Provider and Location Registry (PLR) - Core Data Definitions

Communication Mechanism

A method used to contact a person by mail, voice, or other electronic means (e.g., fax, pager, email, URL).

Credentials

Information about the degrees/qualifications obtained or fulfilled by the provider.

A credential (e.g., undergraduate, college certificate) recorded for a provider will normally be related to their practice in a specific field, discipline or role.

Demographics

A provider characteristic (e.g., date of birth, gender) recorded by the data source.

These data elements will normally be consistent for a person and used to search for existing provider records in the PLR.

Disciplinary Action

A regulatory body's undertaking as the result of negligent or otherwise inappropriate actions.

A disciplinary action (e.g., fine, practice limitations, additional education requirements) will only ever be recorded by a primary data source.

Expertise

A skill or knowledge in a particular area (sometimes referred to as specialty) that a provider has (e.g., physician specialty).

Although a provider may have received a specialty designation, he or she may not be practicing, or active in, the expertise.

Identifier

A character or string of characters assigned to a provider by a primary data source that is used, by them, to identify their providers in the PLR.

Typically, this will be the identifier used by the primary data source to identify the provider in their own local system (e.g., College of Physicians and Surgeons license number, MSP practitioner number).

Name

An appellation by which a person is known or called, consisting of a family name and one or more given names.

Each person must have at least one personal name.

Status

A provider’s condition (e.g., active, inactive, practising, non-practising) as specified by the primary data source that is subject to change.

Work Locations

A location where a provider conducts a practice and receives communications.