Method and a system for optimizing hospital beds and ambulance allocations via a computer network

• US 20040243446A1
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phil Wyatt
• Original Assignee: Phil Wyatt
• Inventors: Wyatt, Phil
• Granted Patent: US 7,912,736 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and a system for optimizing hospital beds and ambulance allocations via a computer network are provided. The method and the system determine the status of emergency rooms and/or the status of beds in emergency rooms of hospitals via a computer network. The system and the method allocate emergency rooms and/or the beds in the emergency rooms of the hospitals to ambulances and/or ambulance services. The system and the method diverts or bypasses patients to emergency rooms of other hospitals for medical treatment.

Claims

1. A method for delivering a patient to a room in a hospital, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a computer network;

providing a database connected to the computer network;

inputting information into the database by a hospital via the computer network wherein the information is associated with available beds in the room;

providing a first access to the database for viewing the information by a user of the database via the computer network;

determining a status of the room based on the information in the database; and

communicating the status of the room to an ambulance via the computer network wherein the ambulance transports the patient based on the status of the room.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer network is the internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first access to the database is wireless.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

assigning a color to represent the status of the room.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

updating the information in the database by the hospital via the computer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a remote server; and

storing the database on the remote server.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inputting a wait time for the room into the database by the hospital via the computer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

inputting staff information into the database by the hospital via the computer.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

calculating a wait time for the room based on the information in the database.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

notifying the hospital of a patient enroute to the room in the hospital via the computer network.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

reporting the status of the room to a manager.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first access to the database is a hyperlink in a webpage on the computer network.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

providing a second access to the database for updating the information by the service provider.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

directing the ambulance to the hospital via the computer network.

15. A system for allocating an available bed in an emergency room of a hospital to a patient, the system comprising:

a computer network;

a database associated with the computer network;

means for inputting information into the database wherein the information is associated with the available bed; and

means for delivering the patient to the hospital based on the information in the database wherein the information in the database is accessed via the computer network.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer network is the internet.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for determining a status of the emergency room based on the information in the database.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a color code associated with the emergency room.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

a remote server wherein the database is contained on the remote server; and

a website providing access to the database.

20. The system of claim 15 further comprising:

means for routing the patient to the hospital via the computer network.