Entity Resolution for Maintaining Electronic Medical Record Using OYSTER

Abstract

With the advancement of technology, the world has witnessed the digitization of various fields including education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing, etc. Healthcare is a very important field which has witnessed the generation of huge amounts of data in the past few decades due to a steep rise in population, and hence the ever-increasing use of online databases for storing every minute detail. Doctors no more rely on written prescriptions or documents for examining the health conditions of a patient. Electronic medical records have enabled doctors to monitor each patient’s medical history with ease. However, the rate at which the data pertaining to healthcare is increasing has led to the search for new and better alternatives that enhance the feasibility and scalability of already existing digital storage systems. This chapter is intended to provide an insight on how Entity Resolution can be put to use in healthcare for maintaining electronic medical records using the open-source software, OYSTER. Also, this chapter will throw light on how performing Entity Resolution using OYSTER has an edge over the currently used systems for storing personal medical information in hospitals.