Public health data exchange bridge and post office

• US 9,043,345 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Davis, Matthew A., Kaufman, James H., Renly, Sondra R., Timm, John T. E.
• Primary Examiner(s): LU, KUEN S
• Application Number:
  US13/480,835
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318111A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 707/821, 707/756
• US Class Current: 707/756
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system facilitates management of public health data. The system includes an input interface, a policy data structure, a notification compliance engine, and a data translator. The input interface receives input data content descriptive of a public health event. The policy data structure stores reporting conditions for a plurality of public health jurisdictions. The notification compliance engine reviews at least some of the reporting conditions of the policy data structure and identifies a relevant reporting condition for the input data content. The data translator derives and arranges output data content based on the input data content according to the relevant reporting condition identified by the notification compliance engine.

Claims

1. A system for public health data management, the system comprising:

an input interface to receive input data content descriptive of a public health event;

a policy data structure implemented on an electronic storage device, wherein the policy data structure is configured to store reporting conditions for a plurality of public health jurisdictions, wherein public health jurisdictions comprise government reporting authorities, and wherein the reporting conditions comprise what data is to be reported, when data is to be reported, and how data is to be reported;

a notification compliance engine comprising a processor, the notification compliance engine coupled to the policy data structure, wherein the notification compliance engine is configured to review, via the processor, at least some of the reporting conditions of the policy data structure and to identify a relevant reporting condition for the input data content; and

a data translator coupled to the notification compliance engine, wherein the data translator is configured to derive and arrange output data content based on the input data content according to the relevant reporting condition identified by the notification compliance engine.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a data mediator coupled to the input interface, wherein the data mediator is configured to receive the input data content from the input interface and to transform at least some of the input data content to standardized data content compliant with an internal data model of the data mediator.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a standardized data repository coupled to the data mediator, wherein the standardized data repository is configured to store the standardized data content.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the data translator is further coupled to the data mediator, wherein the data translator is further configured to access the standardized data content and generate the output data content based on the standardized data content according to the relevant reporting condition identified by the notification compliance engine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy data structure is configured to store a content requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the content requirement specifies data content required by a target public health jurisdiction, and the notification compliance engine is further configured to identify the relevant reporting condition to obtain an indication of the data content required for inclusion in the output data content for the target public health jurisdiction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy data structure is configured to store a protocol requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the protocol requirement specifies a data transfer protocol required by a target public health jurisdiction, and the notification compliance engine is further configured to identify the relevant reporting condition to obtain the data transfer protocol for transmission of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy data structure is configured to store a form within the reporting conditions, wherein the form specifies a plurality of content fields required by a target public health jurisdiction, and the notification compliance engine is further configured to identify the relevant reporting condition to obtain the plurality of content fields for delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the policy data structure is configured to store a delivery requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the delivery requirement specifies a data delivery mechanism required by a target public health jurisdiction, and the notification compliance engine is further configured to identify the relevant reporting condition to obtain the data delivery mechanism for delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a delivery agent coupled to the data translator, wherein the delivery agent is configured to initiate the delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction according to the data delivery mechanism specified in the delivery requirement of the reporting conditions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the input interface is configured to receive the input data content in any of a plurality of data input formats.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the input interface further comprises a plurality of specialized input interfaces, wherein each specialized input interface is configured to receive the input data content according to a corresponding data transfer protocol.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mailbox coupled to the data translator, wherein the mailbox comprises:

a mailbox repository to store the output data content for subsequent retrieval by an authorized user; and

a mailbox interface to facilitate authentication of the authorized user and delivery of the output data content to the authorized user.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a feedback interface to provide summary data to a provider of the input data content, wherein the summary data comprises other data identified as potentially relevant to the input data content.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a collaborative policy interface coupled to the policy data structure, wherein the collaborative policy interface is configured to receive community submissions of policy modifications, wherein each policy modification is configured to change at least one reporting condition or initiate at least one new reporting condition.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a web interface coupled to the input interface, wherein the web interface is configured to provide an online form for entry of the input data content to the input interface.

16. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium to store a computer readable program for managing public health data, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computer, causes the computer to perform operations comprising:

receiving input data content descriptive of a public health event;

generating standardized data content based on at least some of the input data content;

accessing a policy repository which stores a plurality of reporting conditions for a plurality of public health jurisdictions, wherein public health jurisdictions comprise government reporting authorities, and wherein the reporting conditions comprise what data is to be reported, when data is to be reported, and how data is to be reported;

identifying a relevant reporting condition for a target public health jurisdiction; and

generating output data content based on the standardized data content.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing a content requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the content requirement specifies data content required by the target public health jurisdiction; and

identifying the relevant reporting condition to obtain an indication of the data content required for inclusion in the output data content for the target public health jurisdiction.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing a protocol requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the protocol requirement specifies a data transfer protocol required by the target public health jurisdiction; and

identifying the relevant reporting condition to obtain the data transfer protocol for transmission of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing a form within the reporting conditions, wherein the form specifies a plurality of content fields required by the target public health jurisdiction; and

identifying the relevant reporting condition to obtain the plurality of content fields for delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing a delivery requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the delivery requirement specifies a data delivery mechanism required by the target public health jurisdiction;

identifying the relevant reporting condition to obtain the data delivery mechanism for delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction; and

initiating the delivery of the output data content to the target public health jurisdiction according to the data delivery mechanism.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

storing the output data content in a mailbox repository for subsequent retrieval by an authorized user;

authenticating the authorized user in response to a request to retrieve the output data content from the mailbox repository; and

delivering the output data content to the authorized user in response to successful authentication of the authorized user.

22. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on the computer, causes the computer to perform further operations comprising:

receiving community submissions of policy modifications, wherein each policy modification is configured to change at least one reporting condition or initiate at least one new reporting condition.

23. A method for managing public health data, the method comprising:

receiving input data content in any of a plurality of data input formats, wherein the input data content is descriptive of a public health event;

generating standardized data content based on at least some of the input data content;

accessing a policy repository which stores a plurality of reporting conditions for a plurality of public health jurisdictions, wherein public health jurisdictions comprise government reporting authorities, and wherein the reporting conditions comprise what data is to be reported, when data is to be reported, and how data is to be reported;

identifying a relevant reporting condition for a target public health jurisdiction; and

generating output data content based on the standardized data content according to the relevant reporting condition for the target public health jurisdiction.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

identifying a delivery requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the delivery requirement specifies a data delivery mechanism required by the target public health jurisdiction;

identifying a protocol requirement within the reporting conditions, wherein the protocol requirement specifies a data transfer protocol required by the target public health jurisdiction; and

delivering the output content to the target public health jurisdiction according to the delivery requirement and the protocol requirement for the target public health jurisdiction.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing the output data content in a mailbox repository for subsequent retrieval by an authorized user;

authenticating the authorized user in response to a request to retrieve the output data content from the mailbox repository; and

delivering the output data content to the authorized user in response to successful authentication of the authorized user.