Methods and apparatus for managing and using inpatient healthcare information

• US 20030130872A1
• Filed: 11/26/2002
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Hess, Cynthia, Dvorak, Carl, Seow, Khiang
• Application Number:
  US10/304,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method of creating a shift report for a healthcare provider in a hospital environment including creating an electronic shift note for a hospital patient, wherein creating the electronic shift note includes providing a content for the electronic shift note, saving the electronic shift note as a saved shift note, linking the saved shift note to an electronic medical record for the patient, and displaying the saved shift note to the healthcare provider via a user interface. Creating the shift report also includes creating a patient list based on a set of criteria, building the shift report based on the patient list, for each patient on the shift report having a saved shift note, adding the saved shift note to the shift report, and displaying the shift report including the added shift notes to the healthcare provider. Creating the shift report further includes providing the healthcare provider the ability to convert the saved shift note to a progress note, the progress note being a permanent addition to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record and deleting the saved shift note linked to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record when the patient is discharged from the hospital if the saved shift note was not converted to a progress note.

Claims

1. A method of creating a shift report for a healthcare provider in a hospital environment comprising the steps of:

creating an electronic shift note for a hospital patient, including

providing a content for the electronic shift note,

saving the electronic shift note as a saved shift note,

linking the saved shift note to an electronic medical record for the patient, and

displaying the saved shift note to the healthcare provider via a user interface;

creating a patient list based on a set of criteria;

building the shift report based on the patient list, for each patient on the shift report having a saved shift note, adding the saved shift note to the shift report;

displaying the shift report including the added shift notes to the healthcare provider;

providing the healthcare provider the ability to convert the saved shift note to a progress note, the progress note being a permanent addition to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

deleting the saved shift note linked to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record when the patient is discharged from the hospital if the saved shift note was not converted to a progress note.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises adding text utilizing an input device.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising the step of adding text utilizing a keyboard.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising adding text with an automatic text tool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises dictating an audio message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises importing information saved in the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising the step of importing information from a task into the electronic shift note.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of converting a task to a saved shift note.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to filter the saved shift notes in the shift report.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising the step of filtering the saved shift notes to include on the shift report only the saved shift notes pertinent to the healthcare provider.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of displaying the saved shift note comprises displaying the time, date, and creator of the saved shift note.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the content for the electronic shift note in a temporary shift note record.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to manipulate the content of the electronic shift note.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing the healthcare provider access to the shift report from a plurality of locations within the hospital.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying the patient list to the healthcare provider.

16. A method of creating an inpatient shift report for a healthcare provider comprising the steps of:

creating an electronic shift note for a hospital patient, including

providing a content for the electronic shift note,

saving the electronic shift note as a saved shift note,

linking the saved shift note to an electronic medical record for the patient, and

displaying the saved shift note to the healthcare provider via a user interface, including displaying the time, date, and creator of the saved shift note;

creating a patient list based on a set of criteria;

building the shift report based on the patient list, for each patient on the shift report having a saved shift note, adding the saved shift note to the shift report;

displaying the shift report including the added shift notes to the healthcare provider;

providing the healthcare provider the ability to filter the saved shift notes in the shift report;

providing the healthcare provider the ability to convert the saved shift note to a progress note, the progress note being a permanent addition to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

deleting the saved shift note linked to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record when the patient is discharged from the hospital if the saved shift note was not converted to a progress note.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises adding text utilizing an input device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises dictating an audio message.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises importing information saved in the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising the step of importing information from a task into the electronic shift note.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising the step of filtering the saved shift notes to include on the shift report only the saved shift notes relevant to the healthcare provider.

22. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to manipulate the content of the electronic shift note.

23. A system for creating a shift report for a healthcare provider in a hospital comprising:

means for creating an electronic shift note for a hospital patient, including

means for providing a content for the electronic shift note,

means for saving the electronic shift note as a saved shift note,

means for linking the saved shift note to an electronic medical record for the patient, and

means for displaying the saved shift note to the healthcare provider via a user interface;

means for creating a patient list based on a set of criteria;

means for building the shift report based on the patient list, wherein each patient on the shift report that has a saved shift note is added to the shift report;

means for displaying the shift report to the healthcare provider, the shift report including the added shift notes;

means for providing the healthcare provider the ability to convert the saved shift note to a progress note, the progress note being a permanent addition to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

means for deleting the saved shift note linked to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record when the patient is discharged from the hospital if the saved shift note was not converted to a progress note.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for providing the content for the electronic shift note comprises a means for adding text utilizing an input device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the content is added using an automatic text tool.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the content is an audio message.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the content for the electronic shift note is imported information retrieved from the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising a means for providing the healthcare provider the ability to filter the saved shift notes in the shift report.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for displaying the saved shift note includes a means for displaying the time, date, and creator of the saved shift note.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising a means for providing the healthcare provider the ability to manipulate the content of the electronic shift note.

31. A system for creating an inpatient shift report for a healthcare provider comprising:

a controller having a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor;

a first software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of enabling the healthcare provider to provide a content for an electronic shift note;

a second software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of saving the electronic shift note as a saved shift note;

a third software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of linking the saved shift note to an electronic medical record for the patient;

a fourth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of displaying the saved shift note to the healthcare provider via a user interface, including displaying the time, date, and creator of the saved shift note;

a fifth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to create a patient list based on a set of criteria;

a sixth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of building the shift report based on the patient list, for each patient on the shift report having a saved shift note, adding the saved shift note to the shift report;

a seventh software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of displaying the shift report, including the added shift notes, to the healthcare provider;

an eighth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to convert the saved shift note to a progress note, the progress note being a permanent addition to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

a ninth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of deleting the saved shift note linked to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record when the patient is discharged from the hospital, if the saved shift note was not converted to a progress note.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a tenth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to filter the saved shift notes in the shift report.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein the first software routine is adapted to receive text from an input device.

34. The system of claim 31, wherein the first software routine is adapted to receive text from the healthcare provider using an automatic text tool.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein the first software routine is adapted to receive an audio message.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the first software routine is adapted to receive information imported from the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

37. The system of claim 31, further comprising a tenth software routine stored in the memory and adapted to be executed on the processor to execute the step of providing the healthcare provider the ability to manipulate the content of the electronic shift note.