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Part Seven: Analysis of Unique Patient Identifier Options

The various candidate identifiers, with the exception of the manual process, are analyzed based on the four categories of criteria namely:

1. ASTM's Conceptual Characteristics
2. Unique Patient Identifier's Operational Characteristics
3. Unique Patient Identifier's Components
4. Unique Patient Identifier's Basic Functional Requirements.

Report Template

For the sake of consistency, the following template is used for the analysis of each option:

I. Description of the Option

II. Author/Proponent of the Method and Documentation

III. Compliance with ASTM's Conceptual Characteristics

IV. Compliance with Operational Characteristics

V. Compliance with Unique Patient Identifier Components Requirements

VI. Compliance with Basic Functions Requirements

VII. Strengths and Weaknesses

VIII. Potential Barriers and Challenges to Overcoming the Barriers.

IX. Solutions to the Barriers.

Manual Process

As discussed earlier, patient identifier is an integral part of healthcare. Managing the delivery of care process without a patient identifier is an extremely challenging task for healthcare organizations. The current practice of identifying patients involves the use of an identifier such as the medical record number or SSN. Provider organizations that are considerably small in size with low volume of activities can manage their documentation, record keeping, retrieval and other related activities without a numbering system or an identification method. However, for large organizations that maintain millions of patient records and access thousands of them on a daily basis, manual process is not suitable. An identifier is vital to their daily operation. These organizations use the MPI, which serves as a directory of identifiers. It includes the individual's name, date of birth, address, etc. The identifier facilitates easy identification and enables the collection, organization, analysis, filing and maintenance of all information including documents and images. These are ongoing functions that take place during the course of delivery of care as well as subsequent to the patient's visits for updates, maintenance and retrieval. This identification method is consistent with the record keeping standards followed by other industries as well. The risk associated with the timeliness of care and cost considerations prohibit large organizations from using the time consuming manual processes.

The remaining thirteen (13) candidate options are analyzed in the pages that follow.

TABLE OF CONTENTS