Preparation 

1. Assemble your QI/data team: Include clinical, admin, and IT staff. 
2. Back up your database: Always back up before making bulk changes. 
3. Ensure your practice has access to POLAR for reporting and cross-checks. 
4. Review relevant guides: 

• Best Practice  
• Medical Director Help  

Step-by-step guide 

Step 1: Identify and Archive Inactive Patients 

Best Practice Premier 

• Go to Utilities > Search > Deactivate Patient. 
• Use the search criteria (e.g., “Not seen since” a chosen date, such as 2 years ago). 
• Review the list and select patients to archive. 
• Deactivate in bulk or individually as appropriate. 
• Database Search: Mark patients as inactive or deceased 

Medical Director 

• From the main menu, click Search > Patients. 
• Tick “Not seen since” and enter your cut-off date. 
• Run the search and review the list. 
• To inactivate a patient: 
• Select the patient, click Edit, and set status to “Inactive”. 
• Save changes. 
• For bulk inactivation, repeat as needed. 
• Database Search: Mark patients as inactive or deceased 

Step 2: Clean Up Uncoded or Free Text Diagnoses 

Best Practice Premier 

• Use the Past History Cleanup tool: 
• Go to Utilities > Past History Cleanup. 
• Review uncoded (free text) entries. 
• Map each to a coded diagnosis using the dropdown list. 
• Replace free text with the appropriate code. 
• Ensure all mental health diagnoses are coded, not free text. 
• Database Search: Mark patients as inactive or deceased 

Medical Director 

• Go to Patient > Past History. 
• Review for uncoded or duplicate entries. 
• Link or replace free text with a coded diagnosis. 
• Remove duplicates and mark resolved/irrelevant items as inactive. 
• Patient Database Clean-up Tips 

Step 3: Review and Update Demographics and Clinical Data 

• Check for missing or outdated demographic fields (e.g., address, phone, Medicare number, Indigenous status). 
• Update missing clinical items (e.g., allergies, medications, recalls, reminders). 
• Remove or update old, irrelevant, or duplicate entries. 
• Ensure all allergies and adverse reactions are recorded and coded. 

Step 4: Review and Update Mental Health Medications and Diagnosis  

• Identify patients on mental health medications without a coded diagnosis. 
• Use your software’s reporting tools to generate these lists for follow-up. 

Step 5: Document and Reflect 

• Record the number of records archived, diagnoses coded, and missing data corrected. 
• Use audit worksheets or run charts to track progress. 
• Reflect as a team: What worked? What needs improvement? 
• Schedule regular (e.g., annual) data cleansing as a standing QI activity. 

Key Tips and Resources 

• Best Practice Premier: Deactivate Patient 
• Medical Director: Patient Database Clean-up Tips 

Summary table