During Phreesia check-in, what approach verifies a patient's identity and why is it important?

• A. Verify by selfie
• B. Identity not verified
• C. Verify by matching name, date of birth, last four SSN if required, appointment details, and contact information; prevents wrong-patient data, ensures correct insurance and billing.
• D. Verify by social media

Answer: (C)

Verifying identity by cross-checking several patient identifiers—name, date of birth, the last four digits of the SSN if required, the appointment details, and current contact information—provides a reliable, layered check that the person presenting is the correct patient. This approach is important because it reduces the chance of wrong-patient data being pulled into records, ensures the patient’s insurance and billing are matched to the right individual, and supports accurate treatment history and care coordination. Relying on a single piece of information, like a name alone, is risky due to duplicates or common names. Using appointment details anchors the person to the specific visit, while contact information helps confirm identity if records are otherwise similar. The last four SSN is an extra verification step used only when needed, with privacy in mind. Methods such as selfies or checking social media are not dependable for verification and raise privacy and accuracy concerns.