System and user interface for processing healthcare related event information

• US 20030050797A1
• Filed: 01/17/2002
• Published: 03/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Brandt, Samuel I., DeHaan, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 7,447,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and user interface integrates and processes event associated messages affecting healthcare delivered to a patient and supports creation, initiation and modification of currently operating workflow processes involving processing of event messages. A system for scheduling a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery employs a method for providing a user interface for processing an event. The event represents a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient. The method involves initiating generation of at least one display image in response to user command. The display image or images support the identification of an event and an associated parameter as well as the designation of a predetermined process associated with the identified event. The display image or images also support user indication of the parameter to be provided to the predetermined process in response to occurrence of the event. The predetermined process comprises a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery. The display image or images also support designating an executable procedure to be initiated in response to occurrence of the identified event as well as designating a second process to be replaced or supplemented by the predetermined process in response to occurrence of the identified event.

Claims

1. In a system for scheduling a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:

in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,

identifying an event and an associated parameter;

designating a predetermined process is associated with said identified event, said predetermined process comprising a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery; and

indicating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports

designating an executable procedure is associated with said identified event and wherein

execution of said procedure is initiated in response to occurrence of said identified event.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports

designating a second process, comprising a scheduled sequence of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, is associated with said identified event and

determining said second process is to be at least one of, (a) replaced and (b) supplemented, by said predetermined process in response to occurrence of said identified event.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said second process is supplemented by said predetermined process by at least one of the steps of,

(a) adding said tasks of said predetermined process to tasks of said second process, and

(b) substituting at least one of said tasks of said predetermined process for a task of said second process.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports

designating a second process is to be at least one of, (a) replaced and (b) supplemented, by said predetermined process in response to occurrence of said identified event, said second process comprising a scheduled sequence of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery and is different to said predetermined process sequence of tasks.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one display image supports

designating predetermined parameter verification criteria is associated with said associated parameter.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein

said designated predetermined parameter verification criteria comprises at least one of, (a) a value range (b) a value type and (c) a parameter symbol check.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said associated parameter is for use by multiple different process task sequences and is stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of

designating said predetermined process is associated with said identified event comprises designating an instance of said predetermined process is associated with said identified event.

10. A method according to claim 9, including the step of

searching a database containing records indicating active processes to identify active process instances of said predetermined process.

11. A method according to claim 1, including the step of

in response to user command via said at least one display image, storing at least one of, (a) an event identifier identifying said event, (b) a process identifier identifying said predetermined process and (c) an identifier identifying a particular instance of said predetermined process.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said event comprises at least one of, (a) an event resulting from action by healthcare personnel, (b) an event generated by an operating process, (c) an event generated by patient monitoring equipment and (d) an event generated by a medical device.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said display image indicates to a user a mapping of a first label representing said event associated parameter used by said predetermined process to a corresponding second label representing said associated parameter used by a second process replaceable by said predetermined process upon occurrence of said event.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein

said first label is different from said second label.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said at least one display image indicates individual tasks comprising said predetermined process.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein

said at least one display image supports user designation of a particular individual task of said individual tasks and said predetermined process is initiated from said user designated particular individual task upon occurrence of said event.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein

upon occurrence of said event, said predetermined process omits at least one task prior to said designated particular individual task.

18. In a system for scheduling performance of a workflow, comprising a set of tasks, by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:

in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,

identifying an event and an associated parameter, said associated parameter being for use by multiple different process task sequences and stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences;

designating a predetermined process is associated with said identified event, said predetermined process comprising a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery; and

designating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said step of

designating said predetermined process is associated with said identified event includes the step of designating an instance of said predetermined process is associated with said identified event.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein

said particular instance of said predetermined process comprises a particular use of said predetermined process for a specific patient.

21. In a system supporting scheduling performance of a plurality of processes, comprising different sets of tasks, by at least one individual, a method for providing a user interface for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, comprising the steps of:

in response to user command, initiating generation of at least one display image supporting,

identifying an event potentially arising during a first process;

identifying a parameter associated with said identified event;

designating a second process is associated with said identified event; and

designating said parameter is to be provided to said process in response to occurrence of said event.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein

said at least one display image supports user designation of a particular individual task of said second process and including the step of adapting said second process by initiating processing of said second process from said user designated particular individual task upon occurrence of said event.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein said step of

designating said second process is associated with said identified event includes the step of designating an instance of said second process is associated with said identified event.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein

said associated parameter is for use by multiple different process task sequences and is stored at a location available for access by said multiple different process task sequences.