1.09 TELEPHONE NUMBER

Definition

Telephone number at which patient can be contacted.

Uses

This number is useful for patient follow-up and billing. Institutional policy should dictate how these data may be used and to whom they will be released. To protect patient privacy and confidentiality, access to the telephone number must be limited to authorized personnel.

Discussion

This may be a home or business telephone number or the telephone number of a friend, neighbor, or relative. The predominant use of this data element will be to enter the patient’s residential or work telephone number, but it also can be used to enter a beeper number, answering service number, fax number, and e-mail address.

Data Type (and Field Length)

XTN - extended telecommunication number (40).

Repetition

Yes, if the patient has more than one telecommunication number.

Field Values

See the definition of XTN in the Technical Notes at the end of this document for complete details.

Component 1 is not used except to indicate there is no phone or it is not known whether there is a phone.

Component 2 is the code indicating the telecommunication use.

Component 3 is the type of telecommunication equipment.

Component 4 is the e-mail address.

Component 5 is the country code.

Component 6 is the area code.

Component 7 is the phone number.

Component 8 is the extension.

Component 9 is a descriptive comment.

Example:

Component 6 = (808)
Component 7 = 555-4321
Component 9 = After 6:00 pm

At a minimum, local phone numbers should be recorded in Component 7 in the format 999-9999. Entries are not made in Components 1 - 6 and 8 - 9 when they are not needed. When the patient has no telephone number, enter " " in Component 1. When it is unknown whether the patient has a number, enter Unknown in Component 1.

Data Standards or Guidelines

None.

Other References

None.