Nadkarni P M, Brandt C
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
J Am Med Inform Assoc. 1998 Nov-Dec;5(6):511-27. doi: 10.1136/jamia.1998.0050511.
Entity--attribute--value (EAV) tables form the major component of several mainstream electronic patient record systems (EPRSs). Such systems have been optimized for real-time retrieval of individual patient data. Data warehousing, on the other hand, involves cross-patient data retrieval based on values of patient attributes, with a focus on ad hoc query. Attribute-centric query is inherently more difficult when data are stored in EAV form than when they are stored conventionally. The authors illustrate their approach to the attribute-centric query problem with ACT/DB, a database for managing clinical trials data. This approach is based on metadata supporting a query front end that essentially hides the EAV/non-EAV nature of individual attributes from the user. The authors' work does not close the query problem, and they identify several complex subproblems that are still to be solved.
实体-属性-值(EAV)表构成了多个主流电子病历系统(EPRS)的主要组成部分。此类系统已针对个体患者数据的实时检索进行了优化。另一方面,数据仓库涉及基于患者属性值的跨患者数据检索,重点是临时查询。当数据以EAV形式存储时,以属性为中心的查询本质上比传统存储时更困难。作者用ACT/DB(一个用于管理临床试验数据的数据库)阐述了他们针对以属性为中心的查询问题的方法。这种方法基于支持查询前端的元数据,该前端基本上向用户隐藏了各个属性的EAV/非EAV性质。作者的工作并未解决查询问题,他们还识别出了几个仍有待解决的复杂子问题。