Managing time granularity of narrative clinical information: the temporal data model TIME-NESIS

In the database field, the need of time management at different levels of granularity has been on for some years. It has been recently emphasized. Such a need is widespread when we have to manage medical clinical information. The temporal dimension is normally given at different granularities. In database systems based on the calendar time, granularity refers to uncertainty in specifying a temporal dimension as well as to use of different time-units. Thus, we need to set up modelling concepts and managing tools by which to establish temporal relationships between temporal clinical data. To manage the temporal dimension of data given at various and mixed levels of granularity, we defined the temporal data model TIME-NESIS (TIME in anamNESIS). The model provides temporal dimension to the data by using intervals that can be specified by different granularities. The model supports a three-valued logic, where True, False and Undefined are the truth values