Twins? Triplets? Or more? When adding these new records, make sure to mark ‘Birth Event Outcome” and “Birth Order" on the Patient Identification screen.

We are seeing a large number of multiple births being erroneously merged and it is very difficult to unmerge these types of records.

To prevent problems, remember to enter birth outcome and order when a record is created!

Duplicate patient records take time, effort, and resources to correct. You can prevent duplicates and ensure the accuracy of your data.

Be complete. More detail is always better—including mother, father, guardian names and birthdates, twin status, and social security numbers helps the system find the correct match.

Be correct. Always use full, legal names instead of nicknames, and enter compete addresses.

Be current. Enter the most recent phone numbers and addresses in Florida SHOTS or in your EHR so that patient records are up-to-date.

Florida SHOTS users can contact our help desk at 877-888-SHOT (7468) to merge the patient records. The request must come from a provider (not a patient) to merge. 

From time to time, you may come across duplicate patient records in Florida SHOTS. Did you know there are a few things you can do to prevent them from ever being created?

Providing full names, up-to-date addresses, and completing as many fields as possible allows Florida SHOTS to cross-reference information and update existing records.  Also, remember to click on “Release Patient Record” when you’re done to prevent locked records and uploading errors.