System for processing healthcare related event information for use in scheduling performance of tasks

• US 20030050821A1
• 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 7,310,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06311 Scheduling, planning or task assignment for a person or group
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

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 method for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient involves receiving a message identifying an event potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient. Predetermined rules are applied to interpret the identified event to determine particular tasks to be performed in response to occurrence of the identified event. The particular tasks are scheduled to be performed by at least one individual in response to the occurrence of the identified event. In addition a database containing records indicating active process instances is searched to identify active process instances of a target process to be replaced by a process comprising the particular tasks. Also a parameter associated with an event is stored at a location available for access by multiple different process task sequences.

Claims

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

receiving a message identifying occurrence of an event potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient;

in response to said occurrence of said identified event,

determining particular tasks to be performed; and

initiating scheduling of performance of said particular tasks by at least one individual.

2. A method according to claim 1, including

in response to examining predetermined information and said occurrence of said identified event, performing at least one of the steps of

(a) adding said particular tasks to an existing scheduled task sequence, and

(b) substituting at least one of said particular tasks for a task of an existing scheduled task sequence.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said message includes an event identifier identifying said event and is generated by a second process comprising a second set of tasks and including the step of

also receiving at least one of, (a) a process identifier, (b) an identifier identifying a particular instance of said first process.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein

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

5. A method according to claim 1, including the steps of

filtering a plurality of received messages to identify said message identifying occurrence of an event potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient and

excluding other messages immaterial to said healthcare delivered to said patient.

6. A method according to claim 5, including the step of

filtering said plurality of received messages based on an event identifier.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said message includes an event identifier identifying said event and a process identifier identifying a target process to be replaced by a predetermined process comprising said particular tasks.

8. A method according to claim 7, and including the step of

searching a database containing records indicating active processes and process instances to identify active process instances of said target process to be replaced.

9. 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.

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

receiving information identifying a particular individual task of an existing scheduled task sequence and including the step of

adapting said existing scheduled task sequence by initiating processing of said existing scheduled task sequence from said identified particular individual task in response to occurrence of said event.

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

receiving at least one message identifying occurrence of an event and at least one parameter associated with said event;

determining whether said identified event is associated with a predetermined process of a plurality of predetermined processes;

providing said parameter to said predetermined process in response to said determination; and

initiating scheduling of performance of said predetermined process in response to occurrence of said identified event.

12. A method according to claim 11, 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.

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

verifying said associated parameter is compatible with predetermined value criteria as a pre-condition to providing said parameter to said predetermined process.

14. A method according to claim 11, including the steps of

filtering a plurality of received messages to identify said at least one message identifying said occurrence of said event and

excluding other messages.

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

replacing scheduling of performance of another process with said scheduling of performance of said identified process.

16. A method according to claim 11, wherein

said at least one message includes a process identifier identifying a target process to be replaced by said predetermined process.

17. A method according to claim 16, including the step of

searching a database containing records indicating active processes and process instances to identify active process instances of said target process to be replaced.

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

receiving information identifying active process instances and storing records in a database indicating said identified active process instances.

19. A method according to claim 16, wherein

said target process is a default process.

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

in response to occurrence of an event in a first process,

receiving at least one message identifying said event occurring during said first process and identifying a parameter associated with said event;

acquiring said parameter associated with said event and providing said parameter to a second process; and

adapting said second process by scheduling performance of a particular set of tasks in response to receiving said at least one message.

21. A method according to claim 20,

including the step of receiving an identifier identifying a particular individual task in said second process and wherein

said adapting step comprises initiating processing of said second process from said particular individual task in response to receiving said at least one message.

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein

said parameter associated with said event is stored at a location available for access by said first and second processes.

23. A method according to claim 20, including the step of

sharing data between said first and second process comprising sharing at least one of, (a) an event identifier identifying said event, (b) a process identifier identifying said first process, (c) an identifier identifying a particular instance of said first process and (d) an identifier identifying a particular individual task in a process.

24. A method according to claim 20, wherein

said at least one message includes a process identifier identifying said second process is to be modified in response to occurrence of said event in said first process.

25. A method according to claim 20, including the step of

searching a database containing records indicating active processes and process instances to identify active process instances of said second process to be modified in response to receiving said at least one message.

26. A system for processing an event representing a change in circumstances potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient, said system being for use in scheduling a first process comprising a set of tasks to be performed by at least one individual to support healthcare delivery, comprising:

a communication interface for receiving a message identifying an event potentially affecting healthcare delivered to a patient;

an event analyzer for applying predetermined rules to interpret said identified event to determine particular tasks to be performed in response to occurrence of said identified event; and

a processor for initiating scheduling of performance of said particular tasks by at least one individual in response to said occurrence of said identified event.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein

said event analyzer at least one of,

(a) adds said particular tasks to an existing scheduled task sequence, and

(b) substitutes at least one of said particular tasks for a task of an existing scheduled task sequence.