---
title: "Finding a Patient"
url: "https://help.healthbridgeclinical.co.za/en/article/finding-a-patient"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-08-24T14:06:03.615Z"
---

# Finding a Patient

## Finding a Patient in Healthbridge Clinical

**What:** The three ways to open an existing patient's file: My Schedule, the Waiting Room, or patient search.

**Why:** Every consultation, document, or check starts with opening the right patient's file first.

**When:** Any time you need to open a patient who's already in the system, whether for a booked appointment, a walk-in, or a quick look-up.

## Steps

## 1\. Open the patient file from My Schedule, the Waiting Room, or search

*Location: Top navigation bar › patient search bar, Waiting Room icon, or home dashboard › My Schedule*

From the home dashboard, you can open a patient file three ways:

-   **From My Schedule:** Click on the patient's appointment block in the calendar to open their file directly.

-   **From the Waiting Room:** Click the **Couch icon** in the navigation bar to see patients who have checked in and are ready to be seen. Click a patient's name to open their file.

-   **From patient search:** Click the magnifying glass icon in the top navigation bar, type the patient's name, and select them from the results that appear.

![Home dashboard showing My Schedule with a booked appointment and the patient search bar in the top navigation](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/b6b8919d-c25c-4e70-b49f-96f8ce406cf3)

> **You should see:** the Patient Overview opens, showing the patient's history, conditions, medications, and patient timeline.

> **Note:** Any patient file you have open stays visible as a tab next to the Home button, so you can jump back to it without searching again. If the patient isn't in the system yet, use the person-with-plus icon next to search to register them instead.