title: A CORBA-based object framework with patient identification translation and dynamic linking. Methods for exchanging patient data.
abstract: Exchanging and integration of patient data across heterogeneous databases and institutional boundaries offers many problems. We focused on two issues: (1) how to identify identical patients between different systems and institutions while lacking universal patient identifiers; and (2) how to link patient data across heterogeneous databases and institutional boundaries. To solve these problems, we created a patient identification (ID) translation model and a dynamic linking method in the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) environment. The algorithm for the patient ID translation is based on patient attribute matching plus computer-based human checking; the method for dynamic linking is temporal mapping. By implementing these methods into computer systems with help of the distributed object computing technology, we built a prototype of a CORBA-based object framework in which the patient ID translation and dynamic linking methods were embedded. Our experiments with a Web-based user interface using the object framework and dynamic linking-through the object framework were successful. These methods are important for exchanging and integrating patient data across heterogeneous databases and institutional boundaries.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Computer Center, University of Tokyo Hospital, Japan. wan@hcc.h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohe
mesh_terms: D003628:Database Management Systems; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D020407:Internet; D007564:Japan; D008498:Medical Record Linkage / Q000379:methods*; D010355:Patient Identification Systems; D014584:User-Computer Interface