Which patient details should you not change when editing an existing master patient?

• A. Names and addresses
• B. Patient age and sex, historical encounters, and diagnosis
• C. Social Security number
• D. Phone number and email

Answer: (B)

Preserving historical data and stable demographics is essential when editing a master patient record. Age and sex, along with the patient’s prior encounters and diagnoses, form the core timeline of the patient’s medical history. Age is tied to the birth date and is used to interpret events over time; changing it would misalign past records with the patient’s actual history. Historical encounters and diagnoses are the factual record of what happened in the patient’s care; altering them would distort the narrative of care and undermine clinical accountability. In contrast, details like names, addresses, and contact information are routine attributes that can be updated to reflect current information.