Types Of Medical Databases And Their Benefits For Humanity

Written by technologynews | Published 2021/05/13
Tech Story Tags: databases | medical-technology | healthcare-tech | oracle | sql | mariadb | redis-database | postgresql

TLDR Medical Databases are vital in providing accurate, timely and comprehensive health care services to patients. The medical industry is constantly on the lookout for new medical applications, which would help improve their services. There are two types of databases used by healthcare entities. The primary database is the one which is built directly by the healthcare organization and is made available to all the related medical professionals. The secondary database is made up of various healthcare organizations that provide clinical information, such as hospitals, clinics, physician groups and insurance companies.via the TL;DR App

Medical Databases serve as an essential part in medical care, which includes the disciplines of research, documentation, patient care and treatment. The medical industry is constantly on the lookout for new medical applications, which would help improve their services. These endeavors are usually done through databases, which store data regarding diseases, diagnosis, treatments, medication, medical devices, medical practices and other pertinent details about medical professionals. With the constant advancements made in technology, these databases have also grown to be more technologically advanced and complex.
Medical Databases are vital in providing accurate, timely and comprehensive health care services to patients. It helps in detecting and preventing many diseases, thus improving the quality of life. The doctors' roles include a variety of tasks which include, screening patients, managing illnesses, performing surgeries and administering drugs.
Therefore, in order to perform all these tasks effectively, it is necessary that all the data collected must be well-organized, clearly identifiable and most importantly, accurate.

Database Types Used in Healthcare

In order to achieve the above said task, there are two types of databases used by healthcare entities. These are primary and secondary databases.
1. The Primary Database.
The primary database is the one which is built directly by the healthcare organization and is made available to all the related medical professionals.
2. The Secondary Database.
The secondary database is made up of various healthcare organizations that provide clinical information, such as hospitals, clinics, physician groups and insurance companies. They integrate their information together so that all the data collected for a specific purpose can be found easily.
Other Named Types.
As far as the types of these healthcare databases are concerned, there are several types which are included my list below. For example, there are critical care databases. These databases are very important in intensive care units. This is because intensive care units often have more complicated cases, which need careful and accurate analysis. There are also emergency healthcare databases, which are very useful for emergency room staff. They contain basic information, like the patient's name, address, medication and doctor contact information.
On the other hand, the clinical information database contains all the necessary information that doctors need to evaluate a patient and make a good treatment decision. Similarly, there are the hospital databases. They contain all the details of all the departments of a hospital, such as the physicians, nurses, technicians and emergency personnel.
There are also the mortality and morbidity databases, which contain vital statistics information, like the number of patients who died or are died of course during the given time frame and the number of patients who remain hospitalized for long durations due to various illnesses.
Another important aspect of these is that they operate like electronic medical records. This means that instead of storing a paper copy of every single patient record, they store everything in the computer and retrieve it using the appropriate keywords. In this way, they increase the productivity of the healthcare organization.
For example, when a doctor wants to look up some vital information regarding a particular patient, he can easily conduct a search across hundreds or even thousands of medical databases to get the relevant data.
Proprietary systems
However, not all healthcare companies have the ability to update their databases on a continuous basis. If they want to keep pace with the changing medical needs and demands, they need to purchase their own proprietary systems for accessing the relevant data. This has become easier now with the availability of a variety of different software systems. Some of them are more user friendly than others.
They have both standard features and advanced features that help healthcare companies gain maximum productivity through improved patient care and increased profitability. Some of the most popular and highly rated software systems available today are Citeality's Electronic Health Record (EHR), Epicure's Cardiology Data Management Software, Medicare Part B Data Management System, Netgear's Net ACLs and many more.
These improved systems have made it possible for doctors and other medical professionals to access patient health records easily and rapidly via EMR, PDA, PCS and other modern mobile devices. They also allow doctors to enter patient information into their systems without leaving the bed. This is done through either touch-screen interface or verbally provided details.
Many of these databases store data in an offline fashion, which means that the same information is available at any time - even when the hospital is closed. Doctors and other medical staff can therefore access critical care data, immunizations and appointment histories from remote locations.

Types Of Database Management Systems Used In Healthcare

1. Hierarchical databases.
Data management problems can be efficiently solved with the use of a Hierarchical Database Management System (DBMS), which is also known as Oracle Enterprise Database11g. This article briefly discusses some of the benefits and advantages of using an Oracle database to store and manage information and address the wide range of requirements for data storage, access control, security, recovery, and support for applications.
As a software vendor specializing in ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and object-oriented programming, we have implemented many database schemas and feature integration to support business requirements of our customers.
2. Network databases.
A Network database management system consists of several components including a business server, an EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) and a World Wide Web site that stores all the information and data for the organization. The Business Server is designed to interface with a web-based application that contains the data and forms the basis of the Network databases.
The EDI is designed to exchange data between the Business Server and a Web site that hold the data. The Web site interacts with the Business Server and the EDI to present the information to the users through an interactive web-based interface.
The Network database is very useful because it allows business applications to access pre-existing information stored in the Network database in real time and also to retrieve data whenever required by the user. This means that the entire process involves less user effort and more data access. In addition, the Network databases are designed to ensure that data is maintained in an optimal and safe manner.
They do this by using multiple redundant disks to ensure that no loss of data occurs due to physical or logical failure of the disks. They also make use of various transaction management protocols (TMPs) to ensure that the integrity and availability of data are maintained.
3. Relational databases.
Relational databases, also known as relational databases or network databases are designed to manage the information that stores a number of different data regarding a single entity. This type of database is unique in the sense that it makes use of different data sources and in the process combines them to form a more complete and comprehensive entity. For example, a company database may be created that contains different departments, jobs, products, stock and dates for each department. This would not be possible without Relational databases.
A Relational database management system (rellas) allows the user to easily manage the organization's databases. All the users have to do is select a user interface that best suits their need and then select the relevant DML file from the menu. In addition, it is very easy to implement a Relational database, considering the fact that all the work can be divided into logical sub-disciplines.
This results in a considerable saving in time as well as money. Because the creation of Relational databases is usually the result of a large amount of data, they allow users to access and update this information from any remote site, even if it is situated thousands of miles away.
Relational databases are extremely useful in the areas of business, medicine and engineering. They are ideal for storing information concerning people, such as their full names, address, telephone numbers, birth dates etc. The database can further be used to store customer information, such as their full names, addresses, buying orders, credit card information etc.
Moreover, the database can be used to keep a record of the employee's complete history and skills. This would help in the selection of the right employee for a particular post. Relational databases are also used by the government for various purposes, such as keeping a record of their citizens, keeping a track record of their marriages, births and deaths etc.

4. Object-oriented databases.
An object-oriented database system is a relational database management system that makes use of the database structures that are more organized and performance for the data that is stored in them. The main database used in an object-oriented database system is the database management database, which is a relational or object-relational database management system that stores all the data and information in its own relational structure. This ensures that the entire system stays consistent, and that there are no conflicts of information among the users. This also ensures that the system allows the creation of self-service applications that access the data through the use of a GUI interface.
There are many advantages of using object-oriented databases. For one thing, the data is automatically updated whenever there is a change in the system, so there will be no more need for the users to update their data manually. Another great advantage of object-oriented databases is that they provide flexibility in the data types that can be used in the application. These data types include the simple text, numeric, fixed width characters, quotes, text and its values as well as the metadata that specify the various attributes of a particular record. There is no need to translate data into such different data types whenever the need arises. Also there is no need to create separate user tables for each user profile in an object-oriented database system as there would be one central database per user profile.
The ability of objects to be dynamically updated also makes object-oriented databases very useful. For example, an employee database might have the ability to add, edit or delete the names of the employees in it according to the requirements. Thus, there would be no need for the administrator to go through the list of commands to be given to update the records of some objects, while there would be need for the update command for all the objects in the database.
5. Graph databases.
Graph databases are collections of interconnected nodes and edges in a relational database system that supports bidirectional data communication. These types of data-driven architectures have become very popular in recent years as they have the ability to scale beyond simple single-user desktops to full server and cluster environments with thousands of users. It has the ability to perform all sorts of calculations with large amounts of data, including some sophisticated techniques like deterministic, probabilistic, logistic, and greedy neural networks, as well as other statistical distributions.
Many large data sets used in scientific research and business applications today are maintained in these types of databases due to their ability to efficiently collect and manage large amounts of relevant information in a way that is efficient, reliable, and cost effective.
There are many open source solutions that allow you to develop and deploy your Graph database using applications such as Rethink, Econnect, and Freeboard. The major advantage of using these types of applications is that they provide a familiar development environment and familiarizing user with Graph databases concepts and data structures. Most of the open source Graph databases available today are designed to be easily customized by the user in order to meet the specific needs of their project.
These applications also support a variety of advanced features such as advanced cluster management, real time streaming, and fast collection of results. It can also be used as a back-end service to offload processing and analytical tasks performed by other applications. These services can reduce the overall effort for analysts and developers while maintaining maximum productivity.
In order to take full advantage of the capabilities of a Graph database an application should be written in Java or C++. These languages make it easy to utilize the advanced features available, while requiring a minimum amount of server-side code to be written. Since the Graph database stores information as objects, it makes it very efficient and memory efficient, as every new piece of data added to the database is kept in its own context.
This also results in a decrease in the overhead associated with the application. The ability to scale up and down when needed, and easy recovery of data files are one of the many benefits an organization can enjoy by using this type of database.
6. ER model databases.
ER model is a relational database management system that stores and retrieves information in an object-oriented manner. ER is used for the storage of customer data as well as for the execution of business logic. ER was first introduced to the world during the early 1970's and remains to this date one of the most popular database management systems, mainly because of its simplicity and robustness when compared to the other database management systems.
ERM was originally designed for the large organizations and for its ability to store complex business rules. The concept of ERM changed with the development of ERP, which came to include various additional features and capabilities.
A relational or hierarchical database management system, data is kept in a parent-child relationship graph. In the ER model databases, rather than being stored in single root level tables, data are stored in entities or branches. Besides the relationships between entities, a hierarchy also contains the relationships between these entities, for example: a company's branch office in the USA and a customer's branch office in India.
The concept of ERM has changed dramatically with the advent of object-oriented databases and the integration of web technologies into ERM. ERM now comes with a full range of tools to help the developer to maintain and develop the database effectively. The change in ERM resulted to the splitting of the original concept from the original ERM structure.
Now ERM comes along with various object-oriented database packages like the source control, configuration management, business processes management etc.
7. Document databases.
Document databases are the places where your important documents are kept. There are several different types of document databases and most people keep a variety of documents. They may keep legal, medical or other type of records and not all documents are stored in the same place.
Many times documents are stored on a CD or a DVD in a case they are not in the computer. If they are there they may be in the wrong place or damaged. The importance of a document database can not be underestimated.
Large companies may have thousands of employees and the need to store large amounts of information about company activities is very important. To store this information, many places are needed and most likely a contract is involved with the storage of the information.
With a contract in place a Document Database can be accessed quickly and easily, whenever the need arises. Also it is very important to use a professional company that is experienced with Document databases to handle the information so it can be easily found.
The documents in a Document Database can range from simple text to videos to electronic data. It is easy to search the data to find any document that you need and also easy to retrieve the documents at any time. When searching for documents a user can usually find what they are looking for by the subject of the document and sometimes even by the location of the document (depending on how complex the document database is).
A Document database can make it easy for the person to retrieve any information that is important to them quickly and easily, which is very important when the need arises.
8. NoSQL databases.
NoSQL Databases provides the functionality of a traditional relational database management system, without the need for a server or an expensive operating system to run the database. The key feature of NoSQL Databases is their ability to abstract all of the important business logic away from the user programming language. NoSQL databases are designed to be flexible and fault tolerant, and can be installed on any operating platform.
They provide all of the benefits of traditional RDBMS (relational database management systems) at a much more affordable price than most traditional RDBMS options. The commercial interest in NoSQL Databases has increased significantly in recent years as more businesses realize how quickly and efficiently they can help businesses handle the explosive growth of online business.
For those interested in NoSQL Databases and related technologies there is a free download site called Open SQL. This site provides the technical information required to start using NoSQL Databases with a simple click of the mouse. Although it does not have a support service like that of the official MySQL website, it is still worth trying out the various NoSQL Databases out there as it could well be the SQL language for you.
There are many open source NoSQL databases available to the general public, although many of these have not had the opportunity to be polished and tested as MySQL stores and handles all of the critical data for your enterprise applications.
NoSQL Databases is a great choice for webmasters and developers looking to leverage the power of the cloud without needing to know any SQL. It's an extremely cost-effective alternative for managing all of your enterprise data. If you're building a new site or web application and are considering whether to use NoSQL Databases or traditional RDBMS be sure to check out the free NoSQL Databases download site. You'll be back to SQL heaven.
What healthcare and medical databases are used for today?
  • Practice management systems.
  • EHR. (Electronic Health Records)
  • EMR. (Electornic Medical Records)
  • Costing system.
  • Patient satisfaction.
  • Ambulatory surgery.
  • Radiology.
  • Pathology.
  • Financial system.
  • Prescription management.
  • Hospital bookings and admissions.
  • Medical Media.
Common database backends.
SQL.
A Microsoft database.

MySQL. 
An open-source relational DBMS.

MariaDB
Free and open-source software.

MongoDB
A Cloud-Native Database.

Redis.
Open source BSD licensed. (Linux)

PostgreSQL.
An open source object-relational database system
Last but least!
The most popular database of all time!
Oracle.
Oracle databases are an indispensable part of every enterprise and its database management system. Oracle data structures hold all the information about the entire database and are used to construct data-oriented functions that can be used by applications. This data is updated or modified on demand, as required by the applications and when required by the user. Oracle data objects can be very complex in nature and this requires the expertise of a qualified expert who has considerable experience in Oracle database maintenance.
Oracle data structures can include objects as simple as a class or an interface. A class contains generic methods which act as generic code that can be accessed by other programs to perform operations on the database. An interface is another form of Oracle database interface which provides low level access to database objects through an abstract oracle language. It allows for more flexibility and portability for various reasons. However, both of these Oracle databases have the ability to grow with the size of the data, thus enabling applications to operate efficiently even as the database grows.
Oracle data recovery is one of the most important concerns of users of Oracle databases. Damages due to logical failures, hard drive crashes, system crashes and data corruption can lead to disastrous results if such issues are not resolved quickly. This is where Oracle recovery software comes to use. These softwares are designed specifically to recover all damaged data, in case of database corruption, from Oracle databases. Oracle recovery software makes full use of the in-built integrity features present in Oracle to make sure that the data is securely backed up and maintained against all forms of failure.
Database Rankings.
The following is a list of the world’s most popular databases and their rankings between 2019 to 2021
  1. Oracle 1268.842
  2. MySQL 1154.273
  3. Microsoft SQL Server 1040.264
  4. PostgreSQL 466.115
  5. MongoDB 387.186
  6. IBM Db2 179.857
  7. Redis 149.018
  8. Elasticsearch 143.449
  9. MicrosoftAccess 141.6210
  10. SQLite 126.811
  11. Cassandra 122.9812
  12. Splunk 81.4313
  13. MariaDB 78.8214
  14. Teradata 76.1915
  15. Hive 69.9116
  16. Solr 61.4817
  17. HBase 60.3918
  18. FileMaker 57.1519
  19. SAP HANA 56.6420
  20. Amazon DynamoDB55.0921
  21. SAP Adaptive Server 55.0422
  22. Neo4j 46.823
  23. Couchbase 34.5924
  24. Memcached 29.5425
  25. Microsoft Azure SQL Database 27.2
The medical and healthcare sector uses databases for technology needs every day.
"Healthcare Management Technology" is a rapidly expanding field. The demand for health care providers in this field is increasing because of an aging population with more chronic diseases. Programs prepares students for a career in Information Technology and auditing systems used by hospitals, clinics, insurance companies and government agencies. A degree in Healthcare Management Technology will prepare graduates to work in many departments in the health care industry including administration, information technology, clinical data management, financial management and patient care. Students will also learn how to design and manage large databases that are essential to any doctor's office, clinic or hospital.
Healthcare Businesses.
Healthcare businesses operate using databases to store patients' records, physician information and other important information. In this fast-paced society, running a database that is secure and reliable is essential for any business. There are many types of database management systems (DMS) on the market, including web, desktop and in-house DMS software. Web-based DMS applications include WebDAV, Active Server Pages (ASP) and JavaFX. Most commonly, though, an SQL server is used in most healthcare applications.
SQL servers have the ability to allow a wide variety of transactions to run simultaneously without the need for a full data file. The database stores all medical data in a language independent of its host system, allowing access from any operating system and browser. It also provides full control over security, allowing only authorized users to have access to all the data and functions. It is widely used in clinical laboratories, dental care facilities, hospices and pharmacies as well as medical offices.
An SQL-based DMS application is usually stored on a server that hosts a wide variety of different programs that interface with the SQL database. This type of server is ideal for a wide variety of medical applications, especially if the database is expected to store medical information from many different sources.
It is also easy to implement, requiring no specialized technical skills, and runs quickly and reliably. It is also ideal for use by clinics or facilities that are located around the world and that require a full, on-site backup of patient records.
Storing Medical Data
Medical informatics is a rapidly growing field in the medical field, with more health care facilities and clinics relying more on the computer to keep up with their patient records. The fact that Storing Medical Data seems so complicated at first glance is actually an advantage because it means that someone who wants to start a medical informatics practice will be more aware of what they need to do to get started and get the ball rolling.
A Storing Medical Data course can help new doctors to understand the various storage options available, as well as how to set up their own Storing Medical Data system. The most important thing is that a person learns exactly what they need to know before they even begin, and then takes the time to find the right type of software or web based package for their needs.
One thing that is abundantly clear is that there is no longer any reason why anyone who works within the medical field as a doctor or nurse can't use the cloud for Storing Medical Data. This is an important step in helping to preserve the medical records for all of the patients that a clinic or hospital has served over the years. It is also helpful because many doctors and nurses want to have access to their Storing Medical Data no matter where they are, which is especially true for smaller medical facilities. The cloud is here to stay, and Storing Medical Data is here to help make sure that stays that way.
Medical Media Databases
A Medical Media Database (MSMBD) is a document repository that contains patient data, which may include demographic and clinical information for use in a wide range of health care applications. The term "Medical Media" is used to refer to the entire gamut of electronic media, from audios, videos, films, records, and text to internet user-generated content. The term "sys" refers to the system, application, or database. In short, the medical media is the whole shebang.
One can think of it as a superset of the ERP, but on a smaller scale. Medical Media Database Systems typically has an architecture where the traditional information architecture called the Enterprise Resource Planning or ERP is combined with a new database called the Medical Media Database, or MSM. The two technologies combine the features of an ERP and an IMDB, making for a more comprehensive and flexible solution. The combination results in better implementation, cost effectiveness, increased operational efficiencies, and faster time-to-market for new services or products.
Medical Media Database Systems are usually implemented using an open source software stack. An example of such a stack is the Open Source Electronic Medical Records (eMRP) software stack, which allows for an SQL-based Web-based interface and a back-end data-warehousing system called the Data Service. The Data Service manages the overall workflow associated with the medical data and the infrastructures required to support it; it is then deployed over the network using an Electronic Medical Record Management (EMRMS) server. EMRP and its systems often contain their own content management system, usually based upon an open source Java server and tooling designed to manage the ingestion, search, and distribution of the large volume of electronic medical records. (EMR)
Electronic Medical Records
As more hospitals, doctor's offices, and other healthcare facilities are using digital imaging systems to capture, store, and display their patients' medical information, practices are beginning to move away from paper-based records and towards electronic medical records (EMR). Electronic Medical Records (EMR) have been available in the healthcare industry for some years, but the recent advancements in technology have made them more user-friendly. EMRs contain more detailed information than ever before, such as information on medications, lab tests, procedures, diagnoses, and more. However, converting traditional paper documents into digital files may be complicated and expensive.
Paper records must undergo several processes before they can be converted, from research to quality assurance to finally conversion into a usable format. In addition, EMRs must be preserved by medical staff, which means that they must either photocopy all of the records or have copies printed. Both of these methods incur expenses and take up a great deal of time. This can make keeping track of EMRs difficult for many practices.
In addition, because electronic medical records eliminate much of the physical paper-based process, they provide immediate accessibility to any patient-related data. This is especially useful for practices with low patient census or those that see a high volume of patients on a regular basis. Many practices also utilize EMR software or a practice management system to make the most of their EMRs. These systems convert medical records into a computerized system that can be accessed with computers and handheld devices such as PDAs, IPADs and other tablet based devices.
Conclusion
It is becoming more common for doctors, administrators, and other healthcare professionals to find themselves searching databases for information and data in regards to their profession. Knowing how to access a database, especially one that is developed specifically for use in healthcare, can be beneficial to any professionals career. With the development of new technologies, databases are becoming an essential part of our daily lives, and knowing how they can benefit us all can only be realized when one makes the effort to learn about how databases help make our world a better place.

Written by technologynews | Australian technology news journalist. Matt, 20 years of IT systems & networking engineering + security turned Journo.
Published by HackerNoon on 2021/05/13