Patient Identifiers: Which Items Should Be Used To Identify a Patient?

September 30, 2024

Making sure you’re treating the right patient might sound obvious, but in healthcare, it’s not always that simple. Mistakes happen, and they can be serious. An Institute of Medicine (IOM) report titled To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System estimated that nearly 98,000 people in the United States die each year due to medical errors.

That’s why patient identifiers matter so much. Whether it’s a full name, a date of birth, or a medical record number, these details help healthcare teams match the right care with the right person—every time.

In this post, we’re looking at the different types of patient identifiers, how they’re used in hospitals and clinics, the risks when they’re missing or wrong, and how tech is changing the game of patient identification.

What Are HIPAA Patient Identifiers?

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), certain types of personal information are treated with extra care because they can be used to identify someone. Once that data is tied to health records, it’s considered Protected Health Information (PHI).

And that’s where HIPAA steps in. The law says this information has to be protected to keep patient privacy intact and avoid data leaks.

Here are a few examples of what counts as a patient identifier under HIPAA:

1. Name
2. Address (including street address, city, county, ZIP code)
3. Dates (birth, admission, discharge, death)
4. Telephone numbers
5. Fax numbers
6. Email addresses
7. Social Security Number (SSN)
8. Medical record numbers
9. Health insurance beneficiary numbers
10. Account numbers
11. License or certificate numbers
12. Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers
13. Device identifiers and serial numbers
14. Web URLs and IP addresses
15. Biometric identifiers (fingerprints, voiceprints)
16. Full-face photographs and any comparable images

If you’re working in healthcare and handling this kind of info, you need to follow HIPAA rules to keep it secure.

Common Patient Identifiers in Use

To avoid mix-ups, most providers use more than one way to identify a patient. That might include something as simple as a name, or something more secure like a medical record number. Here’s how patient identification is done today—and what works best.

Full Name

It may seem basic, but a full name is still one of the first things providers check. It’s better than using initials or nicknames—but it’s not enough on its own, especially when multiple patients share the same name.

Date of Birth

Add a birth date to the name, and you’ve got a much stronger match. It’s a quick way to clear up confusion and avoid treating the wrong patient. Fun fact: just three pieces of information—birth date, gender, and ZIP code—can uniquely identify over 50% of Americans.

Medical Record Number (MRN)

This is the go-to for many hospitals. The MRN is a unique number assigned to each patient and used to keep track of their records. It doesn’t change, and no two people get the same one inside the same organization. About 90% of hospitals use it as a primary way to ID patients.

Social Security Number (SSN)

SSNs used to be common identifiers, but they’re falling out of favor. With rising concerns about identity theft and data breaches, fewer hospitals are using them. Only about 30% still rely on SSNs, according to the American Hospital Association.

Phone Number or Address

These are often used in outpatient clinics or for telehealth check-ins. They’re not as secure or precise, but they’re still useful when more formal records aren’t available.

The Role of Biometric Identifiers

Biometric identifiers—like fingerprints, facial recognition, or even retina scans—are becoming more common in healthcare. Why? Because they’re incredibly accurate. Unlike names or numbers, these identifiers are unique to each person and nearly impossible to fake.

Hospitals use them in different ways:

• Fingerprint scans are popular in regular care settings—they’re quick and easy.

• Facial recognition comes in handy in emergencies, especially if the patient can’t communicate or isn’t conscious.

• Retina and palm scans offer even more precision, though they’re not used as often due to high costs.

That said, biometric data is sensitive. It’s protected under HIPAA, just like other identifiers. So, when a hospital collects this kind of information, it must provide a Notice of Privacy Practices (NPP) to explain how the data is used, stored, and secured.

🔗 Read More: HIPAA NPP: What is a Notice of Privacy Practices

Challenges in Patient Identification

Even with all these tools, identifying patients correctly isn’t always straightforward. Healthcare providers face a few recurring challenges:

Cultural and Language Differences

In diverse healthcare settings, names might be hard to pronounce or spelled in unfamiliar ways. Add language barriers to the mix, and it can lead to misunderstandings during check-in or registration.

In the study “The Effect of Nurse-Patient Language Barrier on Patients’ Satisfaction,” 30% of patients reported difficulty understanding instructions when their nurse spoke a different language. While in comparison,  50% of the patients felt that language barriers contributed to unintended mistakes in their post-treatment care.

Duplicate Records and Identity Theft

Mistaken identity can lead to duplicate records—and that’s a big deal. It clutters the system and increases the chance of error. According to the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), 10% of health records are duplicates or fraudulent.

Identity theft is also on the rise. When someone’s health data is misused, it can lead to incorrect treatments, billing issues, and serious safety risks for the real patient.

Best Practices for Safer Patient Identification

So, how can healthcare providers reduce errors and improve accuracy? There are a few proven strategies that make a real difference:

Use Two Identifiers

Most systems follow the “two-identifiers rule,” which means verifying a patient using at least two different data points, like name and date of birth. This is especially important before surgeries, giving medication, or drawing blood.

Barcoded Wristbands

Many hospitals now use wristbands with barcodes or RFID chips that store patient info. Before performing any procedure, staff can scan the wristband to confirm the patient’s identity. It’s fast, easy, and helps cut down on mix-ups.

Involve the Patient

Encouraging patients to repeat their name, birth date, or other info before receiving care adds an extra layer of safety. When patients are involved in the process, they’re more likely to catch errors before they happen.

Use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

Modern Electronic Health Records (EHRs) often come with built-in tools for better identification, like barcode scanners or biometric inputs. According to recent data, 75% of facilities using integrated EHR systems reported improved patient safety and fewer identification mistakes.

What’s Ahead: Future Trends in Patient Identification

Technology is reshaping how healthcare organizations identify and register patients. Looking ahead, tools like machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and wearable health devices are expected to play a big role in improving both the accuracy and security of patient identification.

AI and Machine Learning

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are starting to play a role in patient matching. These systems can sift through massive amounts of data to spot patterns and flag inconsistencies that a human might miss.

For example, AI could scan biometric data, like a fingerprint or facial scan, and instantly match it to a patient’s records, cutting down on mistakes and speeding up the process.

Blockchain for Secure ID

Blockchain isn’t just for cryptocurrency. In healthcare, it offers a secure, decentralized way to store and share patient data. Because blockchain records can’t be changed, they create a reliable system that helps prevent tampering or identity mix-ups.

Some healthcare organizations are already experimenting with blockchain to build secure, shareable health records that patients can access and control.

Final Thoughts

Getting patient identity right isn’t just a paperwork thing—it can literally save lives. From full names and birth dates to advanced tools like fingerprint scans, every piece of identifying information helps healthcare teams deliver the right care to the right person.

As healthcare continues to evolve, staying on top of HIPAA standards and using best practices for patient identification is more important than ever.

Whether you’re a provider, administrator, or support staff, understanding how to properly identify patients is part of delivering safe, compliant care.