Broker service and system architecture for health care data

• US 20070250347A1
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Abraham-Fuchs, Klaus, Haider, Sultan, Heidenreich, Georg, Wetekam, Volker, Mankopf, Michael, Heil, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/410,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20070250347A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

A broker service facilitates the provision of health-related information to an interested third party. The broker enters into an agreement with one or more health care institutions to obtain at least some access to health-related information stored on a server. In response to a request by the third party, the broker may construct a search filter to find relevant information stored on the server. The broker then may forward at least some of the results to the third party. The broker may install a plug-in software program on the server to facilitate access to the health-related information and/or limit the information based on local health care regulations.

Claims

1. A method for providing health-related information to a third party, the method comprising:

obtaining at least partial access to health-related information generated or obtained by a health care institution and stored on a server;

receiving a request for health-related information from the third party;

constructing a search filter as a function of the health-related information;

obtaining search results based on parameters set by the search filter; and

forwarding at least some of the search results to the third party.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising installing a plug-in software program on the server of the health care institution to facilitate access to the health-related information.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the plug-in software program limits the search results based on local regulations.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the plug-in software program removes identifying indicia from at least some data before the search results are obtained.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein constructing a search filter further comprises tailoring the search filter to be compatible with a known data format associated with the health-related information stored on the server.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising enhancing data prior to forwarding the search results to the third party.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein enhancing the data comprises electronically evaluating the search results.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching a tag to the search results to permit subsequent retrieval of the search results.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing information pertaining to multiple different health care institutions on the server.

10. A system for providing health-related information to a third party, the system comprising:

a server for storing health-related information generated or obtained by a health care institution;

a plug-in module installed on the server; and

a broker interface configured to access at least some information stored on the server, the broker interface being operable to formulate a search request for the health-related information in response to a request provided by the third party,

wherein the plug-in module limits access by the broker interface to at least some data stored on the server.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the plug-in module is operable to provide search results to the broker interface in response to the search request.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the broker interface is operable to construct a search filter compatible with a known data format associated with the health-related information stored on the server.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the broker interface is operable to forward at least some of the search results to the third party.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the server is located within the health care institution.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the server is located remotely from the health care institution.

16. The system of claim 10 wherein the server comprises a memory operable to store health-related information pertaining to multiple health care institutions.

17. A method for mediating a transfer of health-related information between a health care institution and a third party using a broker service, the method comprising:

allowing a broker to obtain at least some access to the health-related information stored on a server;

allowing the broker to install a plug-in software program on the server; and

providing search results to the broker through the plug-in software program in response to a search request from a third party to the broker, the search results comprising at least some of the health-related information stored on the server.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the plug-in software program limits the search results based on local regulations.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the plug-in software program removes identifying indicia from at least some data before the search results are forwarded to the broker.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the search request provided by the broker is tailored to be compatible with a known data format associated with the health-related information stored on the server.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising enhancing data prior to forwarding the search results to the third party.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein enhancing the data comprises electronically evaluating the search results.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the broker obtains health-related information from multiple health care institutions, the method further comprising installing a plug-in software program on a central server associated with the multiple health care institutions.