HPI questions and answers

The Health Provider Index (HPI) is a national database holding information to identify health providers. The HPI comprises three separate indexes for:

The HPI comprises three separate indexes for which the identifiers are:

• CPN (Common Person Number) - issued to Practitioners (people) who provide health services
• HPI ORG ID – issued to Organisations that provide health services.
• HPI FAC ID – issued to named facilities (locations) at which an Organisation provides health services.
  
  

The format for each of the identifiers is :

• CPN - NNXXXX where N is numeric and X is Alphabetic 
• HPI ORG ID - GXXNNN-C where X is alphanumeric, N is numeric and C is a check character
• HPI FAC ID - FXXNNN-C where X is alphanumeric, N is numeric and C is a check character

In the past, health organisations have maintained their own indexes of providers, and this has resulted in a widespread duplication of effort. Having one national index removes this duplication and makes the up-to-date information available to the sector from one place. The HPI marks a significant advance for the New Zealand health sector, because:

• it has established a sound basis for identifying sector participants when communicating electronically with sector agencies
• trusted identity and qualification information is made available and can be used by sector agencies to conform to established health information security and privacy guidelines
• conformance with the wider New Zealand eGovernment guidelines will be achieved as HPI technologies are integrated over the next few years into applications across the sector.

The HPI currently includes practitioners registered with the following Responsible Authorities (as defined in the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003):

• Chiropractic Board | Te Poari Kaikorohiti o Aotearoa
• Dental Council | Te Kaunihera Tiaki Niho
• Dietitians Board | Te Mana Mātanga Mātai Kai
• Medical Council of New Zealand | Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa
• Medical Radiation Technologists Board | Te Poari Ringa Hangarua Iraruke
• Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand | Te Kaunihera Pūtaiao Hauora o Aotearoa
• Midwifery Council | Te Tatau o te Whare Kahu
• Nursing Council of New Zealand | Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa
• Occupational Therapy Board | Te Poari Whakaora Ngangahau o Aotearoa
• Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Board | Te Poari a ngā Kaimātai Whatu me ngā Kaiwhakarato Mōhiti
• Osteopathic Council | Te Kaunihera Whakanao kōiwi Uau
• Paramedic Council | Te Kaunihera Manapou
• Pharmacy Council | Te Pou Whakamana Kaimatū o Aotearoa
• Physiotherapy Board | Te Poari Tiaki Tinana o Aotearoa
• Podiatrists Board | Te Poari Tiaki Waewae o Aotearoa
• Psychologists Board | Te Poari Kaimātai Hinengaro o Aotearoa
• Psychotherapists Board | Te Poari o nga Kaihaumanu Hinengaro o Aotearoa

The HPI currently includes only those practitioners registered with Responsible Authorities that supply data to the Ministry (as above).

Further practitioners from other Responsible Authorities will be added when Data supply agreements are negotiated.

Non-registered health workers will be added in the future.

The intention of the HPI is to make access as simple as possible by collating many sector databases into one national index. Reducing the duplication of systems and effort across the sector associated with sourcing and maintaining practitioner, organisation and facility data, is a main aim of the HPI.

The HPI was developed by the Ministry of Health in consultation with health sector stakeholders. A Sector Advisory Group with strong healthcare sector representation was convened to help guide the development of the HPI. At a later date, an HPI Sector Integration Advisory Group was established to advise the Ministry of Health on the sector integration and ongoing governance of the HPI.

The Ministry of Health developed requirements with input from a large number of sector organisations. A Proof of Concept trial was successfully completed. A Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued and a vendor selected for the development of the HPI system.

Also, a Privacy Impact Analysis was completed to identify and address privacy aspects associated with practitioner data.

The HPI makes available, in electronic form, information that is currently available from multiple sources. Organisations within the health sector will be free to use existing methods to authenticate and control access to their applications. The HPI identity information, available from a trusted source, is a valuable resource for integration and use by existing and new sector systems.

The Ministry of Health provides the computer system and the administration function for the HPI. The Ministry has a Data Provision Agreement with each Data Source (Responsible Authority) and Data Access Deed with each Data Consumer for practitioner data. Data Sources supplying information to the HPI are responsible for maintaining the currency and accuracy of the information provided to the HPI and determining who has access to that information.

The HPI will contain information about practitioners such as identifier, name, practising status, qualifications, scope of practice and conditions on practice.

Organisation information includes identifier, legal name, trading name, address, contact details and NZBN.

Facility information includes identifier, current name, address, contact details and relationship to the organisation that owns/operates it.

Practitioner data is obtained from trusted data sources, which are the Responsible Authorities listed in the Health Practitioner Competence Assurance Act (eg, the Medical Council for registered medical practitioners).

Organisation and facility data are obtained from appropriate trusted sources of information.

The data sources provide the data, determine who has access to that data, and may permit others (secondary sources) to update specific information.

Considerable effort is directed toward ensuring the integrity of HPI data. Processes to maintain the currency and accuracy of HPI information have been developed to ensure HPI information is as up-to-date as possible. Data sources already collect and maintain data about their registrants. This data is supplied to the HPI and stored according to agreed data standards. Feedback processes are in place to work with the data source where inaccurate or out-of-date information is identified by a data consumer or by HPI administration processes.

Practitioners can request that the information held on the HPI on themselves be updated by contacting their Responsible Authority.

Organisations and Facilities can request updates to their information by emailing HI_Provider@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

Any currently effective limitations on Scope of Practice are required under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 to be made publicly available. Given this is public register information, it will be made available on the HPI.

However, once the expiry date of the limitation has passed, the record will be retained on the HPI but the information will not be disclosed to Data Consumers, unless access to that information is for a purpose approved by the primary source.

Yes, a Data Source may restrict access to certain data attributes. This may mean no access to the data, or access being limited to authorised Data Consumers only.

Processes have been implemented to identify possible duplicates entries when a new practitioner is entered on the HPI. The HPI Administrator works with data sources to resolve potential duplicates.

This will depend on the context.

Many sector systems allow the use of the registration number but as new systems are developed or existing systems improved, there is increasing use of the HPI Common Person Number (CPN) for healthcare transactions.

HPI identifiers and information will be relevant to many sector health information systems. It is expected that sector systems will change to using the HPI identifiers.

The main benefit is the use of one instead of many identifiers. Doctors and midwives, for example, frequently have different identifiers for ordering laboratory tests and for accessing test results. The HPI will minimise the number of identifiers that clinicians need to use and will allow access to clinical information in a much more seamless and transparent way than is currently available. Another key benefit for practitioners is improved access to health information stored in systems throughout the sector, and the sharing of health information with other practitioners and providers.

The HPI will include up-to-date information on practitioners, and provide a mechanism for authenticating the identity of practitioners and providing other key information such as practising status. This will assist administrators of health information systems to manage access security, and to manage the secure transfer of information between health practitioners. Initiatives related to the shared care of patients, such as referrals, discharge summaries and laboratory results, require the secure exchange of health information. There are significant future benefits in terms of improved privacy and security of health information.

The chief benefit for health provider organisations is reduced compliance costs. Provider organisations incur significant administrative overhead costs in ensuring that correct identifiers are used in managing of various contracts and processing transactions. The HPI will enable the number of practitioner identifiers to be rationalised, thereby reducing administrative overheads. The ability to use the HPI to authenticate parties seeking to access provider health information systems is also a benefit for health provider organisations.

The main benefit is an improved ability to measure and analyse resources going towards the provision of health services by providers, and for workforce planning and development. Furthermore, a unique identifier for practitioner, organisation and facility will significantly enhance the ability of health agencies to plan services and manage contracts.

Data Sources will notify their practitioners of the data that will be made available to the HPI and to whom it will be disclosed. A Privacy Impact Assessment, covering the privacy aspects of provision and use of data on the HPI, has been completed.

A Voluntary Code of Practice has also been developed.

Only health sector users can access identifiers and other information on the HPI. Access to public register data will be provided to health-sector users via the secure environment of the national health information network. Certain (non-public register) data held on the HPI will only be made available to agencies approved by the sources of that data (Responsible Authorities), in accordance with strict security controls and according to the terms and conditions of a Data Access Deed.