Visual filtering to create logical associations in timeline based metaphors

• US 20080114808A1
• Filed: 11/10/2006
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Mahesh, Prakash, Morita, Mark, Kariathungal, Murali Kumaran
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,631 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Various embodiments of the presently described invention provide a method for visually representing associations among data and/or events presented on one or more timelines. A user is provided with the ability to select a filter that can be used to determine a plurality of data/events that are associated or related to one another according to the rule(s) defined by the filter. Once the associated data/events are determined, the association among the data/events is graphically presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method for creating visual association among data, said method including:

displaying one or more timelines that include one or more event symbols, each of said event symbols representing an event;

determining if a plurality of said event symbols represents a plurality of associated events; and

visually representing an association among said associated events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said events includes one or more of a medical test, a result of said medical test, an imaging procedure, a medical visit, a medical problem, a caregiver encounter, a medical procedure, a symptom, a biological analysis, a medical finding, a medication and an acquisition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said timelines represents one of a plurality of categories of said events, wherein each of said categories includes similar ones of said events.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein similar ones of said events are represented by the same event symbol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step includes determining if an association exists between any of said events.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said association between a plurality of said events exists if:

(a) said events occurred during a single patient encounter;

(b) said events occurred within a selected time and/or date range;

(c) said events include a medical test or examination and one or more results of said test or said examination;

(d) said events include data collected by a caregiver and exclude data collected by one or more other caregivers; and

/or

(e) said events include a predefined association with a selected medical problem and/or a selected medical procedure.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said representing step includes displaying one or more of a line and a geometric shape to visually connect said associated events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said representing step includes displaying said association among said associated events and across a plurality of said timelines.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining step includes applying a filter to a set of said events included in at least one electronic medical record, wherein said filter:

(a) excludes at least one of said events in said set that is not associated with at least one other event in said set from said associated events; and

/or

(b) includes at least one of said events in said set that is associated with at least one other event in said set in said associated events.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for a computer, said set of instructions including:

a display routine configured to display on a display device one or more timelines that include one or more event symbols, each of said event symbols representing an event; and

a filter routine configured to determine if a plurality of said event symbols represents a plurality of associated events,

wherein said display routine is also configured to visually represent an association among said associated events on said display device.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each of said events includes one or more of a medical test, a result of said medical test, an imaging procedure, a medical visit, a medical problem, a caregiver encounter, a medical procedure, a symptom, a biological analysis, a medical finding, a medication and an acquisition.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein each of said timelines represents one of a plurality of categories of said events, wherein each of said categories includes similar ones of said events.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said display routine is configured to represent similar ones of said events with the same event symbol.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said filter routine determines if an association exists between any of said events.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said association between a plurality of said events exists if:

(a) said events occurred during a single patient encounter;

(b) said events occurred within a selected time and/or date range;

(c) said events include a medical test or examination and one or more results of said test or said examination;

(d) said events include data collected by a caregiver and exclude data collected by one or more other caregivers; and

/or

(e) said events include a predefined association with a selected medical problem and/or a selected medical procedure.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said display routine is configured to display one or more of a line and a geometric shape to visually connect said associated events.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said display routine is configured to display said association among said associated events and across a plurality of said timelines.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein said filter routine is configured to apply a filter to a set of said events included in at least one electronic medical record, wherein said filter routine:

(a) excludes at least one of said events in said set that is not associated with at least one other event in said set from said associated events; and

/or

(b) includes at least one of said events in said set that is associated with at least one other event in said set in said associated events.

19. A method for visually representing associations among data, said method including:

searching through medical data in an electronic medical record;

determining if one or more associations exist among any of said medical data; and

displaying at least a subset of said medical data in a chronological order and at least one geometric representation of said associations.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said displaying step includes displaying a plurality of symbols each representative of a medical event and displaying said representation as a connection between a plurality of said medical events.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said medical event includes one or more of a medical test, a result of said medical test, an imaging procedure, a medical visit, a medical problem, a caregiver encounter, a medical procedure, a symptom, a biological analysis, a medical finding, a medication and an acquisition.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining step includes applying a filter to at least a subset of said medical data in said electronic medical record, wherein said filter excludes said medical data that is not associated with any other ones of said medical data.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein each of said timelines includes similar ones of said medical data and excludes different ones of said medical data.