TRACKING COMMUNICABLE PATHOGENS

• US 20090070134A1
• Filed: 09/06/2007
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bee Cave LLC
• Original Assignee: Valence Broadband, Inc.
• Inventors: Rodgers, Mark E.
• Application Number:
  US11/851,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20090070134A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures are used for tracking communicable pathogens in a healthcare facility. An individual is digitally tagged as been at risk for spreading communicable pathogens upon coming into contact with another individually that is digitally tagged as been at risk for spreading communicable pathogens. Digitally tagged individuals can be patients that are diagnosed with a communicable disease, individuals that come into contact with patients diagnosed with a communicable disease, and individuals that come into contact with other individuals (e.g., that through a chain of one or more other contacts) have been in contact with patients diagnosed with a communicable disease. Staff members and visitors digitally tagged through contact can perform appropriate hygiene procedures to remove their digitally tagged status. A system sensor can be used to track individual contacts and activation of hygiene equipment.

Claims

1. At a healthcare facility, a method for digitally transferring an indication that an individual is at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen, the method comprising:

detecting that a first individual is present at a specified location within the healthcare facility;

detecting that a second individual has come within a specified physical proximity of the first individual;

accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a first profile corresponding to the first individual;

determining from the accessed first profile that the first individual has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen;

accessing, from among the plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a second profile corresponding to the second individual, the second profile accessed in response to determining that the first individual is digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen; and

updating the second profile to digitally tag the second individual as also being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen based on the second individual coming within the specified physical proximity of the first individual.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

detecting that a first individual is present at a specified location within the healthcare facility comprises detecting that a patient is present in a patient room at the healthcare facility; and

detecting that a second individual has come within a specified physical proximity of the first individual comprises detecting a healthcare facility worker is present in the patient room.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting that a first individual is present at a specified location within the healthcare facility comprises receiving communication from an RFID receiver.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting that a first individual is present at a specified location within the healthcare facility comprises receiving communication from an ultrasound receiver.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a first profile corresponding to the first individual comprises accessing a profile selected from among a patient profile, a staff member profile, and a visitor profile.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining from the accessed first profile that the first individual has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen comprises determining from the first profile that the first individual has been diagnosed with a communicable disease.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining from the accessed first profile that the first individual has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen comprises determining from the profile that the first individual previously came in contact with another individual that was digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein accessing, from among the plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a second profile corresponding to the second individual comprises accessing a staff member profile in response to the staff member treating a patient, the patient'"'"'s profile indicating that the patient was diagnosed with a communicable disease.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein accessing, from among the plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a second profile corresponding to the second individual comprises accessing a first staff member profile in response to a first staff member coming with a specified physical proximity of a second staff member, the second staff member'"'"'s profile indicating that the second staff member is at risk for spread communicable pathogens.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the second profile to digitally tag the second individual as also being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen comprises updating a profile selected from among a patient profile, a staff member profile, visitor profile based on corresponding patient, staff member, or visitor respectively coming within the specified physical proximity of the first individual.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

sending an electronic message to a staff member to alert the staff member that the second individual was digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein sending an electronic message to a staff member comprises sending an electronic message to a staff member to alert the staff member that the staff member has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising subsequent to digitally tagging the second individual as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen:

detecting that the second individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station, the one or more hygiene measures reducing the risk of spreading communicable pathogens;

accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, the second profile corresponding to the second individual, the second profile accessed in response to the second individual performing the one or more hygiene measures; and

updating the accessed second profile to deactivate the digitally tagged status of the second individual.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein detecting that the second individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the second individual has de-gloved.

15. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein detecting that the second individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the second individual has activated a disinfectant dispenser.

16. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein detecting that the second individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the second individual has washed their hands for a requisite amount of time.

17. At a healthcare facility, a method for deactivating a digital indication that an individual is at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen, the method comprising:

detecting an individual that has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen in physical proximity to a hygiene station;

detecting that the individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at the hygiene station, the one or more hygiene measures reducing the risk of spreading communicable pathogens;

accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, the profile corresponding to the individual, the profile accessed in response to the individual performing the one or more hygiene measures; and

updating the accessed profile to deactivate the digitally tagged status of the individual

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting an individual that has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen in physical proximity to a hygiene station comprises detecting a staff member that recently treated a patient at the hygiene station, the patient diagnosed with a communicable disease.

19. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting an individual that has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen in physical proximity to a hygiene station comprises receiving communication form an RFID receiver.

20. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting an individual that has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen in physical proximity to a hygiene station comprises receiving communication from an ultrasound receiver.

21. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting that the individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the individual has de-gloved.

22. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting that the individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the individual has activated a disinfectant dispenser.

23. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein detecting that the individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station comprises detecting that the individual has washed their hands for a requisite amount of time.

24. A computer program product for use at a healthcare facility computer system, the computer program product for a method for digitally transferring an indication that an individual is at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen, the computer program product comprising one or more physical storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the healthcare facility computer system to perform the method, comprising:

(a) detecting that a first individual is present at a specified location within the healthcare facility;

(b) detecting that a second individual has come within a specified physical proximity of the first individual;

(c) accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a first profile corresponding to the first individual;

(d) determining from the accessed first profile that the first individual has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen;

(e) accessing, from among the plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, a second profile corresponding to the second individual, the second profile accessed in response to determining that the first individual is digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen; and

(f) updating the second profile to digitally tag the second individual as also being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen based on the second individual coming within the specified physical proximity of the first individual.

25. The computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing (d), when executed at a processor, further cause the healthcare facility computer system to determine from the accessed first profile that the first individual has been diagnosed with a communicable disease.

26. The computer program product as recited in claim 24, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing (d), when executed at a processor, further cause the healthcare facility computer system to determine from the first profile that the first individual previously came in contact with another individual that was digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen.

27. The computer program product as recited in claim 24, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the healthcare facility computer system to:

detect that the second individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at a hygiene station, the one or more hygiene measures reducing the risk of spreading communicable pathogens;

access, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, the second profile corresponding to the second individual, the second profile accessed in response to the second individual performing the one or more hygiene measures; and

update the accessed second profile to deactivate the digitally tagged status of the second individual.

28. A computer program product for use at a healthcare facility computer system, the computer program product for implementing a method for deactivating a digital indication that an individual is at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen, the computer program product comprising one or more physical storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed at a processor, cause the healthcare facility computer system to perform the method, comprising:

(a) detecting an individual that has been digitally tagged as being at risk for spreading a communicable pathogen in physical proximity to a hygiene station;

(b) detecting that the individual has performed one or more hygiene measures at the hygiene station, the one or more hygiene measures reducing the risk of spreading communicable pathogens;

(c) accessing, from among a plurality of profiles that differ as between at least some individuals at the healthcare facility, the profile corresponding to the individual, the profile accessed in response to the individual performing the one or more hygiene measures; and

(d) updating the accessed profile to deactivate the digitally tagged status of the individual

29. The computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing (b), when executed at a processor, further cause the healthcare facility computer system to detect that the individual has de-gloved.

30. The computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing (b), when executed at a processor, further cause the healthcare facility computer system to detect that the individual has activated a disinfectant dispenser.

31. The computer program product as recited in claim 28, wherein the computer-executable instructions for performing (b), when executed at a processor, further cause the healthcare facility computer system to detect that the individual has washed their hands for a requisite amount of time.