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Understanding EMR Patient Search Behavior: Date Matching and Search Results

This article explains why Date of Birth searches in Dazos CRM may return both exact and near matches when searching for patients via EMR integration, and how to get more precise results.

Why Date of Birth Searches Return Near Matches

The Date of Birth search in Dazos returns both exact and approximate matches because of how Netsmart's CareConnect API functions. This behavior varies by EMR solution and is controlled by Netsmart's API, not by Dazos.

For example, if you search for a patient with DOB 6/23/1987, you may also see results for patients with DOB 6/22/1987. This occurs because the Netsmart API returns approximate matches rather than limiting results to exact matches only.

Difference Between EMR UI and API Behavior

When you search directly in your EMR system's user interface, you typically see only exact matches for the Date of Birth you entered. However, the EMR's API (which Dazos uses) may return additional near-date matches.

This difference in behavior is normal and expected. The API and user interface may use different search algorithms or filters.

How to Get More Precise Results

To improve search accuracy and find the correct patient more easily, use multiple search criteria instead of searching by Date of Birth alone:

  • First Name + Last Name + Date of Birth: This combination provides the most accurate results

  • First Name + Date of Birth: More precise than DOB alone

  • Last Name + Date of Birth: Another effective combination

Using multiple demographic fields significantly improves the chances of retrieving the correct patient record while reducing irrelevant results.

How Dazos Displays Search Results

Dazos displays patient search results exactly as received from the Netsmart API without applying any additional filtering. The system does not modify or remove results that come from the EMR's API response.

If the API returns near-date matches along with exact matches, all results will be displayed in Dazos as provided by Netsmart.

Missing Patient Information

If patient data such as phone numbers or addresses appears to be missing from Dazos despite being present in your EMR, this may be related to:

  • API field mapping configuration

  • Data synchronization settings

  • EMR integration permissions

💡 Tip: When searching for patients, start with multiple criteria (name + DOB) rather than single fields to get the most relevant results.

When to Contact Support

Contact Dazos support if you experience:

  • Consistent inability to find patients that exist in your EMR

  • Missing critical patient data that should be syncing from your EMR

  • Questions about EMR integration configuration

  • Need assistance with search functionality optimization

Related Resources

For more information about EMR integration and patient management:

  • Understanding Manual Pull Patients from EMR: Functionality and Limitations

  • How to Manually Link Patients Using EMR Patient IDs

  • EMR Integration Settings and Configuration

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