An optimal code for patient identifiers
How to distinguish 1 billion individuals by an identifier consisting of eight characters, allowing a reasonable amount of error detection or even error correction? Our solution of this problem is an optimal code over a 32-character alphabet that detects up to two errors and corrects one error as well as a transposition of two adjacent characters. The corresponding encoding and error checking algorithms are available for free; they are also embedded as components of the pseudonymisation service that is used in the TMFthe German telematics platform for health research networks.
patient identifiers error detection error correction mds code