What is a major benefit of using a Master Patient Index?

A major benefit of using a Master Patient Index (MPI) is its ability to track patient history across multiple providers. The MPI serves as a comprehensive database that contains unique identifiers for each patient, allowing healthcare organizations to maintain an accurate and consistent record of patient encounters across various settings. This is particularly important in a fragmented healthcare system where patients might receive care from multiple providers and facilities. By ensuring that patient information is consolidated and easily accessible across different institutions, the MPI contributes to improved continuity of care, enhanced patient safety, and ultimately better health outcomes.

The other options, while having some link to the broader effects of an MPI, do not directly encompass its primary function. For instance, while reducing paperwork for insurers or streamlining billing processes could be secondary effects of efficient data management through an MPI, they don't capture the core purpose of what an MPI primarily aims to achieve. Similarly, ensuring compliance with regulations is vital, but the MPI's focus is more on patient identity management and data integrity than regulatory issues. Thus, tracking patient history across multiple providers is indeed the most significant benefit of implementing a Master Patient Index.