Provided are methods comprising receiving a query for information from the database, determining particular data element types and data element values that are the subject of the query, instantiating a query data structure containing the data element types and the data element values that are the subject of the query, identifying records within the database that contain one or more data element types and/or data element values that are included in the query data structure, and instantiating a results data structure comprising information relating to the identified records.