Clinician's assistant system

• US 20040039602A1
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Myron Yaster, Peter Staats, Robert S Greenberg, William A. Sellers
• Original Assignee: Myron Yaster, Peter Staats, Robert S Greenberg, William A. Sellers
• Inventors: Staats, Peter, Sellers, William A, Yaster, Myron, Greenberg, Robert S.
• Application Number:
  US10/415,679
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039602A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A clinician'"'"'s assistant system including examination and treatment modules to guide a clinician in examining and treating a patient. The system is configured to communicate with databases storing patient data and treatment data. The modules display information to and solicit information from a clinician via a display device, e.g. using menus and graphical user interfaces, to ensure that the patient is properly evaluated and treated. Optionally, the system is capable of recommending a treatment, e.g. as a function of patient information known to the system. The system can help create documents by presenting the clinician with selectable phrases, and/or by incorporating data into predefined document templates. The system provides multi-patient research, voice recognition, and billing capabilities. The system may be implemented, at least in part, in a pen-based portable computer so that patient medical record and/or treatment data is available, and examination data is recorded, at the point of care.

Claims

1. A clinician'"'"'s assistant system for communicating with a patient database storing medical record data relating to a patient and with a treatment database storing data relating to treatments available to patients, the clinician'"'"'s assistant system comprising:

an examination module capable of guiding a clinician in examining the patient and recording examination data for storage in the patient database; and

a treatment module capable of guiding the clinician in treating the patient and recording treatment data for storage in the patient database.

2. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, wherein said examination module and said treatment module are configured to guide the clinician via a GUI display.

3. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

a protocol database storing data relating to an assessment protocol;

wherein said examination module is configured to automate said assessment protocol.

4. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

a protocol database storing data relating to a treatment protocol;

wherein said treatment module is configured to automate said treatment protocol.

5. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

an examination database storing data relating to examination observation options;

wherein said examination module is configured to communicate with said examination database and to display a corresponding menu of clinician-selectable examination options.

6. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 5, wherein said examination module is configured to display said menu as a tree of phrases.

7. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 6, further comprising:

a documentation module capable of creating a textual document as a function of a phrase selected by the clinician from said tree of phrases.

8. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 7, further comprising:

a document preview module capable of displaying the textual document for review by the clinician.

9. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 7, further comprising:

a template database capable of storing a document template;

wherein said documentation module is capable of creating said textual document by incorporating into the document template data from the patient database and/or the treatment database and/or data associated with a phrase selected by the clinician from said tree of phrases.

10. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, wherein said treatment module is configured to communicate with the treatment database and to display a corresponding menu of clinician-selectable treatment options.

11. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 9, wherein said treatment module is configured to display said menu as a tree of phrases.

12. The clinician s assistant system of claim 10, further comprising:

a documentation module capable of creating a textual document as a function of a phrase selected by the clinician from said tree of phrases.

13. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 12, further comprising:

a template database capable of storing a document template;

wherein said documentation module is capable of creating said textual document by incorporating into the document template data from the patient database and/or the treatment database and/or data associated with a phrase selected by the clinician from said tree of phrases.

14. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, wherein the treatment module is configured to communicate with the patient database and the treatment database and to recommend a treatment option appropriate for the patient as a function of the patient'"'"'s medical record data stored in the patient database and data relating to treatments available to patients stored in the treatment database.

15. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, wherein the treatment database comprises a medication database storing dosage data, and wherein said treatment module is configured to communicate with the patient database and the medication database and to recommend a medication dosage option appropriate for the patient as a function of the patient'"'"'s medical record data stored in the patient database and dosage data stored in the medication database.

16. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

a template database capable of storing a document template; and

a documentation module for creating a document by incorporating into the document template data from said patient database and/or the treatment database and/or data provided by the clinician.

17. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 15, wherein said template database stores a document template in a format compatible with commercially-available software.

18. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

a voice recognition module capable of reacting to a human voice.

19. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 18, wherein said voice recognition module provides speech-to-text capability.

20. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 18, wherein said voice recognition module provides text-to-speech capability.

21. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 18, wherein said voice recognition module provides voice command capability.

22. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, further comprising:

a research module capable of analyzing data relating to multiple patients.

23. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 1, farther comprising:

a billing database capable of storing billing level data;

a billing module configured to communicate with said billing database and to display a corresponding menu of clinician-selectable billing level options.

24. A clinician'"'"'s assistant system for communicating with a patient database storing medical record data relating to a patient and a treatment database storing data relating to treatments available to patients, the clinician'"'"'s assistant system comprising:

an examination module capable of guiding the clinician in examining a patient and recording examination data for storage in the patient database;

a treatment module capable of guiding the clinician in prescribing a treatment for the patient and recording treatment data for storage in the patient database; and

a voice recognition module capable of reacting to a human voice;

wherein said examination, treatment and voice recognition modules are implemented on a portable, pen-based computer.

25. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 24, further comprising:

a template database capable of storing a document template; and

a documentation module capable of creating a document by incorporating into a document template data from said patient database and/or said treatment database and/or data provided by the clinician.

26. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 25, wherein said template database stores a document template in a format compatible with commercially-available software.

27. A clinician'"'"'s assistant system for communicating with a patient database storing medical record data relating to a patient, the clinician'"'"'s assistant system comprising:

an examination database storing data relating to examination observation options;

a treatment database storing data relating to treatments available to patients;

an examination module capable of guiding the clinician in examining a patient and recording examination data for storage in the patient database, said examination module being configured to communicate with said examination database and to display a corresponding menu of clinician-selectable examination options as a first tree of phrases; and

a treatment module capable of guiding the clinician in prescribing a treatment for the patient and recording treatment data for storage in the patient database, said treatment module being configured to communicate with said treatment database and to display a corresponding menu of clinician-selectable treatment options as a second tree of phrases.

29. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 27, further comprising:

a template database capable of storing a document template; and

a document creation module capable of creating a document by incorporating into a document template of said template database, data from said patient database and/or said treatment database and/or data provided by the clinician.

30. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 27, wherein said template database stores a document template in a format compatible with commercially-available software.

28. The clinician'"'"'s assistant system of claim 28, further comprising:

a voice recognition module capable of reacting to a human voice.

31. A clinician'"'"'s assistant system for communicating with a patient database storing medical record data relating to a patient, the clinician'"'"'s assistant system comprising:

a computer comprising a microprocessor, a memory operatively connected to said microprocessor, and first instructions stored in said memory and executable by said microprocessor to guide a clinician in examining the patient, and second instructions stored in said memory and executable by said microprocessor to guide the clinician in treating the patient.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising:

a server computer storing said patient database and/or said treatment database;

wherein said computer further comprises a telecommunications device operatively connected to said microprocessor and capable of communicating with said server computer via a communications network.