SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING PATIENT BED ASSIGNMENTS, BED OCCUPANCY, AND STAFFING IN A HEALTHCARE FACILITY OPERATION

• US 20070239484A1
• Filed: 03/16/2007
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Betty Arond, John Burross, Karen Sue Haas
• Original Assignee: Betty Arond, John Burross, Karen Sue Haas
• Inventors: Haas, Karen Sue, Burross, John, Arond, Betty
• Application Number:
  US11/687,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239484A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• 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

Abstract

An integrated health care delivery network with enabling software and network technology to maximize bed resources, manage varying census levels, and avoid patient diversions through real-time monitoring, automation and communication, is disclosed. Preferably, the present invention is embodied in a Patient Agent Throughput Management System that interfaces with and complements the following existing healthcare facility systems: Admission/Discharge/Transfer (ADT); Scheduling System; Bed tracking (for housekeeping purposes); Security; Clinical Information Management; Human Resources; and Physician Information Management. The “Patient Agent” system is an easy-to-use business intelligence application that is designed to allow administrators, clinicians and managers to easily access, analyze and display real-time patient, staff and bed availability information from clinical and ancillary information systems. It enables users to see trends and relationships in hospital management data directly from their desktop personal computers.

Claims

1. A healthcare network for a plurality of units in a healthcare facility, the network comprising comprising:

a server computer;

a system interface for coupling said server computer to;

an administration/discharge/transfer (ADT) system;

a clinical information management system;

a system interface for coupling said server computer to;

a scheduling system;

a housekeeping/bed tracking system;

a human resource system;

a physician information system;

a database coupled to said server computer and storing data for the healthcare work, including patient data, clinical data, scheduling data, housekeeping data, human resource data, and physician data;

a web server coupled to said server computer;

a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) server connected to said server computer; and

a messaging server connected to said server.

2. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for coupling said server computer to a data backup and recovery system.

3. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for receiving data from other information systems and for storing said data from other information systems in said database.

4. The healthcare network as defined in claim 3, further comprising means for:

adding, removing, or changing said data from other information systems; and

storing said data from other information systems.

5. The healthcare network as defined in claim 3, further comprising means for transmitting said data from other information systems.

6. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising a Staffed Bed Module coupled to said server computer to provide one or more said units in the healthcare facility with the capability to electronically monitor, manage, communicate and record the unit'"'"'s staffed bed conditions, needs, and overages to a Staffing Office.

7. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for providing a Staffing Office with the capability to monitor, manage, communicate and record staff requirements across a plurality of said units in the healthcare facility.

8. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for electronically displaying each said unit'"'"'s staffed bed status to other said units in the healthcare facility.

9. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1 further comprising a Throughput Activity module coupled to said server computer to provide each said unit the ability to record, monitor, manage, and communicate patient movement activity and decisions that directly involve the unit.

10. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for providing the facility'"'"'s Throughput Office within the ability to monitor, manage, communicate and record patient movement between all units of the healthcare facility as well as admission activity generated from external sources.

11. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for electronically displaying all patient movement status and activity to all said units in the healthcare facility.

12. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising a Shift Filler Module coupled to said server computer to provide a unit management entity with the ability to view future unfilled shifts from the facility'"'"'s scheduling system and have the opportunity to make use of a shift lottery, shift and salary lottery or salary auction to attract appropriately skilled clinical staff who are in good standing.

13. The healthcare network as defined in claim 12, further comprising means for providing said unit management entity with the ability to define and identify competencies required for units and shifts.

14. The healthcare network as defined in claim 12, further comprising means for providing said unit management entity with the ability to review and edit clinical staff profiles as well as approve or disapprove individual participation in lotteries or auctions.

15. The healthcare network as defined in claim 12, further comprising means for providing said unit management entity with the ability to define denial reasons for denying shift awards to winning participants.

16. The healthcare network as defined in claim 12, further comprising means for providing said unit management entity with the ability to provide the clinical staff of the healthcare facility with the opportunity to participate in shift lotteries, shift and salary lotteries and salary auctions to fill shifts for which they hold the required competencies, wherein clinical staff participation in these lotteries and auctions provides the clinical staff with the opportunity to work a shift at a higher pay than they would normally receive as well as stimulate honest and entertaining competition for shifts.

17. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising an Alert Module coupled to said server computer to provide a utility for viewing predefined facility alerts, viewing and managing alert recipients and recipient addresses.

18. The healthcare network as defined in claim 17, further comprising means for providing each authorized user the ability to enter multiple electronic device addresses and receive alerts to their choice of one or many of those electronic devices.

19. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising a Reporting module coupled to said server computer to provide users the ability to view and analyze said stored data.

20. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising a Throughput Booster Module coupled to said server computer to provide a system generated alert when predefined conditions are met that may lead to a situation resulting in either financial or patient care risk.

21. The healthcare network as defined in claim 20, further comprising means for providing management of the healthcare facility with the ability to quickly and easily enable an electronic alert by which all critical players in maximizing throughput are set into a joint effort motion to address and remedy the situation.

22. The healthcare network as defined in claim 20, further comprising means for providing a history of occasions when predefined conditions were met as well as occasions when a Throughput Booster collaborative effort was put into motion, wherein a snapshot of the following data is taken for each Throughput Booster event (displayed by unit):

census, staffed beds, clean/dirty beds, pending transfers in and out of the unit and pending discharges.

23. The healthcare network as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for providing the management of the healthcare facility with the ability to administer how and what facility and unit information is displayed to facility personnel, wherein enabling this option for facility management ensures that the most valuable information is presented to key throughput players in such a way as to prevent the need for screen toggling, phone calls, and dependence on inference.

24. A healthcare network comprising a server computer coupled to:

a web server;

a directory services server;

a messaging server;

an ADT System;

a clinical information management System; and

a database coupled storing data from each of the ADT System, the clinical information management System and one of more modules and systems selected from the group consisting of;

a human resource System;

a scheduling System;

a Staffed Bed Module;

a Reporting module;

a Throughput Activity Module;

a physician information System;

a Shift Filler Module;

an Alert Module; and

a Throughput Booster module.