Systems and methods for coding information

• US 20040220895A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dictaphone Corporation (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Speth, David, Wilson, Brian, Titemore, Robert G., Carus, Alwin B., Fonza, Don, Deplonty, Tom, Ogrinc, Harry J., Heyvaert, Stefaan, MacPherson, Melissa, Rankins, Ray, Boone, Keith
• Granted Patent: US 7,233,938 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/1
• 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 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

The invention includes a medical document handling system and method and automated coding systems and methods for assigning predetermined medical codes to medical documents based on the documents'"'"' contents. The invention functions by analyzing electronic medical records and extracting medical information using natural language processing and machine learning. The system collects and amalgamates medical documentation in various formats from multiple sources and locations, normalizes the information, analyzes the information, recognizes information indicating contents corresponding to classification codes, assigns classification codes, and presents information in context correlated to medical records for billing and other purposes.

Claims

1. A method for processing files comprising the steps of:

receiving a file to be processed in a monitored directory on a file server;

creating job information from information in the file to be processed or from predetermined information based on the identity of the monitored directory;

storing the job information in a database;

performing at least one operation on the file to be processed, thereby creating a processed file, wherein the at least one operation performed is determined from the job information stored in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the processed file is stored in a client database

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the file to be processed is an audio file, voice file, video file, picture file, or text file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the file to be processed is a text file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the file to be processed is a medical record.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one operation on the file to be processed is medical coding.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the processed file comprises medical codes justified by the text in the file to be processed.

8. A system for processing files, comprising:

a file server for receiving a file to be processed in a monitored directory;

an application for creating job information from information in the file to be processed or from predetermined information based on the identity of the monitored directory;

a job database wherein the job information is stored in the job database;

an application for performing at least one operation on the file to be processed, thereby creating a processed file, wherein the at least one operation performed is determined from the job information stored in the database

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the processed file is stored in a client database.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the file to be processed is an audio file, voice file, video file, picture file, or text file.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the file to be processed is a text file.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the file to be processed is a medical record.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one operation on the file to be processed is medical coding.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processed file comprises medical codes justified by the text in the file to be processed.

15. A method for medical document coding comprising the steps of:

receiving medical documents for coding from multiple clients, wherein the medical documents from each client are received in client-specific directories on a file server;

normalizing the form of the documents in a predetermined format, wherein the predetermined format is determined from information in the file or from which directory on the file server the medical documents are received;

normalizing the content of the documents;

identifying coded items, wherein the coded items are determined based on the text in the medical documents;

filtering the coded items, wherein the coded items are filtered based on a probabilistic filter with predetermined probabilities;

creating a coded document, wherein the coded document contains text justifying the filtered coded items, and the filtered coded items.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the coded document is stored in a client database.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising post-processing the coded document.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the normalizing step includes converting the document to XML format.

19. A system for medical document coding comprising:

a file server for receiving medical documents for coding from multiple clients, wherein the medical documents from each client are received in client-specific directories on the file server;

an application for normalizing the form of the documents in a predetermined format, wherein the predetermined format is determined from information in the file or from which directory on the file server the medical documents are received;

an application for normalizing the content of the documents;

a coding engine for identifying coded items, wherein the coded items are determined based on the text in the medical documents;

an application for filtering the coded items based on a probabilistic filter with predetermined probabilities;

an application for creating a coded document, wherein the coded document contains text justifying the filtered coded items, and the filtered coded items

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the coded document is stored in a client database.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the coding engine is a Gabrieli engine.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising an application for post-processing the coded document.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the application for normalizing the form of the document converts the document to XML format.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the coding engine provides ICD-9-CM codes.