Method for linking de-identified patients using encrypted and unencrypted demographic and healthcare information from multiple data sources

• US 7,668,820 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2005
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IMS Software Services Ltd. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IMS Software Services Ltd. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zuleba, Heather
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Cam Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chau; Dung K
• Application Number:
  US11/191,281
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 707/5
• US Class Current: 707/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A longitudinal database of de-identified patient healthcare transaction data records linked by longitudinal linking tags (IDs) is provided. A new healthcare transaction data record, which may include alphanumeric identification code attributes, third party attributes and/or demographic attributes, is assigned an linking ID associated with a previous healthcare transaction data record based upon successful comparison of either a designated set of identification code attributes or a designated set of demographic attributes. The longitudinal data base is assembled by a matching process in which a new data record is compared level by level with previous healthcare transaction data records through a hierarchy of a first series of matching levels each defined by a designated set of alphanumeric identification code attributes and a second series of matching levels each defined by a designated set of attributes including demographic attributes and then assigned the ID associated with a successfully matched reference data record.

Claims

1. A method for assigning a longitudinal linking tag to a subject data record whose data attributes include at least some alphanumeric identification code attributes, third party attributes and demographic attributes related to the patient healthcare transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) defining a hierarchy of matching levels, wherein each matching level of said matching levels is defined by a designated set of data attributes for comparison with reference data records associated with known longitudinal linking tags, wherein the matching levels in the hierarchy are organized according to matching effectiveness of the data attributes within each respective matching level, and wherein the hierarchy of matching levels comprises a first series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of alphanumeric identification code attributes and a second series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of attributes including demographic attributes;

(b) comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the first series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(c) if no matching reference data record is found at step (b), determining, by a computer processor, that at least a relevant demographic attribute is present in the subject data record;

(d) if at least the relevant demographic attribute is present in the subject data record, comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the second series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(e) if a matching reference data record is found, assigning the longitudinal linking tag associated with that reference data record to the subject data record;

(f) generating a new longitudinal linking tag and assigning the new longitudinal linking tag to the subject data record when no reference data records are successfully matched to the subject data record at steps (b) through (e); and

(g) comparing values of demographic attributes in the subject data record and the matching reference data record found at step (b) to confirm the matching of the two records,

wherein the matching levels are arranged in an hierarchical sequence according to empirically determined matching effectiveness ranks of the designated sets of data attributes defining each match level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a matching level in the first series of matching levels is defined by a set of attributes selected from a group of Supplier Patient ID, Supplier ID, Outlet ID, Rx No., NCPDP Qualifier, NCPDP ID attributes and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein in step (c) the relevant attribute is the DOB attribute.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a matching level in the second series of matching levels is defined by a set of demographic attributes selected from a group of Insurance Card No., DOB, Gender, Patient Zip Code, Last Name, First Name, Address No., and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (g) comprises comparing the values of DOB and Gender attributes in the subject data record and the matching reference data record to confirm the matching of the two records.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (g) comprises comparing values of Last Name and Zip Code attributes in the subject data record and the matching reference data record to confirm the matching of the two records.

7. A computer readable storage medium having instructions that are executed by a computer for performing steps of:

assigning a longitudinal linking tag to a subject data record whose data attributes include at least some alphanumeric identification code attributes, third party attributes and demographic attributes related to the patient healthcare transaction;

(a) defining a hierarchy of matching levels, wherein each matching level of said matching levels is defined by a designated set of data attributes for comparison with reference data records associated with known longitudinal linking tags, wherein the matching levels in the hierarchy are organized according to matching effectiveness of the data attributes within each respective matching level, and wherein the hierarchy of matching levels comprises a first series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of alphanumeric identification code attributes and a second series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of attributes including demograhic attributes;

(b) comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the first series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(c) if no matching reference data record is found at step (b), determining, by a computer processor, that at least a relevant demographic attribute is present in the subject data record;

(d) if at least the relevant demographic attribute is present in the subject data record, comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the second series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(e) if a matching reference data record is found, assigning the longitudinal linking tag associated with that reference data record to the subject data record;

(f) generating a new longitudinal linking tag and assigning the new longitudinal linking tag to the subject data record when no reference data records are successfully matched to the subject data record at steps (b) through (e); and

(g) comparing values of demographic attributes in the subject data record and the matching reference data record found at step (b) to confirm the matching of the two records,

wherein the matching levels are arranged in an hierarchical sequence according to empirically determined matching effectiveness ranks of the designated sets of data attributes defining each match level.

8. A longitudinal database including at least one subject data record with an assigned longitudinal linking tag encoded on a computer readable storage medium, wherein the at least one subject data record includes at least some alphanumeric identification code attributes, third party attributes and demographic attributes, the longitudinal database created using a procedure comprising:

(a) defining a hierarchy of matching levels, wherein each matching level of said matching levels is defined by a designated set of data attributes for comparison with reference data records associated with known longitudinal linking tags, wherein the matching levels in the hierarchy are organized according to matching effectiveness of the data attributes within each respective matching level, and wherein the hierarchy of matching levels comprises a first series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of alphanumeric identification code attributes and a second series of matching levels, each matching level defined by a designated set of attributes including demographic attributes;

(b) comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the at least one subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the first series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(c) if no matching reference data record is found at step (b), determining, by a computer processor, that at least a relevant demographic attribute is present in the at least one subject data record;

(d) if at least the relevant demographic attribute is present in the at least one subject data record, comparing values of the designated sets of data attributes in the at least one subject data record and the reference data records level by level through the second series of matching levels in an attempt to find a matching reference data record;

(e) if a matching reference data record is found, assigning the longitudinal linking tag associated with that reference data record to the at least one subject data record;

(f) generating a new longitudinal linking tag and assigning the new longitudinal linking tag to the at least one subject data record when no reference data records are successfully matched to the at least one subject data record at steps (b) through (e); and

(g) comparing values of demographic attributes in the at least one subject data record and the matching reference data record found at step (b) to confirm the matching of the two records,

wherein the matching levels are arranged in an hierarchical sequence according to empiricallv determined matching effectiveness ranks of the designated sets of data attributes defining each match level.

9. The longitudinal database of claim 8 wherein the at least one subject data record is successfully matched to a reference data record only at a level in the second series of matching levels upon comparison of a designated set of demographic attributes and is assigned the longitudinal linking tag associated with the successfully matched reference data record.