Companies are right to be excited about the possibilities open to them with NPI data. However, they should temper that enthusiasm with an understanding of the challenges in using NPI data. This article will outline some barriers inherent in the NPI data.
The most immediate challenge with the NPI data is the size of the database. When first downloaded it takes up almost 300MB of space. After unzipping the file, users will have to handle a 2 GB file. This is pushing the limits of Access, and that's before any queries and cleaning have been performed. What's more unfortunate is that the database is full of air - space for optional fields that went unused about 50 percent of the time. After pushing the air out, the database drops back to a still impressive but more manageable 1GB.
If you only had to deal with a 2GB file once, that would be one thing. But the entire database is updated once a month. It's a complete replacement file, not a file of new records and changes. To keep your records updated you'll need to go through the entire process each month to keep the database up-to-date.
A further problem with the NPI database concerns where the data comes from. It is entered by people, who make mistakes such as typos and spelling errors. This is not to say all the facts will be wrong. But small errors make it difficult to run simple programs to find matches across all the records. For example, if you wanted to use phone numbers to link providers at the same address together, any phone number that is one digit off would be excluded. The same is true for street addresses. Also, the addresses do not meet Postal Service standards and will have to be run through a cleaning process to make them suitable for direct mail.
Speaking of direct mail, the NPI database can be a good source of lists, but it is basic lists only. To turn the data into customer-focused information will require technology to link records inside the NPI together and to link those records with your customer database. Getting lists hasn't been the problem for those who want them. The true challenge has been getting refined lists that are tailored to your needs, meaning they don't include current customers and those you no longer want to recruit.