Which number allows Epic to attach a dictated transcription to the correct patient and encounter?

The ability of the Epic system to accurately attach a dictated transcription to the correct patient and encounter is primarily reliant on the Contact Serial Number (CSN). The CSN is a unique identifier assigned to each patient encounter, allowing healthcare providers to track and manage care for specific interactions. This is particularly important in an inpatient setting where multiple encounters may occur for the same patient over time.

When a transcription is dictated, it includes the CSN, ensuring seamless integration into the patient's medical record for that particular encounter. This prevents confusion between different visits and ensures that all documentation, including dictated transcriptions, is accurately associated with the relevant patient encounter.

While Patient ID, Medical Record Number, and Order Number are important identifiers in the healthcare system, they do not specifically target encounters in the same way the CSN does. The Patient ID is broader and may correspond to any of a patient's encounters, and the Medical Record Number encompasses the entire medical history rather than individual encounters. The Order Number facilitates connections between specific tests or medications but does not track all aspects of a patient encounter like the CSN does. Thus, the CSN is essential for correctly linking dictated transcriptions to patient encounters within the Epic system.