First Name

Field Length: 15

Enter the patient's first name in the spaces provided. If the name exceeds the number of spaces provided, enter as much as possible.

Use the following rules when recording the patient's first name:

1.         Name fields should contain alpha characters and blanks only -- no special characters such as apostrophes, commas, hyphens, etc.

2.         Any name titles or suffixes, such as DR., M.D., MR., MS., JR., SR., III, IV, and so on, should be recorded in the middle name field after, or instead of, the middle name.  These data are optional, and need not be recorded at all.

3.         Blanks are allowed in the first name field, but they must be used consistently in order to match patients at the central data base. Therefore, the following rules are established:

            a.         Patients with two-part first names, or two first names, may have them both recorded in the first name field, separated by a blank space.  For example:  MARY JO    MARY ANN    JOHN ED    etc.

            b.         Patients who go by their initials should have their first initial recorded in the first name field, and the second in the middle name field.  For example: J.B. JONES would have 'J' in first name and 'B' in middle name.  

            c.         Patients with a name and an initial should have them recorded in separate fields. For example: H. EDWARD SMITH should have 'H' in first name and 'EDWARD' in middle name.