Medical Office Database ERD System Design And Business Rules

A small medical office needs a database system designed. The design starts with a visualized conceptualization carried by an entity-relationship diagram (ERD). Create this ERD by completing the following steps:

  1. Identify all involved in the database system so your ERD accurately “captures” the entire process, actors, and relationships (e.g., staff, patients, suppliers, carriers, etc.).
  2. Identify and list entities and attributes for each entity.
  3. Make sure you designate an attribute to serve as a primary key per each entity. Explain why that attribute “deserves” to be designated a primary key.
  4. Briefly define business rules. (Example: One patient can’t schedule more than one appointment at a time.)

It is important that you have a clear understanding of key concepts such as entity, attribute, primary key, foreign key, referential integrity, relationships, ERD, etc., before starting to work on the assignment.
Example:
Entity – Nurse
Attributes: Employee ID (Primary Key), Name, Address, DOB, SSN, License Number.

The ERD should be created using one of the following options:

  1. Draw using a free drawing tool available online, such as SmartDraw (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or Lucid Chart (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
  2. Draw using software you already own, such as Visio (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or Argo UML (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..
  3. Draw by hand and take a snapshot with a camera.

It is not important how you draw the diagram, as long as it effectively conceptualizes the database system design and “captures” the system accurately. The diagram must be imported or inserted into a Word document and accompanied by an APA-formatted cover page.