[Verified Answer]: Children’s Hospital Colorado was scheduled to…

Children’s Hospital Colorado was scheduled to implement a new electronic health record (EHR). The hospital became aware they had a problem with duplicate health records and needed to purge the master patient index (MPI) before the implementation date to get the best results. A consulting firm was hired and a review of the data confirmed this problem. The firm found 3,000 potential duplicate health records issued over the past five years. The hospital started the MPI purging process by educating their patient registration staff on proper search strategies, questions to ask the patient, the importance of a unit health record, and other related topics. This education was an important first step so that additional duplicate health records would not be assigned while the purging process was occurring. Once the training was complete, the consulting firm began cleaning up the MPI. The consultants reviewed the potential duplicate health records and merged the records where appropriate. They also ensured the health records were merged in other information systems used throughout the healthcare facility. They provided documentation to Children’s Hospital Colorado showing which health records were and were not duplicates based on their review. What would you include in the training and why? Explain what different duties consultants can provide during this type of purge. Would you have hired a consultant in the same situation? Why or why not? Why did the facility find itself in this situation? What could they have done to prevent it and what should they do moving forward?