GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACES

• US 20100011302A1
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Map of Medicine Ltd. (The Hearst Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Map of Medicine Ltd. (The Hearst Corporation)
• Inventors: Epstein, Owen, Billington, Nathaniel Kevin, Stein, Michael Lewis
• Application Number:
  US12/491,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011302A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A system for supporting distributed interaction with a user during a workflow process is described. The system comprises a centrally stored graphical representation of the workflow process. A plurality of users located remotely from the centrally stored representation and related to each other in a user hierarchy each have access to a version of the representation. The system further comprises referral means provided within each version of the representation to generate a referral message. The referral means is arranged to send the message to a reviewer in a next higher level in the user hierarchy.

Claims

1. A system for supporting distributed interaction with a user during a workflow process, the system comprising:

a centrally stored graphical representation of the workflow process;

a plurality of users located remotely from the centrally stored representation and related to each other in a user hierarchy, each user having access to a version of the representation; and

referral means provided within each version of the representation to generate a referral message, the referral means being arranged to send the message to a reviewer in a next higher level in the user hierarchy.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the referral means is arranged to receive a referral message from a user in a next lower level in the user hierarchy.

3. A system according to claim 1 wherein the referral means comprises forwarding means arranged to enable the reviewer to forward the message onto another reviewer at a next higher level within the hierarchy if required.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the referral means comprises response means enabling the reviewer to generate a message and send it to the referring user.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the response means is arranged to specify a response to the feedback message which can be used to update a monitoring function.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the monitoring function is accessible to all uses involved with the feedback message.

7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the response means is arranged to specify a resolution to the feedback message, which can be used to update the monitoring function.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the representation comprises a plurality of interlinked nodes which graphically represent the structure of a plurality of interlinked steps of the stored workflow process.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein the referral means is provided at a node of the representation and using information associated with the node to populate at least some of the referral message on user-selection.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the referral means comprises a graphical icon and user selection comprises interaction between a user navigational tool and the icon.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the referral means is arranged to use information obtained from an electronic patient record to populate automatically at least some of the referral message.

12. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured for distributing a new version of the graphical representation to a user in the user hierarchy, the system further comprising:

comparing means for comparing the new version of the representation with a user'"'"'s version of the representation to determine any differences;

forwarding means for forwarding those differences to the user associated with that version of the representation for consideration; and

reviewing means provided within each user'"'"'s version of the representation, the reviewing means being arranged to accept or reject the differences and to convey an acceptance or rejection to a higher level within the hierarchy.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the reviewing means is arranged to accept some of the differences and to communicate the acceptance in part to a higher level within the hierarchy.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the reviewing means is arranged to enable the user to carry out the acceptance in part of the differences manually.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein the GUI representation comprises a plurality of interlinked nodes which graphically represent the structure of a plurality of interlinked steps of the stored workflow process.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein each user has an associated permission which determines the degree of changes that can be accepted at their particular level in the hierarchy.

17. A system according to claim 16, further comprising means for notifying each user of their position within the hierarchy and the permissions associated therewith.

18. A method of supporting distributed interaction with a user during a workflow process, the method comprising:

centrally storing a graphical representation of the workflow process;

providing each of a plurality of users with access to a version of the representation, the plurality of users being located remotely from the centrally stored representation and related to each other in a user hierarchy;

generating a referral message from a version of the representation; and

sending the referral message to a reviewer in a next higher level in the user hierarchy.