Electronic system for collecting and communicating clinical order information in an acute care setting

• US 20020080189A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 06/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Alban, Christopher, Prakash, Indu, Dvorak, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 6,983,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A system for providing users with decision support tools and features triggered by opening an order entry activity for a patient or by selection of orders within a graphical user interface. The system may be adapted to operate in conjunction with an integrated medical record system.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for use on a client computer coupled to an enterprise electronic medical records system for accepting order data, the graphical user interface comprising:

an order type navigation bar, wherein order types are selectable from the order type navigation bar;

an order entry window, linked to the order type navigation bar, the order entry window responsive to a selected order type to display an order list of the selected order type;

an expandable order editing box linked to the order entry window and responsive to selection of an order from the order list to provide an order data editing box and an order data summary.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order data editing box includes a plurality of potential order parameters associated with the selected order, the plurality of potential order parameters being point-and-click selectable from the graphical user interface.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order data comprises order condition data.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 3, wherein the order condition data indicates circumstances related to the selected order, the circumstances including at least one of the group of circumstances comprising:

when the order is to be administered, when the order is to be discontinued and the sequence of the order in relation to other orders.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order data summary is a dynamic representation of the order data.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein the dynamic representation is a text statement of the order data incorporating order parameters associated with the selected order.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order type navigation bar is configurable by a user of the system.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order list is configurable by a user of the system.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 2, wherein the plurality of potential order parameters is configurable by a user of the system.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the order data comprises additional data selected from the group of additional data comprising:

referral information, scheduling instructions, lab information, standing order specifications, future order specifications, admissions information, transfer/discharge information, order specifications and user-definable order specific questions.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10, wherein the additional data is selectable from within the order data editing box.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 1, further comprising an alert indication.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12, wherein the alert indication comprises one of the group of indications comprising:

an order selection aid indication;

an order specific indication;

an order specific counter-indication;

a query indication;

a guidelines indication;

a last time the order was placed indication;

a last/recent lab result indication; and

a current in-progress status of at least one other order.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for selecting and the means for indicating comprise a point-and-click selectable selection list.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 14, wherein the means for indicating comprises selection lists, the selection lists including at least the following selection options:

circumstances under which the patient should receive the selected clinical order, circumstances under which the selected clinical order should be discontinued and a sequence of the selected clinical order in relation to other selected clinical orders.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising:

means for dynamically constructing an order summary during the selecting of the order parameters, wherein the order summary clearly displays for a user the order parameters selected.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising:

means for creating an order list, means for adding an order to an existing order list, and means for saving default values for specified order lists while in the process of placing orders.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising:

means for viewing and editing additional information for a specified order, wherein the additional information comprises one of;

referral information, scheduling instructions, lab information, standing order specifications, future order specifications, admissions information, transfer/discharge information, order specifications and user-definable order specific questions.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 14, further comprising:

means for transmitting the multiple clinical orders within the electronic medical records system.

14. A graphical user interface for use on a client computer coupled to an enterprise electronic medial records system comprising:

means for selecting multiple clinical orders having order parameters within a single window display of the multiple clinical orders; and

means for indicating the order parameters for a selected clinical order from within the single window display.

21. A system for providing users with decision support tools and features triggered by an order entry activity within a graphical user interface, the system being adapted to operate in conjunction with an integrated medical record system, the system comprising:

flexible lists of orders, order parameters, and default parameter values for each user, wherein the flexible list is created from an enterprise configuration of order records, user profiles and patient data stored in the integrated medical record system;

an alert associated with data stored in the integrated medical record system to aid a user in an order selection process;

an alert associated with patient record data to indicate a specified order is specifically indicated or counter-indicated for a patient'"'"'s condition;

an alert associated with a query to be answered each time a specified order is placed, the alert including the required query; and

a guideline list associated with guidelines retained within the integrated medical records system to help users select orders and order parameters consistent with recommended care protocols.

22. A method of entering order information in an acute care setting, the method comprising the steps of:

providing within a graphical user interface a listing of multiple clinical orders, each of the multiple clinical orders having associated therewith order parameters;

accepting an input from a user indicated a selected clinical order from the listing of multiple clinical orders;

displaying the order parameters associated with the selected clinical order within a display window of the graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing selectable condition data associated with the selected clinical order.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising dynamically displaying an order data summary within a display window of the graphic user interface.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of providing within a graphical user interface a listing of multiple clinical orders comprises generating a order type navigation bar.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the order type navigation bar is user configurable.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing an alert indication.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the alert indication comprises one of the group of indications comprising:

an order selection aid indication;

an order specific indication;

an order specific counter-indication;

a query indication and a guidelines indication.