Medical triage system

• US 20060100902A1
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medcor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medcor Incorporated
• Inventors: Zoiss, Joyce H., Biggerstaff, Wendy K., Kinch, Diane M., Glimp, Thomas H., Victorson, Troyt M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,070 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires

Abstract

A method of determining a triage disposition for a person includes providing a plurality of triage categories that includes questions grouped into a plurality of tiers ranked according to urgency. Each of the plurality of tiers corresponds to one of a set of triage dispositions. At least a first relevant triage category and a second relevant triage category can be selected from the plurality of triage categories based on information about a medical condition of the person and then accessed. The person can be triaged by (a) identifying from all of the selected relevant triage categories a highest urgency tier that has at least one unasked question; Co) asking the person one of the at least one unasked question of the highest urgency tier; and (c) repeating (a) and (b) for all of the selected triage categories until the triage disposition is determined.

Claims

1. A method of determining a medical triage disposition for a person, comprising:

providing a plurality of triage categories, wherein each of the plurality of triage categories comprises questions grouped into a plurality of tiers ranked according to urgency, and wherein each of the plurality of tiers corresponds to one of a set of triage dispositions;

providing a selection of at least a first relevant triage category and a second relevant triage category from the plurality of triage categories based on information about a medical condition of the person;

providing access to the selected relevant triage categories; and

providing triage to the person, wherein triaging comprises;

(a) identifying from all of the selected relevant triage categories a highest urgency tier that has at least one unasked question;

(b) asking the person one of the at least one unasked question of the highest urgency tier; and

(c) repeating (a) and (b) for all of the selected triage categories until the triage disposition is determined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant triage categories are selected before (a) is performed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the relevant triage categories are selected at different times.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein (a) and (b) have been performed at least once before selecting the second relevant triage category.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one database supported by a computer for storing triage-related data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising accessing the triage-related data, wherein the triage-related data comprise demographic data related to the person.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising accessing the triage-related data, wherein the triage-related data comprise data related to any previous communication with the person.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a triage operator for implementing at least a portion of the method.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising presenting a rationale for one of the questions when the computer is queried by the triage operator.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the triage operator overriding the triage disposition if the triage operator prefers a different disposition.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising the triage operator overriding the triage disposition if the person warrants immediate medical attention.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a follow-up medical interview.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the questions comprise yes/no questions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a “

yes”

answer to a particular question of the yes/no questions results in a determination of the triage disposition, and wherein the triage disposition corresponds to one of the plurality of tiers which contains the particular question.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of triage dispositions is selected from a group consisting of:

emergent-911 transport by an emergency medical service to a medical provider;

emergent referral immediately to a medical provider;

urgent referral to a medical provider within about two days of the disposition being selected;

non-urgent referral to a medical provider within several days of the disposition being selected;

self-care instructions;

interim self-care instructions; and

report only.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the triage categories further comprises supporting information, the method further comprising providing access to the supporting information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the supporting information is selected from a group consisting of:

critical considerations;

clinical frame;

question rationale;

self-care instructions;

prevention advice;

follow-up questions;

frequently asked questions and answers thereto; and

general information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the triage categories corresponds to one of a body part or a type of injury.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the triage categories corresponds to a type of injury affecting a particular body part.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising reporting selected triage-related data to an employer of the person.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising alternating between the at least two relevant triage categories using one of a step-type alternation or a zigzag-type alternation.

22. A computer program product readable by a computing system and encoding a computer program of instructions for executing a computer process for implementing a triage system to a person, the computer process comprising;

providing a plurality of triage categories, wherein each of the plurality of triage categories comprises questions grouped into a plurality of tiers ranked according to urgency, and wherein each of the plurality of tiers corresponds to one of a set of triage dispositions;

selecting at least a first relevant triage category and a second relevant triage category from the plurality of triage categories based on information about a medical condition of the person;

accessing the selected relevant triage categories; and

providing triage to the person, wherein triaging comprises;

(a) identifying from all of the selected relevant triage categories a highest urgency tier that has at least one unasked question;

(b) presenting one of the at least one unasked question of the highest urgency tier to the person; and

(c) repeating (a) and (b) for all of the selected triage categories until the triage disposition is determined.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein selecting the first relevant triage category is in accordance with an input from a triage operator.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein accessing the selected relevant triage categories is in accordance with an input from a triage operator.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein presenting one of the at least one unasked question comprises a triage operator speaking one of the at least one unasked question to the person over a telephone.

26. A system for enabling a triage operator using a computer to implement a triage system to a person, comprising:

a computer system having stored thereon;

a database having at least a plurality of triage categories, wherein each of the plurality of triage categories comprises questions grouped into a plurality of tiers ranked according to urgency, and wherein each of the plurality of tiers corresponds to one of a set of triage dispositions;

programming code for providing a selection of at least a first relevant triage category and a second relevant triage category from the plurality of triage categories based on information about a medical condition of the person;

programming code for providing access to the selected relevant triage categories; and

programming code for providing triage to the person, wherein triaging comprises;

(a) identifying from all of the selected relevant triage categories a highest urgency tier that has at least one unasked question;

(b) presenting one of the at least one unasked question of the highest urgency tier to the person; and

(c) repeating (a) and (b) for all of the selected triage categories until the triage disposition is determined.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising providing a communications system supporting contact between the person and the triage operator.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the communications system comprises at least one telephone operatively connected to a network.