Clinical workflows utilizing autonomous and semiautonomous telemedicine devices

• US 10,603,792 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2014
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iRobot Corporation, Jonata Sub Two, Inc. (Teladoc Health, Inc.), Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Lai, Fuji, Wright, Timothy C., Lurie, Yair, Wang, Yulun
• Primary Examiner(s): Sorey, Robert A
• Application Number:
  US14/550,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20150081338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/49 Protective device

Abstract

The present disclosure describes various clinical workflows and other methods that utilize a telemedicine device in a healthcare network. According to various embodiments, a healthcare practitioner may utilize a remote presence interfaces (RPIs) on a remote access device (RAD), such as a portable electronic device (PED) to interface with a telemedicine device. The healthcare practitioner may directly interface with a display interface of a telemedicine device or utilize the RPI on a RAD. The present disclosure provides various clinical workflows involving a telemedicine device to view patient data during a telepresence session, perform rounds to visit multiple patients, monitor a patient, allow for remote visitations by companions, and various other clinical workflow methods.

Claims

1. A method for providing a remote telepresence patient visitation, the method comprising:

receiving a login request from a user using a remote presence interface on a remote access device;

verifying credentials of the user provided with the login request;

displaying a list of patients on the remote presence interface;

receiving a request from the user via the remote presence interface for telepresence sessions with a selection of a plurality of patients from the patient list;

directing a telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a first patient of the plurality of patients;

receiving, prior to a telepresence session, patient data regarding the first patient from a bedside patient monitor;

populating a dashboard of the remote presence interface with the patient data related to the first patient, such that the patient data is viewable during the telepresence session;

in response to the telemedicine device reaching the first patient, initiating a telepresence session between the user and the first patient via the remote presence interface on the remote access device;

receiving, subsequent to initiating the telepresence session with the first patient, an indication that the user wishes to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient; and

directing, upon conclusion of the telepresence session with the first patient, the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a second patient of the plurality of patients.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein populating the dashboard of the remote presence interface, comprises:

subsequent to the telemedicine device reaching the first patient and initiating the telepresence session, gathering, by the telemedicine device, the patient data from the bedside patient monitor; and

transmitting the patient monitoring data from the telemedicine device to the remote presence interface for display in the dashboard, such that the patient data is viewable during a telepresence session.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the user wishes to conclude the telepresence session; and

directing the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a docking station.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

gathering patient data relating to the patient; and

transmitting the patient data from the telemedicine device to the remote access device to be used in populating a remote dashboard of the remote presence interface on the remote access device, such that the patient data is viewable during the telepresence session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data comprise a waveform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data comprise vital signs.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data comprise biometric data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data comprise archived patient monitoring data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the dashboard is populated with patient data before the telepresence session.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sharing the patient data from the remote presence device to a display associated with the telemedicine device viewable by a person in proximity to a bedside of the first patient.

11. The method of claim 1, where directing comprises:

in response to detecting that the first patient'"'"'s data is being reviewed, automatically dispatching the telemedicine device to a location of the first patient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to real-time data concerning a condition of a third patient of the plurality of patients, automatically directing the telemedicine device to the third patient before the second patient.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

continuously updating an order of patients for the telemedicine device to visit based on real-time data relating to conditions of each of the plurality of patients.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

overriding an automatically-generated order for visiting one or more patients in response to a manual input.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to a third patient'"'"'s data trigging an alarm condition;

automatically dispatching the telemedicine device to the third patient; and

sending an invitation to a medical practitioner to begin a telepresence session with the third patient.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

tracking an amount of time the telemedicine device is used in conjunction with a particular patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

displaying statistics on the remote presence interface relating to one or more encounters with the particular patient.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

documenting an encounter of the telemedicine device with a particular patient, wherein documenting comprises categorizing the encounter by at least one of type of visit, a type of person making the visit, the outcome of the visit, and a reason for the visit.

19. A telemedicine device comprising:

a communication component configured to receive a patient list indicating a plurality of patients to visit, wherein the patient list is created via a remote presence interface on a remote access device that displays a list of patients on the remote presence interface;

a navigation component configured to autonomously navigate the telemedicine device to a first patient of the plurality of patients;

a data collection component configured to gather patient data relating to the first patient, wherein the patient data comprise real-time patient monitoring data from a bedside patient monitor;

the communication component further configured to transmit the patient data to be used in populating a remote dashboard of a remote presence interface, such that the patient data is viewable during the telepresence session;

the communication component further configured to receive an indication to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient; and

wherein the navigation component is further configured to autonomously navigate the telemedicine device directly to a second patient of the plurality of patients, in response to the indication to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient.

20. The telemedicine device of claim 19, further comprising:

an input configured to receive an indication that a medical professional is needed to visit a patient;

and wherein the communication component is further configured to;

transmit an invitation to the medical professional to join a telepresence session; and

transmit audio, video, and/or patient data to a remote access device to be viewed by the medical professional.

21. The telemedicine device of claim 19 wherein the communication component is further configured to:

transmit an invitation to a user to join a telepresence session; and

transmit audio, video, and/or patient data to the user via the telepresence session.

22. The telemedicine device of claim 19, further comprising:

an input component configured to receive instructions to alert a user that a patient needs attention in response to an event;

a navigation component configured to autonomously navigate the telemedicine device to the patient in response to the event; and

wherein the communication component is further configured to;

transmit an invitation to the user to join a telepresence session upon arriving at the patient; and

transmit audio, video, and/or patient data to the user via the telepresence session.

23. A method comprising:

displaying a list of patients on a remote presence interface of a remote access device;

receiving, from a remote user, a selection of a plurality of patients from the patient list via the remote presence interface on the remote access device;

directing a telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a first patient of the plurality of patients;

initiating a telepresence session with the first patient via the remote presence interface;

populating a dashboard of the remote presence interface with patient data relating to the first patient, wherein the patient data is obtained prior to the telepresence session from at least one of a patient chart and a bedside patient monitor, such that the patient data is viewable to the remote user during the telepresence session;

recording the patient data relating to the patient data for subsequent review;

directing the telemedicine device to display previously recorded patient data for review by a local medical professional;

receiving an indication to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient; and

directing, upon conclusion of the telepresence session with the first patient, the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate directly to a second patient of the plurality of patients.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

storing a record of each of a plurality of patient visits in a memory of a telepresence robot, wherein each patient is identified by a unique identifier and the record includes;

an amount of time spent at each patient'"'"'s bedside;

a category for each encounter with a patient;

usage information for a component of the telemedicine device; and

exporting the record.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving an indication by the telemedicine device that a medical professional is needed to visit the patient;

transmitting an invitation by the telemedicine device to the medical professional to join a telepresence session regarding the patient; and

transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data to a remote access device to be viewed by the medical professional.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving at the telemedicine device an indication that a medical professional is needed to visit the patient;

displaying a list of available medical professionals;

receiving a selection of a medical professional from the list of medical professionals available to visit the patient; and

transmitting, by the telemedicine device, an invitation to the selected medical professional to join the telepresence session.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

transmitting, by the telemedicine device, an invitation to a user to join a telepresence session; and

transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data to the user via the telepresence session.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving, by the telemedicine device, an instruction to remind a user that a patient needs attention in response to an event;

in response to the event, navigating the telemedicine device autonomously to the patient;

upon arriving at the patient, transmitting from the telemedicine device an invitation to the user to join a telepresence session; and

transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data from the telemedicine device to the user via the telepresence session.