Using a generalised identity reference model with archetypes to support interoperability of demographics information in electronic health record systems

Xu Chen, Damon Berry, Gaye Stephens

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Computerised identity management is in general encountered as a low-level mechanism that enables users in a particular system or region to securely access resources. In the Electronic Health Record (EHR), the identifying information of both the healthcare professionals who access the EHR and the patients whose EHR is accessed, are subject to change. Demographics services have been developed to manage federated patient and healthcare professional identities and to support challenging healthcare-specific use cases in the presence of diverse and sometimes conflicting demographic identities. Demographics services are not the only use for identities in healthcare. Nevertheless, contemporary EHR specifications limit the types of entities that can be the actor or subject of a record to health professionals and patients, thus limiting the use of two level models in other healthcare information systems. Demographics are ubiquitous in healthcare, so for a general identity model to be usable, it should be capable of managing demographic information. In this paper, we introduce a generalised identity reference model (GIRM) based on key characteristics of five surveyed demographic models. We evaluate the GIRM by using it to express the EN13606 demographics model in an extensible way at the metadata level and show how two-level modelling can support the exchange of instances of demographic identities. This use of the GIRM to express demographics information shows its application for standards-compliant two-level modelling alongside heterogeneous demographics models. We advocate this approach to facilitate the interoperability of identities between two-level model-based EHR systems and show the validity and the extensibility of using GIRM for the expression of other health-related identities.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication2015 37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2015
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages6834-6839
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781424492718
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Nov 2015
Event37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2015 - Milan, Italy
Duration: 25 Aug 201529 Aug 2015

Publication series

NameProceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS
Volume2015-November
ISSN (Print)1557-170X

Conference

Conference37th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2015
Country/TerritoryItaly
CityMilan
Period25/08/1529/08/15

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