What is a requirement for electronic data entry regarding the patient?

The requirement for electronic data entry regarding the patient is the name and address of the patient. This is crucial because, in a healthcare setting, accurately identifying a patient is essential for providing appropriate care, ensuring proper communication, and maintaining legal records. The name serves as the primary identifier for a patient, and the address provides additional demographic information that can be vital for a variety of administrative functions, including insurance billing and emergency contact purposes.

Including the name and address in electronic records ensures compliance with legal requirements for patient identification and confidentiality. While other information, such as a phone number or date of birth, may be beneficial for contact and identification respectively, the combination of the name and address is often the fundamental requirement for establishing a clear and complete patient record in electronic systems. This is especially important under regulations like HIPAA, which emphasize the need for secure and accurate patient information handling.