Q: Can the National Provider Identifier (NPI) system change request (SCR) uniquely identify health care providers?
A: The National Provider Identifier (NPI) registry is a set of data that could help identify providers and reduce duplicates by matching name and location data, but the NPI data does have its limitations. The data is only for providers that handle Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA) data, so may not cover all provider types stored within Child Welfare Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS). The NPI data is also a self-register database; it is only as good as the data entered by the provider, so there may be limitations on accuracy and timeliness. There may also be gaps in what data NPI stores and what CWS/CMS stores, for example, the NPI provider may only be assigned to one address (main agency), but in CWS/CMS there could be multiple addresses for that provider where they physically perform services.