The fact of today's world is that patient's medical records do not reside in one system. I don't know anyone today that has only ever been to one doctor, it just doesn't happen. So, it's no wonder that we have trouble accessing a patient's full medical record, and verifying their identity across or even within systems.
One of my favorite things about ending a year is taking a look back at the highlights from the year, reflecting on accomplishments, and then quickly turning to look at the possibilities ahead for the new year.
Patient identity is a hot topic everywhere we turn.
There are a lot of opinions out there and no one has conjured the perfect recipe just yet. The CHIME National Patient ID Challenge initiative has gotten a lot of buzz, and while the $1,000,000 in prize money is a nice motivator, I’d like to think that everyone has a more altruistic motivation.
Whether you’re an IT geek, a provider, or a patient, we all have a stake in getting it right. We all win if we get it right. It is worth our time to make a plan, and execute it flawlessly.
Is interoperability a challenge at your hospital? Do the frank opinions of hospital CIOs matter to you?
If so, you might be interested in the thoughts and perspectives shared in a focus group at HIMSS16. The topic: Defining Interoperability Challenges, Priorities, and Solutions for 2016. About 18 CIOs attended, representing hospitals, public health agencies, and similar organizations.
It seems that I cannot even open my email these days without seeing an article, podcast, or contest (yes, I said contest — more on that later) about the enormous problem hospitals are facing of accurately identifying patients. Why now, in 2016, is this seemingly becoming a higher priority? I have a few theories:
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Patient identity challenges are not going away
We had total control. We undid the registration, documentation, lab results, charges, and any other bits and pieces, only to re-enter them on the new patient and account. Boy did we complain!
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