Techniques for relating data in healthcare databases

• US 8,983,951 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Friedlander, Robert R., Khan, Anwer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US11/850,866
• Publication Number:
  US 20070299691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,749 Days
• Field of Search: 707/736, 707/738, 707/741, 707/802, 707/803, 707/957, 707/E17.002, 707/E17.056, 707/E17.057, 707/999.102, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 707/736
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/957 Multidimensional
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Systems and computer program products for relating facts stored in healthcare databases are provided. At least two fact tables stored in a healthcare database including data meeting a criteria of interest are located. An identification key is assigned to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest. The identification key provides access to a dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the criteria of interest.

Claims

1. A system for relating facts stored in healthcare databases, the system comprising:

a location circuit, implemented in a processor, configured to locate data meeting a criteria of interest in at least two fact tables stored in a healthcare database; and

an identification circuit, implemented in the processor, configured to assign a single identification key to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest, the identification key providing access to a dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest, wherein the identification key premarks the subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the criteria of interest to facilitate future access to the subjects satisfying the criteria of interest without having to search all of the healthcare database again for the criteria of interest.

2. The system of claim 1:

wherein the criteria of interest comprises a first criteria of interest;

wherein the identification key comprises a first identification key;

wherein the dimension table comprises a first dimension table;

wherein the location circuit is further configured to locate data meeting a second criteria of interest in at least two fact tables stored in the healthcare database; and

wherein the identification circuit is further configured to;

assign a second identification key to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the second criteria of interest, the second identification key providing access to a second dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the second criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the second criteria of interest; and

assign a third identification key to subjects meeting the first and second criteria of interest, the third identification key providing access to a third dimension table including a list of subjects meeting both the first and second criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the first and second criteria of interest.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the identification circuit is further configured to automatically assign the third identification key.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the located data is associated with a medical study, the system further comprising a normalization circuit configured to normalize the data associated with the medical study so as to allow direct comparison of the data.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database circuit configured to generate a database environment including a plurality of fact tables and a plurality of associated dimension tables.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the plurality of fact tables are divided into a plurality of groups of fact tables and wherein each of the plurality of groups are associated with an entity, the system further comprising:

an authorization circuit configured to provide authorization codes to each entity, the authorization codes providing access to at least one of the groups of fact tables.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of fact tables include at least one identification key which identifies an associated dimension table, wherein the associated dimension table includes information that further describe facts provided in the plurality of fact tables and wherein the plurality of fact tables are related through the plurality of dimension tables.

8. A computer program product for relating facts stored in healthcare databases, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory 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 locate data meeting a criteria of interest in at least two fact tables stored in a healthcare database; and

computer readable program code configured to assign a single identification key to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest, the identification key providing access to a dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the criteria of interest, wherein the identification key premarks the subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the criteria of interest to facilitate future access to the subjects satisfying the criteria of interest without having to search all of the healthcare database again for the criteria of interest.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the criteria of interest comprises a first criteria of interest and wherein the identification key comprises a first identification key, the computer program product further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to locate data meeting a second criteria of interest in at least two fact tables stored in the healthcare database;

computer readable program code configured to assign a second identification key to the at least two fact tables including the located data meeting the second criteria of interest, the second identification key providing access to a second dimension table including a list of subjects associated with the at least two fact tables including the second criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the second criteria of interest; and

computer readable program code configured to assign a third identification key to subjects meeting the first and second criteria of interest, the third identification key providing access to a third dimension table including a list of subjects meeting both the first and second criteria of interest so as to allow future identification of the subjects meeting the first and second criteria of interest.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the computer readable program code configured to assign a third identification key comprises computer readable program code configured to automatically assign the third identification key.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the located data is associated with a medical study, the computer program product further comprising computer readable program code configured to normalize the data associated with the medical study so as to allow direct comparison of the data.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to generate a database environment including a plurality of fact tables and a plurality of associated dimension tables, the plurality of fact tables being divided into a plurality of groups of fact tables and each of the plurality of groups being associated with an entity; and

computer readable program code configured to provide authorization codes to each entity, the authorization codes providing access to at least one of the groups of fact tables.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the plurality of fact tables include at least one identification key which identifies an associated dimension table, wherein the associated dimension table includes information that further describe facts provided in the plurality of fact tables and wherein the plurality of fact tables are related through the plurality of dimension tables.