SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMPROVING DIAGNOSES OF MEDICAL IMAGE READING

• US 20090204437A1
• Filed: 02/04/2009
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Premerus LLC
• Original Assignee: Premerus LLC
• Inventors: Thorne, Curtis J., Allen, Gregg Phillip
• Application Number:
  US12/365,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20090204437A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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

A system and method for improving diagnoses of patients may include accessing diagnostic information, prepared by a treating physician, of a medical condition of a patient from a third-party collector of the diagnostic information. Medical images associated with the medical condition of the patient may be accessed. At least a portion of the diagnostic information and the medical images may be communicated to a medical image reading professional to read and further diagnose the medical condition of the patient. In one embodiment, the diagnostic information includes a diagnostic question. By providing the diagnostic information to the medical image reading professional, the medical image reading professional may have additional knowledge of the medical condition of the patient and, therefore, diagnosis by the medical image reading professional may be improved.

Claims

1. A method for improving diagnoses of patients, said method comprising:

accessing diagnostic information, prepared by a treating physician, of a medical condition of a patient from a third-party collector of the diagnostic information;

accessing medical images associated with the medical condition of the patient; and

communicating at least a portion of the diagnostic information and the medical images to a medical image reading professional to read and further diagnose the medical condition of the patient.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating the diagnostic information and the medical images includes communicating the diagnostic information and medical images substantially simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing access to the diagnostic information and medical images to the medical image reading professional via a communications network.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the further diagnosis of the medical condition of the patient in response to the medical image reading professional completing the further diagnosis.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the diagnostic information includes accessing a clinical question posed by the treating physician.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

deriving a clinical question based on the diagnostic information; and

communicating the clinical question with the diagnostic information.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein accessing the diagnostic information includes looking up the diagnostic information in a database.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein communicating at least a portion of information to a medical image reading professional includes communicating to a radiologist.

9. A system for improving diagnoses of patients, said system comprising:

a diagnosis information access module configured to access diagnosis information associated with a medical condition of a patient from a first data repository;

a medical image access module configured to access medical images associated with the medical condition of the patient from a second data repository; and

a communication module in communication with said diagnosis information access module and said medical image access module, and configured to communicate at least a portion of the medical diagnostic information and the medical images to a medical image reading professional for further diagnosing the medical condition of the patient.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the diagnostic information includes a clinical question posed by a treating physician of the patient.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the first data repository is operated by a third-party other than the treating physician.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein the medical images are radiological images and the medical image reading professional is a radiologist.

13. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) module configured to generate a GUI to enable the medical image reading professional to download the diagnostic information and medical images utilizing said communication module.

14. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a clinical question generation module configured to enable a clinical question to be generated, said communication module further configured to communicate the clinical question to the medical image reading professional.

15. The system according to claim 9, further comprising a diagnosis collection module configured to receive a further diagnosis of the medical condition based on the medical images and store the further diagnosis in association with the diagnostic information.

16. A method for improving diagnoses of patients, said method comprising:

accessing diagnostic information, prepared by a treating physician, of a medical condition of a patient from a third-party collector of diagnostic information, the diagnostic information including a clinical question; and

communicating the clinical question to a medical image reading professional to read and further diagnose the medical condition of the patient.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein accessing the diagnostic information includes generating the clinical question stored with the diagnostic information, and wherein communicating the clinical question includes communicating the clinical question to the medical image reading professional.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

accessing medical images associated with the medical condition of the patient; and

communicating the medical images to the medical image reading professional.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising causing the clinical question to be displayed for the medical image reading professional.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

receiving the further diagnosis from the medical image reading professional; and

communicating the further diagnosis for storage with the diagnostic information to the third-party.