Hippo automatically checks your clinical system to figure out which patients still need care, but how does it know when care has already been completed?
This article explains how Hippo determines whether a patient still needs to be recalled, or whether they’ve already had everything required.
📌 Hippo checks for SNOMED codes
When a patient has an appointment and receives care (e.g. a blood test, review, or vaccination), that care should be coded in EMIS or SystmOne using the correct SNOMED code.
Hippo uses those codes to confirm:
Whether the care has been delivered
Whether it was delivered recently enough to still “count” for QOF or local targets
Whether the full care package has been completed, not just part of it
💡 If something is free-texted, miscoded, or entered as a note only, Hippo may not recognise it as completed.
🧩 Partial care doesn’t count as complete
Hippo breaks complex reviews into smaller components. If even one part is missing, the patient will still be recalled.
For example:
A diabetic patient may need:
Blood test
Foot check
Flu jab
Structured review
If three are done, but the blood test is missing, the patient will still appear for recall
✅ You can always click "See Patient" to view exactly what Hippo still thinks is outstanding.
⏰ Timing matters
Some care items have expiry windows (e.g. “must be done every 12 months”). Even if a patient had the care before, Hippo may still trigger a new recall if:
Enough time has passed (based on recall buffer or QOF cycle)
The previous care is no longer valid for the current target year
The patient is now eligible for new care (e.g. turned 25 and now due for a smear)
🚫 Exceptions to care completion
Hippo will also exclude patients from recall if:
They have a valid exception or opt-out code
They’ve declined the care (and it’s coded properly)
They’re out of area or no longer registered with your practice
🧠 Summary: What counts as completed?
✔️ Correct SNOMED code recorded
✔️ Done within the right timeframe
✔️ All parts of the care package delivered
✔️ No outstanding eligibility or recall conditions
If you're seeing patients recalled who have had their care, check the code used and date entered, and if you're still not sure, contact the Hippo team.