Tag Based Knowledge System For Healthcare Enterprises

• US 20090106692A1
• Filed: 04/09/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tagnos, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tagnos, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhavani, Neeraj
• Granted Patent: US 9,928,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• 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

Contemplated systems and methods provide an integration platform to facilitate the exchange of information between RFID tagged objects and non-RFID systems. In especially preferred aspects, RFID tagged objects include patients, personnel, and assets of a healthcare facility, while preferred non-RFID systems include asset management systems, timekeeping systems, electronic medical records systems, and hospital and pharmacy information systems. Contemplated systems and methods will apply rules to associate RFID information with events, which will then be correlated with appropriate steps that can be effected in a varied and automated manner. In further preferred aspects, RFID technology is employed to upgrade patient telemetry to provide positional information the hospital system.

Claims

1. A method for performing data processing operations utilized in the practice, administration, or management of a healthcare enterprise, comprising:

receiving RFID information;

storing the RFID information in a memory;

receiving rules that associate portions of the RFID information with events;

receiving correlations that associate the events with steps;

applying the rules against the RFID information in the memory to determine events, and applying the events to the correlations to determine steps; and

executing the steps.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID information includes location information obtained from an electric device, a staff member of the enterprise, a mechanical device, and optionally a patient.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID information includes location information obtained from different types of tags.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID information includes physical parameters data selected from the group consisting of an environmental parameter, and time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID information includes operational data selected from the group consisting of on/off status, functional status, maintenance status, analytic data of a clinical test, and a replenishment trigger signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least 80% of the RFID information is refreshed at least every 10 minutes.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the RFID information is obtained from at least 1,000 tags.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a Java cache.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface that is configured to allow definition of at least one of the rules by a staff member of the enterprise using menus.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface that is configured to allow point and click operation to thereby change the at least one of the rules.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface that is configured to allow definition of at least one of the correlations by a staff member of the enterprise using menus.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface that is configured to allow point and click operation to thereby change the at least one of the correlations.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the correlations associates at least two independent ones of events.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein different ones of the correlations associate an event with different numbers of steps.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the correlations associates a plurality of the events with at least three of the steps.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps comprises sending an electronic message to at least one of the staff.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electronic message is selected from the list consisting of an email, an SMS message, a page, and a voice mail.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps comprises providing billing data for a patient with respect to the event.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps comprises providing patient location information for a bed management system.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps comprises providing staffing information to a staff timekeeping system.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the staffing information includes working time and procedure.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the correlations includes a first step that provides billing data, and second step provides staffing information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the at least one of the correlations includes third first step that providing patient location information for a bed management system.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the steps comprises retrieving medical information regarding a patient, and providing the medical information to a staff member.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the medical information is selected from the list consisting of a medical history, a diagnosis, a drug listing, a radiographic image, and a healthcare plan information.

26. A method of associating positional information with a patient telemetry unit, comprising combining RFID circuitry with the patient telemetry unit.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising attaching the RFID circuitry to the telemetry unit using a tag.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising attaching the RFID circuitry to an identification device of a patient carrying the telemetry unit.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising provisioning the RFID circuitry with an Ultra-Wide band frequency capability.

30. The method of claim 26, further comprising attaching the RFID circuitry with resolution to below five feet in at least some area of a medical care facility that uses the telemetry unit.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the RFID circuitry to provide information used in billing.

32. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the RFID circuitry to provide information used in billing the telemetry unit.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the RFID circuitry to provide information used to predict an event related to a patient carrying the telemetry unit.

34. The method of claim 26, further comprising using the positional information as input to an information technology software package in a medical care facility.

35. A handheld reading device configured to acquire a barcode or an RFID signal and further comprising an RFID tag.