pasientidentifikator

Pasientidentifikator is a unique code assigned to an individual within health information systems to identify the patient across care encounters and institutions. The identifier is used to link electronic medical records, laboratory results, imaging, and administrative data to a single person, ensuring that information from different sources can be combined accurately.

The identifier is typically generated by a health care organization or national health IT infrastructure and is separate from, but may be linked to, the person’s national identity number in some systems. A key property is stability: once assigned, the pasientidentifikator should remain persistent across care episodes and across providers, subject to privacy controls.

Uses include reducing patient misidentification, improving safety, enabling care coordination, supporting data exchange and analytics, and facilitating patient access to records. Proper use supports continuity of care when a patient receives services from multiple providers or moves between institutions.

Management and governance cover lifecycle processes such as creation, maintenance, de-duplication, and deactivation when appropriate. It requires secure storage, strict access controls, and audit trails to prevent unauthorized use and to protect patient privacy.

Privacy and security considerations include pseudonymization or encryption when data are shared, role-based access, and compliance with data protection regulations (for example, GDPR in the EU and related national laws). Robust governance helps balance data utility with patient rights and consent preferences.

Challenges include interoperability across heterogeneous health IT systems, maintaining unique identifiers during organizational mergers, and cross-border data sharing. Ongoing efforts focus on standardization, de-duplication, and transparent patient consent management.