Method and system for querying a database

• US 8,819,040 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2007
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care Inc. (Roche Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations Incorporated (Roche Holding AG)
• Inventors: Buck, Schuyler, Young, Morris J., Bush, Jason, Leahy, Scott W., McKinney, Ryan Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Young, Kevin L
• Application Number:
  US11/999,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.003
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for querying a database involves dragging and dropping selected search criteria from one portion of a display to another portion of a display. When searching multiple criteria, a Boolean operation associated with the method depends upon the respective positions of the search criteria in the display. The method also allows for the results of the search to be dynamically updated as different criteria are selected.

Claims

1. A method of querying a database containing a plurality of data records for a population of patients, the data records including personal information relating to the patients and medical information relating to the patients, the method including the steps of:

displaying a plurality of search criteria on a first portion of a display;

responding to a user dragging and dropping a first search criteria onto a second portion of the display by displaying the first search criteria in a first position on the second portion of the display;

responding to the user dragging a second search criteria to a second position in the second portion of the display, the second position being separated from the first position by a first distance in a first direction, by displaying a first indicator representing a first Boolean operational relationship between the first search criteria and the second search criteria;

responding to the user dragging the second search criteria to a third position in the second portion of the display, the third position being separated from the first position by a second distance in the first direction, by displaying a second indicator representing a second Boolean operational relationship between the first search criteria and the second search criteria, the second Boolean operational relationship being different than the first Boolean operational relationship;

responding to the user dropping the second search criteria into one of the second position and the third position by identifying data records from the plurality of data records that satisfy a query defined by the first search criteria, the second search criteria, and the Boolean operational relationship between the first search criteria and the second search criteria corresponding to the dropped position of the second search criteria; and

identifying a group of patients corresponding to the identified data records that satisfy the query.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the step of saving the group of patients to a memory.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying a toggle option that permits the user to select between saving the group of patients to memory for future access after ending a querying session and discarding the group of patients after ending the querying session.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying a listing of previously identified groups of patients having corresponding data records that satisfy a query.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first search criteria includes a first user-selectable parameter and the second search criteria includes a second user-selectable parameter, the method further including the step of preventing the user from setting the second user-selectable parameter to a value that would necessarily yield zero data records satisfying the query.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying a set group interface box configured to permit the user to associate information with all patients in the group.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the step of displaying a toggle option that permits the user to select between saving the group of patients to memory for future access after ending a querying session and discarding the group of patients after ending the querying session, the set group interface box permitting the user to associate information with all patients in the group regardless of the user'"'"'s selection of the toggle option.

8. A method of constructing a search to query a database including a plurality of data records for a population of medical patients, comprising the steps of:

displaying a plurality of individual search criteria in a first portion of a display;

selecting a first individual search criteria from the plurality of search criteria in the first portion of the display and dragging and dropping the first individual search criteria onto one of a first position, a second position and a third position of a second portion of the display;

selecting a second individual search criteria from the plurality of search criteria in the first portion of the display and dragging and dropping the second individual search criteria onto one of a first position, a second position, and a third position of the second portion of the display, wherein a Boolean operational relationship between the first individual search criteria and the second individual search criteria is displayed when the second individual search criteria is dropped onto one of the first portion, the second position, and the third position of the second portion of the display, and further wherein the Boolean operational relationship between the first individual search criteria and the second individual search criteria is determined based upon a distance between the position of the first individual search and the position of the second individual search;

displaying a restriction criteria box including a plurality of restriction options from a list of restriction options including a not between option, a less than option, an equal to option, a greater than option, and a greater than or equal to option with the first individual search criteria when the first individual criteria is dropped into the second portion of the display and with the second individual criteria when the second individual criteria is dropped into the second portion of the display; and

identifying a group of medical patients corresponding to the data records that satisfy the constructed query.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the step of saving the identified group of medical patients corresponding to the data records that satisfy the constructed query to a memory.

10. The method of claim 8, further including the step of displaying a toggle option that permits the user to select between saving the identified group of medical patients corresponding to the data records that satisfy the constructed query to a memory or to discard the identified group of medical patients corresponding to the data records that satisfy the constructed query after ending the query session.

11. The method of claim 8, further including the step of displaying a listing of previously identified groups of medical patients having corresponding data records that satisfy the constructed query.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the first individual search criteria includes a first user-selectable parameter and the second individual search criteria includes a second user-selectable parameter, the method further including the step of preventing the user from setting the second user-selectable parameter to a value that would necessarily yield zero data records satisfying the constructed query.

13. The method of claim 8, further including the step of displaying a set group interface box configured to permit the user to associate information with all medical patients in the group.

14. The method of claim 13, further including the step of displaying a toggle option that permits the user to select between saving the group of medical patients to memory for future access after ending a querying session and discarding the group of patients after ending the querying session, the set group interface box permitting the user to associate information with all patients in the group regardless of the user'"'"'s selection of the toggle option.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of data records for the population of medical patients is comprised of a plurality of diabetes patient healthcare information.

16. A system for managing healthcare information of diabetes patients, the system comprising:

a database having a plurality of diabetes patient healthcare information, wherein the diabetes patient healthcare information includes patient personal information including a plurality of informational fields for a first name, a middle name, a last name, a suffix, a date of birth, and a gender and patient medical information including a plurality of informational fields from the group of diabetes type, blood glucose readings over time, Albumin values, Albumin excretion values, body mass index, blood pressure, carbohydrate value, cholesterol values, creatine values, fructosamine values, high values, insulin dose values, ketone values, microalbumin values, proteinuria values, heart rate values, temperature values, triglyceride values, weight values, and insulin type utilized by the diabetes patient;

a machine-executable program capable of identifying diabetes patient healthcare information associated with the database by querying the plurality of informational fields associated with the patient personal information and the patient medical information, the machine-executable program having a main menu user function having a plurality of patient management options including a patient management selection and a population management selection, wherein the patient management selection includes a display having a first portion with a plurality of search criteria options including diabetes patient informational fields associated with patient personal information and patient medical information, a second portion adjacent to the first portion and having at least a first position, a second position, and a third position, and a user interface box having a results display option, and further wherein the search criteria options are capable of being placed in one of the first position, the second position, and the third position of the second portion of the display;

wherein the placement of two or more of the search criteria options in one of the first position, the second position, and the third position defines a Boolean operational connection between the two or more search criteria options placed in the second portion of the display and when the search criteria options are placed in one of the first position, the second position, and the third position, a restriction criteria box including at least two restriction options from the group of a not between option, a less than option, an equal to option, a greater than option, and a greater than or equal to option, associates with the search criteria option placed in the second portion of the display, and further wherein when the results display option of the user interface box is selected the diabetes patients contained in the database satisfying the search criteria options, the Boolean operational connections, and the restriction criteria boxes are displayed and the user is further presented with a diabetes patient information view option and a diabetes patient information edit option wherein the diabetes patient edit information includes a group assignment feature and a group healthcare provider feature; and

a computing device capable of operatively communicating with the database having a plurality of diabetes patient health care information, executing the machine-executable program, and receiving diabetes patient healthcare information input, wherein the computing device is further capable of incorporating the received diabetes patient healthcare information input and incorporating it into the database or a function of the machine-executable program.

17. The system of claim 16, further including an option to save the displayed diabetes patients contained in the database satisfying the search criteria options, the Boolean operational connections and restriction criteria boxes as a group.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the machine-executable program is further capable of identifying a listing of previously saved groups of diabetes patients having healthcare information that satisfy later queries of the database.

19. The system of claim 16, further including a toggle option that permits the user to select between saving the group of diabetes patients to memory for future access and discarding the group of diabetes patients.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of search criteria options includes a first search criteria having a first user-selectable parameter and a second search criteria having a second user-selectable parameter, the second user-selectable parameter not capable of being set to a value that would necessarily yield zero data records satisfying the query.