Which index is best suited for locating records of patients admitted with a specific diagnosis during a particular month?

Which index is best suited for locating records of patients admitted with a specific diagnosis during a particular month?

• A. Disease index
• B. Master patient index
• C. Physician index
• D. Vital statistics index

Answer: (A)

Locating patient records for a specific diagnosis during a particular month is addressed by the disease index. This index is organized around diagnoses, linking each record to the condition diagnosed and usually including admission dates, so you can pull every patient admitted with that diagnosis within the chosen month. By searching for the diagnosed condition and filtering by the admission date, you efficiently assemble the complete set of relevant records. The master patient index is focused on identifying individual patients across encounters, not grouping records by a diagnosis or a time frame. The physician index catalogs records by the treating physician, which isn’t helpful when the goal is to find all patients with a specific diagnosis. The vital statistics index tracks events like births and deaths and their causes, not hospital admissions by diagnosis.

Locating patient records for a specific diagnosis during a particular month is addressed by the disease index. This index is organized around diagnoses, linking each record to the condition diagnosed and usually including admission dates, so you can pull every patient admitted with that diagnosis within the chosen month. By searching for the diagnosed condition and filtering by the admission date, you efficiently assemble the complete set of relevant records.

The master patient index is focused on identifying individual patients across encounters, not grouping records by a diagnosis or a time frame. The physician index catalogs records by the treating physician, which isn’t helpful when the goal is to find all patients with a specific diagnosis. The vital statistics index tracks events like births and deaths and their causes, not hospital admissions by diagnosis.