Database lecture outline

Basic Clinical Data

CCR: Continuity of Care Record

• Demographics
• Problem list
• Allergies
• Current and past medications
• Encounters
  • Hospitalizations
    • Discharge Summaries
    • Notes
  • Doctor/Clinic Visits
    • Referrals
    • Reports
• Immunizations
• Labs
• Clinical Measurements
• Radiology and other special studies

Demo of CWS

Structure of databases

• Flat files
• Hierarchic
  • Ordered hierarchy
    • e.g., patient, date, problem, SOAP, …
  • Certain retrievals easy, others hard
  • MUMPS
  • XML
  • IMS
• Network
  • Arbitrary connectivity (like semantic network)
  • Retrieval by navigation
  • Possible structural heterogeneity
  • IDMS
• Relational
  • Tables only
  • Key, primary key, “entity”
  • Normal forms reflect functional dependency
  • Relational algebra
    • Select, project, join (equi-join)
  • Foreign keys for 1-n and n-1 relations
  • Aux tables for n-n relations
  • SQL encapsulates relational algebra + bit of report generation (e.g., sorting and grouping)
  • Efficiency and optimization
    • e.g., successive pair of serum K measurements
  • Generic form
    • See Johnson
    • RDF
    • Triple store
• Object