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Per the notes taken during the implementers meeting 2009, the episode table would be designed as:
episode
column | description |
|---|---|
episode_id | internal primary key |
patient_id | patient to whom episode applies (is this redundant, since we're grouping visits & encounters which already link to patient?) |
episode_topic | defines the type of episode, probably a link to a concept (e.g., pregnancy) |
start_date | date on which episode began (could be earlier than first encounter/visit) |
end_date | date on which episode ended (could be later than last encounter/visit) |
voided | true if episode voided |
voided_by | who voided episode |
date_voided | date episode was voided |
creator | who created this row |
date_created | when row was created |
episode_visit_map
column | description |
|---|---|
| episode_visit_map_id | internal primary key |
episode_id | link to an episode |
visit_id | link to a visit that is within the linked episode |
| voided | true if voided |
| voided_by | who voided link of visit to episode |
| date_voided | date link of visit to episode was voided |
| creator | who created this row |
| date_created | when row was created |
We would link visits to an episode only when all encounter(s) within the visit are part of the episode.
episode_encounter_map
column | description |
|---|---|
| episode_encounter_map_id | internal primary key |
episode_id | link to an episode |
encounter_id | link to an encounter that is within the linked episode |
| voided | true if voided |
| voided_by | who voided link of encounter to episode |
| date_voided | date link of encounter to episode was voided |
| creator | who created this row |
| date_created | when row was created |
We would link encounters to episodes when other encounters in the same visit are not part of the episode.
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There is a similarity to programs, which track programs of care. Episodes of care differ in that they only represent a grouping of encounters & visits -- i.e., episodes do not have to be part of a patient program of care and episodes would not directly reference study protocols, workflows/states, etc. Once episodes of care are realized within OpenMRS, then programs could link to episodes to define the set of encounters/visits that are part of the program of care.
Since each program requires a concept (program.concept_id), an episode of care (and all of the visit/encounters it contains) can be related to a program by setting the episode_topic to this concept.