System and method for managing patient care through automated messaging

• US 20070112602A1
• Filed: 11/11/2005
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Cardinal Health 303 Incorporated (Cardinal Health, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Barry, Nguyen, Thuy, Bellon, Lauren
• Granted Patent: US 8,036,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method in accordance with the invention allow a user to select when messages relating to medication events are sent and to select the content parameters of those messages. In one aspect, a user selects certain event types, the occurrence of which will cause a message to be sent to the user. For example, the user may select a message type that pertains to the availability of a medication in an automated dispensing machine for that user'"'"'s patient. In another aspect, the user may customize the contents of the message to include or exclude certain information. For example, the user may desire the message to indicate only the patient'"'"'s name and not the patient'"'"'s gender or age. In yet another aspect, the user may filter messages so that only certain messages are sent. For example, the user may select a filter that permits only messages pertaining to his or her patients to be sent. The system further comprise a user interface disposed on an automated dispensing machine that enables a user to configure the messaging system as he or she desires. A method in accordance with the invention comprises selecting medication event types about which a message will be sent to the user, the content of the message, and filters for messages.

Claims

1. A system for notifying users of the occurrence of medication supply events, the system comprising:

a medication dispenser that generates a medication supply event signal representative of the occurrence at the dispenser of a medication supply event;

a memory in which may be stored user-selected event types;

a messaging processor adapted to;

receive medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser;

compare the received medication supply event signals to any user-selected event types in the memory;

send a message to a user that the medical supply event has occurred if the comparison indicates that the medication supply event signals received by the messaging processor correspond to a user-selected event type in the memory; and

a messaging device carried by the user that is adapted to receive the message from the messaging processor and to communicate the received message to the user.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory may also store user-selected message parameters; and

the messaging processor is further adapted to;

access the memory for any user-selected message parameters; and

send the message to a user that the event has occurred, the message being provided in accordance with user-selected message parameters located in the memory.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein a user-selected event type comprises an identification of an item available in the medication dispenser.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the item comprises a medication that has just recently become available in the medication dispenser.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-selected event types comprise discharge of a patient, issuance of a medical order for a patient, modification of a medical order for a patient, discontinuation of a medical order for a patient, identification of an item removed from the medication dispenser, identification of a discrepancy between items stored in a dispensing machine and items expected to be stored in the dispensing machine, resolution of a discrepancy at a dispensing machine, or identification of a log-in failure at a dispensing machine.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein a user-selected message parameter comprises an identification of a patient'"'"'s name.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein user-selected message parameter types comprise:

name of a patient, location of a patient, age of a patient, gender of a patient, name of a physician or description of a drug to be administered to the patient.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein:

the memory may also store user-selected message filters;

the messaging processor is adapted to;

compare the received medication supply event signals to any user-selected filters in the memory; and

send a message to a user that the event has occurred if the comparison indicates that the medication supply event signals received by the messaging processor satisfy any stored user-selected message filter in the memory;

9. The system of claim 8 wherein a user-selected message filter comprises sending only events to the user that are related to that user'"'"'s patient.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the messaging processor is integral with the dispenser.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the messaging processor is located remotely from the medication dispenser and further comprising a second processor located at the medication dispenser adapted to detect medication supply events and provide medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser to the messaging processor.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the messaging processor is further adapted to:

require a response to a sent message; and

send another message to a user that the event has occurred if a response is not received within a predetermined time.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the response comprises an event generated by the medication dispenser.

14. A method of notifying users of the occurrence of medication supply events, the method comprising:

generating a medication supply event signal representative of the occurrence of a medication supply event at a medication dispenser;

storing user-selected event types in a memory;

receiving medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser;

comparing the received medication supply event signals to stored user-selected event types;

sending a message to a user that the event has occurred if the comparison indicates that the medication supply event signals received by the messaging processor correspond to a user-selected event type in the memory; and

receiving the message from the messaging processor by means of a messaging device carried by the user; and

communicating the received message to the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein storing user selected event types also comprises storing user-selected message parameters in the memory;

and

further comprising accessing the memory for any user-selected message parameters; and

wherein sending a message to a user that the event has occurred comprises providing the message in accordance with user-selected message parameters.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the message in accordance with user-selected message parameters comprises providing an identification of an item available in the medication dispenser in the message.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein providing the message in accordance with user-selected message parameters comprises providing an identification of a medication just recently made available in the medication dispenser in the message.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein providing the message in accordance with a user-selected event type comprises providing an identification of an item removed from the medication dispenser.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein storing a patient-specific event comprises storing an identification of a patient'"'"'s name.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein storing a healthcare facility-specific event comprises storing an identification of a room in which a patient is located.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein storing user selected event types in memory also comprises storing user-selected message filters;

and

further comprising comparing the received medication supply event signals to any stored user-selected message filters; and

sending a message to a user that the medical supply event has occurred if the comparison indicates that the received medication supply event signals satisfy any stored user-selected message filter in the memory.

22. The method of claim 25 wherein sending a message when a user-selected message filter is satisfied comprises only sending a message about events to a user that are related to that user'"'"'s patient.

23. The method of claim 14 wherein comparing the received medication supply event signals to stored user-selected event types occurs at the medication dispenser.

24. The method of claim 14 wherein comparing the received medication supply event signals to stored user-selected event types occurs remotely from the medication dispenser.

25. The method of claim 14 further comprising requiring a response to a sent message from a user and sending another message to a user that the event has occurred if a response is not received from a user within a predetermined time.

26. A system for notifying users of the occurrence of medication supply events, the system comprising:

an automated medication dispenser coupled to a communication network, the dispenser configured to generate a medication supply event signal representative of the occurrence at the dispenser of a medication supply event;

a memory in which may be stored user-selected event types, user-selected message parameters, and user-selected message filters;

a messaging processor adapted to;

receive the medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser;

compare the received medication supply event signals to user-selected event types in the memory;

if the comparison indicates that the medication supply event signals received by the messaging processor correspond to a user-selected event type in the memory and that the event satisfies a message filter stored in memory, send a message to a user that the event has occurred in accordance with user-selected message parameters contained in memory; and

a messaging device carried by the user that is adapted to receive the message from the messaging processor and to communicate the received message to the user.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein a user-selected event type comprises an identification of an item available in the medication dispenser.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the messaging processor is integral with the dispenser.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the messaging processor is located remotely from the medication dispenser and the system further comprises a second processor located at the medication dispenser adapted to detect medication supply event and provide medication supply event signals from the medication dispenser to the network to the messaging processor.