Configurable Pipeline for Heterogeneous Medical Invoice Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The healthcare sector faces challenges in processing diverse electronic medical invoices, which can be in various formats, including text and image formats, and require integration with additional user information for reimbursement, necessitating an efficient system for handling heterogeneous data across different communication channels.
Innovation Solution
An electronic payment system with a configurable pipeline processing system that assigns sequences of server applications to process electronic medical invoices, allowing for customization and optimization of operations, including image processing and user-specific rule application, to facilitate efficient reimbursement processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional invoice processing system is used, then processing of homogeneous data is straightforward, but processing of heterogeneous medical invoices in different formats becomes inefficient and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the invoice processing task into distinct pipeline stages: image reception, image processing (OCR, format detection), data extraction, validation, and reimbursement processing. Each stage handles a specific aspect of the heterogeneous data, allowing the system to process multiple invoice formats without requiring complete system redesign for each format type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic pipeline configuration where processing steps are selected and arranged based on the detected invoice format and type. The pipeline can be dynamically adjusted to handle different communication channels (SMS, email, web portal) and invoice formats (image, text, structured data) without requiring static pre-programming for every possible scenario.
2Measurement precision
If multiple processing applications are used for different invoice types, then processing accuracy improves, but hardware resource utilization becomes inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a universal pipeline processing framework that can handle multiple invoice types and formats through a single integrated system. The pipeline components are designed to be multi-functional, where the same OCR engine, validation rules, and reimbursement processing logic can process various invoice formats by receiving appropriate input parameters and configuration, eliminating the need for separate dedicated systems for each invoice type.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes processing parameters dynamically based on the invoice type and format detected. Instead of using different applications with fixed parameters, the same processing applications adjust their parameters (such as OCR recognition settings, validation rules, extraction patterns) according to the specific invoice characteristics, optimizing resource usage while maintaining high accuracy for each format.
3Measurement precision
If user-specific rules are applied for reimbursement calculations, then reimbursement accuracy improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring user-specific reimbursement rules, validation criteria, and calculation parameters in advance within the pipeline configuration. When an invoice is received, the system quickly matches the invoice against pre-defined user profiles and applies the appropriate rules without requiring real-time complex calculations or database queries, thus maintaining high accuracy while minimizing processing time.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic payment system, a computer-implemented method, and a computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer executable program code for processing of the electronic medical invoices and reimbursement of medical costs is disclosed herein. The electronic payment system comprises a server operable for execution of an application management component and a set of server applications comprising receiver applications and processing applications, wherein the server comprises a processing unit and a memory storing computer executable code which when executed by the processing unit cases the server to execute the computer-implemented method.