We just completed an MPI implementation using Mural for one of our NHIN clients and we were very pleased with how robust and stable Mural was.  In the process of loading a few million patient records however we discovered performance problems with the loader packaged with Mural.  Loading 200,000 records took over a day, and after waiting several days  to load millions of records we simply aborted the process.  We dealt with this by using our own batch loading application which we developed in house for other EMPI customers over the past several years.  The loader uses its own efficient file based indexing techniques that cuts out all of the latency associated with database operations.  We can process 200,000 records in approximately 30 minutes on a laptop, and millions of records in about 12 hours.  The loader is now part of our standard MatchMetrix distribution and is a critical part of each of our implementations.

We are excited that many healthcare organizations are taking a focused look into eHealth, interoperability, information exchanges and NHIN. One of the critical components of any eHealth solution is the Master Person Index. The MPI makes it possible to create a single identifier for a patient record. This identifier can then be shared within a facility or across an integrated network, generating numerous clinical and financial benefits.

When investigating an MPI, it is important to distinguish between a generic application and one that is designed specifically to meet the needs of the healthcare environment. At NextGate, we have been designing and implementing MPIs for healthcare since 1994. Our MatchMetrix™ MPI is based on the Mural open source MDM engine, but we have tailored it for healthcare situations. Our changes and enhancements provide for faster implementation timeframes, specialized functions, and real world usability. Here is a brief comparison of MatchMetrix and Mural (the MPI mentioned in the NHIN architecture).

Welcome everyone to the NextGate Blog, a place where you can learn about our activities and share your thoughts. We anticipate this will be a good forum to discuss the constant changes in the marketplace, and an easy way to distribute information about what we’ve learned and what we’re thinking about.

Right now, the topics occupying our thoughts are:
• All things related to NHIN architecture and deployment
• Our MatchMetrix Suite for MDM and EMPI
• Mural and other open source solutions
• Community RHIOs, IHEs and the like
• Upgrading Java CAPS environments
• Our brand new offices! Continue Reading…