Data Integrity Specialist

Position Summary

The Enterprise Master Patient Index (EMPI) Data Integrity Specialist is responsible for maintaining the accuracy, integrity, and reliability of patient identity data across enterprise registration, clinical, and electronic health record (EHR) systems. This role performs daily data integrity operations, including the identification, investigation, and resolution of duplicate, overlay, overlap, and other patient identity discrepancies within the EMPI environment.

The specialist works collaboratively with Registration, Health Information Management (HIM), Clinical Operations, Information Technology, and other key stakeholders to ensure patient records are accurate, properly linked, and available to support safe, high-quality patient care. The position requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a thorough understanding of patient identity management processes.

Key Responsibilities

Data Integrity Operations

• Monitor and manage EMPI work queues to identify and resolve patient identity issues, including:
  • Duplicate medical records
  • Overlays
  • Overlaps
  • Mismatched patient records
  • Registration and demographic discrepancies
  • Other EMPI-related data integrity concerns
• Analyze patient demographic and clinical information to determine the appropriate resolution of identity-related issues.
• Ensure accurate consolidation, correction, and maintenance of patient records in accordance with established policies and procedures.
• Meet organizational and facility-specific turnaround times for issue resolution.

Patient Identity Resolution

• Investigate and remediate duplicate patient records within established service level agreements (SLAs).
• Prioritize and resolve escalated cases that may impact patient care, patient safety, or clinical workflows.
• Apply critical thinking and data analysis techniques to validate patient identities and prevent erroneous record merges.

System Coordination and Communication

• Coordinate notifications and updates to downstream applications affected by patient identity corrections.
• Ensure proper communication of completed merges, unmerges, overlays, and other corrections to impacted departments and systems.
• Collaborate with Registration, HIM, Clinical Informatics, Compliance, and IT teams to resolve complex patient identity challenges.

Interface and Application Support

• Identify, investigate, and address interface-related errors affecting patient registration and identity management.
• Support accurate patient creation and synchronization across registration systems, acute care EHRs, ambulatory EHRs, and ancillary applications.
• Escalate unresolved technical issues to appropriate support teams.

System Testing and Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Information Technology teams on:
  • Application upgrades
  • System implementations
  • User acceptance testing (UAT)
  • Production validations
  • Ongoing system maintenance activities
• Participate in process improvement initiatives to enhance patient matching accuracy and operational efficiency.
• Recommend workflow improvements that reduce duplicate creation and improve data quality.

Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Maintain compliance with organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and patient privacy standards.
• Ensure all data integrity activities are accurately documented and audited when required.
• Support quality assurance reviews and reporting related to EMPI performance metrics.

Required Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree in a Medical Allied Health field required, such as:

• Medical Technology (Medical Laboratory Science)
• Nursing
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Therapy
• Radiologic Technology
• Pharmacy

Experience

• At least 1 – 2 years’ experience working with healthcare registration systems or EMPI platforms (LexisNexis) or electronic health records (EHRs), or health information management operations preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Technical Skills

• Knowledge of EMPI concepts, patient identity management, and medical record integrity.
• Understanding of healthcare registration workflows and EHR systems.
• Familiarity with duplicate, overlay, overlap, and record reconciliation processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Outlook.
• Experience with healthcare information systems and interface management preferred.

Analytical Skills

• Strong investigative and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to analyze complex patient demographic data and identify discrepancies.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.

Communication Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate complex data integrity issues clearly and professionally.

Professional Competencies

• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced healthcare environment.
• Strong commitment to patient safety, data accuracy, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting large-scale health systems or multi-facility healthcare organizations.
• Knowledge of patient matching technologies and identity management best practices.
• Experience with Epic EHR platform
• Familiarity with EMPI especially LexisNexis interfaces and healthcare interoperability concepts.

Working Conditions

• Remote work environment, with onsite reporting as needed.
• Onsite training requirement.
• Requires regular collaboration with healthcare operations, IT teams, and clinical stakeholders.
• May require occasional support for system upgrades, testing, and go-live activities outside normal business hours.