Online Query Builder and Deidentification Tool (OQBDT) for UP PGH Health Service Database Research

Abstract

The increasing trend towards the storage and retrieval of patient records via databases provides researchers - in their attempt to gather data for the advancement of medical knowledge - a new, efficient and accurate way of gathering these kinds of data. As they are often faced with the issue of protecting patient privacy, however, there is a crucial need to deidentify these patient records first before distribution. The “Online Query Builder and Deidentification Too! (OQBDT) for UP PGH Health Service Database Research” is a web-based application for researchers intending to use as data sets the deidentified consultation records of the UP PGH Health Service patients. To facilitate data gathering procedures, the OQBDT features its own query builder that allows researchers to create, search and save customized queries based on his/her search criteria. The queries executed by the researchers would then have deidentified patient records as the returned results. The researchers also have the option to retrieve these records for further analysis.