SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING DYNAMIC AND CUSTOMIZABLE MEDICAL EXAMINATION FORMS

• US 20100138239A1
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merative US LP
• Original Assignee: DR Systems Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Reicher, Murray A., Fram, Evan K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,380,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A system and method of providing dynamic and customizable medical forms is disclosed. In certain specific embodiments, these dynamic and customizable medical forms may be automatically presented to users based on a predefined series of rules which allow multiple users having different roles in the clinical process to collaborate and contribute to a medical examination report, while at the same time maintaining an independent record of what was contributed and by whom it was contributed.

Claims

1. A method of providing an examination form, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of examination form templates, the examination form templates each comprising a plurality of data fields configured to receive data related to a medical examination, wherein at least one data field is associated with an import link and at least one data field is associated with an export link;

receiving a selection of one of the plurality of examination form templates;

storing examination form template presentation rules;

generating an instance of an examination form based on the selected examination form template for display to a user, wherein the generated examination form instance is based at least in part on a template presentation rule;

automatically receiving data into the examination form instance from one or more external data sources based on the import link;

receiving user input comprising data that removes, adds to, or modifies information in the examination form instance;

storing the modified examination form instance in a memory; and

exporting information from the examination form instance to one or more destinations based on the export link.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation rules control when, to whom, and for which examination the examination form instance is presented.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presentation rules are based on one or more of insurance, examination type, examination code, user identification, user role, levels of security, insurance, station identification, imaging modality, patient location, patient demographic, or level of urgency information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the import links comprise one or more data elements stored in a hospital information system, PACS, EMR, PHR, billing, credentialing or reporting system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the export links comprise one or more data elements stored in a hospital information system, PACS, EMR, PHR, billing, credentialing or reporting system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the template presentation rule includes a rule based on a type of user requesting the examination form, wherein user types include one or more of physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, technologists, students, technologists, clerks, nurses, or medical administrators.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifications to the examination form instance are input from at least one of a keyboard, trackball, mouse, or speech recognition system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the instance of the examination form comprises user interface elements including one or more of text boxes, text areas, text fields, dropdown menus, checkboxes, tables, or radiobuttons, and wherein modifications to the instance of the examination form are made in response to user actions with respect to the user interface elements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the export destinations comprise one or more of a reading physician'"'"'s interpretation report, other medical reports, a database, a data structure, an accreditation system, a critical results tracking system, a reporting system, an inventory system, PACS, HIS, EMR, or PHR.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein exporting information from the examination form comprises:

identifying user interface elements having no data entered therein;

excluding the identified user interface elements from the export,

wherein the export destination is configured to receive the exported information and generate a medical report comprising the export information without the appearance of an examination form.

11. A method of producing a medical report using an electronically generated medical examination form, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user for an examination form, the request comprising data indicative of selection criteria;

identifying one or more medical examination forms from a collection of medical examination forms based at least in part on the data indicative of the selection criteria;

selecting one or more of the medical examination forms from the identified examinations forms;

generating an instance of the selected one or more medical examination forms for display to the user;

receiving a plurality of data inputs into the instance of medical examination form;

automatically exporting the plurality of the data inputs.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein automatically exporting the data inputs comprises exporting the data inputs to a one or more external systems.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein different data inputs are exported to different external systems.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data indicative of selection criteria comprises at least one of an identity of the user, patient data, an examination type, insurance data, or a requested reading physician.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the patient data comprises at least one of a patient clinical history, a patient demographic information, a patient prior examination, a patient location, or a patient type.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the selection of the one or more medical examination forms is an automatic selection.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting one or more of the identified medical examination forms comprises receiving data indicative of a selection by the user of one or more of the identified medical examination forms.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a plurality of data inputs into the medical examination form comprises:

accessing data from a one or more external systems; and

importing the accessed data into predefined locations in the medical examination form.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein one of the external systems comprises an imaging database, and wherein at least some of the imported accessed data comprises medical imaging data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein one of the external systems comprises a electronic medical records systems, and wherein at least some of the imported accessed data comprises patient health record data.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising pre-populating fields in the medical examination form with the imported accessed data prior to presentation of the medical examination form to the user.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the data is exported to one or more of a word document, an HL7 document, a PDF file, an external database system generated report comprising one or more patient health report, an electronic medical records system, a PACS system, or a web-based registry.

23. A method of providing an examination form for collaboration between multiple users within a medical organization, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of an examination form template comprising a plurality of data fields configured to receive data related to a medical examination and to export data received into the form;

receiving indications of links between respective data fields of the examination form and respective data sources, the links comprising one or more import links and one or more export links;

automatically receiving data into the examination form from one or more data sources based on the import links;

generating a first view of the examination form for display to a first user having a first role, wherein the first view is configured to receive data in a first subset of the data fields;

receiving data input into at least some of the first subset of data fields of the first view of the examination form;

generating a second different view of the examination form for display to a second user having a second role, wherein the second view is configured to receive data in a second subset of the data fields, wherein the first subset of data fields includes at least one data field not included in the second subset of data fields;

receiving data input into at least some of the second subset of data fields of the second view of the examination form;

determining one or more data fields associated with export links; and

exporting data from the determined one or more fields to one or more locations.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating a link by mapping an external data source to a field in the examination form.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising generating a link by mapping a first field in the examination form to a first external location and a second field to a second external location.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first external location is a physician'"'"'s reading report and the second external location is a referring physician'"'"'s report.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the first field in the examination form is included in the first view of the examination form, and wherein the second field in the examination form is included in the second view of the examination form.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the first external location comprises a predefined location within the physician'"'"'s reading report, and where in the second external location is a predefined location in the referring physician'"'"'s report.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the external data source comprises an imaging database, and the field in the examination form is a medical image field.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising storing data indicative of changes made to the examination form by the first user.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing data indicative of changes made to the examination form by the second user.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating a link by linking the examination form template with a second examination form template, wherein an examination form generated from the second examination form template is automatically displayed based on data inputted in the first examination form template.

33. A method of providing dynamic medical examination forms to provide efficient comparison of medical examination results, the method comprising:

storing a first medical examination form in a memory, the first medical examination form comprising one or more data fields having data associated with first imaging data generated for a first medical examination;

generating a second medical examination form based on the first medical form, the second medical form comprising the data fields and data from the first medical form, and further comprising additional data fields configured to receive data associated with second imaging data generated for a second medical examination;

concurrently displaying the first imaging data, the second imaging data, and the second medical form; and

receiving data associated with the second imaging data into the additional data fields.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the imaging data comprises lesions, and the data fields comprise data indicative of measurements of the lesions.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising displaying a user interface element which, when selected, generates new data fields configured to receive data indicative of newly identified lesions in the second imaging data.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the second medical examination is a follow-up examination to the first medical examination.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein the first imaging data and the second imaging data are displayed using a first application and the first and second medical examination forms are displayed using a second application that is different from the first application.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the measurements of the lesions are performed using the first application and the measurement are automatically linked to the data fields in the first and second medical examination forms via communication between the first application and the second application.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein data fields comprising data indicative of measurements of lesions are automatically linked to locations in the imaging data.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the automatic linking is bidirectional between the first application and the second application.

41. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving in the second application, a user selection of a data field;

transmitting information related to the user selection to the first application; and

displaying the linked location in the first application.

42. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

receiving in the first application, a user input to place a cursor over an area in the second imaging data; and

in response to the user input, displaying in the second application, a region on the medical examination form related to the area under the cursor.

43. A system for creating dynamic medical examination forms, comprising:

a first module configured to store a first medical examination form in a memory, the first medical examination form comprising one or more data fields having data associated with first imaging data generated for a first medical examination;

a second module configured to generate a second medical examination form based on the first medical form, the second medical form comprising the data fields and data from the first medical form, and further comprising additional data fields configured to receive data associated with second imaging data generated for a second medical examination;

a third module configured to display the first imaging data, the second imaging data, and the second medical form at the same time; and

a fourth module configured to receive data associated with the second imaging data into the additional data fields.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the imaging data comprises lesions, and the data fields comprise data indicative of measurements of the lesions.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the system is further configured to display a user interface element which, when selected, generates new data fields configured to receive data indicative of newly identified lesions in the second imaging data.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the second medical examination is a follow-up examination to the first medical examination.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the first imaging data and the second imaging data are displayed using a first application and the first and second medical examination forms are displayed using a second application that is different from the first application.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the measurements of the lesions are performed using the first application and the measurement are automatically linked to the data fields in the first and second medical examination forms via communication between the first application and the second application.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein data fields comprising data indicative of measurements of lesions are automatically linked to locations in the imaging data.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the automatic linking is bidirectional between the first application and the second application.

51. The system of claim 50, further configured to:

receive in the second application, a user selection of a data field;

transmit information related to the user selection to the first application; and

display the linked location in the first application.

52. The system of claim 50, further configured to:

receive in the first application, a user input to place a cursor over an area in the second imaging data; and

in response to the user input, display in the second application, a region on the medical examination form related to the area under the cursor.