VERIFICATION MONITOR FOR CRITICAL TEST RESULT DELIVERY SYSTEMS

• US 20100088232A1
• Filed: 03/21/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2008
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Baker Scott Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Baker Scott Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: Gale, Brian
• Application Number:
  US12/408,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20100088232A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system and method for verification monitoring of a critical test result management (CTRM) system is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving test result metadata pertaining to test result messages provided to a CTRM system by a diagnostic test facility, verifying compliance of the diagnostic test facility with prescribed usage of the CTRM system using the test result metadata, and sending a message to an interested party regarding whether or not compliance of the diagnostic test facility has been verified.

Claims

1. A method of verification monitoring of a critical test result management (CTRM) system comprising:

Obtaining either by receiving from a database operator or retrieving from a database test result metadata from stored test result messages;

Verifying compliance of the diagnostic test facility with prescribed usage of the CTRM system using the test result metadata; and

Sending a message to an interested party regarding whether or not compliance of the diagnostic test facility has been verified.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining usage metrics from the test result metadata;

wherein the usage metrics are used to verify compliance of the diagnostic test facility.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of verifying compliance includes:

determining whether the usage metrics indicate that the usage of the CTRM system by the diagnostic facility is above a threshold;

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the threshold is set by an insurance carrier according to a risk assessment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the usage metrics include usage statistics of the CTRM system by the diagnostic facilities over different durations of time.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing private health information from the test result metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, verifying and sending are performed by a third party usage monitor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of receiving, verifying and sending are performed by a third party usage monitor.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

before extracting test result metadata, establishing data communication with a medical records storage system in which the CTRM system is implemented.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein data communication between the medical record storage system and the third party usage monitor is encrypted.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of extracting, verifying and sending are performed by a medical records storage system at which the CTRM is implemented.

12. A computer system adapted to perform a method of verification monitoring a CTRM system, the computer system comprising:

a data communication device coupled to a data communication link;

a processor adapted to;

establish data communication over the communication link with a medical records storage system at which a CTRM system is implemented using the data communication device;

extract test result metadata pertaining to a diagnostic test facility from the CTRM system;

verifying compliance of the diagnostic test facility with prescribed usage of the CTRM system using the test result metadata; and

sending a message to an interested party regarding whether or not compliance of the diagnostic test facility has been verified using the data communication device.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine usage metrics from the test result metadata, the usage metrics being used to verify compliance of the diagnostic test facility.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine whether the usage metrics indicate that the usage of the CTRM system by the diagnostic facility is above a threshold.

15. A computer system adapted to perform a method of verification monitoring a CTRM system, the computer system comprising:

a data communication device coupled to a data communication link;

a processor adapted to;

extract test result metadata pertaining to a diagnostic test facility from the CTRM system;

verifying compliance of the diagnostic test facility with prescribed usage of the CTRM system using the test result metadata; and

sending a message to an interested party over the communication link regarding whether or not compliance of the diagnostic test facility has been verified using the data communication device.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further adapted to determine usage metrics from the test result metadata, the usage metrics being used to verify compliance of the diagnostic test facility.

17. A method of verification monitoring of a critical test result management (CTRM) system comprising:

extracting test result metadata from stored test result messages provided to a CTRM system by a diagnostic test facility;

calculating usage metrics based on the test result metadata; and

verifying compliance of the diagnostic test facility with prescribed usage of the CTRM system based on whether the usage metrics indicate that the diagnostic facility is using the CTRM system more than a threshold level.

18. A method verifying use of a CTRM system comprising:

Receiving a plurality of metadata elements, each element containing information describing one or more CTRM system transactions;

Calculating a CTRM usage metric using data contained within said received metadata elements;

Storing said calculated usage metric.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

Determining whether the calculated usage metric meets a predetermined criteria;

Storing a value representing the outcome of such determination.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

Transmitting a data message whose content is a function of the stored value.