When Record Sharing Goes Wrong: How to Prevent and Fix Wrong-Patient Errors in Care Everywhere

"Health information exchanges like Care Everywhere save lives—but only if the right patient’s chart is shared. Here’s how to spot, stop, and solve mismatched records."

The Problem: A Silent Danger in HIEs

Picture this: A nurse pulls records via Care Everywhere for Maria Garcia, born 05/12/1990—but the system auto-populates lab results for Maria Garcia, born 05/21/1990. Suddenly, diabetes meds are ordered for a non-diabetic patient.

This isn’t hypothetical. Wrong-patient errors in HIEs (Health Information Exchanges) like Care Everywhere can lead to:

• Dangerous treatment errors (e.g., incorrect allergies, medications, or diagnoses).

• HIPAA violations if unauthorized records are accessed.

• Billing denials due to mismatched demographics.

How Care Everywhere Errors Happen

Most mismatches occur because:

1. Overlapping demographics: Similar names/DOBs (e.g., John Smith Jr. vs. John Smith Sr.).

2. Auto-merging without verification: Systems may link records without staff double-checking.

3. Limited search filters: Some HIEs don’t require multiple identifiers (e.g., address + MRN).

Step-by-Step: What to Do When the Wrong Chart is Pulled

1. Immediate Actions

• Stop: Halt documentation/treatment using the incorrect data.

• Verify identity: Reconfirm the patient’s full name, DOB, and MRN (not just name/DOB).

• Disconnect the link: In Care Everywhere, click “No – Incorrect Patient” to sever the mismatch.

2. Correct the Record

• Manual query: Re-attempt the search with additional filters (e.g., phone number, ZIP code).

• Contact the source: For unresolved issues, call the originating hospital’s support desk.

• Document the error: Log the incident in your EHR’s safety reporting system.

3. Prevent Recurrence

• Train staff: Emphasize:

- Never assume auto-populated data is correct.

- Always check highlighted demographics in Care Everywhere before accepting matches.

• Advocate for system upgrades:

  Push IT for:

- Biometric verification (e.g., fingerprint scans at check-in).

- Stricter MPI rules (e.g., requiring 3+ identifiers for matches).

How Care Everywhere Should Be Used

“When querying a Hospital via Care Everywhere:

• Verify highlighted demographics before clicking ‘Yes – Correct Patient’.

• If no match is found, call support for the patient’s Care Everywhere ID.

• Updates can be requested via ‘Request Updates’ outside active encounters.”

The Future: Smarter Record Matching

• AI-driven “fuzzy matching”: Algorithms that weigh visit history, prescriptions, or even typing patterns (e.g., “Jon” vs. “John”).

• Patient-mediated sharing: Let patients approve/deny HIE links via apps like MyChart.

Key Takeaway

Care Everywhere is a powerful tool—but it’s only as good as the humans and systems behind it. Always verify, never assume.

Engage With Us:

• Have you encountered a wrong-patient HIE error? How was it resolved?

• What safeguards does your organization use? #HealthIT #HIE #MEDICALERRORS .