Health Information Management - Patient Matching

Background

Connecting Health and Care for the Nation:  A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap is the result of a nationwide effort to identify policy and technical actions needed to realize the ONCHIT vision of a seamless data system (Source:  https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hie-interoperability/nationwide-interoperability-roadmap-final-version-1.0.pdf , Page iv).  For this assignment, you are to read the Executive Summary of the Roadmap (pages i – xvii) and information related to technical component “L”.  Component “L”, starts on page 36 and describes Accurate Individual Data Matching as one of the technical steps to achieving interoperability. As stated in the report:  “Whether aggregated in a repository or linked “just in time,” electronic health information from disparate sources must be accurately matched to prevent information fragmentation and the incorrect merging of records. As technology evolves, provider identities, system identities, device identities and others that support public health and clinical research will need to be accurately matched”.  (ONCHIT. Connecting Health and Care for the Nation:  A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap. 2015.). 

In addition to the information required in the roadmap, you are to read the resource articles that discuss patient mapping found above.

Correct patient identification and matching are crucial if we are ever to be able to access patient information from different points of service, and to create a workable HIE.  From the basic articles provided, you will see that this activity, while crucial for patient care and information sharing, is not done very well. 

Assignment

1. You are to review the attached excerpt of 20 patients from a Master Patient Index. (attached)
2. The MPI on the left is data from your facility, the MPI on the right was pulled from your local HIE based on your request. 
3. Your first responsibility is to review the two data sets. Identify the discrepancies between the two sets of data.  How do you determine if they are one in the same?  Based on the information, can you state with certainty that all the patients are the same?  What are the other matching points that you would need to ensure they are the same patient?    What other errors/issues did you discover in the data? Enter your observations in the comment column of the excel file and upload the file. 
4. Assume you are heading up a task force responsible for creating a policy for patient identification and matching.  You are to create this policy that will include the categories of data you will collect for the MPI, the formatting of how the information will be entered into the system—including a plan for dealing with unavailable information, and a plan for ensuring the accuracy of the information.  Use the information from the Roadmap, the articles provided, and any other resources you can find. 

https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/hie-interoperability/nationwide-interoperability-roadmap-final-version-1.0.pdf

https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/patient_identification_matching_final_report.pdf

http://perspectives.ahima.org/patient-matching-in-health-information-exchanges/

http://journal.ahima.org/2016/01/06/survey-patient-matching-problems-routine-in-healthcare/