Health-care related database middleware

1. A method for electronic transmission of electronic medical records, the method comprising:

generating metadata for the electronic medical records provided by a user-specified form;

physically storing the metadata in an object model of a database, the object model paralleling a logical model that is derived from a Health Level 7 (HL7) messaging standard, wherein the object model is defined based on data mapping of fields to values in accordance with the HL7 messaging standard, wherein the object model utilizes a two-key primary key structure for each of a plurality of HL7 classes to store the metadata in compliance with the HL7 messaging standard, each two-key primary key structure including:

an object identifier key to identify a particular HL7 messaging term included in the HL7 messaging standard, the object identifier key being a first key of the two-key primary key structure;

a term extension key including a specific data from data blocks that are associated with the particular HL7 messaging term, the term extension key being a second key of the two-key primary key structure; and

wherein the object model further utilizes a foreign key in association with each two-key primary key structure for each class of the plurality of HL7 classes, and wherein the foreign key includes pointers to the metadata associated with the object model;

transforming the metadata for the electronic medical records stored in the object model to a format utilized by a recipient institution for transmission using the messaging protocol; and

transmitting the electronic medical records represented in the format to the recipient institution.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the data mapping of fields is specific to a medical institution.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the object model is XML-based.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, XSLT is used to transform the metadata to the format.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, reducing storage used in storing the metadata in the object model of the database by converting a primary key associated with the metadata from a globally unique identifier to an integer identifier.

6. A system for transmitting electronic medical records, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store components of a transmitting system, the components including:

an object model paralleling a logical model that is derived from a Health Level 7 (HL7) messaging standard, wherein the object model is defined based on data mapping of fields to values in accordance with the HL7 messaging standard, wherein the object model utilizes a two-key primary key structure for each of a plurality of HL7 classes to store the metadata in compliance with the HL7 messaging standard, each two-key primary key structure including:

an object identifier key to identify a particular HL7 messaging term included in the HL7 messaging standard, the object identifier key being a first key of the two-key primary key structure;

a term extension key including a specific data from data blocks that are associated with the particular HL7 messaging term, the term extension key being a second key of the two-key primary key structure; and

wherein the object model further utilizes a foreign key in association with each two-key primary key structure for each class of the plurality of HL7 classes, and wherein the foreign key includes pointers to the metadata associated with the object model;

a database configured according to the object model, the database configured to physically store the metadata generated by the object model, wherein the object model is configured to generate metadata for electronic medical records provided through a user-specified form;

a message generation module configured to transform the metadata from a first format utilized by the database to a second format utilized by a recipient institution; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the electronic medical records in the second format to the recipient institution.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein, the data mapping of fields is specific to a medical institution.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein, the object model is XML-based.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein, XSLT is used to transform the metadata to the format.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein, the storage used in storing the metadata in the object model of the database is reduced by converting a primary key associated with the metadata from a globally unique identifier to an integer identifier.

11. A system for transmitting electronic medical records, the system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store components of a transmitting system, the components including:

a user interface configured to allow a user to specify a form for user input;

a data mapping tool configured to allow a user to map a field value from the specified form to a data field of an XML based object model paralleling a logical model that is derived from a Health Level 7 (HL7) Reference Information Model (RIM), the object model configured to generate metadata for electronic medical records input using the specified form, wherein the object model is defined based on data mapping of fields to values in accordance with the HL7 RIM, wherein the object model utilizes a two-key primary key structure for each of a plurality of HL7 classes to store the metadata in compliance with the HL7 RIM, each two-key primary key structure including:

an object identifier key to identify a particular HL7 messaging term included in the HL7 messaging standard, the object identifier key being a first key of the two-key primary key structure;

a term extension key including a specific data from data blocks that are associated with the particular HL7 messaging term, the term extension key being a second key of the two-key primary key structure; and

wherein the object model further utilizes a foreign key in association with each two-key primary key structure for each class of the plurality of HL7 classes, and wherein the foreign key includes pointers to the metadata associated with the object model;

a database configured according to the object model, the database configured to physically store the metadata generated by the object model;

a message generation module configured to transform the metadata from a first format utilized by the database to a second format utilized by a recipient institution, wherein XSLT is used to transform the metadata to the second format; and

a transmission module configured to transmit the electronic medical records in the second format to the recipient institution.

12. A method for electronic transmission of electronic medical records, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user, a data mapping that maps from a field value in a user-specified form to a data field in an object model of a database;

generating metadata for the electronic medical records utilizing the data mapping;

physically storing the metadata in the object model of a database, the object model paralleling a logical model that is derived from a Health Level 7 (HL7) Reference Information Model (RIM), wherein the object model is defined based on data mapping of fields to values in accordance with the HL7 RIM, wherein the object model utilizes a two-key primary key structure for each of a plurality of HL7 classes to store the metadata in compliance with the HL7 RIM, each two-key primary key structure including:

an object identifier key to identify a particular HL7 messaging term included in the HL7 messaging standard, the object identifier key being a first key of the two-key primary key structure;

a term extension key including a specific data from data blocks that are associated with the particular HL7 messaging term, the term extension key being a second key of the two-key primary key structure; and

wherein the object model further utilizes a foreign key in association with each two-key primary key structure for each class of the plurality of HL7 classes, and wherein the foreign key includes pointers to the metadata associated with the object model;

transforming the metadata for the electronic medical records stored in the object model to a format utilized by a recipient institution for transmission using XSLT; and

transmitting the electronic medical records represented in the format to the recipient institution.

13. A method for electronic transmission of electronic medical records, the method comprising:

generating metadata for the electronic medical records provided by a user-specified form;

physically storing the metadata in an object model of a database, the object model paralleling a logical model that is derived from a Health Level 7 (HL7) messaging standard, wherein the object model is defined based on data mapping of fields to values in accordance with the HL7 messaging standard, wherein the object model utilizes a two-key primary key structure for each of a plurality of HL7 classes to store the metadata in compliance with the HL7 messaging standard, each two-key primary key structure including:

an object identifier key to identify a particular HL7 messaging term included in the HL7 messaging standard, the object identifier key being a first key of the two-key primary key structure;

a term extension key including a specific data from data blocks that are associated with the particular HL7 messaging term, the term extension key being a second key of the two-key primary key structure; and

wherein the object model further utilizes a foreign key in association with each two-key primary key structure for each class of the plurality of HL7 classes, and wherein the foreign key includes pointers to the metadata associated with the object model;

reducing storage used in storing the metadata in the object model of the database by converting a primary key associated with the metadata from a globally unique identifier to an integer identifier;

transforming the metadata for the electronic medical records stored in the object model to a format utilized by a recipient institution for transmission using the messaging protocol; and

transmitting the electronic medical records represented in the format to the recipient institution.