METHODS FOR REFINING PATIENT, STAFF AND VISITOR PROFILES USED IN MONITORING QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE AT A HEALTHCARE FACILITY

• US 20080015903A1
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Careview Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Valence Broadband, Inc.
• Inventors: Rodgers, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 7,911,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are used in monitoring patients, staff, assets and visitors at a facility, initiating a response to prevent or mitigate harm, and assess and ensure overall quality and performance, and refine individual patient, staff and visitor profiles. A plurality of sensors throughout the facility provide multiple data streams relating to the locations of patients relative to at least one of caregivers, assets, other patients, visitors or one or more fixed locations. A computer system analyses the data stream and determines the location and/or movements of the patients relative to the caregivers, assets, other patients, visitors and/or fixed locations. A profile containing individual data for the patient is used to accurately detect events, including actionable events, ensure completion of prescribed care, assess patient wellness, and, in some cases, provide tailored patient specific responses to detected events. Patient profiles are periodically refined by means of an information feedback loop in order to more accurately predict (actionable) events, provide adequate care and ensure a desired level of patient wellness. Staff and visitor profiles can be used to measure staff and visitor performance at a facility.

Claims

1. In a computer system that maintains stored profiles for a plurality of patients at a facility and that receives data from networked computers or other devices at the facility relating to behavior, activities, care, wellness or other information for each patient, a method for maintaining the stored profiles for patients at the facility comprising:

storing an initial profile for each of a plurality of patients at a facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for each patient or general information common to more than one patient, the profile including at least one of a limit for detecting an event, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event, a care regimen for the patient, or wellness parameter for the patient;

receiving collected data related to at least one of a detected event, actionable event, care regimen, or wellness parameter for a patient of the facility, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera or computer positioned within the facility that detect and/or analyze data regarding at least one of location and/or movements by the patient, location and/or movements by staff, assets and/or visitors, physical condition of patient, or activities performed on and/or by patient; and

refining the profile for the patient based on the collected data in order to modify at least one of the limit, alarm level, care regimen, or wellness parameter.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the profile includes both static data and dynamic data, wherein refining the profile involves altering the dynamic data.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the profile is refined by the computer system automatically altering the limit level, alarm level, treatment regimen, and/or wellness parameter.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the profile is refined by a staff member manually altering the limit level, alarm level, treatment regimen, and/or wellness parameter.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the profile is automatically refined in response to an ultrasound detector detecting an ultrasound signal indicative the occurrence of an event.

6. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the static data remains unmodified.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, the limit for the patient being refined in order to more accurately determine occurrence of an event.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, the alarm level for the patient being refined in order to more accurately determine occurrence of an actionable event.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, the event being detected in accordance with a recursively refined profile for the patient based at least in part on previously collected data.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile including data relating to movements by the patient that are predictive of bed exiting by that patient.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, the profile including data relating to movements by the patient that are predictive of bed exiting comprises data resulting from ultrasound sensors in an ultrasound detection grid detecting movements of one or more ultrasound transmitters attached to the patient.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, the profile including a plurality of limits that indicate a plurality of corresponding body part positions that, when attained simultaneously or sequentially, are predictive of bed existing.

13. A method as defined in claim 10, the refining act including modifying the limits based on collected data in order to further reduce the risk of unattended bed exiting and/or false positive alerts or alarms.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the collected data relates to an event, the method further comprising staff verifying whether or not the event is an actionable event, wherein verifying or rejection the event as an actionable event forms part of an information feedback loop that at least partially comprises the refining act.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the event and/or actionable event relate to at least one of patient wandering into unauthorized zones, patient flight from the facility, patient support exiting, patient initiated alert, failure to complete a prescribed regimen, or patient injury.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of social interaction by the patient.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of total ambulation by the patient over a predetermined period of time.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of total ambulation by the patient over a predetermined period of time in association with a previously defined personal ambulation assistive device.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of total ambulation by the patient over a predetermined period of time in association with a previously defined personal ambulation assistive device comprises refining the patient profile based on detected ultrasound signals from an ultrasound transmitted attached the patient.

20. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of denture use by the patient.

21. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on a measured level of denture cleaning compared to denture cleaning schedules utilized by staff.

22. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based completion of a prescribed patient treatment.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the prescribed patient treatment involves an interaction between the patient and at least one of a caregiver or asset.

24. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on changes in patient gait.

25. A method as defined in claim 1, the patient profile being refined based on patient breathing that is indicative of a medical condition.

26. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing a performance profile for a plurality of caregivers and/or visitors at the facility relating to caregiver and/or visitor performance, collecting data regarding the locations and/or movements by the caregivers and/or visitors, and refining caregiver and/or visitor performance profiles based on the collected data.

27. A computer-program product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the computer system to implement the method of claim 1.

32. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving collected data comprises an act of receiving collected data that was collected using a plurality of ultrasound detectors positioned at various locations within the facility.

33. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving collected data comprises an act of receiving collected data that was collected using a plurality of RFID sensors positioned at various locations within the facility.

28. In a computer system that maintains stored profiles for a plurality of patients at a facility and that receives data from networked computers or other devices at the facility relating to behavior, activities, care, wellness or other information for each patient, a method for maintaining the stored profiles for patients at the facility comprising:

storing an initial profile for each of a plurality of patients at a facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for each patient or general information common to more than one patient, the profile including at least one of a limit for detecting an event, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event, a care regimen for a patient, or wellness parameter for a patient;

receiving collected data related to at least one of a detected event, actionable event, care regimen, or wellness parameter for at least some of the patients at the facility, the data being collected using a plurality of ultrasound detectors positioned at various locations within the facility that detect and/or analyze data regarding at least one of location and/or movements by the patients, location and/or movements by staff, assets and/or visitors, physical condition of patients, or activities performed on and/or by patients; and

refining the profiles for the plurality of patients based on the collected data in order to modify at least one of the limit, alarm level, care regimen, or wellness parameter, at least some of the patient profiles differing as among different patients according to individual attributes of needs of the patients.

29. (canceled)

30. In a computer system that maintains stored profiles for patients, staff and visitors at a facility and that receives data from networked computers or other devices at the facility relating to patient care and wellness quality and staff and visitor performance at a healthcare facility, a method for maintaining the stored profiles for a patient, staff member, and visitor at the facility comprising:

storing an initial profile for the patient, staff member, and visitor at the facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for the patient, staff member or visitor or general information common to more than one patient, staff member or visitor, the profile including at least one of a limit for detecting an event, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event, a care regimen for the patient, a wellness parameter for the patient, a performance parameter for a staff member, or a performance parameter for a visitor;

receiving collected data related to at least one of a detected event, an actionable event, care regimen, wellness parameter for a patient, performance parameter for a staff member, or performance parameter of a visitor of the facility, the data being collected using a plurality of ultrasound detectors positioned at various locations within the facility that detect and/or analyze data regarding at least one of location and/or movements by the patient, location and/or movements by staff, assets and/or visitors, physical condition of patient, or activities performed on and/or by patient; and

refining the profile for at least one of the patient, staff member or visitor based on the collected data in order to modify at least one of the limit, alarm level, care regimen, wellness parameter, or performance parameter.

31. (canceled)