Health Care Client Identification

This standard is a voluntary code of practice. It provides a framework for improving the positive identification of clients in health care organisations. The objective of this standard is to provide the health industry with a specific standard for health care client identification for clinical and administrative data management purposes (data structure and specification). The standard promotes uniformly good practice in identifying individuals and recording identifying data so as to ensure that each individual’s health records will be associated with that individual only. The standard also provides the basis for future linkage of data as authorised by law and appropriate for clinical management of patients and statistical research purposes.

This document supersedes AS 5017-2002 and should be read in conjunction with HB 222 Australian Health Care Client and Provider Identification Handbook.

Main sections:

· Scope and general

· Health Care Client Identifier

· Health Care Client Name

· Health Care Client Additional Demographic Data

· Health Care Client Address

· Health Care Client Electronic Communication

· Date Accuracy Indicator

· Messaging

· Data matching

· Privacy and security