System and method for implementing a global master patient index

• US 7,725,331 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): KAZIMI, HANI M
• Application Number:
  US10/749,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,337 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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 computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving information about a patient record;

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

for each of the one or more matching records that are found through the search, creating an unconfirmed link between that matching record and the patient record; and

in response to input from a user regarding a selected record that is from the group consisting of said patient record and the one or more matching records, converting the unconfirmed link for the selected record to a directional confirmed link identifying which of the selected record and the linked record identified by the unconfirmed link for the selected record is a leader record, wherein the leader record among two linked records is the record among the two linked records that is at least one of most current, most correct, and most proper, wherein receiving information, performing the search, creating unconfirmed links, and converting unconfirmed links is performed by a computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the patient record is information that is to be stored in a new patient record.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein 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:

receiving search criteria from the user;

performing a search for records that match to the search criteria;

displaying a list of records that match the search criteria;

receiving user input choosing one of the records from the list of records, wherein the chosen record is said selected record; and

receiving user input specifying confirmation information for the unconfirmed link of the selected record.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising in response to receiving further input at a later time changing the directional confirmed link to a certified link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the search through one or more databases of records comprises using real world primary key information from the patient record to identify the one or more matching records.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the real world primary key information includes any of a first name, a last name, a social security number, a gender, and a date of birth for a patient.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information about a patient record involves receiving information for creating a new record for a patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the record among the two linked records to which the leader record is linked is a trailer and wherein converting the unconfirmed link to a directional confirmed link comprises modifying the leader record based on information in the trailer record.