In the context of health information management, what does "identity management" refer to?

Identity management in the context of health information management primarily focuses on maintaining accurate patient records. It involves ensuring that each patient's identity is correctly recorded and matched to their health information. This is crucial for providing quality healthcare, as accurate patient records enable healthcare providers to deliver safe and effective care.

When identity management is effectively implemented, it minimizes the risk of errors related to patient identification, such as misidentification, which can lead to improper treatment or services. It encompasses processes such as verifying patient identities at the point of care, ensuring proper documentation, and maintaining accurate databases.

While establishing security protocols, tracking healthcare costs, and optimizing healthcare delivery are important aspects of health information management, they do not specifically address the core function of identity management, which centers on the precision and integrity of patient identification and records.