diff --git a/pyhealth/datasets/base_dataset.py b/pyhealth/datasets/base_dataset.py
index 91a1c95a..4c81743f 100644
--- a/pyhealth/datasets/base_dataset.py
+++ b/pyhealth/datasets/base_dataset.py
@@ -115,6 +115,30 @@ def _csv_tsv_gz_path(path: str) -> str:
 
     raise FileNotFoundError(f"Neither path exists: {path} or {alt_path}")
 
+
+def _litdata_merge(cache_dir: Path) -> None:
+    """
+    Merges LitData binary writer index files in the given cache directory.
+
+    Args:
+        cache_dir (Path): The cache directory containing LitData binary writer files.
+    """
+    from litdata.streaming.writer import _INDEX_FILENAME
+    files = os.listdir(cache_dir)
+    
+    # Return if the index already exists
+    if _INDEX_FILENAME in files:
+        return
+
+    index_files = [f for f in files if f.endswith(_INDEX_FILENAME)]
+    
+    # Return if there are no index files to merge
+    if len(index_files) == 0:
+        raise ValueError("There are zero samples in the dataset, please check the task and processors.")
+    
+    BinaryWriter(cache_dir=str(cache_dir), chunk_bytes="64MB").merge(num_workers=len(index_files))
+
+
 class _ProgressContext:
     def __init__(self, queue: multiprocessing.queues.Queue | None, total: int, **kwargs):
         """
@@ -695,7 +719,7 @@ def _task_transform(self, task: BaseTask, output_dir: Path, num_workers: int) ->
                 if num_workers == 1:
                     logger.info("Single worker mode, processing sequentially")
                     _task_transform_fn((0, task, patient_ids, global_event_df, output_dir))
-                    BinaryWriter(cache_dir=str(output_dir), chunk_bytes="64MB").merge(num_workers)
+                    _litdata_merge(output_dir)
                     return
 
                 # spwan is required for polars in multiprocessing, see https://docs.pola.rs/user-guide/misc/multiprocessing/#summary
@@ -721,7 +745,7 @@ def _task_transform(self, task: BaseTask, output_dir: Path, num_workers: int) ->
                         while not queue.empty():
                             progress.update(queue.get())
                     result.get() # ensure exceptions are raised
-                BinaryWriter(cache_dir=str(output_dir), chunk_bytes="64MB").merge(num_workers)
+                _litdata_merge(output_dir)
 
                 logger.info(f"Task transformation completed and saved to {output_dir}")
         except Exception as e:
@@ -745,7 +769,7 @@ def _proc_transform(self, task_df: Path, output_dir: Path, num_workers: int) ->
                 if num_workers == 1:
                     logger.info("Single worker mode, processing sequentially")
                     _proc_transform_fn((0, task_df, 0, num_samples, output_dir))
-                    BinaryWriter(cache_dir=str(output_dir), chunk_bytes="64MB").merge(num_workers)
+                    _litdata_merge(output_dir)
                     return
 
                 ctx = multiprocessing.get_context("spawn")
@@ -771,7 +795,7 @@ def _proc_transform(self, task_df: Path, output_dir: Path, num_workers: int) ->
                         while not queue.empty():
                             progress.update(queue.get())
                     result.get() # ensure exceptions are raised
-                BinaryWriter(cache_dir=str(output_dir), chunk_bytes="64MB").merge(num_workers)
+                _litdata_merge(output_dir)
 
                 logger.info(f"Processor transformation completed and saved to {output_dir}")
         except Exception as e:
@@ -902,4 +926,4 @@ def _main_guard(self, func_name: str):
                 f"{func_name} method accessed from a non-main process. This may lead to unexpected behavior.\n"
                 + "Consider use __name__ == '__main__' guard when using multiprocessing."
             )
-            exit(1)
\ No newline at end of file
+            exit(1)