Du Toit, KirstenFogwill, Thomas AViviers, Margaretha IMontja, MotshidisiBotha, AdeleHerselman, Martha ERousseau, P2025-07-212025-07-212024-11978-0-7988-5670-60-7988-5670-Xhttp://hdl.handle.net/10204/14289Purpose: The chapter explores heuristic approaches to enhance patient matching within the Health Patient Registration System (HPRS) in South Africa, focusing on integrating insights from data alignment with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA). The aim is to improve the accuracy and reliability of the national patient registry by addressing challenges related to data inconsistencies, cultural naming conventions, and the use of shared identifiers. Study design/methodology/approach: This research adopts an interpretative deductive approach grounded in the principles of ecological rationality. The study systematically analyzes patient matching within the HPRS, examining purposefully selected samples from the over 68 million registered patients, focusing on those verified by the DHA. The chapter proposes a conceptual framework for enhancing patient matching, integrating both deterministic and probabilistic record linkage methodologies. Findings: The findings suggest that employing a combination of key identifiers, implementing referential matching techniques, and developing algorithms that account for cultural and linguistic diversity can significantly improve patient matching accuracy within the HPRS. The research also highlights the importance of addressing data quality issues in both the HPRS and DHA reference datasets to ensure reliable patient identification across health systems. Originality/value: This study underscores the critical role of heuristic approaches in improving patient matching within national health information systems. It contributes to the broader discourse on digital health by offering practical strategies to enhance the integrity of patient registries, ultimately supporting the goals of equitable healthcare delivery under South Africa's National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme.FulltextenHealth Patient Registration SystemHPRSPatient MatchingData AlignmentNational Health InsuranceNHIReferential MatchingDigital HealthHeuristicsBook Chaptern/a