Resolve local identifier

Maturity

Initial proposal

Motivation

Best practice is to use NHS number as a consistent identifier to facilitate data exchange. However, existing data may use locally assigned identifiers (e.g. MRN numbers). Organisations will provide a lookup facility to allow local identifiers to be translated to NHS numbers.

Questions

Implementation

Endpoints must support IHE PIXm Mobile Patient Identifier Cross-reference Query interaction.

Systems for existing identity systems must be defined and shared amongst the partners.

Operation parameters

Name	Type	Description
sourceIdentifier	token	The Identifier for the patient
targetSystem	token	The system from which the identifier should be selected

Implementations must:

• reject requests where sourceIdentifier and targetSystem parameters are missing or unrecognised
• support targetSystem parameter =https://fhir.nhs.uk/Id/nhs-number

Implementations may support:

• targetSystem parameter with other systems, subject to local agreement
• additional parameters as necessary for best UX, subject to local agreement.