Methods and systems for managing communication requests in an institutional setting such as a healthcare facility

• US 20090147940A1
• Filed: 05/23/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Ritchett, Jeffrey, Vezza, Brian, Graves, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,176 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/208.10
• 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: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A method of processing a communication request destined for an intended recipient, comprising: determining an interrupt worthiness of the communication request; determining an interruptability of the intended recipient; determining at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and causing delivery of the communication request over a communication system in accordance with the at least one delivery feature. Also, a method for monitoring workflows in an institutional environment, comprising: obtaining an indication that a workflow being executed by a particular user has been interrupted by a communication request; determining expected workflow resumption activity associated with the interrupted workflow; monitoring actual workflow resumption activity being executed by a user having resumed the interrupted workflow; carrying out a comparison between the expected and actual workflow activity; and conditionally notifying the user having resumed the interrupted workflow, based on the comparison.

Claims

1. A method of processing a communication request destined for an intended recipient, comprising:

determining an interrupt worthiness of the communication request;

determining an interruptability of the intended recipient;

determining at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and

causing delivery of the communication request over a communication system in accordance with the at least one delivery feature.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein determining the interrupt worthiness of the communication request comprises determining at least one interrupt worthiness parameter.

3. The method defined in claim 2, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter is determined based on information intrinsic to the communication request.

4. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the information intrinsic to the communication request comprises an identity of the intended recipient.

5. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the communication request originates from and specifies a sender, wherein the information intrinsic to the communication request comprises an identity of the sender.

6. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the communication request originates from a sender and includes ancillary information provided by the sender, wherein the information intrinsic to the communication request comprises the subjective information provided by the sender.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein the ancillary information provided by the sender comprises at least one of a sender-specified importance of the communication request, a sender-specified urgency of the communication request, a sender-specified specificity of the communication request and a sender-specified confidentiality of the communication request.

8. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the communication request encodes a message, wherein the information intrinsic to the communication request comprises the message.

9. The method defined in claim 8, the method further comprising applying a message processing function to decode the message in the communication request.

10. The method defined in claim 3, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter is further determined based on information extrinsic to the communication request.

11. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises information held in at least one of a hospital information system and a hospital clinical information system.

12. The method defined in claim 11, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request is determined by a situational context processing engine based on access to the hospital information system and the hospital clinical information system via an institutional context processing engine.

13. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises situational information regarding the intended recipient.

14. The method defined in claim 13, wherein the situational information regarding the intended recipient includes at least one of a location of the intended recipient, a location of patients associated with the intended recipient, a skill set of the intended recipient, a schedule of the intended recipient and an actual workflow situation of the intended recipient.

15. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the communication request originates from a sender, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises situational information regarding the sender.

16. The method defined in claim 15, wherein the situational information regarding the sender includes at least one of a location of the sender, a location of patients associated with the sender, a skill set of the sender, a schedule of the sender, an actual workflow situation of the sender, an emotional or physical state of the intended recipient and a relationship between the sender and the intended recipient.

17. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises environmental information.

18. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises historical information.

19. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter includes an importance of the communication request.

20. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter includes an urgency of the communication request.

21. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter includes a specificity of the communication request.

22. The method defined in claim 10, wherein the at least one interrupt worthiness parameter includes degree of life impact or workflow criticality of the communication request.

23. The method defined in claim 1, wherein determining the interruptability of the intended recipient comprises determining at least one interruptability parameter.

24. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the at least one interruptability parameter is determined based on information extrinsic to the communication request.

25. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises information held in at least one of a hospital information system and a hospital clinical information system.

26. The method defined in claim 25, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request is determined by a situational context processing engine based on access to the hospital information system and the hospital clinical information system via an institutional context processing engine.

27. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises situational information regarding the intended recipient.

28. The method defined in claim 27, wherein the situational information regarding the intended recipient includes at least one of a location of the intended recipient, the intended recipient'"'"'s duration on shift, a location of patients associated with the intended recipient, a skill set of the intended recipient, a schedule of the intended recipient, an actual workflow situation of the intended recipient and an emotional or physical state of the intended recipient.

29. The method defined in claim 23, further comprising identifying a task being performed or to be performed by the intended recipient and determining a criticality level of said task, wherein the at least one interruptability parameter includes said criticality level.

30. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the at least one interruptability parameter includes a profile descriptive of an interruptability tolerance over future time.

31. The method defined in claim 23, further comprising (i) identifying a workflow for the intended recipient, the workflow including a sequence of tasks;

(ii) identifying which of the tasks is currently being performed by the intended recipient; and

(iii) determining an expected amount of before an interruption is tolerated, wherein the at least one interruptability parameter includes said expected amount of time.

32. The method defined in claim 23, wherein the communication request originates from a sender, wherein the method further comprises consulting a database to determine data regarding a preference of the intended recipient to be interrupted by said sender, and wherein at least one said interruptability parameter is determined based at least in part on said preference.

33. The method defined in claim 24, wherein the information extrinsic to the communication request comprises information held in at least one of a hospital information system and a hospital clinical information system.

34. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery feature includes a format for delivery of the communication request.

35. The method defined in claim 34, wherein said format is one of:

an email message, a call attempt, a text message, a video message, a multimedia message, a voice mail message, a page attempt and combinations thereof.

36. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the communication request is received from a sender in a first format, wherein the format for delivery of the communication request is different from the first format.

37. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery feature includes a delay before delivery of the communication request.

38. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery feature includes identification of a final recipient to which the communication request is delivered.

39. The method defined in claim 38, wherein the final recipient is the intended recipient.

40. The method defined in claim 38, wherein the final recipient is different from the intended recipient.

41. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one delivery feature includes identification of a plurality of final recipients to which the communication request is delivered.

42. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of final recipients share a common situational classification.

43. The method defined in claim 1, wherein determining the at least one delivery feature comprises establishing at least one delivery feature set that satisfies the interrupt worthiness of the communication request, while respecting the interruptability of a set of at least one potential recipient that includes the intended recipient.

44. The method defined in claim 43, wherein when said at least one delivery feature set comprises a single delivery feature set, and wherein the method further comprises setting the at least one delivery feature in the single delivery feature set as the at least one delivery feature in accordance with which the communication request is to be delivered over the communication system.

45. The method defined in claim 43, wherein when at least one delivery feature set comprises multiple delivery feature sets, and wherein the method further comprises (i) selecting one of the multiple delivery feature sets in accordance with a set of interrupt policies and procedures;

and (ii) setting the at least one delivery feature in the selected delivery feature set as the at least one delivery feature in accordance with which the communication request is to be delivered over the communication system.

46. The method defined in claim 45, further comprising obtaining the set of interrupt policies and procedures from an institutional context processing engine.

47. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the intended recipient is a human.

48. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for instructing a computing device to:

determine an interrupt worthiness of a communication request destined for an intended recipient;

determine an interruptability of the intended recipient;

determine at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and

cause delivery of the communication request over a communication system in accordance with the at least one delivery feature.

49. A system, comprising:

a communication request receiving entity configured to receive a communication request destined for an intended recipient;

an interrupt worthiness evaluator configured to determine an interrupt worthiness of the communication request;

an interruptability evaluator configured to determine an interruptability of the intended recipient;

a decision making engine configured to determine at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and

a communication request delivering entity configured to deliver the communication request in accordance with the at least one delivery feature.

50. A system, comprising:

means for determining an interrupt worthiness of the communication request;

means for determining an interruptability of the intended recipient;

means for determining at least one delivery feature based on the interrupt worthiness of the communication request and the interruptability of the intended recipient; and

means for causing delivery of the communication request over a communication system in accordance with the at least one delivery feature.

51. A method for monitoring workflows in an institutional environment, comprising:

obtaining an indication that a workflow being executed by a particular user has been interrupted by a communication request;

determining expected workflow resumption activity associated with the interrupted workflow;

monitoring actual workflow resumption activity being executed by a user having resumed the interrupted workflow;

carrying out a comparison between the expected and actual workflow activity; and

conditionally notifying the user having resumed the interrupted workflow, based on said comparison.

52. The method defined in claim 51, wherein determining the expected workflow resumption activity comprises consulting a workflow policies and procedures database on a basis of a history of the interrupted workflow.

53. The method defined in claim 52, further comprising obtaining the history of the interrupted workflow.

54. The method defined in claim 53, wherein obtaining the history of the interrupted workflow comprises consulting a workflow history database on a basis of an identity of the particular user.

55. The method defined in claim 51, wherein monitoring the actual workflow resumption activity comprises continually assessing a situational context in which the interrupted workflow has been resumed.

56. The method defined in claim 55, wherein the situational context is assessed based on data obtained from a sensor arrangement.

57. The method defined in claim 56, wherein the data comprises data indicative of a location of the user having resumed the interrupted workflow.

58. The method defined in claim 57, wherein the data further comprises data indicative of an action performed by the user having resumed the interrupted workflow.

59. The method defined in claim 51, wherein carrying out the comparison comprises determining a degree of consistency between the actual workflow resumption activity and the expected workflow resumption activity.

60. A The method defined in claim 59, wherein said notifying comprises sending a message to the user having resumed the interrupted workflow when the degree of consistency is below a certain threshold.

61. The method defined in claim 60, wherein the user having resumed the interrupted workflow is the particular user.

62. The method defined in claim 60, wherein the user having resumed the interrupted workflow is different from the particular user.

63. The method defined in claim 60, further comprising continuing said monitoring and said carrying out the comparison until the degree of consistency is above a certain threshold.

64. The method defined in claim 60, further comprising discontinuing said monitoring when the degree of consistency is above a certain threshold.

65. The method defined in claim 60, wherein the expected workflow resumption activity comprises a sequence of steps and wherein the degree of consistency is assessed to be below a certain threshold when at least one step in said sequence of steps has been omitted from the actual workflow resumption activity.

66. The method defined in claim 60, wherein the expected workflow resumption activity comprises a sequence of steps and wherein the degree of consistency is assessed to be below a certain threshold when at least one step in said sequence of steps is duplicated in the actual workflow resumption activity.

67. The method defined in claim 51, further comprising sending a message to an analysis and reporting agent, the message indicative of said comparison.

68. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions for instructing a computing device to:

be attentive to an indication that a workflow being executed by a particular user has been interrupted by a communication request;

determine expected workflow resumption activity associated with the interrupted workflow;

monitor actual workflow resumption activity being executed by a user having resumed the interrupted workflow;

carry out a comparison between the expected and actual workflow resumption activity; and

cause conditional notification of the user having resumed the interrupted workflow, based on said comparison.

69. A system, comprising:

a decision making engine configured to obtain an indication that a workflow being executed by a particular user has been interrupted by a communication request;

an institutional context processing engine configured to determine expected workflow resumption activity associated with the interrupted workflow;

a situational context processing engine configured to monitor actual workflow resumption activity being executed by a user having resumed the interrupted workflow;

the decision making engine being further configured to carry out a comparison between the expected and actual workflow resumption activity and to

conditionally notify the user having resumed the interrupted workflow, based on said comparison.