Methods, systems and computer program products for providing a level of anonymity to patient records/information

• US 8,566,113 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2006
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Friedlander, Robert R., Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cobanoglu, Dilek B
• Application Number:
  US11/349,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20070185737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,814 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726/17, 705/2, 705/3, 705/51, 713/193, 710/1, 707/103.R, 600/300, 380/282, 380/277
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• 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

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for providing a level of anonymity to patient records/information. A unique user identification (ID) associated with a current user is received at an interface of a computer database environment. A first role code associated with a first role of the current user is received at the interface of the computer database environment. The current user is allowed access to a defined set of patient records/information in the computer database environment. The defined set of patient records/information being defined based on the user ID and the first role code of the current user.

Claims

1. A method of providing a level of anonymity to patient records/information, the method comprising:

receiving a unique user identification (ID) associated with a current user at an interface of a computer database environment;

receiving a first role code associated with a first role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment;

allowing access to a defined set of patient records/information in the computer database environment, wherein said access provides at least a threshold level of anonymity within records/information retrieved from the defined set of patient records/information based on the user ID and the first role, and wherein the defined set of patient records/information are defined based on the user ID and the first role code of the current user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second role code associated with a second role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment; and

redefining the defined set of patient records/information to which the current user is allowed access based on the user ID and the second role code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second roles of the current user are associated with a single patient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the single patient is a member of a medical study, the method further comprising:

obscuring data associated with other members of the medical study to provide a level of anonymity to the other members of the study.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating a report associated with the current user, the report summarizing patient records/information accessed by the current user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing the generated report to at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for patient records/information in the defined set of patient records/information at the interface of the computer database environment;

determining if results of the received request meet a threshold level of anonymity responsive to the received request; and

providing access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has been met.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising denying access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has not been met.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

modifying the results of the received request so that the modified results meet the threshold level of anonymity if it is determined that the threshold level has not been met; and

providing access to the modified results.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein allowing access further comprises allowing access to the defined set of patient records/information based at least one access rule defined by at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.

11. A system for providing a level of anonymity to patient records/information, the system comprising:

a processor;

a database communicatively connected to the processor and having stored thereon a defined set of patient records/information;

one or more user interface devices;

program instructions executing on the processor to enable the processor to access the database and provide a computer database environment, which is accessible via the one or more user interface devices, wherein the program instructions when executed by the processor are configured to;

receive a unique user identification (ID) associated with a current user at an interface of the computer database environment;

receive a first role code associated with a first role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment; and

allow access to the defined set of patient records/information in the computer database environment, wherein said access provides at least a threshold level of anonymity within records/information retrieved from the defined set of patient records/information based on the user ID and the first role, and wherein the defined set of patient records/information are defined based on the user ID and the first role code of the current user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to:

receive a second role code associated with a second role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment; and

redefine the defined set of patient records/information to which the current user is allowed access based on the user ID and the second role code.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first and second roles of the current user are associated with a single patient.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the single patient is a member of a medical study, the program instructions executing within the computer database environment being further configured to:

obscure data associated with other members of the medical study to provide a level of anonymity to the other members of the study.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to generate a report associated with the current user, the report summarizing patient records/information accessed by the current user.

16. The system claim 15, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to provide the generated report to at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the first and second roles of the current user are associated with a single patient.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the single patient is a member of a medical study, the computer program product further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to obscure data associated with other members of the medical study to provide a level of anonymity to the other members of the study.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to:

receive a request for patient records/information in the defined set of patient records/information at the interface of the computer database environment;

determine if results of the received request meet a threshold level of anonymity responsive to the received request; and

provide access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has been met.

20. The system of claim 19, further wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to deny access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has not been met.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to:

modify the results of the received request so that the modified results meet the threshold level of anonymity if it is determined that the threshold level has not been met; and

provide access to the modified results.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the program instructions executing within the computer database environment are further configured to allow access to the defined set of patient records/information based at least one access rule defined by at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.

23. A computer program product for providing a level of anonymity to patient records/information, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in said medium, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a unique user identification (ID) associated with a current user at an interface of a computer database environment;

computer readable program code configured to receive a first role code associated with a first role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment; and

computer readable program code configured to allow access to a defined set of patient records/information in the computer database environment, wherein said access provides at least a threshold level of anonymity within records/information retrieved from the defined set of patient records/information based on the user ID and the first role, and wherein the defined set of patient records/information are defined based on the user ID and the first role code of the current user.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a second role code associated with a second role of the current user at the interface of the computer database environment; and

computer readable program code configured to redefine the defined set of patient records/information to which the current user is allowed access based on the user ID and the second role code.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code configured to generate a report associated with the current user, the report summarizing patient records/information accessed by the current user.

26. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising computer readable program code configured to provide the generated report to at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a request for patient records/information in the defined set of patient records/information at the interface of the computer database environment;

computer readable program code configured to determine if results of the received request meet a threshold level of anonymity responsive to the received request; and

computer readable program code configured to provide access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has been met.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising computer readable program code configured to deny access to the results of the received request if it is determined that the threshold level of anonymity has not been met.

29. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to modify the results of the received request so that the modified results meet the threshold level of anonymity if it is determined that the threshold level has not been met; and

computer readable program code configured to provide access to the modified results.

30. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer readable program code configured to allow access further comprises computer readable program code configured to allow access to the defined set of patient records/information based at least one access rule defined by at least one state government official, federal government official and/or local institution official.