Systems and methods for managing a master patient index including duplicate record detection

• US 10,025,904 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 4Medica, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 4Medica, Inc.
• Inventors: Bess, Oleg, Kuttalingam, Vannamuthu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sereboff, Neal
• Application Number:
  US14/988,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20160147949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/22 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24578 using ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A system for managing a master patient index is described. The master patient index database is constructed using inverted indices. The inverted index formulation enables faster, more complete and more flexible duplicate detection as compared to traditional master patient database management techniques. A master patient index management system including a remote user interface configured to leverage the inverted index formulation is described. The user interface includes features for managing records in an MPI database including identifying, efficiently comparing, updating and merging duplicate records across a heterogeneous healthcare organization.

Claims

1. A method of managing electronic protected healthcare information comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first plurality of healthcare records and a second plurality of healthcare records each of the healthcare records having electronic protected healthcare information;

arranging, by the processor, the electronic protected healthcare information in each of the healthcare records within the first and the second plurality of healthcare records into a plurality of different fields wherein each of the plurality of different fields accept at least one value;

determining, by the processor, a list of distinct values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields wherein each of the distinct values on the list is associated with at least one of the first and the second plurality of healthcare records;

arranging, by the processor, values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields into an inverted index format to reduce CPU resources when performing real-time searches across all of the first plurality and the second plurality of healthcare records to find duplicate matches among the first plurality of healthcare records and the second plurality of healthcare records in accordance with a search query wherein the inverted index format includes the list of the distinct values and for each distinct value in the list at least one pointer to a healthcare record among the first and the second plurality of healthcare records;

storing to a memory device, by the processor, the distinct values and their associated pointers as a master patient index database arranged according to the inverted index format wherein the master patient index database includes a first identifier which identifies each of the healthcare records as belonging to either the first plurality of healthcare records or the second healthcare records;

storing to the memory device, by the processor, a first set of duplicate scoring parameters associated with the first plurality of healthcare records and a second set of duplicate scoring parameters, different from the first set of duplicate scoring parameters, associated with the second plurality of healthcare records;

receiving, by the processor, one or more search input terms;

based upon the one or more search inputs terms, generating, in the processor, the search query;

based upon the search query and a search, in accordance with the search query, of all the distinct values in the list of distinct values associated with one or more of the plurality of different fields, by the processor, determining one or more distinct values which match the search query;

based upon the one or more distinct values determined to match the search query, retrieving a first healthcare record and a second healthcare record using the pointers to the healthcare records associated with the one or more matched distinct values;

using the first identifier stored with the first healthcare record, determining, by the processor, the first healthcare record is associated with the first plurality of healthcare records;

using the first identifier stored with the second healthcare record, determining, by the processor, the second healthcare record is associated with the second plurality of healthcare records;

determining, by the processor, a first duplicate probability score using the first set of duplicate scoring parameters and the healthcare information in the first healthcare record;

determining, by the processor, a second duplicate probability score using the second set of duplicate scoring parameters and the healthcare information in the second healthcare record;

determining, by the processor, using the first duplicate probability score and the second duplicate probability score, the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records; and

outputting, by the processor, to a display an indication that the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records and the healthcare information associated with each of the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first duplicate probability score and the second duplicate probability score are compared on a common scale to determine whether the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising outputting to the display the first duplicate probability score, the second probability score and the common scale.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first duplicate probability score is compared to a first scale and the second duplicate probability score is compared to a second scale to determine whether first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein first set of duplicate scoring parameters includes first values for each of the plurality of different fields and wherein second set of duplicate scoring parameters includes second values for each of the plurality of different fields and wherein a portion of the first values and the second values are identical for one or more of the plurality of different fields.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a third plurality of healthcare records and a value of the first identifier to identify the third plurality of healthcare records, updating the master patient index database arranged according to the inverted index format to include the healthcare information associated with the third plurality of healthcare records including the value of the first identifier, receiving a third set of duplicate probability scoring parameters associated only with the third plurality of healthcare records.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of different fields accepts multiple values.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of healthcare records is associated with a first healthcare organization and the second plurality of healthcare records is associated with a second healthcare organization.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are duplicates and determining which of the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record is a master record.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating a third duplicate probability score for the first healthcare record and a fourth duplicate probability score for the second healthcare record using values from one or more different fields in the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record not used to generate the first duplicate probability score and the second duplicate probability score to determine whether the first healthcare record or the second healthcare record is the master record.

11. A method of managing electronic protected healthcare information comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first plurality of healthcare records associated with a first healthcare organization and a second plurality of healthcare records associated with a second healthcare organization each of the healthcare records having electronic protected healthcare information;

arranging, by the processor, the electronic protected healthcare information in each of the healthcare records within the first and the second plurality of healthcare records into a plurality of different fields wherein each of the plurality of different fields accept at least one value;

determining, by the processor, a list of distinct values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields wherein each of the distinct values on the list is associated with at least one of the first and the second plurality of healthcare records;

arranging, by the processor, values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields into an inverted index format to reduce CPU resources when performing real-time searches across all of the first plurality and the second plurality of healthcare records to find duplicate matches among the first plurality of healthcare records and the second plurality of healthcare records in accordance with a search query wherein the inverted index format includes the list of the distinct values and for each distinct value in the list at least one pointer to a healthcare record among the first and the second plurality of healthcare records;

storing to a memory device, by the processor, the distinct values and their associated pointers as a master patient index database arranged according to the inverted index format wherein the master patient index database includes a first identifier which identifies each of the healthcare records as belonging to either the first healthcare organization or the second healthcare organization;

storing to the memory device, by the processor, a first set of duplicate scoring parameters associated with the first healthcare organization and a second set of duplicate scoring parameters, different from the first set of duplicate scoring parameters, associated with the second healthcare organization;

receiving, by the processor, one or more search input terms;

based upon the one or more search inputs terms, generating, in the processor, the search query;

based upon the search query and a search, in accordance with the search query, of all the distinct values in the list of distinct values associated with one or more of the plurality of different fields, by the processor, determining one or more distinct values which match the search query;

based upon the one or more distinct values determined to match the search query, determining a first healthcare and a second healthcare record in the first plurality of healthcare records match the search query and a third healthcare record in the second plurality of healthcare records match the search query;

determining the search query is associated with the first healthcare organization;

determining the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record is associated with the first healthcare organization and the third healthcare record is associated with a second healthcare organization;

retrieving only first healthcare record and the second healthcare record;

determining, by the processor, a first duplicate probability score and a second duplicate probability score using the first set of duplicate scoring parameters and the healthcare information in the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record;

determining, by the processor, using the first duplicate probability score and the second duplicate probability score, the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records; and

outputting, by the processor, to a display an indication that the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records and the healthcare information associated with each of the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a third plurality of healthcare records associated with the first healthcare organization and updating the master patient index database in the inverted index format to include the third plurality of healthcare records.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a third set of duplicate scoring parameters associated only with the third plurality of healthcare records and storing the third set of duplicate scoring parameter to the memory device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a third set of duplicate scoring parameters associated first healthcare organization and replacing the first set of duplicate scoring parameters with the third set of duplicate scoring parameters wherein the third set of duplicate scoring parameters is used to generate duplicate probabilities scores for the healthcare records in the first plurality and the third plurality of the healthcare records.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a third plurality of healthcare records associated with a third healthcare organization, updating the master patient index database in the inverted index format to include the third plurality of healthcare records, receiving a third set of duplicate scoring parameters only used to score the third plurality of healthcare records and storing the third set of duplicate scoring parameter to the memory device.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a third set of duplicate scoring parameters associated first healthcare organization and replacing the first set of duplicate scoring parameters with the third set of duplicate scoring parameters wherein the third set of duplicate scoring parameters is used to generate duplicate probabilities scores for the healthcare records in the first plurality of the healthcare records.

17. A method of managing electronic protected healthcare information comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a plurality of healthcare records each of the healthcare records having electronic protected healthcare information;

arranging, by the processor, the electronic protected healthcare information in each of the healthcare records within the plurality of healthcare records into a plurality of different fields wherein each of the plurality of different fields accept at least one value;

determining, by the processor, a list of distinct values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields wherein each of the distinct values on the list is associated with at least one of the plurality of healthcare records;

arranging, by the processor, values appearing in each of the plurality of different fields into an inverted index format to reduce CPU resources when performing real-time searches across all of the plurality of healthcare records to find duplicate matches among the plurality of healthcare records in accordance with a search query wherein the inverted index format includes the list of the distinct values and for each distinct value in the list at least one pointer to a healthcare record among the plurality of healthcare records;

storing to a memory device, by the processor, the distinct values and their associated pointers as a master patient index database arranged according to the inverted index format;

receiving, by the processor, one or more search input terms and a first value of a first duplicate scoring parameter associated with one of the plurality of different fields;

based upon the one or more search inputs terms, generating, in the processor, the search query;

based upon the search query and a search, in accordance with the search query, of all the distinct values in the list of distinct values associated with one or more of the plurality of different fields, by the processor, determining one or more distinct values which match the search query;

based upon the one or more distinct values determined to match the search query, retrieving a first healthcare record and a second healthcare record using the pointers to the healthcare records associated with the one or more matched distinct values;

determining, by the processor, a first duplicate probability score and a second duplicate probability score using at least the first value of the duplicate scoring parameter and the healthcare information in the first healthcare record and in the second healthcare record;

receiving, by the processor, the one or more search input terms and a second value of the first duplicate scoring parameter;

determining, by the processor, a third duplicate probability score and a fourth duplicate probability score using at least the second value of the first duplicate scoring parameter and the healthcare information in the first healthcare record and in the second healthcare record; and

based upon the first duplicate probability score, the second duplicate probability score, the third duplicate probability and the fourth duplicate probability score, outputting, by the processor, to a display an indication that the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record are likely duplicate healthcare records and the healthcare information associated with each of the first healthcare record and the second healthcare record.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising storing to the memory device, by the processor, a first set of duplicate scoring parameters.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising generating at least the first duplicate probability score using the first value of the first duplicate scoring parameter and one or more values from the first set of the duplicate scoring parameters.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising generating at least the first duplicate probability score using only the first set of duplicate scoring parameters.