Patient Discharge System and Associated Methods
First Claim
1. A method for improving an efficiency of discharging a patient from a healthcare facility comprising the steps of:
- initiating a communication with a physician remote from a patient requesting approval to discharge the patient from a healthcare facility within a predetermined time;
receiving a communication from the physician including an approval to discharge the patient from the healthcare facility within the predetermined time;
receiving from the physician, if desired, an order for an update to a medication protocol for the patient; and
automatically communicating physician approval to at least one healthcare facility department for implementing patient discharge within the predetermined time.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for improving patient discharge from a healthcare facility automates several areas of the patient discharge process, using automatically placed contacts with communications devices. The system includes a website that is accessible by registered users, primarily nurses and physicians. Critical elements of patient discharge, currently requiring many telephone calls between nurses and other personnel are converted to a largely automated “discharge cascade.” The cascade is initiated by the patient'"'"'s nurse a predetermined period, for example, 24 hours, prior to a possible discharge, via the website. The website initiates an automatic communication with any or all involved physicians with a scripted, interactive call to elicit physician approval for the discharge. If the physician approves the discharge, a secondary set of automated communications are made to downstream parties, such as nursing operations, housekeeping, patient transport, home health, pharmacy, and patient family member.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for improving an efficiency of discharging a patient from a healthcare facility comprising the steps of:
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initiating a communication with a physician remote from a patient requesting approval to discharge the patient from a healthcare facility within a predetermined time; receiving a communication from the physician including an approval to discharge the patient from the healthcare facility within the predetermined time; receiving from the physician, if desired, an order for an update to a medication protocol for the patient; and automatically communicating physician approval to at least one healthcare facility department for implementing patient discharge within the predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for improving an efficiency of discharging a patient from a healthcare facility comprising:
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a healthcare facility communication device adapted to transmit a signal to, and receive a signal from, a physician communication device remote therefrom; a processor in signal communication with the healthcare facility communication device and having software resident thereon comprising; a code segment for initiating a communication from the healthcare facility communication device to the physician communication device requesting approval to discharge a patient from a healthcare facility within a predetermined time; a code segment for receiving a communication from the physician communication device via the healthcare facility communication device including an approval to discharge the patient from the healthcare facility within the predetermined time; a code segment for receiving from the physician communication device via the healthcare facility communication device an order for an update to a medication protocol for the patient; and a code segment for automatically communicating physician approval to at least one healthcare facility department for implementing patient discharge within the predetermined time. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification