Which of the following is considered a patient identifier?

A patient identifier is any piece of information that can be used to uniquely identify an individual patient. In healthcare settings, it's crucial to ensure that patient records correspond to the correct patient to maintain privacy, accuracy, and quality of care.

The combination of a name and date of birth is particularly effective as a patient identifier because it is a widely accepted method for distinguishing between individuals. Names are common identifiers, but when coupled with a date of birth, it significantly reduces the risk of errors, particularly in populations where multiple individuals may have the same name.

While the other options also include personal information that could serve as identifiers, they tend to either lack specificity or are less universally applicable. For example, while a first name and phone number can identify a patient, the phone number may not be unique if multiple individuals share the same contact number. Similarly, home address and email can vary with time and may not always be reliable identifiers. An insurance policy number, while specific, is not as universally applicable to all potential patients since not everyone may have insurance.

Thus, the combination of a name and date of birth stands out as a robust and reliable patient identifier, making it the appropriate choice.