Intermediary File Format for Cross-System Patient Record Hydration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current electronic health record (EHR) systems store patient data in silos, making it difficult for healthcare workers from different systems to access and retrieve comprehensive patient records, leading to inefficient data retrieval and potential duplication of tests due to lack of detailed information.

Innovation Solution

A file format is created that includes raw data and schemas from multiple EHR systems, allowing a computing device to store and retrieve patient records without requiring the specific EHR system installed, enabling seamless data access and hydration across different systems.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If patient records are stored in separate EHR system silos with proprietary formats, then each system can maintain its own data integrity and security, but healthcare workers from different systems cannot access or retrieve comprehensive patient records

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata accessibility across systemsVSAvoidsystem integration complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary file format that acts as a mediator between different EHR systems. This file format includes a standardized structure with headers, patient data sections, and metadata that can be generated by one EHR system and read by another, enabling cross-system data exchange without requiring direct integration between the proprietary systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments patient records into discrete, structured components including patient identifiers, clinical data, test results, and metadata. Each segment can be independently stored, retrieved, and processed, allowing healthcare workers to access specific portions of records across different systems while maintaining overall data integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If detailed raw patient data is stored and accessible across systems, then comprehensive patient information can be retrieved without duplication of tests, but data storage and retrieval complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation completenessVSAvoiddata management complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary organization and structuring of patient data during the record creation phase. Data is pre-formatted with standardized headers, sections, and metadata that facilitate future retrieval and analysis, eliminating the need for complex processing when data is accessed across different systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Loss of information

If multiple database queries are executed to retrieve stratified patient data from EHR system databases, then comprehensive patient information can be obtained, but the process becomes computationally expensive and time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata completenessVSAvoiddata retrieval time
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple scattered data sections into a single integrated file format that contains all patient information in one accessible location. This eliminates the need to execute multiple separate database queries across different EHR system databases, significantly reducing both retrieval time and computational overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If summary rollups are generated to represent patient record data, then data can be simplified for quick viewing, but detailed information is lost and may lead to unnecessary duplicate tests

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata viewing simplicityVSAvoiddetail information
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a dynamic data structure that can adapt its presentation based on user needs. The file format supports both high-level summary views for quick assessment and detailed raw data sections for comprehensive analysis, allowing healthcare workers to navigate between different levels of detail without losing information or requiring duplicate tests.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10957425B1Systems for creating and modifying a file for an entity, and systems for locating records in the file
Publication Date: 2021.03.23 ALLSCRIPTS SOFTWARE LLC
  • US10957425B1 patent drawing
  • US10957425B1 patent drawing
  • US10957425B1 patent drawing

AI summary

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to generating and modifying a file for an entity, wherein the file includes a file record, and further wherein the file record includes binary data and a schema that is usable to hydrate a record based upon the binary data. The file is modified by appending file records to one another, where file records optionally correspond to different record creation systems. Described herein are also various technologies pertaining to locating a record in the file.