Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing rule sets and, more particularly, for processing abstract rule sets having one or more abstract rules. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method of generating recommendations using a suitable rules engine. The method comprises retrieving an abstract rule having a conditional statement and a consequential statement. The consequential statement defines a particular recommendation that is returned when the conditional statement is satisfied. The conditional statement and the consequential statement are defined using logical field definitions defined in an abstraction model that models underlying physical data in a manner making a schema of the physical data transparent to a user of the abstraction model. The method further comprises transforming the abstract rule into a transformed rule; and executing, by the rules engine, the transformed rule.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article of manufacture for processing and storing medical episode data with workflow status designations. In one embodiment, a patient episode data is moved from differentiated data stores, via an information broker, to assigned data handlers. The data handlers then pass their respective data to a loader and shredder application. The shredder application is tasked with storing the episode data in the database repository and updating each episode's status.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing rule sets and, more particularly, for processing abstract rule sets. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method of managing execution of an analysis routine on input data. The method comprises receiving input and receiving user-selection of an analysis routine for processing the received input. The analysis routine is defined by at least one abstract rule set having one or more abstract rules each having a conditional statement and a consequential statement. The method further comprises executing the analysis routine on the received input, comprising (i) identifying all required inputs for each abstract rule of the analysis routine, (ii) determining whether the received input includes data for all required inputs, and (iii) if the received input does not include data for one or more of the required inputs, retrieving suitable data for the one or more of the required inputs from the database.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing rule sets and, more particularly, for processing abstract rule sets. One embodiment provides a computer-implemented method of managing execution of an analysis routine configured to process one or more inputs. The analysis routine is defined by at least one abstract rule set having one or more abstract rules each having a conditional statement and a consequential statement. The method comprises determining, from the retrieved analysis routine, a predefined validating condition that needs to be satisfied by at least one of the inputs, and validating a particular data value defining the at least one of the inputs on the basis of the predefined validating condition. If the particular data value is not validated, a predefined action configured to avoid execution of the analysis routine on invalid inputs is performed.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow verification of query language by providing a natural language description for the query language. A natural language description is generated for each query component along with selectable text representing the query component. Upon selection of the selectable text, the query component is rendered for editing.

Abstract: A memory controller provides page copy logic that assures data coherency when a DMA operation to a page occurs during the copying of the page by the memory controller. The page copy logic compares the page index of the DMA operation to a copy address pointer that indicates the location currently being copied. If the page index of the DMA operation is less than the copy address pointer, the portion of the page that would be written to by the DMA operation has already been copied, so the DMA operation is performed to the physical address of the new page. If the page index of the DMA operation is greater than the copy address pointer, the portion of the page that would be written to by the DMA operation has not yet been copied, so the DMA operation is performed to the physical address of the old page.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a virtual memory manager that moves data from a first block to second block in memory. When the virtual memory manager is ready to transfer data from the first block to the second block, a third, temporary block of memory is defined. The translation table in a DMA controller is changed to point DMA transfers that target the first block to instead target the temporary block. The virtual memory manager then transfers data from the first block to the second block. When the transfer is complete, a check is made to see if the DMA transferred data to the temporary block while the data from the first block was being written to the second block. If so, the data written to the temporary block is written to the second block. A hardware register is preferably used to efficiently detect changes to the temporary block.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for protecting sensitive data in databases and, more particularly, for managing access to sensitive data in a database. One embodiment comprises receiving a query against the data in the database comprising at least (i) a result field specification, and (ii) a sorting instruction. The method further comprises retrieving a result set from the database, and filtering the retrieved result set on the basis of predefined filtering rules to remove selected data from a selected result field of at least one data record included with the retrieved result set. The filtered result set is sorted according to the sorting instruction to produce the sorted result set, whereby the sorting is done independently of the removed selected data so that the sorted result set places the at least one data record at a position which is non-indicative of a value of the removed selected data.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing abstract queries and, more particularly, for generating input to statistical analysis routines. One embodiment comprises receiving an abstract query including a measurement field and a chronological reference condition. The abstract query is transformed into an executable query which is executed by a query engine, whereby result data is determined including an available measurement value for the measurement field. The available measurement value was taken at a point in time different from a point in time that satisfies the chronological reference condition. The method further comprises determining a variance value corresponding to a time variance between the point in time that satisfies the chronological reference condition and the other point in time at which the available measurement value was taken. As a result set for the abstract query, the available measurement value and the variance value are returned.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article of manufacture for generating fees on the basis of accesses to health records. In one embodiment, requests are received to access one or more electronic health records of a plurality of electronic health records stored in a network-accessible storage repository. The plurality of electronic health records contain health data for a plurality of individuals and wherein the plurality of electronic health records were received from a plurality of health-related entities. For each request a fee to be charged for processing the request is determined.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture are provided to optimize the time and effort required to locate all data on a given entity that may span multiple data nodes in a distributed environment. For example, embodiments of the invention may be used to locate nodes within the distributed environment that store electronic healthcare records. A poll request from a first node to a second node may include electronic records existence data indicating data nodes known to have, or not have, records related to a given individual. This information is used to minimize the number of nodes that need to be polled to arrive at the complete aggregation of patient records that exist within a given set of nodes.

Abstract: A health record databank configured to associate electronic health records with multiple-accounts is provided. A network-accessible storage repository is used to store a plurality of electronic medical records for a plurality of individuals. In turn, individuals are provided with an electronic health records account (EHR account), wherein the EHR account is available to store electronic health records associated with the individual, in the storage repository. The individual may authorize access to the electronic records in a given sub-accounts. Requests for access may include both requests to deposit records into the sub-account, and requests to retrieve and view the records in a given sub-account.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide an individual with control over who may access an account of electronic health records (EHR records) related to the individual. The health records may be stored a network-accessible storage repository. An entity providing healthcare related goods or services may request access to an account by transmitting a request over a data communications network. Access is granted or denied depending on whether the individual has authorized access to the account. Two common transactions include deposit transactions to add records to the account, and withdrawal transactions to retrieve and view records from the account.

Abstract: Method, apparatus and article of manufacture for providing individuals with notifications pertaining to use of health records. In one embodiment, a network-accessible storage repository is configured to store a plurality of electronic health records regarding a plurality of individuals. Requests to access selective records of the plurality of individuals are received over a data communications network. For each individual whose respective records are accessed, a report is generated describing the access. The reports may then be provided to the respective individuals.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for controlling access to electronic health records associated with an individual are provided. Individuals are provided with an electronic health records account (EHR account), wherein the EHR account is available to store electronic health records associated with the individual, in a network accessible storage repository. Additionally, an individual may be provided with plurality of disposable access devices, wherein the access devices may be presented to an entity. In turn, the entity may access the individual's EHR account, based on a predefined authorization specified for a particular access device.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for intelligence building in expert systems and, more particularly, for evaluating treatment decisions overriding recommended treatments that are generated by expert systems. One embodiment provides a method of evaluating treatment decisions, comprising receiving a specification of a decided treatment for a patient having a given disease. The decided treatment differs from a recommended treatment identified by an expert system in response to analysis of symptomatic data corresponding to the patient. The patient is monitored subsequent to being treated according to the decided treatment. The decided treatment is evaluated on the basis of data captured by the monitoring. On the basis of the evaluation, feedback with respect to the decided treatment and the recommended treatment is generated.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for managing access to an abstract database are provided. The abstract database may include a data abstraction model comprising a plurality of logical field definitions, each of the definitions comprising a logical field name, and an access method maps the logical field to a physical data field. Collectively, the physical data fields provide an indirection layer logically disposed between the data abstraction model and the underlying physical database. By providing this layer of indirection using the physical data fields, a number of enhancements to the data abstraction model may be provided. This includes providing enhancements to the security, administration, and usability of an abstract database.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for managing execution of queries against databases and more particularly for restricting access to sensitive data in underlying databases. One embodiment provides a method for managing access to sensitive data in a database. The method comprises receiving, from a requesting entity, a query against the data in the database. The query is executed against the database to obtain a result set. The method further comprises determining whether the result set includes sensitive data based on predefined sensitivity attributes associated with data in the result set. If so, a sensitivity rating is determined for the result set, and a predefined security action is preformed with respect to the result set on the basis of the determined sensitivity rating.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for creating queries against databases and, more particularly, for creating queries that are suitable to identify relevant information from one or more underlying databases. One embodiment provides a method of composing a query against data in a database. The method comprises receiving a query having one or more result fields and a plurality of query conditions. Each query condition defines selection criteria for selection of data records from the database. Each selected data record has data that satisfies at least one of the plurality of query conditions. Each of the plurality of query conditions has an associated weight. The method further comprises receiving an accuracy threshold for qualifying data records. The accuracy threshold defines a requested minimum accuracy of each selected data record defining a qualifying data record forming part of a valid result set returned for the query.

Abstract: A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for processing continuous value data is disclosed. Data values stored in a database reflect a measurement of the value obtained for a specific point in time. In order to correlate the evaluation of two or more conditions, when measurements for each condition recorded at the same points in time are unavailable, embodiments of the invention provide a method for generating approximations of the unavailable values for comparison with others. Thereafter, a comparison between values for the points in time may be used to correlate the two conditions during query processing.