Deactivate vs. Delete a Patient

Both actions live in Settings → Patient Setup, in the Actions column on each patient’s row. They sit next to each other and sound similar, but they do very different things: one is fully reversible, the other can’t be undone.

When to use each

• Deactivate when a patient is pausing, has left the practice, or you just want to free up a seat while keeping their record. You can bring them back anytime.
• Delete when a record was created in error, or a patient has asked you to remove their data entirely. This is permanent.

When in doubt, deactivate — you lose nothing and can always reverse it.

Deactivate — reversible

Deactivating a patient:

• Removes them from your active patient list and moves them to a Deactivated Patients section.
• Signs them out and blocks sign-in, but keeps their account and all of their data intact.
• Cancels their billing and frees the seat (more below).

WellPath asks you to confirm, noting that the patient “will no longer appear in the active patient list, but their data will be preserved.” Nothing is lost.

Delete — permanent

Deleting a patient permanently removes the patient and everything tied to them — goals, scores, baselines, logged samples, progress, and their sign-in account. There is no undo, which is why the confirmation button reads Delete Forever.

Use it only when you’re certain: a mistaken entry, or a genuine data-removal request. If you’re not sure, deactivate instead — it frees the seat just the same and keeps the door open.

Billing & seats

Both actions stop billing for that patient and return their seat to your practice. Deactivating a patient on a paid plan cancels their subscription; a patient on a free beta seat returns the seat to your pool. Deleting a patient removes them from billing entirely along with everything else.

Reactivating a patient

Deactivated patients aren’t gone — they wait in the Deactivated Patientssection of Settings → Patient Setup, each with a Reactivate button. Reactivating restores their access and their full history exactly as it was. You may need an available seat or an active plan to bring them back onto billing.