diff --git a/app/models/sorted_column.rb b/app/models/sorted_column.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad96d7ac6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/sorted_column.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+class SortedColumn
+  attr_reader :column
+
+  def initialize(column:, order:)
+    @column = column
+    @order = order
+  end
+
+  def ascending? = @order == 'asc'
+
+  def ==(other)
+    other&.column == column && other.order == order
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/models/sorted_column_spec.rb b/spec/models/sorted_column_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0cd0a49b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/sorted_column_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+describe SortedColumn do
+  let(:column) { Column.new(procedure_id: 1, table: 'table', column: 'column') }
+  let(:sorted_column) { SortedColumn.new(column: column, order: 'asc') }
+
+  describe '==' do
+    it 'returns true for the same sorted column' do
+      other = SortedColumn.new(column: column, order: 'asc')
+      expect(sorted_column == other).to eq(true)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the order is different' do
+      other = SortedColumn.new(column: column, order: 'desc')
+      expect(sorted_column == other).to eq(false)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the column is different' do
+      other_column = Column.new(procedure_id: 1, table: 'table', column: 'other')
+      other = SortedColumn.new(column: other_column, order: 'asc')
+      expect(sorted_column == other).to eq(false)
+    end
+
+    it 'returns false if the other is nil' do
+      expect(sorted_column == nil).to eq(false)
+    end
+  end
+end