Skip to main content

Sterilisation tracking codes

🇦🇺🇨🇦 AU/CA only - Provides practices with the ability to document sterilised instrument codes in a patient record

Amber Morris avatar
Written by Amber Morris
Updated this week

A sterilisation tracking code — also known as a Batch Control Identification (BCI) — relates to the sterilisation cycle of the instruments used during a patient’s procedure. Recording these codes helps practices:

  • Maintain detailed sterilisation records

  • Trace instruments used in patient care

  • Quickly generate a list of affected patients, should the need arise


Allocating sterilisation codes to an appointment

Sterilisation codes (also known as steri-codes) are entered from the charting screen for each appointment. To add a sterilisation code:

  1. Open the appointment in the patient's chart screen

  2. Click the barcode icon next to the red delete button

  3. Enter the sterilisation code manually or scan it using a barcode scanner

💡 Top Tip: Barcode scanner use is supported. For best results, set the scanner to input an Enter keystroke after the code — this will automatically save the entry.


Code Requirements

  • Each sterilisation code must be linked to an appointment

  • If a code is not linked to an appointment, an error message will appear

  • You can add multiple steri-codes to an appointment at any time, including after the appointment is completed.

  • Codes can only be deleted from appointments that are still marked as current - not from completed appointments


Fixing appointment link errors with sterilisation codes

If an appointment is linked to the wrong treatment plan, and steri-codes have already been added, you’ll need to delete the codes before unlinking the appointment. Once the appointment has been successfully relinked to the correct treatment plan, you can re-enter the sterilisation codes as needed.


Deleting a sterilisation code from a treatment plan

Steri-codes can only be deleted from open appointments. To delete the code you need to:

  1. Open the appointment

  2. Confirm that it is not marked as completed

  3. Click the barcode icon next to the red delete icon

  4. Note down any codes if you need these later

  5. Delete the sterilisation code from the bin icon on the steri-code screen

If the appointment is already completed, you won’t be able to delete the sterilisation code. In this case, speak to a user with high enough permissions to see if the appointment can be re-opened temporarily.


Common issue - Can’t delete or unlink an appointment

If you're unable to delete or unlink an appointment from a treatment plan, check whether any sterilisation codes have been recorded.

Appointments cannot be unlinked from a treatment plan while steri-codes are attached. Remove the code(s) first, then proceed with unlinking, before adding your steri-codes back in.


Searching for a sterilisation code

To search for a specific sterilisation batch code and view all related appointments:

  1. Go to the 'Appointment' report

  2. Enter the sterilisation code into the 'Sterilisation Batch Code' field

  3. The report will list all appointments associated with that code


Audit Trail

Sterilisation code audit history is available on the Patient Audit tab (Level 4 users only).

  1. Open the patient’s record

  2. Go to the 'Audit' tab

  3. Click 'View Changes' to see sterilisation code information.

Did this answer your question?