Back to search

patient external identifier

pt_ext_id
member
Updated 3/30/2026

Definition

The external system reference id for a individual receiving medical care. Used as a unique reference to identify and track the patient across healthcare systems. This field is commonly used in electronic health records (EHR), healthcare information systems (HIS), and clinical data warehouses for patient management and reporting.

Standard Abbreviation

pt_ext_id

Category

member

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  claim_id VARCHAR(50),
  pt_ext_id VARCHAR(100),  -- patient external identifier
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT 
  claim_id,
  pt_ext_id as patient_external_identifier
FROM claims;

Looking for more healthcare terms?

Browse our complete library of 65,000+ standardized healthcare data terms

Browse All Terms