Data used to categorize individuals for identification, records matching, and other purposes.

Data Element

First Name

Comment

Newborn Temporary Naming Convention

The Texas Health Services Authority's Newborn Informatics workgroup is recommending the AHIMA Naming Framework guidance for newborn temporary naming. 

First name concatenation with Sex of newborn capitalized followed by Mother's first name.  This reduces the risk of wrong-chart orders by seeing only a portion of the name.  Capitalizing the sex provides visual differentiation.  When sex is unknown, utilize BABY.  Multiple Births should be indicated numerically further differentiating the child.  Numbers approach is strikingly different and eliminates potential for misidentification, i.e. is this GIRLANya or GIRL1Nya.  

First name concatenation - No middle name - Mother's last name

Single Births 

First Name FieldMiddle Name FieldLast Name Field
GIRLKatherine Miller-Smith
BOYKatherine Miller-Smith
BABYKatherine Miller-Smith

Multiple Births

First Name FieldMiddle Name FieldLast Name Field
GIRL1Katherine Miller-Smith
BOY2Katherine Miller-Smith
BABY3Katherine Miller-Smith
BOY4Katherine Miller-Smith

 

Capture of Name - supporting the AHIMA Policy

It is imperative that we chose a standard approach to names like we have done for addresses.  The AHIMA Naming Policy is the best candidate and I strongly support its adoption.  While there are improvements that can be made to it in a few areas, we can't let perfection get in the way of the good.  The AHIMA Patient Naming Policy should be endorsed as part of USCDI ASAP.  

Name Requirements

I agree with the previous commenter that the AHIMA Patient Naming Policy should be adopted assist in standardization. Use of legal name vs use of insurance name (for example) hinders interoperability and negatively impacts patient safety.

Capture of Name

I support the use of AHIMA Patient Naming Policy for the capture of individual persons in USCDI to standardize the process regardless of what context a name is captured.  

I support the capture and maintenance of all previous names to be utilized with patient matching or linking.  

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