Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE B.20
Visualization on textual data.
FIGURE B.22
Visualizing deltas.
FIGURE B.21
Visualizations by demographics.
Including text-based databases with classical structured databases
One of the creative uses of the textual data that has been gathered and integrated is the inclusion of
the database that contains the textual data into the healthcare information factory.
Figure B.23
shows
this inclusion.
The system of record
One of the most important features of the healthcare information factory is that of the “system of
record.” The system of record is the place where an analyst can go to access the data in its “purest”
(i.e., original) form. If there ever is any doubt as to the accuracy of data, the system of record is used
as the final authority. There are different places in the healthcare information factory where the sys-
tem of record is found for different types of data. For textual data the system of record is the base
document where the original text is contained. For transaction data the system of record resides in the
transactions as they were executed. But the system of record moves over time. There is the system
of record for very current data, and there is the system of record for historical data. For data that is
