Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a selection of questions that we have encountered concerning the VUHID project.

• Why are the identifiers so long?
  VUHID identifiers are designed to be robust, flexible, and durable. We cannot currently anticipate all the ways in which they will be used, nor can we predict how long they will be useful to have so the VUHID identifier design includes extra capacity to ensure that the system can continue to serve the emerging and evolving needs of healthcare for as long as is helpful.
• Why not just use the Social Security Number?
  The ability to use the Social Security Number (SSN) as a healthcare identifier was carefully examined but it was determined that this was not possible for a variety of reasons. Some of them include: The SSN does not have sufficient capacity to serve anticipated PVID needs. There is no way to dedicate the SSN exclusively to the needs of healthcare. Trying to adapt the SSN to make it feasible to meet the needs of healthcare would be prohibitively expensive and take many years to accomplish. It is not possible to achieve the privacy requirements of healthcare using the SSN as an identifier.
• What is the relationship between the VUHID project and the federal government?
  There is no relationship. The VUHID system is a private project. Because it uses a voluntary approach the VUHID system must be trusted by the largest number of people possible in order to offer the most benefit. The managers of the VUHID project believe that this means the VUHID system should be kept permanently separate from any federal control, oversight, or funding. VUHID identifiers can be used to support personal identification activities in support of the National Health Information Network being promoted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Healthcare Information Technology but there is no formal relationship between ONCHIT or any other government agency and the VUHID system.
• Who is running the VUHID project?
  At this time the project is being guided by a small group of individuals. It is anticipated that as the project matures a managing board of directors will be established with members drawn exclusively from organizations that are dedicated to the benefit of healthcare.
• What other purposes besides healthcare activities will the VUHID system serve?
  None. The VUHID system is dedicated solely and exclusively to serving the needs of healthcare.
• What about those who choose not to participate in the VUHID system?
  No one should ever be forced or coerced into getting a VUHID identifier. If someone chooses not to participate in the VUHID system then their medical records will continue to be linked using the demographic matching and linking capabilities offered by EMPI systems and the NHIN. This means that, as is the case today, they will face the inconvenience of repeatedly having to provide their demographic information for identification purposes. Because this information will need to be stored, transmitted and used repeatedly these persons will be at a permanently increased risk of identity theft. Without having the benefits offered by PVIDs they will not have the same control of the privacy of their medical information as they could using PVIDs. They also will constantly face the risk that due to an error in demographic matching their medical records may be incomplete or, much worse, may be inappropriately merged with portions of someone else's medical information.