---
title: "Update a patient"
method: PATCH
path: "/v1/patients/{patient_id}"
tags: ["Patients"]
---

# Update a patient

`PATCH /v1/patients/{patient_id}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://scribe-api.telepatia.ai`
- URL: `https://scribe-api.telepatia.ai/v1/patients/{patient_id}`
- Auth: HTTP bearer

Update a patient's name or internalCode by its public id (sp_...) or the internalCode you set for your institution. The national identity is not editable here. Omit a field to leave it unchanged.

## Path parameters

- `patient_id` string, required

## Request body

- PatientUpdateRequest: Request body for updating a patient. All fields optional; at least one required. The national identity (idCountry/idType/idValue) is not editable here — it stays the deduplication key. `internalCode` follows PATCH semantics: omit to leave it unchanged, send null to clear it.
  - `name` string, nullable: New display name.
  - `internalCode` string, nullable: Caller-provided internal code, unique within your institution. Omit to leave unchanged; send null to clear.

## Response `200`

Successful Response

- PatientResponse: A single patient. `id` is the stable public id (sp_...).
  - `id` string, required: Stable public identifier.
  - `name` string, required
  - `idCountry` string, nullable
  - `idType` string, nullable
  - `idValue` string, nullable
  - `internalCode` string, nullable: Caller-provided internal code for your institution (null if none).
  - `createdAt` string, required: ISO-8601 timestamp when the patient was created.

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad Request — invalid parameters, validation failures, or missing fields.
- `401`: Unauthorized — missing or invalid API key.
- `403`: Forbidden — the API key is not allowed to perform this operation.
- `404`: Not Found — the requested resource does not exist.
- `409`: Conflict — resource already exists or is in a conflicting state.
- `503`: Service Unavailable — an external dependency is down.

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/telepatia/apis/scribe-public-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/telepatia/apis/scribe-public-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/telepatia/apis/scribe-public-api/revisions/be963942e472?raw)