PATIENT MATCHING

• US 20110246234A1
• Filed: 03/28/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Gamble, David Donald, Irwin, John Howard, Kosecki, James
• Application Number:
  US13/072,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246234A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/215 Improving data quality; Data cleansing, e.g. de-duplication, removing invalid entries or correcting typographical errors
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for matching patients in a list of patients includes uses a computing device to compare a first medical record to a second medical record using fuzzy logic. When the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic, the first medical record is merged with the second medical record.

Claims

1. A method for matching patients in a list of patients, the method comprising:

comparing, using a computing device, a first medical record to a second medical record using fuzzy logic; and

when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic, remapping the first medical record and the second medical record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number, a date of birth and a gender from the first medical record matches a medical record number, a date of birth and a gender from the second medical record.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number, a date of birth, a gender and a patient last name from the first medical record matches a medical record number, a date of birth, a gender and a patient last name from the second medical record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises:

determining whether a medical record number from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether a medical record number from the second medical record is null or empty; and

when it is determined that the medical record number from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the medical record number from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the first medical record does not match the second medical record.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises:

determining whether a date of birth from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether a date of birth from the second medical record is null or empty; and

when it is determined that the date of birth from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the date of birth from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the date of birth from the first medical record matches the date of birth from the second medical record.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises:

determining whether a gender from the first medical record is null or unknown gender;

determining whether a gender from the second medical record is null or unknown gender; and

when it is determined that the gender from the first medical record is null or unknown gender or when it is determined that the gender from the second medical record is null or unknown gender, making a determination that the gender from the first medical record matches the gender from the second medical record.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing further comprises:

determining whether a patient last name from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether a patient last name from the second medical record is null or empty; and

when it is determined that the patient last name from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the patient last name from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the patient last name from the first medical record matches the patient last name from the second medical record.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic further comprises:

determining that a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic further comprises:

determining that a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record;

determining that a date of birth from the first medical record matches a date of birth from the second medical record; and

determining that a gender from the first medical record matches a gender from the second medical record.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic further comprises:

determining that a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record;

determining that a date of birth from the first medical record matches a date of birth from the second medical record;

determining that a gender from the first medical record matches a gender from the second medical record; and

determining that a patient last name from the first medical record matches a patient last name from the second medical record.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein remapping the first medical record with the second medical record further comprises:

performing a consistency check between the first medical record and the second medical record, the consistency check comprising;

verifying that a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record;

verifying that a date of birth from the first medical record matches a date of birth from the second medical record or verifying that the date of birth from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null;

verifying that a gender from the first medical record matches a gender from the second medical record or verifying that the gender from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null; and

verifying that a patient last name from the first medical record matches a patient last name from the second medical record or verifying that the patient last name from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether any errors occurred during the consistency check; and

when it is determined that no errors occurred during the consistency check, removing either the first medical record or the second medical record from a medical records database.

14. A method for matching patients in a list of patients, the method comprising:

comparing, using a computing device, a first medical record to a second medical record using fuzzy logic, the comparing of the first medical record to the second medical record comprising;

making at least one of a first determination, a second determination and a third determination,

the first determination comprising determining whether a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record,

the second determination comprising determining whether the medical record number, a date of birth and a gender from the first medical record matches the medical record number, the date of birth and the gender from the second medical record, and

the third determination comprising determining whether the medical record number, the date of birth, the gender and a patient last name from the first medical record matches the medical record number, the date of birth, the gender and the patient last name from the second medical record;

determining whether the medical record number from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether the medical record number from the second medical record is null or empty;

determining whether the date of birth from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether the date of birth from the second medical record is null or empty;

determining whether the gender from the first medical record is null or unknown gender;

determining whether the gender from the second medical record is null or unknown gender;

determining whether the patient last name from the first medical record is null or empty;

determining whether the patient last name from the second medical record is null or empty;

when it is determined that the medical record number from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the medical record number from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the first medical record does not match the second medical record;

when it is determined that the date of birth from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the date of birth from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the date of birth from the first medical record matches the date of birth from the second medical record;

when it is determined that the gender from the first medical record is null or unknown gender or when it is determined that the gender from the second medical record is null or unknown gender, making a determination that the gender from the first medical record matches the gender from the second medical record; and

when it is determined that the patient last name from the first medical record is null or empty or when it is determined that the patient last name from the second medical record is null or empty, making a determination that the patient last name from the first medical record matches the patient last name from the second medical record; and

when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic, merging the first medical record with the second medical record,

the determination of when the first medical record matches the second medical record comprising at least one of a fourth determination, a fifth determination and a sixth determination,

the fourth determination comprising determining that the medical record number from the first medical record matches the medical record number from the second medical record,

the fifth determination comprising;

determining that the medical record number from the first medical record matches the medical record number from the second medical record;

determining that the date of birth from the first medical record matches the date of birth from the second medical record; and

determining that the gender from the first medical record matches the gender from the second medical record,

the sixth determination comprising;

determining that the medical record number from the first medical record matches the medical record number from the second medical record;

determining that the date of birth from the first medical record matches the date of birth from the second medical record;

determining that the gender from the first medical record matches the gender from the second medical record; and

determining that the patient last name from the first medical record matches the patient last name from the second medical record,

the merging of the first medical record with the second medical record comprising;

performing a consistency check between the first medical record and the second medical record, the consistency check comprising making at least one of a first verification, a second verification, a third verification and a fourth verification,

the first verification comprising verifying that the medical record number from the first medical record matches the medical record number from the second medical record,

the second verification comprising verifying that the date of birth from the first medical record matches the date of birth from the second medical record or verifying that the date of birth from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null,

the third verification comprising verifying that the gender from the first medical record matches the gender from the second medical record or verifying that the gender from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null, and

the fourth verification comprising verifying that the patient last name from the first medical record matches the patient last name from the second medical record or verifying that the patient last name from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null;

determining whether any errors occurred during the consistency check; and

when it is determined that no errors occurred during the consistency check, removing either the first medical record or the second medical record from a medical records database.

15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

compare a first medical record to a second medical record using fuzzy logic; and

when the first medical record matches the second medical record based on the comparison using fuzzy logic, merge the first medical record with the second medical record.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number, a date of birth and a gender from the first medical record matches a medical record number, a date of birth and a gender from the second medical record.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein comparing further comprises determining whether a medical record number, a date of birth, a gender and a patient last name from the first medical record matches a medical record number, a date of birth, a gender and a patient last name from the second medical record.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein merging the first medical record with the second medical record further comprises:

performing a consistency check between the first medical record and the second medical record, the consistency check comprising;

verifying that a medical record number from the first medical record matches a medical record number from the second medical record;

verifying that a date of birth from the first medical record matches a date of birth from the second medical record or verify that the date of birth from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null;

verifying that a gender from the first medical record matches a gender from the second medical record or verify that the gender from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null; and

verifying that a patient last name from the first medical record matches a patient last name from the second medical record or verify that the patient last name from the first medical record or from the second medical record is null.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising:

determining whether any errors occurred during the consistency check; and

when it is determined that no errors occurred during the consistency check, removing either the first medical record or the second medical record from a medical records database.