Master Patient Index - Assignment Example

Master Patient Index (MPI) and the Primary Key(s) MPI is “a central repository” (Altendorf, p.3) that serves to link “a patient’s medical record number with common identification data elements”, state Green and Bowie (2005, p.227). These identification elements mainly include the patient’s name, date of birth, gender, ethnicity, race, address, nationality, phone number, social security number, admission date, discharge date and timing, and the like. Primary key (PK) is the unique identifier through which patients’ data is retrieved.

Thus, to each patient who registers with the organization, a unique index or PK is assigned. MPIs and PKs are important because these help in the preparation of reports, decision-making and business planning. IT/IS systems use MPIs and PKs for system integration as, externally, they provide such facilities which associate patients’ services availed outside the organization with community wide secondary services such as unconnected laboratories; and internally, they link all departments together under certain circumstances when patients’ data has to be cross-referenced in each department.

HIMS analysts use MPIs for clinical reporting since these make delivery and continuity of care possible by quickly identifying a patient’s previous history in the medical records. Financial and marketing reporting is also facilitated since MPIs create a lot of reports that serve as “business planning and marketing tools” (Green & Bowie, 2005, p.229); for example, patients’ demographics diagnoses, medical histories and other investigations are exchanged by different healthcare providers which promotes marketing of an organization.

MPIs are cost-effective for both the organization and the patient since unnecessary duplicate tests and medical errors are eliminated and the overall cost of health services is lowered. References Altendorf, R. (2010). The importance of an accurate MPI. An Introduction to Effective MPI Management. Retrieved April 08, 2011, from http://www.quadramed.com/documents/WP_MPI%20Management.pdf Green, M.A., & Bowie, M.J. (2005). Master patient index. Essentials of Health Information Management: Principles and Practice.

USA: Cengage Learning.