01

Identify what each key represents

NPI, CCN, PAC ID, legal organization identifiers, and addresses operate at different levels and for different purposes.

02

Preserve aliases and source records

Map source identifiers to durable entities without overwriting the source value or pretending every key is interchangeable.

03

Separate entities from relationships

A clinician, group, hospital, system, and location are distinct objects connected by effective-dated evidence.

04

Express confidence and provenance

Store the method, supporting source, effective period, review status, and confidence appropriate to the relationship.

05

Avoid unsupported inference

Do not translate affiliation into employment, privileges, referral behavior, service capability, or payer participation without supporting evidence.

See the method in context

Apply this framework to the illustrative Northeast Ohio orthopedic decision.