Management tool for health care provider services
First Claim
1. A system for delivering health care services to home bound patient and monitoring caregivers providing medical services at remote locations comprising:
- a server computer having patient specific information including the location, home health care plan for said patient and means for monitoring the caregiver while the caregiver is providing medical service to the patient;
a field information recording device having a GPS receiver for indicating the location of the caregiver and for providing the caregiver information regarding the patient; and
a communication system coupling said server computer to said field information device so that caregivers may access patient information maintained on said server and so that the server may receive an indication of the caregiver'"'"'s location.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a system and method for controlling home health care services while improving the consistency and reliability of such services. The present invention also improves the productivity of the caregivers so that costs are reduced and care is improved. Such improvements reduce costs and provide more time with the patient. Indirect costs are also reduced because a more reliable home health care service allows a greater proportion of patients to be treated in their homes at a much lower cost than if they were still receiving inpatient services. During an emergency event, emergency responders have the ability to identify patients most at risk based on proximity to the event and based on the patient'"'"'s medical condition.
120 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A system for delivering health care services to home bound patient and monitoring caregivers providing medical services at remote locations comprising:
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a server computer having patient specific information including the location, home health care plan for said patient and means for monitoring the caregiver while the caregiver is providing medical service to the patient;
a field information recording device having a GPS receiver for indicating the location of the caregiver and for providing the caregiver information regarding the patient; and
a communication system coupling said server computer to said field information device so that caregivers may access patient information maintained on said server and so that the server may receive an indication of the caregiver'"'"'s location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method of improving home health care, the method comprising:
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generating a route for a plurality of caregivers to provide health care service to home bound patients;
assigning each caregiver to patients having common needs and that are geographically proximate to each other;
recording the arrival of each caregiver at each patient'"'"'s home;
monitoring the services provided by each caregiver to each patient;
determining whether the services provided are consistent with the patient plan and, if not consistent, obtaining advanced approval for providing such services to the payer so that bills for such services are not subsequently declined.
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5. A method of improving home health care, the method comprising:
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routing a caregiver to a homebound patient;
assigning the caregiver a plurality of patient specific tasks;
recording the arrival of each caregiver at each patient'"'"'s home;
monitoring the services provided by each caregiver to each patient; and
transferring a record of the services to a payer. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for tracking patients who receive home health care comprising:
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a field device for recording the status of said patient by an caregiver;
a database containing patient-geo-coded information accessible by said field device;
a server communicatively coupled to said field device and to said database;
said server executing a plurality of software modules for accessing said geo-code information and generating a routing map for said caregiver and for determining the medical necessity of a treatment to be provided by said caregiver; and
means for automatically determining whether said treatment will be compensated by a payer. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of improving home health care in the event of an emergency, the method comprising:
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generating a route for a plurality of emergency responders to a patient who has been identified as at risk;
provide health care service to home bound patients;
assigning an emergency responder that is geographically proximate to said patient; and
recording the arrival of said emergency responder at each patient'"'"'s home.
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25. A system for monitoring the status of homebound patients comprising:
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a computer system having location, assignment and risk assessment information for each patient being monitored;
a field device for indicating the commencement time and date of a visit by a caregiver and for receiving said information from said computer system; and
a communication system coupling said computer system to said field device so that said computer system may receive an indication of the commencement of the visit and an indication of the condition of said patient at the conclusion of said visit. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification