Final answer:
It is false that patients should be added to the MPI and assigned medical record numbers by various departments; a centralized registration process is critical for accuracy and efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that patients should be added to the MPI (Master Patient Index) and medical record numbers should be assigned by various departments throughout a health system is false. Typically, a centralized registration process is used where a unique medical record number is assigned to a patient upon their first encounter with the health system. This ensures that patient information is accurately linked across various departments, reducing the risk of errors and duplication.
For example, in the case of a medical researcher conducting interviews with randomly selected patients or epidemiologists examining medical records to decide which patients to interview, having a centralized MPI helps them to correctly identify and track patients within the health system. Decentralizing the assignment of medical record numbers could lead to confusion and inefficiencies.