Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Autogroup Exams

What it does

Autogroup automatically groups duplicate exams under one parent exam, on both the dashboard and the patient record, so your worklist stays clean.

It applies to exams that come from the EHR and match on all three of the following:

  • The same patient.
  • The same calendar day.
  • The same site.

These duplicates happen when an EHR books a single visit as several appointments or orders. Autogroup brings them together so you see one exam instead of many.

When it triggers

Autogroup runs automatically. It is never triggered by a user.

  • It runs when Sonio receives the EHR scheduling messages (HL7 SIU).
  • It applies only to EHR-originated exams. Exams created directly in Sonio do not group.
  • If an exam is rescheduled to a different day, the grouping is re-evaluated.

Parent and child exams

When Autogroup groups a set, it designates one parent exam and hides the rest as children. You cannot choose which exam is the parent.

The parent exam:

  • Is the visible exam on the dashboard.
  • Carries the report.
  • Is the one published to the ultrasound machine worklist.
  • Shows a status of active.
  • Displays a banner noting that an exam with the same date of service was auto-grouped with it.

The child exams:

  • Are hidden from the dashboard's main view and from the machine worklist.
  • Show a status of merged.
  • Keep their own accession numbers and orders. Their data is not merged into the parent.

Only the parent reaches the machine. This is by design.

How to ungroup

You can separate a child exam from its parent at any time.

To ungroup, use Ungroup on a child exam from the dashboard or from the patient record. The child then returns to active and reappears: on the dashboard right away, and on the machine worklist within a short refresh.

💡Tip: find a grouped child via the banner

To find a grouped child, open the parent exam's auto-grouped banner. It shows the exams that were grouped together, and you can ungroup the one you need to separate from there.

⚠️Ungrouping is irreversible

Once an exam is ungrouped, it cannot be auto-grouped again. If you ungroup by mistake, the only alternative is to delete the unwanted exam. Also note that child exams are hidden from the machine worklist by design, so an exam being absent from the worklist is often expected rather than an error.

Common questions / troubleshooting

An exam disappeared from my dashboard or the machine worklist. Where is it?

It is most likely a hidden child in an autogrouped set. Only the parent exam is visible on the dashboard, and only the parent reaches the machine. Open the parent exam's auto-grouped banner to see the grouped exams, then Ungroup the one you need to separate.

Why is only one of my duplicate exams showing?

Because Autogroup grouped the duplicates under one parent. The parent is the visible, active exam. The others are children with a merged status, hidden from the main view and from the worklist. This keeps your worklist clean when the EHR creates several orders for the same visit.

Can I choose which exam is the parent?

No. You cannot choose which exam is the parent. Autogroup designates it automatically.

Can I undo an ungroup?

No. Ungrouping is irreversible, and an exam that has been ungrouped cannot be auto-grouped again. If you ungrouped an exam by mistake, the alternative is to delete the unwanted exam.