Health care management system and method

• US 20060235280A1
• Filed: 05/28/2002
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co, Duke University
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co, Duke University
• Inventors: O'Connor, Christopher, Whellan, David, Vonk, Glenn, Rumbaugh, Richard
• Application Number:
  US10/479,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20060235280A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• 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

Abstract

An electronic health care management system is provided which collects both subjective and objective information regarding a patient into a clinical patient record, and uses the record to determine evidence-based recommendations. A healthcare provider may decide to implement certain recommendations, and/or provide additional interventions which are collectively implemented using automated support tools. Often, a plan can include follow-up activities which may be automatically scheduled by the electronic health care management system, and may include external scheduling programs and corresponding application-programming interfaces (APIs).

Claims

1. A method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility, comprising:

finding a clinic patient record for an established patient, or creating a new clinic patient record for a new patient;

recording patient information into the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record;

submitting the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record to a rules engine wherein the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record is run according to a rules engine protocol;

verifying that the recorded patient'"'"'s information is correct and correcting the recorded patient'"'"'s information if it is not correct;

prescribing a course of treatment based on the rules engine recommendations; and

fulfilling the prescribed course of treatment.

2. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of finding a clinic patient record for an established patients comprises:

determining whether an existing patient is on a patient record navigation bar;

searching for the patient if the patient is not on the patient record navigation bar;

entering the patient'"'"'s name into a patient search field;

selecting a search operation; and

reading the patient'"'"'s patient management page.

3. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of finding a clinic patient record for an established patients comprises:

determining whether an existing patient is on a patient record navigation bar;

selecting the patient if the patient is on the patient record navigation bar; and

reading the patient'"'"'s patient management page.

4. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of recording patient information into the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record comprises:

obtaining updated information from the patient;

entering the updated information in to the appropriate location in a patient'"'"'s patient management page; and

saving the patient'"'"'s patient management page with the updated information into a clinical patient record.

5. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of creating a new clinic patient record comprises:

obtaining external referral information about a patient;

obtaining general information about the patient;

obtaining first visit patient enrollment information; and

recording the external referral information, general information, and first visit patient enrollment information into the clinical patient record.

6. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining external referral information about a patient comprises:

adding a patient to a clinical patient record; and

entering the patient'"'"'s referral information to the clinical patient record.

7. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining general information about the patient comprises:

entering general information about the patient to the clinical patient record; and

scheduling an appointment for the patient at a healthcare facility.

8. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining first visit patient enrollment information comprises:

obtaining enrollment information from the patient;

obtaining insurance and/or billing information from the patient;

obtaining patient goals from the patient;

obtaining patient data from the patient;

providing initial education to the patient;

reviewing the patient goals with the patient; and

recording the enrollment information, patient goals and patient date into the clinical patient record.

9. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 4, wherein the step of obtaining enrollment information from the patient comprises:

obtaining patient demographic information from the patient.

10. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of submitting the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record to a rules engine wherein the patient'"'"'s clinic patient record is run according to a rules engine protocol comprises:

evaluating the information contained in a patient'"'"'s clinical patient record against a set of medical protocols;

generating one or more diagnoses based on the patient'"'"'s record in the clinical patient record;

generating one or more recommendations based on the one or more patient'"'"'s diagnoses, one or more insurance company'"'"'s formularys and the patient'"'"'s clinical patient record; and

issuing the one or more recommendations.

11. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 10, wherein the step of generating one or more recommendations based on the one or more patient'"'"'s diagnoses, one or more insurance company'"'"'s formularys and the patient'"'"'s clinical patient record comprises:

comparing an insurance company'"'"'s prescription formulary against a prescription recommendation generated by the rules engine protocol;

comparing an insurance company'"'"'s lab and test formulary against a lab and test recommendation generated by the rules engine protocol; and

comparing an insurance company'"'"'s calendar formulary against a calendar recommendation generated by the rules engine protocol.

12. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 10, wherein the recommendation is selected from the group consisting of prescription recommendations, lab and test recommendations, calendar recommendations and lifestyle/diet issues recommendations.

13. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of proscribing a course of treatment based on the rules engine recommendations comprises:

reviewing the recommendations returned by the rules engine protocols;

selecting recommendations for further review;

entering text for any recommendations that were not selected for further review; and

verifying the selected recommendations for correctness.

14. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 13, wherein the step of submitting the verified, selected recommendations to the rules engine protocol to fulfill the recommendations comprises:

receiving a detailed set of recommendations;

reviewing the detailed set of recommendations returned by the rules engine protocol;

modifying the one or more of the detailed set of recommendations returned by the rules engine protocol if necessary until correct;

verifying that all recommendations have been reviewed for correctness;

causing the recommendations to be accomplished;

updating the patient'"'"'s clinical patient record to reflect the recommendations and the accomplishing of the recommendations; and

issuing a billing and/or claim report form.

15. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 14 wherein the recommendations is selected from a group consisting of a prescription recommendation, lab and test recommendation, calendar recommendation and a lifestyle/diet issues recommendation.

31. The method for managing an electronic based healthcare facility according to claim 1, wherein the step of fulfilling the proscribed course of treatment comprises:

submitting the verified, selected recommendations to the rules engine protocol.

16. A method for calendar and event scheduling for use in an electronic care health management system comprising

selecting a calendar and a calendar view;

reviewing calendar view data;

updating the calendar with new calendar information.

17. The method for calendar and event scheduling for use in an electronic care health management system according to claim 16, wherein the step of updating the calendar with new calendar information comprises:

deciding whether or not to create a new event;

entering new event details if a new event is to be created;

editing an existing calendar event with existing calendar event new details if a new event is not to be created; and

posting either the existing calendar event with existing calendar event new details or the new event details.

18. A method for entering patient encounter data into a clinical patient record for use in an electronic care health management system, comprising:

opening a patient record from a clinical patient record;

selecting a patient history tab on the patient record for a patient, thereby opening a patient encounter form; and

entering new information for the patient in the patient'"'"'s patient encounter form, or, editing an existing patient encounter form for the patient.

19. The method for entering patient encounter data into a clinical patient record for use in an electronic care health management system according to claim 18, wherein the step of entering new information for the patient in the patient'"'"'s patient encounter form comprises:

entering the new information for the patient manually through use of a telephone encounter form;

saving the new information contained in the telephone encounter form into the clinical patient record for the patient; and

optionally printing the telephone encounter form.

20. The method for entering patient encounter data into a clinical patient record for use in an electronic care health management system according to claim 18, wherein the step of entering new information for the patient in the patient'"'"'s patient encounter form comprises

entering the new information for the patient automatically through use of a voice annotation apparatus;

dictating the new information for the patient into a temporary voice annotation file;

saving the new information contained in the voice annotation file into the clinical patient record for the patient; and

optionally editing and printing the voice annotation file.

21. The method for entering patient encounter data into a clinical patient record for use in an electronic care health management system according to claim 18, wherein the step of editing an existing patient encounter form for the patient comprises:

scrolling or searching to find a previously created patient encounter form for the patient;

selecting the patient encounter form;

editing the patient encounter form with new information; and

saving the edited patient encounter form to the clinical patient record for the patient, and optionally printing the edited patient encounter form.

22. A method for utilizing a doctor/physician extender bulletin board in an electronic care health management system comprising:

opening a patient'"'"'s patient record from a clinical patient record;

reviewing the patient'"'"'s patient record selecting a bulletin tab on the patient record for a patient, thereby opening a bulletin form;

entering text regarding the patient in the patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form;

selecting one or more doctors/physician extenders to receive the patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form; and

forwarding the patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form to the one or more doctors/physician extenders.

23. The method for utilizing a doctor/physician extender bulletin board in an electronic care health management system according to claim 22 further comprising:

selecting a paging option, to optionally page the one or more doctors/physician extenders that a patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form is being sent to the to the one or more doctors/physician extenders.

24. The method for utilizing a doctor/physician extender bulletin board in an electronic care health management system according to claim 22 further comprising:

receiving a pager regarding a forwarded patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form or electronic notification that a forwarded patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form has been received for the one or more doctors/physician extenders;

selecting a bulletin tab on the recipient'"'"'s calendar page, thereby opening a line item list of all received bulletin forms;

selecting a line item corresponding to a particular patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form;

reviewing the received patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form, and optionally responding if desired; and

saving the received patient'"'"'s patient bulletin form and any replies sent by the receiving one or more doctors/physician extenders.

25. An electronic healthcare management system, comprising:

a data center, adapted to comprise a first network server and data storage, the network server hosting a rules engine, and providing for the operation of various web-based interfaces to the electronic healthcare management system including a system administration interface;

a healthcare facility, adapted to comprise a second network server and providing for the operation of various web-based interfaces and functions to the electronic healthcare management system;

a patient, adapted to comprise an intelligent device which provides for remote monitoring and an education and support function;

other information systems; and

a network providing for communications between the data center, healthcare facility, patient, and other information systems.

26. The electronic healthcare management system according to claim 25, wherein the healthcare facility further comprises:

a manual data entry function, a clinical patient record function, a voice annotation function, an outcomes function, a local clinic administration function, a routine office tools function, an alerts function, a report support function;

medications, recommendations function and a billing function.

27. The electronic healthcare management system according to claim 25, wherein the other information systems includes at least the following:

one or more pharmacies;

one or more hospitals;

one or more laboratories/diagnostic services;

one or more federal agencies/departments; and

one or more state and local agencies/departments.

28. The electronic healthcare management system according to claim 25, wherein the rules engine and business logic comprises:

a set of decision making instruction code adapted to review a patient'"'"'s clinical patient record, current suggestions by an attending physician, established insurance company formularys with an adaptable base of medical knowledge to create treatment recommendations for the patient.

29. The electronic healthcare management system according to claim 25, wherein the rules engine and business logic further comprises:

an adaptation to learn from the healthcare facility doctors/physician extenders to adapt the base of medical knowledge to incorporate local knowledge.

30. The electronic healthcare management system according to claim 25, wherein the rules engine and business logic further comprises:

an adaptation to incorporate shared information between billing, insurance formulary compliance, scheduling of lab/diagnostic recommendations, prescription recommendations, calendar recommendations and lifestyle/diet issues recommendations to provide an enhanced complete healthcare system sharing information seamlessly.