Executive summary. Identity matching is about being sure a record refers to the right person or professional before anyone acts on it.
Definition
Identity matching is the process of deciding whether records from one or more sources refer to the same individual, practitioner, or organization.
Use more than one fact
Names alone are rarely enough. Date of birth, contact details, local identifiers, address history, and source context all help distinguish similar records.
When information conflicts, do not assume the newest value is correct. Record the source and send meaningful uncertainty to the registration or clinical workflow that can settle it.
Explain the impact of uncertainty
A possible mismatch can affect scheduling, billing, medication history, or care coordination. Whoever reviews it needs to know what action could follow from a wrong match.
Create a clear path for merging, separating, or correcting records. The aim is safe, accountable use of information, and a clean list follows from that.
Frequently asked questions
Why can the same patient have more than one identifier?
Different organizations and systems assign their own identifiers. A shared-information workflow needs a reliable way to keep source context and resolve uncertainty.
Referenced standards and further reading
- FHIR Patient Resource ↗HL7 International
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