System and method for implementing a global master patient index

• US 20050004895A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WebMD Health Corporation
• Original Assignee: WebMD Health Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Robin D., Yeager, Robert C., Schurenberg, Kurt B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,725,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Separate computer systems may participate in a Health Data Network (HDN) such that the computer systems are linked so as to share various types of healthcare-related information. The shared information may include patient record information. The integration of the patient record information is accomplished by maintaining a Global Master Patient Index (GMPI). Such a GMPI may integrate patient record information used by multiple healthcare organizations, facilities, or businesses. Such a GMPI may also integrate patient record information for a single business having multiple sites or computer systems, e.g., a large hospital. The GMPI preferably provides for performing functions such as locating patient records, locating duplicate records for a selected patient, printing a selected patient record with all its duplicate patient records, reconciling potential duplicate patient records found while searching and retrieving a patient'"'"'s record final reconciliation (certification) of suspected duplicate patients records, maintaining a persistent relationship between patient records in the GMPI, and maintaining a reconciliation audit trail.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining a Global Master Patient Index (GMPI), the method comprising:

receiving information specifying changes to a patient record;

performing a search through one or more databases for one or more matching records that match the patient record, in response to the received information; and

if one or more matching records are found, creating an unconfirmed link between the patient record and each matching record.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the information specifying changes to a patient record is information specifying a new patient record;

wherein said performing a search through one or more databases comprises performing a search for one or more records that match the new patient record.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said performing the search through one or more databases for one or more matching records that match the patient record is based on real world primary key information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a search for a patient record in response to user input search criteria;

displaying a list of records that match the search criteria, wherein the list includes a set of two or more records that have unconfirmed links between the records;

receiving user input selecting one of the records from the set;

receiving user input specifying confirmation information for the unconfirmed links.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein in response to the confirmation information for an unconfirmed link the link is either:

1) confirmed or

     2) denigrated.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving user input changing a confirmed link to a certified link.