PPV: Clean up your MPI before implementing an EHR

HIM directors concur—duplicate medical record numbers are extremely difficult to manage. Correct one duplicate in the master patient index (MPI), and another one pops up right behind it. This should come as no surprise because industry experts cite a 3–40% duplicate rate for most hospitals, depending on how proactive they are in not only identifying duplicates but also in preventing their creation. Anyone who doesn’t find these numbers alarming should consider the potential effect on patients.

 

Duplicate medical record numbers can lead to dire consequences, the potentially adverse effect on patient safety being perhaps the most significant. Duplicates also contribute to delayed surgical procedures, repeated tests, and lower customer satisfaction.

 

Correcting duplicate numbers should be an ongoing effort, but this task becomes increasingly important in facilities that are migrating toward an EHR.

 

Click here to learn what facilities should do when implementing an EHR.

 

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