Glossary
UHID meaning: unique health identification number The full form, how it differs from an ABHA number, and what a small clinic uses instead.
The number printed at the top of a hospital OPD slip. Here is what it stands for, how it differs from the national ABHA number, and how a small clinic keeps one record per patient without either.
Published · Last reviewed · 3 min read
- UHID stands for unique health identification number. AIIMS New Delhi described it in 2015 as the number each OPD patient gets in its hospital information system.
- A UHID is local to the hospital that issues it. The ABHA number is a national 14-digit identifier that a patient creates by choice.
- India's EHR Standards 2016 ask health record systems to hold a local identifier as per the provider's own scheme. A clinic's job is the same: one patient, one record.
A UHID (unique health identification number) is the number a hospital gives a patient at first registration, so that every later visit, test and bill at that hospital is filed under one record. The patient quotes it at the next visit instead of registering again, and staff use it to pull up reports and old prescriptions.
What is the full form of UHID?
UHID stands for unique health identification number. The AIIMS New Delhi newsletter of 2015 put it this way: "Each patient gets a UHID number (Unique Health Identification Number) in AIIMS Hospital Information System developed by NIC", and "Each patient of AIIMS is asigned a unique health identification id number called UHID." The same newsletter describes the hospital's aim as "One Patient One UHID".
Is a UHID the same as an ABHA number?
No. A UHID belongs to one hospital; an ABHA number is national. A PIB backgrounder of 6 July 2026 describes the ABHA number as "A 14-digit unique health identifier" under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, which launched in September 2021. The ABDM FAQ says "it is not mandatory for all citizens to get an ABHA Number". When a patient uses Scan and Share, the ABHA number, if linked, is shared with the facility for the OPD token and "record linking", so a hospital may hold both numbers for the same person.
| UHID | ABHA number | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The hospital, at registration | Created by the patient under ABDM | AIIMS newsletter 2015; ABDM FAQ |
| Where it works | That hospital | Across ABDM-enabled providers | PIB, 6 Jul 2026 |
| Format | Set by the hospital | 14 digits | PIB, 6 Jul 2026 |
| Required? | Given to every registered patient there | Not mandatory for citizens | ABDM FAQ 275 |
What do India's EHR Standards say about patient identifiers?
They ask every health record system to carry a local identifier. The MoHFW EHR Standards for India 2016 list "Local Identifier (as per scheme used by HSP)" among the patient identifiers a system must provide for, and say that where identity cannot be confirmed "temporary identifiers may be used" and replaced later. They also note that, without a mandated national identifier, "it is difficult to match patient records when exchanging them between two EHR systems". The Standards predate ABDM.
Does a small clinic need a UHID?
A small clinic needs what a UHID does, not necessarily the number. At a single-doctor OPD most returning patients give a phone number, not a card. The real problems are two patients with the same name, and a mother, father and children sharing one mobile number. Searching before creating a new patient, and keeping each family member as a separate patient under that phone number, keeps one record per person. Our post on OPD register and record-keeping rules covers what that record must hold, and the HIS, HMS, HMIS and EMR explainer shows where hospital systems differ.
Questions
What is the full form of UHID in a hospital?
Unique health identification number. It is the patient number a hospital issues at first registration and uses for every later visit, report and bill at that hospital.
Is UHID the same as ABHA?
No. A UHID is issued by one hospital and works there. The ABHA number is a 14-digit national identifier under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, and getting one is not mandatory.
Is my UHID valid at another hospital?
Do not count on it. A UHID is the issuing hospital's own number for its own records. Carry your old OPD slips or reports, or, where the facility supports ABDM, share your ABHA details.
Sources
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, newsletter (2015), items on UHID and Aadhaar-linked registration (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, e-Health Division, Electronic Health Record (EHR) Standards for India, 2016, Identification and demographic information of patient (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
- PIB Backgrounder, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: India's Digital Health Backbone, 6 July 2026 (Release ID 2281466) (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
- National Health Authority, ABDM Frequently Asked Questions, entries 275, 347 and 379 (read through the site's FAQ data feed) (accessed 27 Oct 2026)
Drafted with AI assistance; every fact checked against the sources listed; reviewed by Shaurya Pratap Singh.