Working with Person Attribute Types

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Create a New Person Attribute Type

  • Go to Administration screen
  • Click Manage Person Attributes Types
  • Click Add New Person Attribute
  • Field definitions:
    • Name: Any string you want to recognize this type by. Spaces should not be used
    • Format: Most likely it will be java.lang.String. Other possibilities are org.openmrs.User, org.openmrs.Concept, and org.openmrs.util.AttributableDate (version 1.4)
    • Foreign Key: The only time a foreign key value is needed is when you are using a separate table for the answers. A good example of this is the Civil Status attr that links to the concept civil status for its possible answers.
    • Searchable: Whether or not this attribute is included in searches
    • Description: Text blob describing this type
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Listing and Viewing of Person Attribute Types

Person attributes can be included in search screens and edit screens. Separate attributes by commas.

  • "Listing" refers to a search listing after someone types a few characters into a search box.
  • "Viewing" refers to the display and edit pages of a patient/user. Attributes to be shown on the patient dashboard and short patient edit screens. Note: All attributes are shown on administration patient and user edit screens.
  • Once you add attributes here, they will show up headed like PersonAttributeType.NameOfAttributeType.

To get a display name for this you need to add an entry to your custom messages file like so: 

PersonAttributeType.<attribute name>=Attribute Name
  • See how to set custom.messages files on the runtime properties wiki page: Overriding OpenMRS Default Properties
  • Since the Person Attributes are displayed in alphabetical order on the Edit This Patient screen, you force an order by naming the person attributes with numbers in front of them to specify the order. For example 01familynumber, 02housetype, etc. You can then edit the custom messages file to make them display however you desire, for example Family Number, House Type, etc.
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Using Person Attribute Types on Forms

  • Create a field of type "database element". Set the `table` to be "person_attribute" and the `attribute` to be "value".
  • If you want them to then appear with data in the forms, you need to be able to define a default value.
    • Person attribute data must be entered in the webapp on one of the edit patient pages. Attributes can be viewed in infopath by setting the field's `Default Value` to: ${patient.attributeMap.Cell} (if "Cell" is the attribute type name)
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