scope:

NPR-CEN/TR 15872 addresses the issue of multiple identifiers that may refer to the same person. It describes the management of patient identification and cross-referencing of identities and provides some practical guidance for addressing implementation of standards, reports, guidelines, methods, etc. The need to identify a person unambiguously is an important component for the interoperability of health information systems. Within healthcare there is an essential requirement for good quality information, not least to uniquely identify an individual to ensure that the appropriate and relevant care can be delivered irrespective of geography, time and situation. To ensure that health care providers have access to information about an individual patient, it is vital that the patient can be reliably identified within a Health Care Information System. Currently, a given patient may have several identifiers corresponding to different geographical locations, different health care organisations or various specialities. The allocation of multiple identifiers and related processes increases the risk of identification error within one or more information systems and as a result, might compromise the safety of a patient.