Apparatus and method for presenting data and sending a message

• US 20060112187A1
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascom (Sweden) AB (Ascom Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: GE Medical Systems Information Technologies Incorporated (GE Healthcare Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Li, Ping, Bixler, Craig S., Unluturk, Mehmet
• Granted Patent: US 7,526,529 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

An apparatus and method for receiving relevant data, presenting the relevant data to users, and enabling users to construct and route an outgoing message. Using this apparatus and method, hospitals can provide efficient and personalized service by viewing up-to-date information about each admitted patient and, if necessary, routing relevant portions of the information, via a text message, to those responsible for patient care.

Claims

1. An apparatus linked to a network and configured to display data and provide a message, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a transaction table device in communication with a data source located in the network, wherein the transaction table device is configured to receive data;

an electronic greaseboard device in communication with the transaction table device and configured to display data; and

a message generator in communication with the electronic greaseboard device and configured to provide the message.

wherein, the electronic greaseboard comprises an interactive element configured initiate the message generator.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein data received by the transaction table device is at least a transaction, and the transaction table device stores a number of the transactions.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a system status table device in communication with the transaction table device, the electronic greaseboard device and the message generator, wherein the system status table device is configured to organize the transactions.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the system status table device consists of a compilation of the transactions.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the system status table device is configured to provide data to the message generator and the electronic greaseboard device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message generator is configured to enable a user to manually prescribe a content and a destination for the message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message generator is configured to automatically prescribe a content and a destination for the message.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the an interactive element automatically transmits pre-selected data to the message generator.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message generator is configured to present data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a router linked to the message generator and configured to route the message to an output device.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data source is an admit discharge transfer system.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data source is a nurse call device.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data source is an automated monitoring device.

14. A method for communicating, comprising:

receiving data from a data source;

storing data in a transaction table device;

transmitting data to an electronic greaseboard device configured to present data;

pre-selecting data for use in a message generator;

generating a message via the message generator; and

routing the message to an output device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the message generator is configured to enable the operator to select among data to manually prescribe the message.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the message generator is configured to automatically prescribe a content for the message.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of organizing data received from the transaction table device in a system status table device.

18. An apparatus linked to a network and configured to display data and provide a message, wherein the apparatus comprises:

a data source configured to provide a plurality of transactions;

a transaction table device linked to the data source and configured to receive the transactions;

a system status table device linked to the transaction table device and configured to organize the transactions;

an electronic greaseboard device linked to the transaction table device and the system status table device and configured to display the transactions; and

,

a message generator linked to the electronic greaseboard device and configured to provide the message,

wherein, the electronic greaseboard comprises an interactive element configured initiate the message generator and automatically prescribe a content and a routing destination for the message.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the transaction table device instantaneously provides the transactions to the electronic greaseboard device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the system status table device is linked to the message generator and the electronic greaseboard device.