital. It tracks:

• When the patient was admitted
• Where they are staying (ward and room)
• When they were discharged
• Their current status

Key Difference:

• Visit = Outpatient (comes and goes same day)
• Admission = Inpatient (stays overnight or longer)

The Admissions Page

When you open the Admissions section, you'll see all current and past hospital admissions.

What You'll See:

1. Color-Coded Status Badges: Each admission shows its status with colored badges:

   • Green: Active (patient is currently admitted)
   • Yellow: Transferred (moved to different ward/room)
   • Red: Discharged (patient has left hospital)

2. Key Information Displayed:

   • Patient: Name and MRN (Medical Record Number)
   • Ward: Which ward the patient is in
   • Room: Specific room assignment
   • Admitted At: Admission date and time
   • Discharged At: Discharge date and time (if applicable)
   • Status: Current admission status

3. Status Legend: At the top of the table, a color guide helps you understand what each badge means.

Finding Admissions

Quick Search Options:

• Patient Name: Find admissions for a specific patient
• MRN: Search by Medical Record Number
• Ward/Room: See who's in a particular ward or room
• Status: Find all active, discharged, or transferred patients

Date Filtering:

• Filter admissions by date range
• Useful for finding recent admissions or historical data

Admitting a New Patient

When to Create an Admission:

• When a patient needs to stay overnight
• When transferring from emergency to inpatient care
• When a patient needs hospitalization

Step-by-Step Admission:

Step 1: Select the Patient

1. Click New Admission
2. In the "Patient" dropdown:
   • Search by name, MRN, or phone number
   • Select the correct patient
   • The system shows: "MRN - Full Name (Phone)"

Step 2: Assign Location

Ward (Optional but Recommended):

• Select which ward the patient goes to
• Examples: ICU, General Ward, Pediatric
• Shows ward name and type

Room (Optional):

• Select specific room if known
• Can assign later if room becomes available

Step 3: Set Admission Details

Admission Date & Time:

• When patient officially entered hospital
• Defaults to current time
• Can backdate if admitting after the fact

Status:

• Active: Patient is currently admitted (default)
• Transferred: Moved to different location
• Discharged: Patient has left

Discharge Date & Time:

• Leave blank when admitting
• Fill in when patient leaves
• Required for "Discharged" status

Step 4: Add Notes

• Notes Field:
  • Reason for admission
  • Special care instructions
  • Contact information
  • Medical alerts or allergies
  • Use formatting for clarity

Understanding Admission Statuses

Status	What It Means	What to Do
Active	Patient is currently in hospital	Provide ongoing care, update notes
Transferred	Patient moved to different ward/room	Update location details
Discharged	Patient has left hospital	Complete discharge paperwork, finalize billing

Workflow: Active → (Optional: Transferred) → Discharged

Managing Active Admissions

Daily Tasks for Active Patients:

1. Check patient location - ensure correct ward/room
2. Update notes - add daily progress
3. Monitor status - ready for discharge when appropriate

How to Transfer a Patient:

1. Find the active admission
2. Click Edit
3. Update Ward and/or Room fields
4. Change Status to "Transferred"
5. Add note: "Transferred from [old location] to [new location]"
6. Save
7. Important: Create new "Active" admission in new location if needed

How to Discharge a Patient:

1. When treatment is complete
2. Edit the admission
3. Change Status to "Discharged"
4. Enter Discharge Date & Time
5. Add discharge notes (condition, follow-up instructions)
6. Save

Viewing Admission Details

What You Can See:

• Full patient information
• Admission and discharge times
• Ward and room assignments
• Status history
• All notes and updates

How to View:

1. Find the admission in the list
2. Click the View button (eye icon)
3. See complete admission record

Actions You Can Take

On Each Admission:

• View: See full admission details (read-only)
• Edit: Update admission information
• Delete: Remove admission (goes to trash)

Bulk Actions (Multiple Admissions):

1. Check boxes next to admissions
2. Choose:
   • Delete Selected: Move to trash
   • Restore Selected: Bring back from trash
   • Force Delete: Permanently remove

How Admissions Connect to Other Modules

Important Relationships:

• Patients: Every admission is linked to a patient record
• Wards: Shows where patients are located
• Rooms: Specific room assignments
• Medical Records: Admission becomes part of patient history
• Billing: Generates inpatient charges
• Visits: May have outpatient visits leading to admission

Best Practices for Admission Management

Do:

1. Admit promptly - when decision is made to hospitalize
2. Assign correct location - helps with patient tracking
3. Update status promptly - especially discharge
4. Document thoroughly - notes help with continuity of care
5. Verify patient identity - before admitting
6. Review active admissions daily - know who's in hospital

Don't:

1. Don't admit without reason - medical necessity required
2. Don't forget discharge paperwork - complete all documentation
3. Don't leave patients as "Active" after they leave
4. Don't skip location details - important for patient safety
5. Don't use vague notes - be specific about condition and care

Common Tasks & How-to's

How to admit from Emergency Department:

1. Patient stabilized in ER
2. Decision made to admit
3. Create New Admission
4. Select patient (already in system from ER visit)
5. Assign to appropriate ward (ICU, General, etc.)
6. Add note: "Admitted from ER, diagnosis: [condition]"
7. Save

How to handle a transfer within hospital:

Option 1 (Single Record):

1. Edit current admission
2. Change Ward/Room
3. Change Status to "Transferred"
4. Save

Option 2 (Better for Tracking):

1. Discharge from old location (Status: Discharged)
2. Create new admission in new location (Status: Active)
3. Add note about transfer in both records

How to discharge a patient:

1. Doctor approves discharge
2. Edit admission
3. Status: "Discharged"
4. Discharge Date/Time: Now (or when leaving)
5. Notes: "Discharged home, follow-up in 1 week"
6. Save

How to find all current patients:

• Filter by Status: "Active"
• Look for green badges
• This is your current hospital census

How to check bed availability:

1. Look at ward/room assignments
2. Count active patients per ward
3. Compare to total beds available
4. Identify available rooms

How to admit a returning patient:

1. Search for patient (previous admissions show in history)
2. Create New Admission
3. System remembers patient details
4. Add note: "Readmission, previous discharge: [date]"

Quick Reference Guide

What you want to do	Steps to follow	Important Notes
Admit new patient	New Admission → Select Patient → Assign Location	Document reason clearly
Transfer patient	Edit → Update Ward/Room → Status: Transferred	Consider new admission record
Discharge patient	Edit → Status: Discharged → Enter discharge time	Complete all paperwork first
Find current patients	Filter by Status: Active	Your hospital census
Check patient location	Search by name → View ward/room	Verify regularly

Troubleshooting

If patient not in dropdown:

• Patient may not exist in system
• Create patient record first in Patients module
• Check spelling of name
• Search by MRN or phone

If ward/room not available:

• Ward/Room may be marked Inactive
• Check Rooms/Wards modules for status
• Contact admin to activate if needed
• Assign to different location temporarily

If can't discharge patient:

• Verify you're in Edit mode
• Check you have permission
• Ensure discharge time is entered
• Contact admin if problem persists

If admission shows wrong status:

• Edit and correct status
• Add note explaining correction
• Save
• Check if multiple admissions exist for same patient

If duplicate admissions exist:

• Mark older one as Discharged (if patient left)
• Or delete incorrect one (if error)
• Keep one active record
• Add note about correction

Time-Saving Tips

1. Use patient search - faster than scrolling
2. Set admission time automatically - use current time
3. Create admission templates - for common conditions
4. Batch discharge - at end of shift
5. Use color badges - quick visual status check
6. Train all staff - consistent admission processes

Admission Checklist

Before Admitting:

• ✓ Patient identification verified
• ✓ Medical necessity confirmed
• ✓ Appropriate ward selected
• ✓ Room available if needed
• ✓ Admission reason documented
• ✓ Insurance/Financial check complete

During Admission:

• ✓ Location assigned correctly
• ✓ Status set to Active
• ✓ Notes include key information
• ✓ Contact numbers recorded
• ✓ Emergency contacts noted

At Discharge:

• ✓ Doctor discharge order received
• ✓ All treatments completed
• ✓ Discharge instructions prepared
• ✓ Medications prescribed
• ✓ Follow-up arranged
• ✓ Status updated to Discharged
• ✓ Discharge time recorded
• ✓ Final notes added

Hospital Census Management

Daily Tasks:

1. Morning census - who's in hospital
2. Bed management - track available beds
3. Transfer coordination - manage patient moves
4. Discharge planning - prepare for upcoming discharges
5. Admission planning - anticipate new admissions

Reporting:

• Current patients: Filter by Active status
• Discharges today: Filter by discharge date
• Admissions today: Filter by admission date
• Ward occupancy: Group by ward

Remember: Accurate admissions management ensures:

• Patient safety (right location)
• Efficient bed utilization
• Proper billing and documentation
• Quality patient care tracking

Good admission management keeps your hospital running smoothly and ensures every patient gets the right care in the right place at the right time!