METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PRODUCT FOR SECURING PATIENT IDENTITY

• US 20110191245A1
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: White, Curtis, Ricciardi, Thomas N.
• Application Number:
  US13/083,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191245A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 patient data for a first patient from an 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, wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes encoding a password string using a symmetric encryption resulting in said first encoded patient identifier;

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

connecting data relating to said first patient in said data warehouse; and

re-identifying said first patient in response to receiving report data including said first encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes the recreation of said first patient identifier responsive to said first encoded patient identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said symmetric encryption comprises a block cipher encryption.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said block cipher encryption comprises a two-fish algorithm.

4. 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.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said recreation of said first patient identifier includes accessing an encryption key and applying said encryption key to said first encoded patient identifier.

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

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first patient is re-identified by a patient care provider as part of an at-risk cohort.

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

accessing patient data for a first patient from an 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, wherein said creation of said first encoded patient identifier includes encoding a password string using a Rivest Shamir and Adelman (RSA) key encryption resulting in said first encoded patient identifier;

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

connecting data relating to said first patient in said data warehouse; and

re-identifying said first patient in response to receiving report data including said first encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes the recreation of said first patient identifier responsive to said first encoded patient identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 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.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein said recreation of said first patient identifier includes accessing an encryption key and applying said encryption key to said first encoded patient identifier.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising retrieving said patient data for said first patient from said electronic medical records database using said first patient identifier as a key into said electronic medical records database.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said first patient is re-identified by a patient care provider as part of an at-risk cohort.

13. 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 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;

encoding a password string using a symmetric encryption 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

re-identifying said first patient in response to receiving report data including said first encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes applying a symmetric encryption to said first encoded patient identifier resulting in said first patient identifier.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said symmetric encryption comprises a block cipher encryption.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said block cipher encryption comprises a two-fish algorithm.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising retrieving said patient data for said first patient from said electronic medical records database using said first patient identifier as a key into said electronic medical records database.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said first patient is re-identified by a patient care provider as part of an at-risk cohort.

18. 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 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 s 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;

encoding a password string using a Rivest Shamir and Adelman (RSA) key encryption 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

re-identifying said first patient in response to receiving report data including said first encoded patient identifier from said data warehouse system, wherein said identifying includes applying a Rivest Shamir and Adelman (RSA) key encryption to said first encoded patient identifier resulting in said first patient identifier.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising retrieving said patient data for said first patient from said electronic medical records database using said first patient identifier as a key into said electronic medical records database.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said first patient is re-identified by a patient care provider as part of an at-risk cohort.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said first patient is re-identified by a patient care provider as part of an at-risk cohort.