National patient identifier struggles for life

In healthcare, the idea of a national patient identifier (NPI) is suddenly hot again, after nearly two decades of rejection by privacy advocates and Congress. The College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME), which represents CIOs, has taken the lead in the initiative to devise a private-sector solution that will be acceptable to privacy proponents. 

CHIME announced last March that it would offer a $1 million prize to the winner of a National Patient ID Challenge. The contest – which will be conducted in association with HeroX, an offshoot of the XPRIZE organization – is seeking participation from innovators around the world. CHIME will launch the challenge this fall and expects to award the prize before the end of 2016, according to Keith Fraidenburg, executive vice president and chief strategy officer of CHIME. 

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