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Multiple Person Identifiers (aka Multiple PIDs or MPIDs) are the number one data quality issue in the CONNECTIONS application.
MPIDs exist when a single person has two or more unique identifiers, resulting in fragmented and incomplete historical information in the system for that person. This is a health and safety issue as we strive to keep children and families in NY safe. Also, as we continue to enhance CONNECTIONS and work to exchange data with other systems, it becomes increasingly more important to maintain one complete history for each and every person in CONNECTIONS, and for that history to be stored under one PID.
MPIDs are created when a person is added (or person information updated) in CONNECTIONS without doing a thorough search to see if that individual already exists in the database. MPIDs impact every CONNECTIONS user, from intake to aftercare, and every user plays a part in helping to prevent, reduce, and/or help to correct instances of MPIDs.
Based on feedback from a poll around this topic, OCFS has developed an MPID workgroup to first and foremost communicate the impact of this issue, and to also identify MPID specialists in every county to serve as point people to assist users in correcting MPIDs. Our goals are to develop a standard on how to identify and correct MPIDs, provide guidance on how to prevent MPIDs, and enhance and provide training to users when required. We need every user to help identify and report MPID issues in order to improve the data integrity of our system, to facilitate the ability to maintain a complete history, and ultimately to provide the necessary services to keep the children and families we serve safe.
There are currently over 20,000 instances of potential multiple PIDS just on current open stages in CONNECTIONS. All CONNECTIONS users should strive to maintain a single person ID for each person in CONNECTIONS, to allow users to easily access all historical case-related information.
Resources
- Multiple PID Specialist by County
- Multiple PID Process Guidance Document
- PID Merge Error Messages Tip Sheet (February 2021)
- Performing a Person Unrelate in CONNECTIONS
- CCWIS Webinar: Multiple PIDS in CONNECTIONS - Powerpoint Presentation (as a PDF file) (September 22, 2021)
- CCWIS Webinar: Multiple PIDS in CONNECTIONS - Meeting Recording (September 22, 2021)
Questions about Multiple PIDS/Need Assistance? Please contact your Regional Implementation Specialist.