Axolotl

For the Record

By Laura Gater

Many insiders view the master patient index as the essential component of any project that involves data sharing.

An enterprise master person index (EMPI), or a master patient index, makes use of sophisticated algorithms to allow for patient identification and link to a patient’s electronic medical record (EMR). Basically, it provides a connection to the correct patient record in organizations that utilize EMRs. An MPI’s accuracy can be attributed to its probabilistic matching techniques that use any available fields for matching despite discrepancies in how various healthcare facilities track information.

“An MPI is the cornerstone of any data-sharing initiative,” explains Beth Just, MBA, RHIA, the CEO and president of Just Associates, Inc. “Very simplistically, it’s the list of all records in that database. Without a list to say that a specific record is in the database, we have no way of knowing what patients are included. An EMR provides the clinical information about a patient, while the MPI is the index for that data. An MPI typically lists data points about a patient, such as a patient’s last name, first name, date of birth, gender, address, phone number, and dates and types of visits to the healthcare organization.”

Keeping It Together
For regional health information organizations (RHIOs) or a national health information network (NHIN) to be successful, they need to have an MPI to locate and link to the correct patient record. They use MPIs to “keep track of information kept in their data warehouse,” explains Victoria Wheatley, vice president of strategic services at Quadramed. The information listed in the MPI provides the institution with the ability to confirm that a particular patient is the correct person. Other information that may be listed in an MPI include Social Security numbers, medical record numbers or patient identification numbers, allergies, physician information, and clinical problems, according to Wheatley.