Diagnostic and intervention tools for emergency medical dispatch

• US 20080310600A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson
• Inventors: Clawson, Jeffrey J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,645,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/357 Autocues for dialog assistance
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/401 Performance feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 for emergency applications

Abstract

A system and method assists an emergency medical dispatcher in responding to emergency calls. A computer implemented emergency medical dispatch protocol includes interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an appropriate response. A diagnostic tool is provided to determine a vital sign of a patient based on a timer and caller relayed information about the patient. An intervention tool is provided to administer assistance and determine a compression rate based on a timer and caller relayed information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for a dispatcher to respond to a 9-1-1 emergency caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, comprising:

providing an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

initiating a diagnostic tool on a dispatch center computer to determine a vital sign of a patient;

the diagnostic tool providing a user interface including a start input to start a timer;

the diagnostic tool running the timer in response to the start input;

the diagnostic tool terminating the timer;

the diagnostic tool determining a vital sign result of the patient based on caller relayed information about the patient and in relation to the timer.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a determinant value to prioritize a response based on the vital sign result.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying a recommendation on the user interface based on the vital sign result.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

the user interface providing a close input; and

the diagnostic tool terminating operation in response to the close input.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

the user interface providing a clear input; and

the diagnostic tool resetting the timer and clearing the vital sign result in response to the clear input.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vital sign is a breath rate and the diagnostic tool measures the breath rate in relation to the timer.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

the user interface providing an input for each patient breath after starting the timer.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool measuring intervals between each patient breath to determine a breath rate.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying the duration of the intervals on the user interface.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying a breath rate on the user interface in relation to time.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool determining a pattern based on the breath rate and displaying the pattern on the user interface.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vital sign is a pulse rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pulse rate in relation to the timer.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

the user interface providing instruction for taking a pulse.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the diagnostic tool terminates the timer after a predetermined amount of time and further comprising:

the user interface providing a count input; and

the diagnostic tool calculating a pulse rate in response to the count input and based on the predetermined amount of time.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying the pulse rate on the user interface.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the vital sign is a pregnancy contraction rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pregnancy contraction rate in relation to the timer.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

the user interface providing input for the pregnancy number.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

the user interface providing an input for each contraction after starting the timer.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool measuring intervals between each contraction to determine a contraction pattern.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying the duration of the intervals on the user interface.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

the diagnostic tool displaying the length of each contraction on the user interface.

22. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon computer instruction code to perform a method to assist a dispatcher in responding to a caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, the method comprising:

providing an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

initiating a diagnostic tool to determine a vital sign of a patient;

the diagnostic tool providing a user interface to start a timer;

the diagnostic tool running the timer in response to a start input to the user interface;

the diagnostic tool terminating the timer;

the diagnostic tool determining a vital sign result of the patient based on caller relayed information about the patient and in relation to the timer.

23. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a determinant value to prioritize a response based on the vital sign result.

24. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the method further comprises:

the diagnostic tool displaying a recommendation on the user interface based on the vital sign result.

25. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the vital sign is a breath rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the breathing rate in relation to the timer.

26. The computer readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing an input for each patient breath after starting the timer; and

the diagnostic tool measuring intervals between each patient breath to determine a breathing rate.

27. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the vital sign is a pulse rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pulse rate in relation to the timer.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the diagnostic tool terminates the timer after a predetermined amount of time and wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a count input; and

the diagnostic tool calculating a pulse rate in response to the count input and based on the predetermined amount of time.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the vital sign is a pregnancy contraction rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pregnancy contraction rate in relation to the timer.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing an input for each contraction after starting the timer; and

the diagnostic tool measuring intervals between each contraction to determine a contraction pattern.

31. A computer system to perform a method to assist a dispatcher in responding to a caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electrical communication with the processor, and having stored thereon;

an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

a diagnostic tool to determine a vital sign of a patient by performing a method of;

providing a user interface to start a timer,

running the timer in response to a start input to the user interface,

terminating the timer, and

determining a vital sign result of the patient based on caller relayed information about the patient and in relation to the timer.

32. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:

calculating a determinant value to prioritize a response based on the vital sign result.

33. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying a recommendation on the user interface based on the vital sign result.

34. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the vital sign is a breath rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the breathing rate in relation to the timer.

35. The computer system of claim 34, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing an input for each patient breath after starting the timer; and

measuring intervals between each patient breath to determine a breath rate.

36. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the vital sign is a pulse rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pulse rate in relation to the timer.

37. The computer system of claim 36, wherein the diagnostic tool terminates the timer after a predetermined amount of time and wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a count input; and

calculating a pulse rate in response to the count input and based on the predetermined amount of time.

38. The computer system of claim 31, wherein the vital sign is a pregnancy contraction rate, and the diagnostic tool measures the pregnancy contraction rate in relation to the timer.

39. The computer system of claim 38, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing an input for each contraction after starting the timer; and

measuring intervals between each contraction to determine a contraction pattern.

40. The computer system of claim 31, further comprising a determinant value calculator stored on the memory to calculate a determinant value to prioritize an emergency response.

41. The computer system of claim 31, further comprising a reporting module to measure the performance of a dispatcher.

42. A computer implemented method for a dispatcher to respond to a caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, comprising:

providing an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

initiating an intervention tool on a dispatch center computer to assist in aiding a patient;

the intervention tool providing a user interface including a start input to start a timer;

the intervention tool running the timer in response to the start input and simultaneously with the administration of a predetermined number of compressions to the patient'"'"'s chest;

the intervention tool providing a finished input on the user interface to terminate the timer in response to completion of the predetermined number of compressions;

the intervention tool recording a final time recorded by the timer; and

the intervention tool determining a recommendation based on the predetermined number of compressions and in relation to the final time.

43. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

the user interface providing a close input; and

terminating operation in response to the close input.

44. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

the user interface providing age input and wherein the intervention tool determines performance based on the age input.

45. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

the user interface providing a plurality of predetermined number inputs, wherein each predetermined number input corresponds with the number of compressions to be administered to the patient.

46. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

the user interface displaying the final time and an ideal final time.

47. The computer implemented method of claim 42, further comprising:

the user interface displaying an actual compression rate.

48. A computer readable storage medium including computer readable instruction code for performing a method for a dispatcher to respond to a caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, the method comprising:

providing an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

initiating an intervention tool on a dispatch center computer to assist in aiding a patient;

the intervention tool providing a user interface including a start input to start a timer;

the intervention tool running the timer in response to the start input and simultaneously with the administration of a predetermined number of compressions to the patient'"'"'s chest;

the intervention tool providing a finished input on the user interface to terminate the timer in response to completion of the predetermined number of compressions;

the intervention tool recording a final time recorded by the timer; and

the intervention tool determining a recommendation based on the predetermined number of compressions and in relation to the final time.

49. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a close input; and

terminating operation in response to the close input.

50. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48 wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing age input and wherein the intervention tool determines performance based on the age input.

51. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a plurality of predetermined number inputs, wherein each predetermined number input corresponds with the number of compressions to be administered to the patient.

52. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface displaying the final time and an ideal final time.

53. The computer readable storage medium of claim 48, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface displaying an actual compression rate.

54. A computer system to perform a method to assist a dispatcher in responding to a caller regarding a medical emergency of a patient, comprising:

a processor;

a memory in electrical communication with the processor, and having stored thereon;

an emergency medical dispatch protocol including a plurality of interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an emergency medical dispatch response;

an intervention tool to assist in aiding a patient by performing a method of;

providing a user interface including a start input to start a timer, running the timer in response to the start input and

simultaneously with the administration of a predetermined number of compressions to the patient'"'"'s chest,

providing a finished input on the user interface to terminate the timer in response to completion of the predetermined number of compressions,

recording a final time recorded by the timer, and

determining a recommendation based on the predetermined number of compressions and in relation to the final time.

55. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a close input; and

terminating operation in response to the close input.

56. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing age input and wherein the intervention tool determines performance based on the age input.

57. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface providing a plurality of predetermined number inputs, wherein each predetermined number input corresponds with the number of compressions to be administered to the patient.

58. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface displaying the final time and an ideal final time.

59. The computer system of claim 54, wherein the method further comprises:

the user interface displaying an actual compression rate.

60. The computer system of claim 54, further comprising a determinant value calculator stored on the memory to calculate a determinant value to prioritize an emergency response.

61. The computer system of claim 54, further comprising a reporting module to measure the performance of a dispatcher.