System for data analysis

• US 20060015367A1
• Filed: 06/20/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dr. Foster Ltd. (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Dr. Foster Ltd. (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Middleton, Steven, Taylor, Roger
• Application Number:
  US11/156,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients

Abstract

A method and apparatus for analysing data allowing accurate, up to date analysis of the performance of hospitals or hospital trusts as the data is entered into the system. The method and apparatus is optimised for analysing data in such a way as to produce graphical representations allowing easy recognition of groups of patient having or hospitals producing outcomes which have significantly diverged from the desired outcome. The method involves filtering data held within databases to retrieve data belonging to the patient group that is to be analysed. The filtered data is then analysed using statistical calculations and a representation of the analysis is returned to the user for review.

Claims

1. A method for analysing data comprising the steps of:

receiving patient data;

receiving criteria representative of one or more selected characteristic the patient data to be analysed;

filtering the patient data according to the criteria; and

calculating a representation of the filtered data.

2. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 wherein the calculation produces a control chart.

3. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control chart is calculated using patient data that is weighted according to the patient outcome.

4. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 3 wherein the weighted patient data is calculated using the following formulae:

5. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 2 wherein the control chart produced is a cumulative sum chart representation.

6. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cumulative sum chart is a positive cumulative sum chart.

7. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 6 wherein the positive cumulative sum chart is calculated using the following formula:

X_t=min(0, X<sub>t−

1</sub>−

W_t)

where X_t, is the current CUSUM statistic value, W_t is the patient weighting and t is equal to the number of patients, including the patient currently being analyzed, whose data has been analyzed.

8. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 5 wherein the control chart is a negative cumulative sum chart.

9. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 8 wherein the negative cumulative sum chart is calculated using the following formula:

X_t=max(0, X<sub>t−

1</sub>+W_t), t=1, 2, 3 . . .

where X_t, is the current CUSUM statistic value, W_t is the patient weighting and t is equal to the number of patients, including the patient currently being analyzed, whose data has been analyzed.

10. A method of analysing data as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

calculating a benchmark value; and

setting a threshold value above which the graph has diverged significantly from the benchmark value.

11. A method of analysing data as claimed in claim 10 wherein the benchmark value is the mean of the patient data.

12. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data is grouped according to date.

13. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 wherein the criteria includes the outcome.

14. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 wherein the criteria includes one of an emergency diagnosis, surgical procedure or the group of the diagnoses resulting in 80% of hospital mortality.

15. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 wherein data is automatically filtered and the calculation is automatically performed on receipt of new patient data according to pre-defined criteria.

16. A method for analysing data as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving an option according to which the patient data is to be grouped; and

grouping the patient data according to the analysis option.

17. Apparatus comprising:

a patient data input;

an input for criteria representative of one or more selected characteristic the patient data to be analysed;

filtering means for filtering patient data according to the criteria; and

calculating means for processing filtered data to produce a representation of the filtered data.

18. Apparatus comprising:

a patient data input;

an input for criteria representative of one or more selected characteristic the patient data to be analysed; and

a processor arranged to filter patient data according to the criteria and to process filtered data to produce a representation of the filtered data.

19. A server arranged to

receive patient data;

receive criteria representative of one or more selected characteristic the patient data to be analysed from a client;

filter the patient data according to the criteria; and

calculate a representation of the filtered data.

20. A client comprising a:

user interface;

user input for inputting criteria representative of one or more selected characteristic the patient data to be analysed;

a server connection;

output for sending the criteria to a server;

server input for receiving a calculated representation of the filtered data; and

means for viewing a representation of the filtered data.