Resource monitoring system for processing location related information in a healthcare enterprise

• US 20030078811A1
• Filed: 04/01/2002
• Published: 04/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions Health Services Corporation (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Cole, Douglas J., Yost, Ilene Sue, Digiacomo, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 7,890,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 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

Abstract

A system supports creation and modification of a flexible and comprehensive location structure model able to track patients in a healthcare (or other) setting and identify suitable patient locations and location availability via a user friendly display interface. A method processes location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise. The method involves establishing a profile comprising information identifying multiple locations available to accommodate a patient for different purposes. The profile incorporates attributes including a location type identifier, and a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition. The profile is employed in providing a user with an indication of location availability in response to user command.

Claims

1. A method for processing location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise, comprising the steps of:

establishing a profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations available to accommodate a patient for different purposes;

incorporating in said profile attributes including,

a location type identifier, and

a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition; and

employing said profile in providing a user with an indication of location availability in response to user command.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said profile comprises information identifying at least one of, (a) a group of locations, (b) a location for hosting a patient encounter with a healthcare enterprise involving patient and healthcare enterprise interaction and (c) a plurality of patient locations available to accommodate a patient for different purposes.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said profile identifies a hierarchical organization of locations within a healthcare enterprise for at least one of (a) hosting a patient encounter with a healthcare enterprise involving patient and healthcare enterprise interaction, and (b) accommodating a patient for a variable duration and including the step of

storing said profile and an associated date of validity of said profile.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said location type identifier includes information identifying at least one of, (a) location characteristics and (b) location facilities.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein

said location characteristics information comprises information identifying at least one of, (a) furnishing items in a location and (b) function associated with a location.

6. A method according to claim 4, wherein

said location facilities information comprises information identifying at least one of, (a) medical equipment available at a location, (b) a gender restriction of a location, (c) a cleaning indicator identifying a location is to be cleaned upon occurrence of a condition, (d) an age range restriction of a location and (e) a billing code identifying a billing category of a location.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said location type identifier identifies a location within said plurality of locations and said plurality of locations include at least two of, (a) a patient room, (b) a hospital waiting room, (c) a hospital department room, (d) a surgery related room, (e) a location within an identified room, (f) an identified room in an identified building inside said enterprise and (g) a location outside said enterprise.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein

said hospital department room comprises one of (i) a radiology room, (ii) a laboratory room, (iii) a pharmacy room, (iv) a room designated for performing a clinical test of a patient, (v) a room designated for performing patient examination (vi) a room designated for performing an administrative function, (vii) an inpatient room (viii) an outpatient room and (ix) an emergency room.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said location characteristic of clinical significance includes information identifying a level of care category associated with a location.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said location characteristic of clinical significance identifies at least one of (a) whether a location is sterile, and (b) medical facilities available at a location.

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

incorporating an attribute in said profile for identifying a maximum capacity of person occupancy of a location.

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

selecting a location for occupancy by a particular patient via a displayed user interface image in response to user command.

13. A method according to claim 12, including the steps of

selecting a location for occupancy by a particular patient via a displayed user interface image in response to user command, and

receiving an indication a patient has occupied said selected location.

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

incorporating an attribute in said profile for identifying billing information of a particular location including identifying at least one of (a) whether occupancy in said particular location is to be billed for, (b) how occupancy in said particular location is to be billed for, and (c) how billing for individual occupants of a multiple occupancy location is to be performed.

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

incorporating an attribute in said profile for identifying occupancy nature of a particular location including identifying at least one of (a) whether a location is designated for a transient patient stay, (b) a length of anticipated patient stay and (c) whether a location is designated for a multi-day patient stay.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein

in said step of establishing a profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations available to accommodate a patient for different purposes,

said different purposes include at least one of (a) patient healthcare administration, (b) patient clinical evaluation and (c) patient treatment.

17. A method for managing location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations within a first physical structure, said plurality of locations being available to accommodate a patient for different purposes;

incorporating in said profile attributes including,

a location type identifier, and

a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition; and

establishing a second profile incorporating information from said first profile, said second profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations within a second physical structure derived by modifying said first physical structure.

18. A method according to claim 17, including the steps of

storing said first profile and

associating location information common to said first and second profiles using at least one of, (a) common location identifiers and (b) a map linking location identifiers of said first profile to location identifiers of said second profile.

19. A method according to claim 17, including the steps of

date stamping said first profile to indicate at least one of, (a) a last date and (b) a first date, said first profile was valid, and

storing said date stamped first profile.

20. A method for processing location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise, comprising the steps of:

establishing a profile comprising information identifying a hierarchical organization of locations available to accommodate a patient for different purposes within a healthcare enterprise for at least one of, (a) hosting a patient encounter with a healthcare enterprise involving patient and healthcare enterprise interaction, and (b) accommodating a patient;

incorporating in said profile attributes including,

a location type identifier, and

a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition; and

employing said profile in providing a user with an indication of location availability in response to user command.

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

employing said profile in finding information concerning a particular location in response to user entered search criteria.

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

initiating generation of a message for triggering a location maintenance function in response to information identifying a change in said profile comprising at least one of, (a) a change in location availability, (b) a change in location occupancy and (c) a change in location condition.

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

employing said profile in generating billing information.

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

employing said profile in generating a report identifying location usage information.

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

incorporating in said profile information associating a location with services provided at said location.