Ultrasound laboratory information management system and method

• US 20020198454A1
• Filed: 05/17/2002
• Published: 12/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research (Mayo Clinic)
• Original Assignee: Mayo Foundation For Medical Education And Research (Mayo Clinic)
• Inventors: Khandheria, Bijoy K., Gilman, Gregory, Wellik, Trudy J., Koerner, Joel A., Seward, James B., Hansen, William H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,536 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/437
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• 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 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A multifunctional information management system that integrates a plurality of modules, each of the modules being interfaced via a relational database. The integrated system manages a large volume of business, data, and image information and is capable of being accessed/organized via the Internet. One embodiment of the multifunctional information management system is an ultrasound laboratory information management system (ULIMS) for a medical ultrasound imaging and hemodynamic laboratory, e.g., an echocardiographic or comparable medical laboratory environment, incorporating a multifunctional management system. The ULIMS includes: 1) Scheduling and Workflow Modules; 2) Patient Information and Demographics Modules; 3) Billing Modules; 4) Procedure Information and Referral Diagnosis Modules; and 5) Measurement, Templates and Calculations Modules; 6) Final Impressions and Interpretation Modules; 7) Procedure Report Modules; 8) Serial Studies Module; 9) Research Protocols Module; 10) User Interface and Services Modules; 11) Web Based Modules; 12) Unique Reports Modules; 13) Database Modules; 14) Systems Administration Modules; 15) Security, Privacy and User Configuration Modules; 16) Image Modules; 17) Systems and Technical Support Modules; and 18) Knowledge Base Modules.

Claims

1. A laboratory information management system comprising:

a plurality of linked modules which perform the following functions;

tracking patient status from initial appointment scheduling to discharge from the laboratory following appointment;

capturing demographics information regarding the patient;

capturing information regarding patient treatment during the appointment for the generation of a bill for the treatment provided;

indicating a set of suggested procedures to be performed during the appointment based on a referral diagnosis for the patient;

capturing information regarding measurements taken or derived during the appointment;

capturing measurement information and image data generated during the appointment;

capturing final impressions and interpretations of laboratory staff regarding the procedures performed and the measurements derived during the appointment;

generating a plurality of standard reports based on the procedures preformed during the appointment, the standard reports incorporating measurement information and image data captured during the appointment;

verifying if patient has been assigned to a serial study and prompt for laboratory staff to perform additional procedures required for the serial study if not the necessary information and image data have not been captured during the appointment;

assigning information and image data collected regarding the patient during an appointment to a research protocol if the patient has been assigned to the research protocol;

a user interface for system users and laboratory staff interaction with the modules including required and user-customizable elements derived from at least one of the modules;

creating ad hoc reports which incorporate information and image data captured or derived during the appointment, referral diagnoses, and laboratory staff impressions and interpretations;

configuring user input fields, which may include specification of the nature of information to be entered into the fields and a list of allowable field entries;

configuring and administering access privileges for system users based on an assigned role of the user and security of patient clinical and research data;

provide separate development, testing, integration and production environments, and provide on-line access to user manuals and technical documentation regarding the environments and modules to system users;

storing and indexing patient information, information captured during the appointment and other reports generated from the patient information and the information captured during the appointment in a relational database linked to the plurality of modules.

2. The laboratory information management system of claim 1, wherein the laboratory is a medical ultrasound laboratory.

3. The laboratory information management system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is delivered to a web browser and users and laboratory staff interact with the modules through the web browser.

4. The laboratory information management system of claim 2, wherein the image data for the patient captured during the appointment is indexed and stored in a separate imaging database, and imaging data stored within the imaging database is linked to the information regarding the patient.

5. The laboratory information management system of claim 2, wherein the modules are linked to a knowledge base which provides suggested measurements and analysis techniques for a given proposed diagnosis, normal value ranges for measurements taken during a patient visit, and a suggested diagnosis for a given set of patient measurements and observations.

6. The laboratory information management system of claim 5, wherein the knowledge base is derived from historical diagnosis, measurement and medical outcomes information collected.

7. The laboratory information management system of claim 6, wherein the knowledge base allows measurements outside the normal value ranges to be entered into the patient record upon validation by an approved operator.

8. The laboratory information management system of claim 7, wherein measurements included in the patient'"'"'s record during an appointment may be flagged for further review and analysis.

9. The laboratory information management system of claim 2, wherein the security tool is fully compliant with health information privacy protection standards.

10. The laboratory information management system of claim 2, wherein the modules are accessible by a remote user.

11. The laboratory information management system of claim 10, wherein the remote user accesses the modules via a wired link.

12. The laboratory information management system of claim 10, wherein the remote user accesses the modules via a wireless link.

13. The laboratory information management system of claim 2, wherein the modules are developed utilizing at least one non-proprietary open source development environment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes the step of providing laboratory staff with a knowledge base, the knowledge base suggesting measurements to be taken during the appointment based on the referral diagnosis, and valid ranges for measurements taken during the appointment based on patient demographic information and other physical characteristics of the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the system includes an ad hoc report generating tool and the method further includes the creation of ad hoc reports which may incorporate data and image information captured or derived during the appointment, including the referral diagnoses, and any laboratory staff impressions and interpretations.

18. The multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 17, wherein the information managed by the business management part, the ultrasound data management part, and the ultrasound image management part are integrated into a single information management system.

19. The multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 18, wherein the integrated system is built from a plurality of modular components, which can be removed, modified, and/or replaced as desired, and wherein the integrated system is extensible and supports multiple data and graphic formats, and image management technologies.

20. The multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 17, wherein the integrated system is for use by a medical cardiovascular ultrasound imaging and hemodynamic laboratory.

21. The multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 17, wherein the parts of the integrated system include a plurality of integrated modules, each of the modules being interfaced via a relational database.

22. The multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 21, wherein the information managed by the parts of the integrated system, including acquired information, reported information, and administration functions, may be accessed via web-based protocols, and the integrated system is hosted on industry standard hardware and software platforms.

23. The multifunction, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of modules includes a logic program which flags missing data during a clinical ultrasound procedure and informs a user if the objectives of the procedure have been met.

24. The multifunction, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of modules includes a comprehensive ultrasound related repository of source material, such as medical literature validation of measurements, calculations, source information, vocabulary and definitions.

25. The multifunction, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of modules is a serial study module supporting tabular and graphic presentations of data, including sequential data from a single encounter or from multiple encounters, and allows the collation of these data into a tabular or graphic report.

26. The multifunction, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim 22, wherein one of the plurality of modules is a security module including communication algorithms to maintain user and client security when the integrated system is accessed through local or extended networks linked to the integrated system.

14. A method of managing information within an ultrasound imaging medical laboratory comprising the steps of:

providing a laboratory information management system including a plurality of linked modules;

tracking patient status from initial appointment scheduling to discharge from the laboratory following an appointment;

capturing demographics information regarding the patient;

capturing information regarding patient treatment during the appointment for the generation of a bill for the treatment provided;

indicating a set of suggested procedures to be performed during the appointment based on a referral diagnosis for the patient and;

capturing information regarding measurements taken or derived during the appointment;

capturing final impressions and interpretations of laboratory staff regarding the procedures performed and the measurements derived during the appointment;

capturing measurement data generated during the procedures and provide this data to a report generation tool;

verifying if patient has been assigned to a serial study and prompting for any additional measurement data required for the serial study if these measurement data have not been captured during the procedures;

assigning data collected regarding the patient during the appointment to a research protocol;

delivering a user interface to a web browser, the user interface including required and user-customizable elements derived from other modules;

limiting access privileges for system users and laboratory staff based on an assigned role of the users and staff;

receiving, indexing, and storing imaging information captured during the appointment, and providing a linkage between the patient'"'"'s records and imaging information related to that patient;

utilizing a relational database for the storage, organization and retrieval of the patient'"'"'s information including data and imaging information captured or derived during the appointment.

17. A multifunctional, integrated ultrasound laboratory information management system of claim comprising:

a business management part of the integrated system manages all aspects of the operation of a ultrasound laboratory, and includes documenting exam encounters, demographics, accounting, scheduling, billing, productivity measures, clinical accountability, and is linked to external systems for functions including third party billing, coding, documentation, and reimbursement;

a ultrasound data management part includes acquisition, collation, and reporting of acquired alphanumeric information, such as measurements, hemodynamics, function, flow calculations, derived information, impressions, text descriptors, derived from clinical ultrasound examinations, and supports the presentation of data in tabular, textural, graphic, or pictorial formats, and the content and structure of the ultrasound data management part adaptable to accommodate new data types and formats, the ultrasound data management part further supporting the designation of particular data for education, research, treatment, and therapeutics;

a ultrasound image data management part accommodates large-sized documents, such as graphics, still and cinematic pictures, digital documents, parametric information, and permits retrieval and display of the image data at high levels of graphics density and at a high frame rate.

27. An ultrasound laboratory information management system comprising:

a comprehensive ultrasound related repository of source material, such as medical literature validation of measurements, calculations, source information, vocabulary and definitions, and a logic program which flags missing and out-of-range measurement data during a clinical ultrasound procedure and informs a user if the objectives of the procedure have been met.

28. An ultrasound laboratory information management system comprising:

a security application including communication algorithms to maintain user and client security when the integrated system is accessed by a local or a remote user linked to the integrated system which maintains privacy of patient health information in compliance with governmental regulations.

29. An ultrasound laboratory information management system comprising:

an application permitting the system to be accessible by a remote user utilizing a web browser.