Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Why is it advised not to use a Social Security Number (SSN) as a patient identifier?

1. It is not unique

2. There is no check digit for verification

3. It is sometimes incorrect

4. It is too long

The correct answer is: There is no check digit for verification

Using a Social Security Number (SSN) as a patient identifier is advised against primarily because there is no check digit for verification. This means that the SSN lacks an additional verification mechanism that would help ensure its accuracy. In health information contexts, identifiers that have a built-in system to verify their correctness are preferred, as this minimizes the risk of errors when matching patients with their records. The absence of a check digit means that there can be no automated assurance that any given SSN is valid or correctly associated with a specific patient. This opens the potential for errors, such as mistaking one patient for another, especially in large datasets where common errors or typos can easily occur. In addition, the other options highlight some valid concerns about SSNs, such as the risk of duplication due to the limited number of SSNs issued, the chance of inaccuracies, and the length of the number. However, the key issue emphasized here focuses on the reliability and security concerns associated with a lack of verification through a check digit.