Printable hospital template
Patient identity discrepancy review log
Record a possible patient-record mismatch without merging files or guessing an identity, with evidence, an assigned reviewer and a documented resolution.
- Written by
- RizCare
- Published
- Last reviewed
RizCare's suggested worksheet. Adapt to your hospital. https://riz.care/library/templates/patient-identity-discrepancy-log
For reception staff and the person responsible for patient record identity.
The name matches, but the folder details do not. Keep the uncertainty visible while the authorised records lead checks it. A missing card, similar names or conflicting identifiers need investigation before staff create another registration, correct demographics or connect existing records.
A busy reception desk in a Nigerian hospital may use paper folders alongside software. Record the candidate references discreetly. Do not expose another person's details to help a visitor choose a record, and do not let administrative investigation delay an urgent clinical escalation.
Print this page or save it as a PDF from your browser. The print layout contains only the blank worksheet and its completion note. Fill it in within your hospital.
Practice: ____________________ Prepared by: ____________________ Date: ______________
| Case | Question / references | Review | Resolution / owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank entry | |||
| Blank entry | |||
| Blank entry | |||
| Blank entry |
Keep completed copies with the staff authorised to use them.
How to use it
Pause the uncertain selection
Write what does not agree and which record selection is in question. Avoid attaching a new attendance or payment to a guessed existing person. Follow the hospital's process for care while identity remains unresolved. If a temporary reference is used, identify who owns the later review and preserve the connection to any work recorded under it.
Ask for identifiers independently
Ask the person to state the identifiers used by the hospital rather than reading another file's details aloud for confirmation. WHO recommends at least two identifiers; a room number is not one. This is international safety guidance, not a requirement to possess a particular Nigerian identity document. Record uncertainty, such as an approximate date, without replacing it with a guess.
Have the authorised reviewer resolve the case
The reviewer should record the evidence, decision and any affected record references. A likely match is not permission for an automatic merge. If work was recorded under a temporary reference, use the hospital's controlled correction process and check the affected attendance, reports and bills. Record which staff were informed so the next visit does not restart the same investigation.
The cited WHO solution supports careful identification. The discrepancy log and its administrative handover steps are our recommended way to keep an unresolved question visible.
What each field means
- Discrepancy
- State the conflicting detail in the protected record. Avoid vague labels such as wrong patient without saying what evidence caused the concern.
- Candidate references
- Use internal record references. A shared phone number or household address may connect people without establishing that they are the same patient.
- Evidence and reviewer
- Record who checked which evidence and when. Keep supporting material within the hospital's approved record process rather than attaching unnecessary identity-document copies here.
- Resolution and affected work
- State selected record, unresolved or controlled correction required. Include follow-up references so resolution of the identity question does not leave a report under the wrong record.
Completed fictional example
All references are fictional. No real names or identifiers are shown. The second case remains unresolved and is not an instruction to create a duplicate permanent record.
| Case | Question / references | Review | Resolution / owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| ID-01 | Similar names; P-031 and P-104 | Independently stated identifiers support P-104 | Reviewer A confirmed P-104; reception informed |
| ID-02 | Returning without card; details incomplete | No reliable match established | Temporary reference TMP-08; Reviewer B owns follow-up |
Related resources
Sources and review
The worksheet design and examples are RizCare's recommendations. The sources below support the background discussion; they do not endorse this form.
- Patient identification: patient safety solution (World Health Organization). Read 9 September 2026.