Unambiguous identification of hospital patients - Case study at the university departments of the General Hospital, Vienna

This article considers the problem of identifying patients in one or more h eterogeneous personal databases. The unambigous identification of patients is an essential prerequisite for an efficient patient care system. We discu ss the problems involved in this task and suggest how they can be dealt wit h. The solution of automatic consolidation of patient records sequires prog ramming, organisational and work psychology measures. Following a survey of conventional identification methods, the method developed at the Departmen t of Medical Computer Sciences, which is based on the current clinical situ ation at the General Hospital in Vienna (AKH - Allpemeines KrankenHaus), is described in detail. The basic principle is to identify patients unambiguo usly by means of an ID (IZAHL) derived directly from the personal data. The reby a deterministic technique without probability weighting is used-all co mpared information must correspond completely, The article closes with a cr itical survey of experience gathered to date. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ire land Ltd. All rights reserved.