Implementation of virtual medical record object model for a standards-based clinical decision support rule engine

Area of Science:

• * Health Informatics
• * Medical Data Standards

Background:

• * The Virtual Medical Record (vMR) is a structured data model for individual patient information.
• * Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems require standardized patient data for effective rule execution.
• * Existing data models may not be optimally suited for portable CDS solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To implement a vMR based on HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM) v2.13.
• * To select a minimum set of objects and attributes from HL7 RIM for a CDS rule engine.
• * To demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of a vMR in a portable CDS solution.

Main Methods:

• * Utilized HL7 Reference Information Model (RIM) v2.13 as the foundation for the vMR.
• * Selected a minimal set of objects and attributes essential for CDS rule engine requirements.
• * Developed a vMR adaptor middle layer to facilitate data mapping.

Main Results:

• * Successfully mapped local patient data to the developed vMR model.
• * Demonstrated the feasibility of implementing a vMR for CDS.
• * Showcased the advantages of using vMR for portable CDS solutions.

Conclusions:

• * The implemented vMR, based on HL7 RIM, is a viable solution for representing patient data.
• * The vMR adaptor layer facilitates data integration and enhances the portability of CDS solutions.
• * This approach offers significant advantages for developing flexible and efficient clinical decision support systems.