What are patient demographics?

• A. Non-clinical patient data such as name, medical record number, date of birth, address, phone number, sex, race, and social security number
• B. Clinical findings and measurements
• C. Radiology reports
• D. Diagnostic codes

Answer: (A)

Describing patient demographics means identifying information about a person that is used to distinguish and contact them, not information about their health status. The best choice lists non-clinical data such as name, medical record number, date of birth, address, phone number, sex, race, and social security number. These items are identifiers that help ensure the right patient is being referenced in the chart, orders, and imaging studies. They are not details about medical conditions or imaging findings. In contrast, clinical findings and measurements describe the patient’s health status; radiology reports summarize imaging results; and diagnostic codes are used for classification in billing and epidemiology. In radiology practice, accurate demographics are essential for correct patient matching and proper record keeping, while the other data types serve different purposes related to clinical information or administrative coding.