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Proposed Reasoning

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This is a reference document only.

Purpose​

This executive summary outlines the rationale behind the decision to import only matched records from the National Provider Identifier (NPI) and State Board of Nursing (SBON) datasets into our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. The objective is to enhance data quality, ensure compliance, and optimize operational efficiency while minimizing the creation of duplicate records.

Background​

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) imports data from NPI and SBON sources to identify Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and update existing records. This process is vital for understanding the current NP population in the United States, analyzing trends over time, and supporting strategic planning and research efforts. However, the current practice of importing all records, including unmatched ones, has led to significant challenges.

Key Challenges​

  1. Duplicate Records

    • Current State: The practice of importing unmatched records creates a high volume of duplicate records in our CRM system.
    • Impact: This leads to resource-intensive processes for merging duplicates and increases the risk of data inconsistencies.

  2. Regulatory Compliance

    • Current State: Each state has specific regulations on the use of contact information, which change annually.
    • Impact: Keeping track of the source and year of imported data is complex and essential for compliance, particularly regarding email usage restrictions.

  3. Resource Allocation

    • Current State: Managing and merging duplicates requires substantial staff resources.
    • Impact: Currently, we have over 9,000 potential duplicate records that need manual merging, straining our available resources.

Strategic Decision​

To address these challenges, we recommend only importing matched records into our CRM system. This approach involves using external matching processes to identify and verify records before importing them.

Benefits of Importing Only Matched Records​

  1. Improved Data Quality

    • Accurate Records: By importing only matched records, we ensure that our CRM contains accurate and verified information, reducing data inconsistencies.

  2. Compliance Assurance

    • Regulatory Adherence: This approach simplifies compliance with state-specific regulations by maintaining moment in time versions of each file rather than merging data into an existing record. This ensures we can more accurately determine the number of uses of protected data found in each file such as email, address and phone number.

  3. Resource Efficiency

    • Optimized Resource Use: Limiting imports to matched records reduces the need for extensive manual data cleaning and merging, freeing up staff resources for other critical tasks.

  4. Enhanced Strategic Insights

    • Accurate Trend Analysis: By maintaining a clean and accurate dataset external to Salesforce, we can more effectively analyze trends in the NP population, supporting strategic planning and research initiatives.

  5. Operational Efficiency

    • Streamlined Processes: This approach simplifies the data import process, making it more efficient and manageable.

Conclusion​

Adopting a strategy of importing only matched records into our CRM system will significantly improve data quality, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and optimize resource allocation. This strategic decision supports AANP's mission to provide accurate and reliable data for understanding the NP population and enhancing our research and strategic planning efforts.

By focusing on data quality and operational efficiency, we can better serve our members and support the advancement of the NP profession.

Next Steps​

  1. Implementation of External Matching Processes: Develop and implement robust external matching processes to identify and verify records before import.
  2. Staff Training and Resource Allocation: Train staff on the new processes and reallocate resources to support the streamlined data management approach.
  3. Continuous Monitoring and Improvement: Regularly review and refine the matching criteria and processes to ensure ongoing accuracy and efficiency.

This executive summary provides a clear and professional rationale for the strategic decision to import only matched records into our CRM system, emphasizing the benefits and addressing the key challenges associated with the current process.