“Create an outpatient clinic scheduling ERD with Patient, Provider, Location, Appointment, and Encounter tables, the shown keys and attributes, appointments for patients with providers at locations, and optional encounters documenting appointments.”
Read the decisions behind it.
Medical record number is unique on Patient.
Provider NPI is unique for provider identification.
Appointment links patient, provider, and location.
Encounter is optional per appointment because cancellations may not create a visit.
Appointment status preserves scheduling state.
This core model suits ambulatory scheduling and can be expanded with insurance, referrals, clinical notes, and billing. Protected health information requires appropriate security controls.
Other examples in this family.
Common questions
Why separate Appointment and Encounter?
An appointment can be cancelled or missed, while an encounter records an actual clinical interaction.
Can an appointment have more than one encounter?
This model assumes one optional encounter; complex workflows can add a visit or encounter-part table.
What is an NPI?
It is a U.S. National Provider Identifier used to identify healthcare providers.