Method and apparatus for requesting, retrieving, and normalizing medical information

• US 20010053986A1
• Filed: 02/27/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ingenix Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ingenix Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dick, Richard S.
• Application Number:
  US09/794,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

A method for searching for medical information executed by one or more computers comprising the steps of formulating a request for medical information concerning an individual or group of individuals, transmitting a record request to a record facilitator, the record facilitator determining which patient record sources to investigate, a record query being sent from the facilitator to the patient record sources which are appropriate, receiving a patient record report back from the patient record sources, and normalizing and augmenting the patient record report before forwarding it back to the requestor.

Claims

1. A method of searching for medical information executed by one or more computers comprising the steps of:

a) formulating a record request for patient medical information;

b) forwarding the record request to a facilitator, wherein the facilitator reviews the record request and determines which patient record sources to contact;

c) contacting at least one patient record source with a record query electronically requesting information regarding a patient;

d) initiating an electronic search of medical records within the patient record source; and

e) returning a patient record report containing information held by the patient record source.

2. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the information from the patient record source is not released before a physician gives approval.

3. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the information from the patient record source is released automatically.

4. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the facilitator receives the patient record report in a machine readable format augments the report before forwarding it to the requestor.

5. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the facilitator receives the patient record report and normalizes and augments the report before forwarding it to the requester.

6. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the patient record source is a CIS.

7. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the patient record source is an EMR system

8. A method as set forth in

claim 5

, wherein the search is conducted using software modules installed in a central server, CIS vendor server and a CIS.

9. A method as set forth in

claim 7

, wherein if the search determines that the information is available at one of its sources, the information is forwarded in a patient record report to the requestor.

10. A method as set forth in

claim 1

, wherein the facilitator receives a patient record report and normalizes that report into a format acceptable to the requestor.

11. A method as set forth in

claim 9

, wherein the facilitator receives patient record reports from several patient record sources and combines those reports into an augmented patient record report which is forwarded to the requestor.

13. A method as set forth in

claim 11

, wherein the patient record source is a computerized patient record manager.

14. A method as set forth in

claim 11

, wherein the computerized patient record manager has contact with other patient record sources and queries those patient record sources before responding to the record query with a patient record report.

15. A method as set forth in

claim 11

, wherein the step of forwarding the record query and the step of receiving a patient record are carried out using secure and encrypted means for communication.

17. A method as set forth in

claim 15

, wherein the step of receiving a record query comes from a voice telephone call supplemented by a form of authorization and verification.

12. A method of searching for medical information executed by one or more computers, the method comprising the steps of:

a) formulating a record query requesting information regarding an individual;

b) forwarding the record query to a patient record source; and

c) receiving a patient record report from the patient record source.

16. A method for providing medical information executed by at least one computer, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a record query requesting information regarding an individual;

b) searching a registry of databases to locate the available records;

c) obtaining the records; and

d) forwarding the records to the requester.

18. A method for determining a location of a patient record created by a healthcare giver at a healthcare facility comprising the steps of:

a) establishing computer network connectivity between a request facilitator central server and a plurality of healthcare facilities'"'"' databases, said plurality of databases being populated by information identifying the healthcare givers using the healthcare facility database and dates for which the healthcare giver was associated with the healthcare facilities'"'"' databases to the request facilitator;

b) transmitting the identifying information from the plurality of healthcare facilities'"'"' databases to the request facilitator'"'"'s central server including information indicating from which health care facility database the identifying information originates;

c) creating a searchable index of the identifying information;

d) submitting a request for the patient record to the request facilitator, the request including information identifying the healthcare giver and an approximate date of creation of the patient record;

e) querying the searchable index based on the request to determine the location of the patient record; and

f) identifying the location of the patient record.

19. The method of

claim 18

wherein at least one of the plurality of healthcare facilities'"'"' databases is operated by a healthcare facility.

20. The method of

claim 18

wherein at least one of the plurality of healthcare facilities'"'"' databases is operated by a CIS vendor.

21. The method of

claim 18

wherein the identifying information includes the healthcare giver'"'"'s DEA number.

22. The method of

claim 18

wherein the computer network connectivity is established over the Internet.

23. The method of

claim 18

comprising the additional step of releasing and transmitting the patient record from the location to the request facilitator.

24. The method of

claim 18

comprising the additional step of releasing and transmitting the patient record from the location to a requestor making the request.

25. The method of

claim 23

wherein the step of releasing and transmitting the patient record is specifically authorized by an appropriate healthcare giver.

26. The method of

claim 25

wherein the step of releasing and transmitting the patient record is by an appropriate healthcare giver is monitored for timeliness.

27. The method of

claim 23

wherein the step of releasing and transmitting the patient record is automatically authorized by an appropriate healthcare giver.

28. The method of

claim 18

wherein the location of the patient record is one of a plurality of computer information systems separate from the healthcare facilities'"'"' databases.

29. The method of

claim 28

further comprising the step of additionally establishing computer network connectivity between the plurality of healthcare facilities'"'"' databases and the plurality of computer information systems.

30. The method of

claim 29

wherein the healthcare facilities'"'"' databases are populated by identifying information transmitted from the plurality of computer systems where the patient records are located.