System and method for analyzing de-identified health care data

US8473452B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• IMS Health Incorporated · US

Inventors

• N. Stephen Ober · Upton, US
• John Grubmuller · Bedford, US
• Maureen Farrell · Bedford, US
• Charles Wentworth · Attleboro, US
• Tom Gilbert · Holliston, US
• Kevin Barrett · Sherborn, US
• Steven Davis · Brookline, US
• Erik Nordman · Waltham, US
• Randell Grenier · Waltham, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 20, 2000
• Grant date: Jun 25, 2013
• Expiry date: Jan 27, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G16Z99/00
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system and method for creating a unique alias associated with an individual identified in a health care database such that health care data, and particularly pharmaceutical-related data, can be efficiently gathered and analyzed. The system has a first data store for storing at least one record where each record includes a plurality of identification fields which when concatenated uniquely identify an individual, and at least one health care field corresponding to health care data associated with the individual. The system also has a second data store, and a processor. The processor selects a record of the first data store, then selects a subset of the plurality of identification fields within the selected record, and concatenates the selected subset of identification fields. Then the processor stores the concatenated identification fields in a record in the second data store with the at least one health care field from the selected record of the first data store.