Method and apparatus for wireless access to a health care information system

• US 20030154110A1
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Giesler, Andy, Walter, Ervin, Theorin, Chris
• Application Number:
  US10/300,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20030154110A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A wireless handheld device (WHD) is provided and capable of providing a real-time, persistent, live wireless connection with functionality provided by, and/or information maintained or stored within a health care information system (HCIS). A real-time, live wireless connection with the HCIS allows the user to perform many or all of the same tasks as the users of workstation-based client applications with full access to the HCIS, including modifying information within the HCIS (and a patient health record repository(ies) located therein), and accessing functionality (health care applications) provided by the HCIS.

Claims

1. A method of wirelessly accessing a healthcare information system, the healthcare information system including a database containing patient related information, the method comprising:

providing an access point coupled to the healthcare information system, the access point including a transceiver for receiving transmitted signals from a wireless handheld device and for transmitting signals to the wireless handheld device;

receiving at the healthcare information management system from the wireless handheld device a request to access a functional component of the healthcare information system;

determining the status of a secure, user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system established via the access point;

determining an operational state of the requested functional component;

enabling the functional component in one of an asynchronous mode and a synchronous mode of operation based upon the status and the operational state.

2. The method of claim 1, providing a gateway server coupled between the access point and the healthcare information system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the functional component in the asynchronous mode comprises utilizing cached data on the wireless handheld device.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising synchronizing the cached data with data contained within the healthcare information system upon detecting the existence of the secure, user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the status of the secure user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system comprises determining a current status of the secure, user-specific connection and a prior status of the secure user-specific connection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the functional component in the synchronous mode comprises disabling the functional component until the secure, user-specific connection is determined to exist.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising accepting and verifying secure login data from a user.

8. A healthcare information system comprising:

an information repository;

a gateway server communicatively coupled to the information repository, the gateway server including a transaction processor;

an access point communicatively coupled to the gateway server, the access point including an access point transceiver;

a wireless handheld device including a processor, a memory and a device transceiver, a client application to direct operation of the processor, the processor having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation defined by the client application based upon the existence of a secure, user specific wireless communication connection between the access point transceiver and the device transceiver.

9. The healthcare information system of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises cached data corresponding with a portion of the data stored in the information repository, and wherein the first mode of operation comprises an asynchronous mode of operation utilizing the cached data.

10. The healthcare information system of claim 9, the cached data being data periodically synchronized with the data stored in the information repository responsive to the existence of the secure, user-specific connection.

11. The healthcare information system of claim 8, wherein the second mode operation comprises a synchronous mode of operation utilizing in real time data stored in the information repository.

12. The healthcare information system of claim 8, comprising a functional component operable in either of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

13. The healthcare information system of claim 8, comprising a functional component operable only in one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.

14. The healthcare information system of claim 8, the information repository comprising a universal patient record.

15. A healthcare information system comprising:

means for establishing a secure, user specific wireless connection between a handheld device and an information repository;

the handheld device having a first operable mode utilizing cached data corresponding to a portion of data stored in the information repository, the first operable mode being dependant upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a first requested functional component; and

the handheld device having a second operable mode utilizing real time data corresponding to a portion of the data stored in the information repository dependent upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a second requested functional component.

16. In a healthcare information system including a information repository, a handheld device and a user, specific wireless connection between the handheld device and the information repository, a computer program for directing operation of the healthcare information system comprising:

a first routine defining a first operable mode wherein the handheld device utilizes cached data corresponding to a portion of data stored in the information repository, the first operable mode being dependant upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a first requested functional component; and

a second routine defining a second operable mode wherein the handheld device utilizes real time data corresponding to a portion of the data stored in the information repository dependent upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a second requested functional component.