Systems, methods, and media for laboratory testing services

• US 10,664,486 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 05/26/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Incorporated (Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings)
• Original Assignee: Laboratory Corporation Of America Holdings
• Inventors: Fonesca, Lidia L., Leister, Bill, Venkatraman, Suresh, Faisst, Michael, Harter, George, Curry, Kelly, Conlin, Paul, Verrengia, Roberto, Engel, Louis, Eastman, Andrea, Jain, Piyush
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Eliza A
• Application Number:
  US13/723,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166315A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,713 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2471 Distributed queries
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Systems, methods, and media for laboratory testing services are disclosed. A request for an electronic form can be received from an electronic device. A customized electronic form can be sent to the electronic device. The electronic form may be customized based at least in part on a healthcare provider associated with the request. At least one laboratory test may be requested to be ordered for at least one patient associated with the healthcare provider. At least one predefined rule may be applied to the requested order to verify that the order is valid. At least one laboratory can be selected to perform the ordered laboratory tests. Specimen collection information may be sent to a collection facility and can be based at least in part on rules or preferences of a lab selected to perform a laboratory test. Customized test reports can be provided to a healthcare provider.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server of a laboratory management organization and from an electronic device of a healthcare provider, a request for an electronic laboratory test order form, the request comprising a plurality of identifiers;

verifying, by the server of the laboratory management organization and in response to receiving the request for the electronic laboratory test order form and prior to generating a customized response based on the plurality of identifiers, an authenticity of the health care provider by authenticating a username and password or a digital certificate associated with the health care provider, wherein verifying the authenticity of the health care provider comprises;

accessing, by the server of the laboratory management organization an authenticity data store to determine whether the username and password or the digital certificate received from the electronic device of the health care provider authenticates the health care provider;

generating, by the server of the laboratory management organization and in response to verifying the authenticity of the health care provider, the customized response based at least in part on an identifier from the plurality of identifiers, the customized response comprising a customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider, wherein generating the customized response comprises using the identifier from the plurality of identifiers to query a data store comprising a plurality of laboratory tests to determine the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider;

sending, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the customized response to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the customized response comprising the customized electronic laboratory test order form; and

after receiving, by the server of the laboratory management organization and from the electronic device of the healthcare provider, a completed customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a selection of at least a first laboratory test and a second laboratory test from the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider and identifying a patient of the healthcare provider corresponding to the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, a single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test, wherein the single laboratory is not specified in the completed customized electronic laboratory test order form, and wherein determining the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test comprises;

determining a first plurality of laboratories capable of completing the first laboratory test;

determining a second plurality of laboratories capable of completing the second laboratory test, the second plurality of laboratories comprising at least one laboratory in the first plurality of laboratories;

determining whether enough of a previously-taken sample for the patient is available to be used for testing purposes;

determining, when enough of the previously-taken sample is available, whether the previously-taken sample has existed too long relative to how long the previously-taken sample can be used for testing purposes;

selecting the single laboratory from the first plurality of laboratories and the second plurality of laboratories to complete both the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, when enough of the previously-taken sample is not available or has existed too long, a specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when not enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

sending, when enough of the previously-taken sample is not available or has existed too long, by the server of the laboratory management organization and to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the specimen collection procedure prior to collection of a specimen from the patient according to the specimen collection procedure when not enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

receiving, by the server of the laboratory management organization and from the single laboratory, a laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient; and

determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, a recommended laboratory test for the patient based at least in part on the laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider comprises a first predefined test group comprising a first plurality of laboratory tests previously determined by the healthcare provider to correspond to the first predefined test group, and

wherein the customized electronic laboratory test order form is configured to select each laboratory test in the first plurality of laboratory tests in response to a selection of the first predefined test group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider is dynamically determined by the server of the laboratory management organization based on frequently ordered laboratory tests previously ordered by the healthcare provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider is dynamically determined by the server of the laboratory management organization based on frequently ordered laboratory tests across a plurality of healthcare providers comprising a same healthcare provider type as the healthcare provider.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the request comprises a disease corresponding to the patient and the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider is dynamically determined by the server of the laboratory management organization based on frequently ordered laboratory tests for the disease, and

wherein the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider is prioritized in the customized electronic laboratory test order form from a most frequently ordered laboratory test to a least frequently ordered laboratory test.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an account corresponding to the patient has an outstanding balance; and

in response to a determination that the account does not have the outstanding balance, authorizing an order for the laboratory test.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an account corresponding to the patient has an outstanding balance; and

in response to a determination that the account comprises an outstanding balance;

generating a payment notice for the outstanding balance;

sending the payment notice to the patient; and

authorizing an order for the laboratory test only after the outstanding balance is paid.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein the completed customized electronic laboratory test order form comprises a required deadline for receiving test results and a required geographic region, and

wherein, determining by the server of the laboratory management organization, the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test further comprises:

determining at least one available laboratory in the required geographic region capable of completing the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test by the required deadline; and

selecting the single laboratory from the at least one available laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and second laboratory test.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining at least one tube size required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test; and

including instructions to collect the specimen from the patient using the determined at least one test tube size in the specimen collection procedure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a first specimen and a second specimen, and wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining a first quantity of the first specimen required by the single laboratory to complete at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test;

determining a second quantity of the second specimen required by the single laboratory to complete at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test;

determining a collection order for the first specimen and the second specimen required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test; and

including instructions to collect the first quantity of the first specimen from the patient and the second quantity of the second specimen from the patient in the determined collection order in the specimen collection procedure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining a first quantity of the specimen required by the single laboratory to complete at least one of the laboratory first test or the second laboratory test;

determining a test tube top color required by the single laboratory for the specimen; and

including instructions to collect the first quantity of the specimen from the patient in a test tube using the test tube top color in the specimen collection procedure.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the specimen comprises a first specimen and a second specimen, and wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining a first quantity of the first specimen required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test;

determining a second quantity of the second specimen required by the single laboratory to compete the second laboratory test;

determining a collection order in which the first specimen and the second specimen are required to be collected; and

including instructions to collect the first quantity of the first specimen from the patient and the second quantity of the second specimen from the patient in the determined collection order in the specimen collection procedure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining a first quantity of a first the specimen required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test;

determining a second quantity of the specimen required by the single laboratory to compete the second laboratory test;

determining a total quantity of the specimen required by the single laboratory based at least in part on the first quantity and the second quantity; and

including instructions to collect the total quantity of the specimen from the patient in a single collection tube in the specimen collection procedure.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient is not available or has existed too long comprises:

determining a first quantity of a first the specimen required by the single laboratory to complete at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test;

determining a previously collected and usable quantity of the first specimen for the patient; and

determining an additional quantity of the specimen needed from the patient based at least in part on the first quantity and the previously collected and usable quantity; and

including instructions to collect the additional quantity of the specimen from the patient in the specimen collection procedure.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the server of the laboratory management organization and from the laboratory, the laboratory test result for the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test for the patient;

determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, a prior historical laboratory test result for at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient;

generating, by the server of the laboratory management organization, a test results report comprising the laboratory test result for the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test for the patient and the prior historical laboratory test result for at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient;

electronically sending, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the test results report to at least one of the healthcare provider or the patient; and

graphing the prior historical laboratory test result as received over a period of time as customized by the provider or the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the test results report is electronically sent to the healthcare provider based on a periodic reporting frequency previously selected by the healthcare provider.

17. The method of claim 2,

wherein the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider further comprises a second predefined test group comprising a second plurality of laboratory tests previously determined by the healthcare provider to correspond to the second predefined test group,

wherein the second plurality of laboratory tests comprises at least one duplicative laboratory test from the first plurality of laboratory tests and at least one additional laboratory test not in the first plurality of laboratory tests, and

wherein the customized electronic laboratory test order form is configured to select each laboratory test in the first plurality and each non-duplicative laboratory test in the at least one additional laboratory test in response to a selection of the first predefined test group and the second predefined test group.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an account corresponding to the patient has an outstanding balance; and

in response to a determination that the account comprises the outstanding balance;

sending an alert to the patient, the alert indicating that the patient has the outstanding balance;

before receiving payment for the outstanding balance, receiving an override corresponding to at least one of the patient or at least one of the first laboratory test or second laboratory test; and

in response to receiving the override, authorizing an order for at least the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first gender specific to at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test;

determining a second gender corresponding to the patient;

in response to determining that the first gender is different than the second gender;

sending, by the server of the laboratory management organization and to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, an alert indicating that the first gender specific to the at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test is different than the second gender corresponding to the patient; and

preventing, by the server of the laboratory management organization, authorization of an order for the at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the server of the laboratory management organization, the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test comprises:

dynamically determining the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test based on at least two of;

a cost of at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test at the single laboratory, a geographic location of the single laboratory, or a required turnaround time for a test result of at least one of the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more software applications configured to be executed by a processor, the one or more software applications configured to:

receive, from an electronic device of a healthcare provider, a request for an electronic laboratory test order form, the request comprising a plurality of identifiers;

verify, in response to receiving the request for the electronic laboratory test order form and prior to generating a customized response based on the plurality of identifiers, an authenticity of the health care provider by authenticating a username and password or a digital certificate associated with the health care provider, wherein verifying the authenticity of the health care provider comprises;

accessing, an authenticity data store to determine whether the username and password or the digital certificate received from the electronic device of the health care provider authenticates the health care provider;

generating, in response to verifying the authenticity of the health care provider, the customized response based at least in part on an identifier from the plurality of identifiers, the customized response comprising a customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider,

wherein generating the customized response comprises using the identifier from the plurality of identifiers to query a data store comprising a plurality of laboratory tests to determine the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider;

sending the customized response to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the customized response comprising the customized electronic laboratory test order form; and

after receiving, from the electronic device of the healthcare provider, a completed customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a selection of at least a first laboratory test and a second laboratory test from the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider and identifying a patient of the healthcare provider corresponding to the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determining a single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test, wherein the single laboratory is not specified in the completed customized electronic laboratory test order form, and wherein the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory and the second laboratory test is determined by at least;

determining a first plurality of laboratories capable of completing the first laboratory test;

determining a second plurality of laboratories capable of completing the second laboratory test, the second plurality of laboratories comprising at least one laboratory in the first plurality of laboratories;

determining whether enough of a previously-taken sample for the patient is available to be used for testing purposes is or is not available;

selecting the single laboratory from the first plurality of laboratories and the second plurality of laboratories to complete both the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determining, when enough of the previously taken sample is not available or has existed too long, a specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

determining, when enough of the previously-taken sample is available, whether the previously-taken sample has existed too long relative to how long the previously-taken sample can be used for testing purposes;

sending, when enough of the previously-taken sample is not available or has existed too long, to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the specimen collection procedure prior to collection of a specimen from the patient according to the specimen collection procedure when not enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

receiving, from the single laboratory, a laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient; and

determining a recommended laboratory test for the patient based at least in part on the laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test.

22. A system, comprising:

a server corresponding to a laboratory management organization, the server comprising a memory, a network interface, and a processor in communication with the memory and the network interface, the memory comprising executable instructions configured to cause the processor to;

receive from an electronic device of a healthcare provider, a request for an electronic laboratory test order form though the network interface, the request comprising a plurality of identifiers;

verify, in response to receiving the request for the electronic laboratory test order form and prior to generating a customized response based on the plurality of identifiers, an authenticity of the health care provider by authenticating a username and password or a digital certificate associated with the health care provider, wherein verifying the authenticity of the health care provider comprises;

access, by the server of the laboratory management organization an authenticity data store to determine whether the username and password or the digital certificate received from the electronic device of the health care provider authenticates the health care provider;

generate, in response to verifying the authenticity of the health care provider, the customized response based at least in part on an identifier from the plurality of identifiers, the customized response comprising a customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider, wherein generating the customized response comprises using the identifier from the plurality of identifiers to query a data store comprising a plurality of laboratory tests to determine the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider;

send the customized response to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the customized response comprising the customized electronic laboratory test order form; and

after receiving a completed customized electronic laboratory test order form comprising a selection of at least a first laboratory test and a second laboratory test from the plurality of selectable laboratory tests specific to the healthcare provider and identifying a patient of the healthcare provider corresponding to the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determine a single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test, wherein the single laboratory is not specified in the completed customized electronic laboratory test order form, and wherein determining the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test comprises;

determining a first plurality of laboratories capable of completing the first laboratory test;

determining a second plurality of laboratories capable of completing the second laboratory test, the second plurality of laboratories comprising at least one laboratory in the first plurality of laboratories;

determining whether enough of a previously-taken sample for the patient is available to be used for testing purposes;

determining, when enough of the previously-taken sample is available, whether the previously-taken sample has existed too long relative to how long the previously-taken sample can be used for testing purposes;

selecting the single laboratory from the first plurality of laboratories and the second plurality of laboratories to complete both the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test;

determine, when enough of the previously-taken sample is not available or has existed too long, a specimen collection procedure specific to the single laboratory and required by the single laboratory to complete the first laboratory test and the second laboratory test when not enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

send, when enough of the previously-taken sample is not available or has existed too long, to the electronic device of the healthcare provider, the specimen collection procedure prior to collection of a specimen from the patient according to the specimen collection procedure when not enough of the previously-taken sample for the patient that has not existed too long is not available;

receive, from the single laboratory, a laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test for the patient; and

determine a recommended laboratory test for the patient based at least in part on the laboratory test result for the first laboratory test or the second laboratory test.