ShowMe WorldCare End User Manual


Person Versions Versus Multiple Identities/Addresses

It can be confusing to know when to use a person version compared to a multiple identity/address. Person versions are different from multiple addresses and multiple identities.

  • Multiple addresses and multiple identities may exist for the same person at the same point in time and should be used to reflect this situation. Common examples where multiple identities/addresses should be used include:
    • People may use multiple names at the same time, such as a legal name as well as a nickname or alias.
    • People may live in multiple places at the same time.
      • A child may live with different parents or other family members.
      • Military personnel may reside at a military base but also have a permanent residence.
      • College students may live on campus but return to their parents’ home frequently.
  • A person version reflects information at a single point in time.
    • In ShowMe WorldCare, this point in time is usually the date a reportable condition has occurred (e.g., onset date, diagnosis date, report date).
    • Information such as the patient’s name and address reported as of a condition date should generally not change on that specific condition record in the future even if the person moves or changes their name later.
  • Following the steps described in previous sections should result in the correct method being used to collect patient information. If changes are made that may indicate a new person version is needed, the WorldCare application will ask if the change should be considered a New Version or a Correction. (This was detailed in a previous section.)