What is the purpose of duplicating a step patient into a master patient in Epic's workflow?

• A. To delete the patient
• B. To merge duplicates
• C. To create a master patient for future operations
• D. To export data

Answer: (C)

Managing patient identity in Epic centers on creating a master patient record that serves as the canonical identity for a person across encounters. Duplicating a patient into a master patient establishes that single, authoritative record so that future operations—like linking subsequent encounters, consolidating data, and running longitudinal reports—can be performed against one unified patient profile. This reduces data silos and fragmentation from duplicates and makes it easier to reconcile records later if needed. By setting up the master patient, you lay a stable foundation for ongoing care processes and data integrity, rather than taking actions like deleting records or exporting data.