Abstract
In this article we present a new method for unifying heterogeneous databases. We propose the unification at the level of conceptual schemas in a two-step process. First, the internal database schemas are mapped to conceptual schemas in a user interactive process. These schemas are then automatically integrated, creating a virtual repository. Virtual repositories give users the feeling of working with single, local databases and can be used for epidemiological research (e.g. data analysis) or clinical practice. We implemented the proposed method in a tool for accessing medical information from remote databases located at different machines with different technological platforms in the Internet.
Financial support for this research was provided in part by an FPI grant from the Madrid regional government and by “Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria” (Spanish Ministry of Health).
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Billhardt, H., Crespo, J., Maojo, V., Martin, F., Maté, J.L. (2001). A New Method for Unifying Heterogeneous Databases. In: Crespo, J., Maojo, V., Martin, F. (eds) Medical Data Analysis. ISMDA 2001. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 2199. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45497-7_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-45497-7_8
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