Final answer:
AHIMA opposes the use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) as a patient identifier in an electronic environment due to privacy and identity theft risks. They recommend using other unique identifiers, such as medical record numbers or unique patient identifiers, to ensure patient data privacy and security.
Step-by-step explanation:
AHIMA strongly opposes the use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) as a patient identifier in an electronic environment.
SSNs are not intended to be used as patient identifiers as they pose significant risks to patient privacy and identity theft. AHIMA recommends using other unique identifiers, such as medical record numbers or unique patient identifiers, to ensure patient data privacy and security.
Additionally, using SSNs as patient identifiers can lead to confusion and errors, as multiple patients may have the same SSN or patients may change their SSNs.