--- title: Groups - Static & Dynamic slug: portal-sub/groups-static-and-dynamic docTags: createdAt: 2026-03-04T12:03:18.692Z --- # Groups The **Groups** view in the **Work Centre** is used to maintain, view and use patient groups. In dynamic groups, patients are automatically added or removed depending on the rules for the groups, for example 'all patients with diabetes' or 'all male patients over 60'.  These groups look for matching information in the database and are updated accordingly. Static groups are created from dynamic groups, for a specific date and hold all the information from the database when the group is set up. As information in the database changes, the static group will not. ## Filing system All three lists of groups in the view are ordered in a hierarchical system with a tree structure of categories and subcategories. You can drag and drop patient groups within a list into a new category. Click on and to expand and collapse the category. The toolbar allows you to: click to create a new category. click to create a new subcategory click to edit a group category name click to delete a category :::hint{type="info"} **Note: **Patient groups under a deleted category are not deleted, they collapse into the level above.**** ::: ## Accessing Dynamic Groups As a clinician, select the **Groups** view in the **Clinical** menu of the **Work Centre** segment bar. There is a default list of **Dynamic Groups** for all of the chronic diseases. 1. Click to select a dynamic group. 2. Click on the process arrow in the Groups view toolbar. The patients belonging to this group are listed in the **Patients **in group panel. Because the file number of each patient is shown, the information is contextual. You can select a patient line and perform any relevant action directly for that patient by clicking on the relevant toolbar icon or menu option. ## Entering or altering the dynamic group criteria Click to select the desired dynamic group. Click on the Groups view toolbar.  This opens the **Edit Group** window. Enter the relevant details: ### Filter tab | Caption | Free-text field used to summarize the rule or rules to be used for filtering. | | ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Use for filtering | Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select the style of filtering to be used. Options are:
* **General** -- specify a set of rules from a template. This is the common setting. * **Stored Query** -- use a database query to select patient records * **Macro** -- write a program using the macro language to select patient records | | Age | Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select the option and specify the age in the adjacent field to specify the age of the patients that should be included in the filter. | | Gender | If desired, click on the dropdown arrow and click to select gender. | | Disease code
(unlabelled field) | Use this option to include or exclude patients with a specific disease. Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select:
**Dx Code** and specify a disease code to have patients with that disease code in their records to be included in the filter
**No Dx Code** and specify a disease code to have all patients *without *that disease code in their records to be included in the filter
**Dx Description** and enter a disease description to have all patients whose record contains the specified text to be included in the filter. For example, enter 'depression' if you want to include patients with 'Depression' or 'Anxiety Depression' etc. in their records
**No Dx Description** and enter a disease description to have all patients *without* that problem description in their records to be included in the filter
In populating the group, the system will look in only one of these views of the patient records\:For the timeframe, select\:You can further limit the selection according to whether the diagnosis is currently active and/or open. Options are\:The **Status*** *field of a diagnosis determines whether it is active or inactive. A 'closed' diagnosis is one that has a ‘To’ date.
* Problems * Encounters * Invoices * ever if you do not wish to limit the timeframe or * one of the time periods ('in last 2 weeks', 'in last 24 months') to limit the group to those who have (or have not) had this diagnosis in that timeframe * **Any** * **Active**, open * **Active**, closed * **Inactive**, open * **Inactive**, closed | | Service
(unlabelled field) | Use this option to include or exclude patients who have (or have not) been invoiced for a certain Service code or **Service description**. Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select:
**is found** to include only patients who have had that service
**is not found** to include only patients who have *NOT* had that service
For the timeframe, choose:
ever if you do not wish to limit the timeframe or
one of the time periods ('in last 2 weeks', 'in last 24 months') to limit the group to those who have (or have not) been invoiced for the service in that timeframe
**Note**: Negative selection criteria (such as** is not found** or **No Dx Description**) can take a very long time to process, especially with large databases. It is recommended that these dynamic groups be processed outside of busy transactional times. | | Medications prescribed
(unlabelled field) | Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select\:For the timeframe, select\:Then enter the name of the medication (or part of it) to have the filter include only patients for whom the specified medication has been prescribed or listed in their usual medications.
* **Prescription** or * **Usual Med** * ever if you do not wish to limit the timeframe or * one of the time periods | | Clinical notes
(unlabeled field) | Use the **Notes contain** option to include or exclude patients based on whether or not a specific text string appears in any of their clinical notes. Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select:
**is found** and enter the required text to include only those patients that have at least one contact where the specified text was entered -- for example 'suspected anorexia'.
**is not found** and enter the required text to include only those patients that do *NOT* have any contact containing the specified text.
For the timeframe, select:
ever if you do not wish to limit the timeframe or
one of the time periods
Using the **Notes Contain** search parameter will search the complete database for the word(s) in question. This will take a long time, and will use most of Profile’s resources. We suggest avoiding this search criterion. If it’s necessary to do so, set up and run outside of normal business hours when the system is otherwise not being used. | | HRI
(unlabelled field)
and Item has the parameters | Use this option to include or exclude patients based on whether or not a specific HRI appears for the patient within the specified period.
For example, if you wanted to include all patients who have an A1c lab result, you could set it up as shown below: | | Filter by patient status | Click to check this checkbox to limit the filter to those patients whose statuses are among those checked in the list. Click to check or uncheck the desired statuses. | Patients will only be included in the list if they match all the criteria stated in this window.  ###  Presentation tab The **Presentation** tab allows to choose the columns that will be used to populate the list in the **Patients in group** panel. You can add custom columns to display a most recent HRI in the time frame for the patients. | Get Presentation settings from | Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select:
* **From Patient Group** if assigned to display columns selected in this view only if they are different than the ones selected in the Patient Groups filter view of the work Center. * **Always from Patient Group** to always display columns selected in this view. * **Always from View Filter** to always display columns selected in the **Patient Groups** filter view of the work Center. | | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Add custom column | - Click to add a custom column. | | Delete custom column | Select a column and click to delete it. | | Most Recent HRI | Use this option to include a new column with an HRI to display. This is similar to those in the **Filter** tab. | | Item has the parameters | | Click** OK**. ## Creating New Dynamic Groups Two options are available: Click on the “**New Dynamic Group**” button in the Groups view toolbar Right-click on a category name and click “ **New**”.  This opens the **New dynamic Group **window. In the **Name** field, enter an appropriate name. If desired, click to remove the checkmark from the **Shared** checkbox so this group is not available to all other providers If desired, in the** Status** field, click on the dropdown arrow and click to select a status. If desired, in the** Privacy **field, click on the dropdown arrow and click to select a privacy setting. If desired, in the **Owner** field, click on the ellipsis and select an owner. Click** **OK**.** ## Creating New Static Groups Two options are available: Click on the “**New Static Group**” button in the** **Groups view toolbar Right-click on a category name and click “ **New**”. This opens the **New Static Group** window. In the **Name **field, enter an appropriate name. If desired, click to remove the checkmark from the **Shared** checkbox so this group is not available to all other providers If desired, in the **Status** field, click on the dropdown arrow and click to select a status. If desired, in the **Privacy** field, click on the dropdown arrow and click to select a privacy setting. If desired, in the **Owner** field, click on the ellipsis and select an owner. Click** **OK**. **The **Edit group** window opens. Select the columns that will be used to populate the list in the **Patients in group** panel. Click **OK**. ## Creating Static Groups from a dynamic group Click to select a dynamic group. Holding down your left mouse button, drag the dynamic group to the **Static Groups** panel. A new static group window opens. Enter a group’s name and click **OK**. In the **Presentation** tab, select the columns that will be used to populate the list in the **Patients in group** panel. Click **OK** to create the group. Click on the process arrow in the Groups view toolbar. The patients belonging to this group are listed in the **Patients in group** panel. Here is an example of a Group that can be made that will find a list of patient’s that are diabetic but have not been prescribed metformin in the last 12 months. This can be useful to identify any patients that have not come in to have their prescriptions renewed. Make sure that there is a Diabetic Dynamic Group in Profile already, if not, you can make one with the following criteria: The above query is looking through the patient’s problem list to see if they have diabetes in the list. This is using text description to find the list which should capture patients that have ICD-9 250 or anything similar. Create a group to search for all patients that have not prescribed metformin in the last 12 months. I have included an example below. The drug and the duration are things that can be customized to suit the need of the clinic, this is only an example. This query should not be run on its own though. Once the 2 queries above have been created, you will then need to make an Intersection query. This should return a list of all the diabetic patients that have not been prescribed in the past 12 months. :::hint{type="info"} **Note: **Patients in your database should have diabetes in their problem list as well as having been prescribed metformin in the last 12 months in order for this example to work. ::: ## ## Undocking Groups Groups can be undocked to perform additional functions for patients within a group; such as adding them to a care plan. Click to select the desired dynamic group. Click on the process arrow in the Groups view toolbar. The patients belonging to this group are listed in the **Patients in group** panel. Click on the **Undock Patient Group **button in the Groups view toolbar. This opens the patient group in a new window. Using the checkboxes on the left side, select patient to action. The following actions can be performed with the associated buttons: - **Add Problem** – Add a problem to the selected patients’ problem lists - **Add Alert** – Add an alert to the selected patients’ files - **Add Care Plan** – Add the selected patients to a care plan - **Add Intervention** – Add an intervention for the selected patients - Toggle appointment quick search panel :::hint{type="info"} **Note: **Patients who already have had the action performed previously will be skipped. ::: ## Compound Patient Groups ### Unions and Intersections **Union** : A grouping where the patients are included in one group OR another.           Example: Patients who have either Asthma or Diabetes. **Intersection**: A grouping where the patients are included in one group AND another.           Example: Patients who have Asthma and Diabetes. 1. Click 2 dynamic or static groups upon which you want to base the union or intersection. Click on the first group, and then while holding the \[Shift] or \[Ctrl], click on the second group. 2. Click on the **New Union**, or **New Intersection** button in the Groups view toolbar. This opens the **New Compound Group** window. 3. Name the group. 4. In the **Presentation** tab, select the columns that will be used to populate the list. 5. Click **OK**. The new group will appear in the **Unions and Intersections area.** :::hint{type="info"} **Tip\:These groups can be made up of dynamic, static, union or intersection groups in any combination.** ::: ### ### Comparison The compound group functionality allows to make analysis through comparison between patient groups. The comparison can be done through the **Comparison** tab of the **Edit compound group** window. Example: finding the percentage of patients that have Asthma and Diabetes among the Asthma group. 1. Click to select the desired compound group. 2. Click on the Groups view toolbar.  This opens the **Edit Compound Group** window. 3. Click on the **Comparison** tab. 4. Enter the relevant details:| Numerator | Non-editable field that is a mirror of the structure in the Definition tab. | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Denominator | Click on the dropdown arrow and click to select an option.
* If **Definition** is selected, the structure panel below is enabled. Using the toolbar and arrows, modify the structure as desired. * If **Group** is selected, the dropdown menu on the right is enabled. Select a group from the list. | | Reset button | Click to reset the denominator to its original settings. | | Output | Check to display a comparator panel displayed below the Patients in group pane.
* **Description** – free-text field. Type as appropriate * **Numerator** – free-text field. Type as appropriate * **Count **– check to display a count * % – check to display a percentage * **Denominator** – free-text field. Type as appropriate * **Count** – check to display a count | 5. In the Presentation tab, select the columns that will be used to populate the list. 6. Click **OK**. 7. Result: 2 (10.53%) out of 19 patients have asthma and diabetes :::hint{type="info"} **Note: **Users should use caution when creating Unions and Intersections of dynamic groups because they have the potential to be very taxing on the server to the point of causing extreme slowness or freezing of Profile. Generally, Unions and Intersections of dynamic groups should try to be kept to under approximately five groups to reduce the complexity of the database query. If more complex queries are needed, Find Objects Queries are a more efficient and less impactful way to query the database. :::