Method, system and computer product for securing patient identity

• US 20040215981A1
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: White, Curtis, Ricciardi, Thomas N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,543,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/88 Medical equipments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0407 wherein the identity of one or more communicating identities is hidden cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for anonymous credentials or for identity based cryptographic systems H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access

Abstract

A method for securing patient identity comprising accessing an electronic medical records database including patient data for a plurality of patients. Each patient in the electronic medical records database is assigned a unique patient identifier. Patient data for a first patient, including a first patient identifier, is retrieved from the electronic medical records database. The first patient is de-identified from the patient data. De-identifying includes the creation of a first encoded patient identifier responsive to the first patient identifier. The de-identifying results in de-identified first patient data and includes the replacement of the first patient identifier with the first encoded patient identifier. The de-identified first patient data is transmitted to a data warehouse system. The method further comprises identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data that includes a second encoded patient identifier from the data warehouse system. The identifying includes the creation of a second patient identifier responsive to the second encoded patient identifier.

Claims

1. A method for securing patient identity, the method comprising:

accessing an electronic medical records database including patient data for a plurality of patients, wherein each said patient is assigned a unique patient identifier;

retrieving said patient data for a first patient from said electronic medical records database, wherein said patient data for said first patient includes a first patient identifier;

de-identifying said first patient from said patient data for said first patient including the creation of a first encoded patient identifier responsive to said first patient identifier, wherein said de-identifying results in de-identified first patient data and includes the replacement of said first patient identifier with said first encoded patient identifier;

transmitting said de-identified first patient data to a data warehouse system; and

identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data including a second encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes the creation of a second patient identifier responsive to said second encoded patient identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes using a hashing algorithm.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes using an encryption algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes using a two-fish algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes:

receiving a user entered password string;

hashing said user entered password string into a sixteen digit number; and

summing said sixteen digit number with said first patient identifier resulting in said first encoded patient identifier.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said patient data includes a name, a geographic identifier, a birth date, an admission date, a telephone number, a social security number, a medical record number, an account number, and diagnosis data.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said de-identifying further includes removing or transforming identifying data from said patient data for said first patient that may be used to identify said first patient.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said identifying data includes name, geographic subdivisions smaller than state, phone number, health plan number, account number, unified resource locator, internet protocol address and biometric identifiers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said creation of said second patient identifier includes accessing an encryption key and applying said encryption key to said second encoded patient identifier.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said de-identified first patient data includes fully de-identified data.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said de-identified first patient data includes limited data set data.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said report data is a patient cohort report.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said patient cohort report is created by running a query against a data warehouse located on said data warehouse system.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said data warehouse is a relational database.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said data warehouse includes data for a plurality of patient care providers.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said retrieving, de-identifying and transmitting are performed on a periodic basis.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said retrieving, de-identifying and transmitting are initiated from said data warehouse system.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of patients are ambulatory patients.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said first patient and said second patient are the same patient, said first patient identifier and said second patient identifier contain the same value, and said first encoded patient identifier and said second encoded patient identifier contain the same value.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising retrieving said patient data for said second patient from said electronic medical records database using said second patient identifier as a key into said electronic medical records database.

21. A method for securing patient identity, the method comprising:

accessing an electronic medical records database including patient data for a plurality of patients, wherein each said patient is assigned a unique patient identifier;

retrieving said patient data for a first patient from said electronic medical records database, wherein said patient data for said first patient includes a first patient identifier;

de-identifying said first patient from said patient data for said first patient resulting in de-identified first patient data, wherein said de-identifying includes;

creating a first encoded patient identifier responsive to said first patient identifier, wherein said creating includes;

receiving a user entered password string;

hashing said user entered password string into a sixteen digit number; and

summing said sixteen digit number with said first patient identifier resulting in said first encoded patient identifier;

replacing said first patient identifier with said first encoded patient identifier; and

removing or transforming identifying data from said patient data for said first patient that may be used to identify said first patient;

transmitting said de-identified first patient data to a data warehouse system; and

identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data including a second encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes subtracting said sixteen digit number from said second encoded patient identifier resulting in a second patient identifier.

22. A system for securing patient identify, the system comprising:

a network;

a storage device; and

a patient care provider system including a storage device in communication with said network and said storage device, said patient care provider system including software to implement a method comprising;

accessing an electronic medical records database located on said storage device including patient data for a plurality of patients, wherein each said patient is assigned a unique patient identifier;

retrieving said patient data for a first patient from said electronic medical records database, wherein said patient data for said first patient includes a first patient identifier;

de-identifying said first patient from said patient data for said first patient including the creation of a first encoded patient identifier responsive to said first patient identifier, and wherein said de-identifying results in de-identified first patient data and includes the replacement of said first patient identifier with said first encoded patient identifier;

transmitting said de-identified first patient data via said network to a data warehouse system; and

identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data via said network including a second encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes the creation of a second patient identifier responsive to said second encoded patient identifier.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said network is an Internet.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said network is an intranet.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said electronic medical records database is a relational database.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein said storage device is in communication with said network and is physically located in a different geographic location than said patient care provider system.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein said storage device is physically located in said patient care provider system.

28. A computer program product for securing patient identity, the product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for;

accessing an electronic medical records database including patient data for a plurality of patients, wherein each said patient is assigned a unique patient identifier;

retrieving said patient data for a first patient from said electronic medical records database, wherein said patient data for said first patient includes a first patient identifier;

de-identifying said first patient from said patient data for said first patient including the creation of a first encoded patient identifier responsive to said first patient identifier, and wherein said de-identifying results in de-identified first patient data and includes the replacement of said first patient identifier with said first encoded patient identifier;

transmitting said de-identified first patient data to a data warehouse system; and

identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data including a second encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes the creation of a second patient identifier responsive to said second encoded patient identifier.

29. A computer program product for securing patient identity, the product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for;

accessing an electronic medical records database including patient data for a plurality of patients, wherein each said patient is assigned a unique patient identifier;

retrieving said patient data for a first patient from said electronic medical records database, wherein said patient data for said first patient includes a first patient identifier;

de-identifying said first patient from said patient data for said first patient resulting in de-identified first patient data, wherein said de-identifying includes;

creating a first encoded patient identifier responsive to said first patient identifier, wherein said creating includes;

receiving a user entered password string;

hashing said user entered password string into a sixteen digit number; and

summing said sixteen digit number with said first patient identifier resulting in said first encoded patient identifier;

replacing said first patient identifier with said first encoded patient identifier; and

removing or transforming identifying data from said patient data for said first patient that may be used to identify said first patient;

transmitting said de-identified first patient data to a data warehouse system; and

identifying a second patient in response to receiving report data including a second encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes subtracting said sixteen digit number from said second encoded patient identifier resulting in a second patient identifier.