Patient identity resolution software—also referred to as healthcare identity resolution, enterprise master patient index (EMPI), or patient identity management software—facilitates the creation of a single, holistic record view of each patient. Hospital or clinic staff and health care administrators can use patient identity resolution software to deduplicate medical records, minimize errors in patient records, and improve clinical processes. The software pulls patient information from electronic health records (EHRs), hospital systems, pharmacies, and other consumer data sources to coordinate patient data across the health care ecosystem. Patient identity resolution software enables care providers to consolidate patient data that had been historically fragmented across differing systems, facilities, and operations.
There are slight differences between patient identity resolution and provider data management software. Though both systems mine databases to ensure accuracy and updated records, while simultaneously mitigating compliance risks, the latter is focused on qualifying providers, not aggregating and verifying patient information. Additionally, some identity verification software and identity resolution software vendors do offer a health care-specific solution; however, these solutions must not be customer-facing and they must be able to evaluate and resolve the patient information found health care-related databases to be included in the Patient Identity Resolution category.
To qualify for inclusion in the Patient Identity Resolution category, a product must:
- Mine, evaluate, and identify the attribute information that resides in the databases of health care (and related) organizations
- Leverage machine learning, fuzzy matching, or other rules-based technology to automate the assessing and performing of identity resolution
- Comply with industry regulation like HIPAA
