Improving address data quality in healthcare

Healthcare is experiencing a dramatic shift in how patient information is stored and managed. Electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) have become the new standard, driven by two powerful forces: everyone has mobile devices and the increase in the human population.

A growing problem with clean address data in EMRs and EHRs

While EMRs and EHRs offer amazing accessibility and storage capabilities (way better than a filing cabinet), they've also exposed a critical weakness in many healthcare organizations: address data quality. As these digital systems become more common in daily operations, even minor address errors can ripple through the entire ecosystem, creating inefficiencies and risks that may go unrecognized until it's too late.

The Internet's accessibility through cell phones combines tiny keypads with not-so-tiny fingers, which means more typos and garbage in.

Thanks, fat fingers.

Modern solutions for EHR address cleansing

One reason these problems go unnoticed for so long is that it's difficult to understand how to solve such a complex and technical problem.

Sophisticated address cleansing tools are essential for EHR address cleansing. These tools act as a sterilization system for patient data, maintaining rigorous cleanliness standards for digital records, just as healthcare facilities do for medical equipment.

Great address validation systems are the first line of defense, working behind the scenes to maintain data hygiene through several critical processes:

• Address validation ensures that every address in your database actually exists in the real world, which is crucial for delivering medical supplies or patient communications.
• Address standardization ensures that every address follows consistent formatting rules. This includes automatic correction of abbreviations, elimination of typos, and alignment with local postal requirements. Standardization is critical for healthcare organizations working toward record deduplication, interoperability, and Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN) certification, particularly in meeting Project US@ requirements.
• Autocomplete capabilities catch and correct address issues at the point of entry. For example, address autocomplete tools can suggest verified addresses in real-time as patients or employees type, preventing errors before they enter your system. This improves accuracy and enhances the patient experience by making form completion faster and more reliable.
• Global verification helps patients from around the world. If your system includes offices or patients worldwide, address validation solutions can handle this verification process globally, accommodating patients from hundreds of countries and territories.
• SmatyKey® assigns a persistent unique identifier to each address, ensuring consistent tracking even if address details change over time. This capability aids healthcare organizations in reducing duplicate entries, accurately joining multiple datasets, and enhancing data integrity. By integrating SmartyKey®, healthcare providers can improve operational efficiency and ensure reliable patient communications.

These address-cleansing solutions are powerful because they integrate seamlessly with existing systems, operating continuously in the background to maintain data quality without disrupting workflow. They ensure that only valid, complete addresses make their way into your records, providing the perfect balance of sophistication and simplicity.

The speed at which you can get up and running and start seeing amazing results is incredible. Take Curatus, a healthcare technology company that started to see improvements in its processes after only a few weeks. They reported reduced fees due to more efficient data processing, improved accuracy than their previous methods, and the complete elimination of client complaints.

The steps to take to defend your organization

The question isn't whether to upgrade your address validation systems–it's how quickly you can implement these solutions to prevent further revenue loss and improve patient experience. The full scope of what's possible might surprise you, and that's exactly what we dive into in our ebook: 13 Costly address data mistakes in healthcare you can’t afford to ignore (and how to fix them).

Think about your current processes. Are you manually verifying or typing addresses? How often are you dealing with returned mail? Has your equipment ever been delivered late? Each of these pain points represents not just an operational headache but a direct hit to your bottom line. More importantly, they represent opportunities for immediate improvement.

The solutions don't just patch the problem–they transform how your organization handles address data from the ground up. We're talking about systems that can:

• Validate addresses in real-time while your staff or patients are entering them
• Automatically standardize data to deduplicate records, improve interoperability, and meet postal and healthcare compliance requirements
• Seamlessly integrate with your existing EMR and EHR systems
• Handle address verification across more than 250 countries and territories
• Confidently join datasets

But here's the thing: address data quality is just one of thirteen mistakes your organization is likely making. Take a quick glance at our ebook to see the others Smarty can equip you to conquer: 13 Costly address data mistakes in healthcare you can’t afford to ignore (and how to fix them).

The path to better address data management is clear, and implementation with Smarty is easy. Give us a call—we’re happy to answer all your questions and help you wipe out the specific address data issues plaguing you.