NextGate Responds to House Vote on a National Patient Identifier
In a July 30 ruling, House overturns ban on using federal funds to pursue a universal patient identifier
PASADENA, Calif., August 3, 2020 – Following a decision late last week by the House of Representatives to overturn the ban on funding for a national patient identifier, NextGate issued the following statement:
NextGate applauds the House for their decision to overturn the ban on federal funding for a national patient identifier in a serious effort to improve interoperability and patient safety. While a universal patient identifier is not the silver bullet to solving the patient matching crisis in the U.S., it will help to move the needle forward toward building a safer, more interoperable healthcare system. Having worked extensively in other countries that currently have a mandated number—England and Scotland—it alone is not enough to achieve total integration across health and social care services. Because the U.S. healthcare system is much larger in scope and far more complex than that of the U.K., a national patient identifier should be perceived as another strong indicator of an individual’s identity, in conjunction with other demographics required for matching. Nevertheless, we commend the decision as a major step forward in enabling a longitudinal health record, and we are well-positioned to support the transition.
Last week, NextGate and several other industry stakeholders as part of the Patient ID Now Coalition, issued a joint letter in support of reversing the ban to enable the government to work with the private sector to identify solutions that are scalable, secure and that protect patient privacy.
A recent survey conducted by NextGate and eHealth Initiative found approximately 70 percent of U.S. hospital and HIE leaders “completely” or “somewhat” agree that federal funding should be made available for a national patient identifier.
For further comment on the ruling, please contact:
Stephanie Fraser
Director of Communications and Media Relations, NextGate
c: 734-233-1483 | o: 734-399-9336
stephanie.fraser@nextgate.com
About NextGate
With over 200 customers in six countries, NextGate is the global leader in healthcare enterprise identification. Committed to helping organizations overcome the clinical, operational and financial challenges that result from duplicate records and disparate data, our full suite of identity matching solutions connects the entire healthcare ecosystem to drive critical improvements in quality, efficiency and safety. NextGate’s market-leading EMPI currently manages 300 million lives and is deployed by the nation’s most successful healthcare systems and health information exchanges. For more information, visit NextGate.com.
