System and method for analyzing de-identified health care data

• US 8,930,404 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IQVIA, Inc. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IMS Health Incorporated (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ober, N. Stephen, Grubmuller, John, Farrell, Maureen, Wentworth, Charles, Gilbert, Thomas, Barrett, Kevin, Davis, Steven, Nordman, Erik, Grenier, Randell
• Primary Examiner(s): AL HASHEMI, SANA A
• Application Number:
  US13/925,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20140040308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 707/607, 707/609, 707/687, 707/790, 707/813, 707/821
• US Class Current: 707/790
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/248 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/283 Multi-dimensional databases or data warehouses, e.g. MOLAP or ROLAP
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of patient-related medical or healthcare data for medical reports G16H15/00; for therapies or health-improving plans G16H20/00; for the handling or processing of medical images G16H30/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method for creating a unique alias associated with an individual identified in a health care database such that health care data, and particularly pharmaceutical-related data, can be efficiently gathered and analyzed. The system has a first data store for storing at least one record where each record includes a plurality of identification fields which when concatenated uniquely identify an individual, and at least one health care field corresponding to health care data associated with the individual. The system also has a second data store, and a processor. The processor selects a record of the first data store, then selects a subset of the plurality of identification fields within the selected record, and concatenates the selected subset of identification fields. Then the processor stores the concatenated identification fields in a record in the second data store with the at least one health care field from the selected record of the first data store.

Claims

1. A system for de-identifying health care data, comprising:

at least one health care database, the at least one health care database including at least one patient record, each patient record including a plurality of identification fields associated with a patient and at least one health care field, wherein at least one subset of the identification fields associated with a patient uniquely identifies the patient; and

one or more processors in communication with the at least one health care database and a second database, wherein the one or more processors execute instructions that cause the one or more processors to;

select a patient record from the at least one health care database,

access a plurality of the identification fields included in the patient record, the accessed plurality of identification fields uniquely identifying the patient,

concatenate, into a string, information from each of the accessed plurality of identification fields included in the patient record,

generate an encrypted unique patient identifier by encrypting the concatenated string of information,

generating a de-identified patient record, wherein the de-identified patient record includes the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record and the encrypted unique patient identifier, and wherein the de-identified patient record does not include any information that identifies the patient other than the encrypted unique patient identifier, and

transmit the de-identified patient record to the second database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record comprises pharmaceutical claims data, medical claims data, or hospital claims data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors execute instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

identify one or more records stored in the second database that include the encrypted unique patient identifier, and

generate a report based on data included in the identified records.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of identification fields included in the selected patient record include one or more of a patient'"'"'s name, address, social security number, birthday, or gender.

5. A method for de-identifying health care data comprising:

selecting, by one or more processors, a patient record from at least one health care database, wherein the at least one health care database includes at least one patient record, each patient record including a plurality of identification fields associated with a patient and at least one health care field, and wherein at least one subset of the identification fields associated with a patient uniquely identifies the patient;

accessing a plurality of the identification fields included in the patient record, the accessed plurality of identification fields uniquely identifying the patient;

concatenating, into a string, information from each of the accessed plurality of identification fields included in the patient record;

generating an encrypted unique patient identifier by encrypting the concatenated string of information;

generating a de-identified patient record, wherein the de-identified patient record includes the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record and the encrypted unique patient identifier, and wherein the de-identified patient record does not include any information that identifies the patient other than the encrypted unique patient identifier; and

transmitting the de-identified patient record to the second database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record comprises pharmaceutical claims data, medical claims data, or hospital claims data.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

identifying one or more records stored in the second database that include the encrypted unique patient identifier; and

generating a report based on data included in the identified records.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of identification fields included in the selected patient record include one or more of a patient'"'"'s name, address, social security number, birthday, or gender.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

selecting a patient record from at least one health care database, wherein the at least one health care database includes at least one patient record, each patient record including a plurality of identification fields associated with a patient and at least one health care field, and wherein at least one subset of the identification fields associated with a patient uniquely identifies the patient;

accessing a plurality of the identification fields included in the patient record, the accessed plurality of identification fields uniquely identifying the patient;

concatenating, into a string, information from each of the accessed plurality of identification fields included in the patient record;

generating an encrypted unique patient identifier by encrypting the concatenated string of information;

generating a de-identified patient record, wherein the de-identified patient record includes the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record and the encrypted unique patient identifier, and wherein the de-identified patient record does not include any information that identifies the patient other than the encrypted unique patient identifier; and

transmitting the de-identified patient record to the second database.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the at least one health care field that is included in the selected patient record comprises pharmaceutical claims data, medical claims data, or hospital claims data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying one or more records stored in the second database that include the encrypted unique patient identifier; and

generating a report based on data included in the identified records.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the plurality of identification fields included in the selected patient record include one or more of a patient'"'"'s name, address, social security number, birthday, or gender.