Design of hospital database systems in a non-relational environment

The lack of an appropriate, widely accepted, design procedure for use with non-relational database management systems has been a major, common problem in many efforts to develop an integrated hospital database. The availability of such a design procedure is particularly important today since the majority of the database management systems currently in use are non-relational. A database design procedure is proposed which should assist with the design of optimal non-relational hospital database systems. The proposed design procedure is separated into two distinct steps: the development of an appropriate intermediate relational database structure and the subsequent development of an equivalent non-relational one. A set of rules is given for the move from the proposed intermediate relational to the equivalent non-relational structure. An example application from the hospital environment is also included in order to better demonstrate the process.