Community Health Index (Scotland)

This article is about NHS Scotland's patient identification system. For the health index for online communities, see Community Health Index.

The Community Health Index is a register of all patients in NHS Scotland, Scotland's publicly funded healthcare system. The register exists to ensure that patients can be correctly identified, and that all information pertaining to a patient's health is available to providers of care.^[1]

Patients are identified using a ten-digit number known as the CHI Number.^[2] This number is normally formed using the patient's date of birth followed by four digits: two digits randomly generated, the third digit identifying gender at birth (odd for men, even for women) and a check digit.^[3] As of November 2009, uptake of this number varied across Scotland from 96.0% to 99.8%.^[4]

References

1. ^ "Aims of the CHI Initiative". www.scotland.gov.uk. Scottish Government. 2006. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/Delivery-Improvement/1835/1865/1852. Retrieved 2011-07-12. 
2. ^ "National Committee Services: CHI Advisory Group: About Us". Scottish Health Service Centre. NHS National Services Scotland. 2008. http://www.chiadvisorygroup.scot.nhs.uk/. Retrieved 2008-11-30. 
3. ^ "Health and Social Care Data Dictionary: Community Health Index (CHI) Number". ISD Scotland. ISD Scotland. 2008. http://www.datadictionaryadmin.scot.nhs.uk/isddd/9733.html. Retrieved 2008-11-30. 
4. ^ Scotland Performs. Scottish Government. 2009. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/partnerstories/NHSScotlandperformance/CHIutilisation. Retrieved 2010-03-15.