SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WORKFLOW PROCESSING

• US 20100169116A1
• Filed: 03/17/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James G. Marx
• Original Assignee: James G. Marx
• Inventors: Marx, James G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• 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: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing a workflow are disclosed. Certain embodiments allow prescreened data to be inserted into a workflow. A user'"'"'s interpretation of prescreened data can be compared with previously obtained characteristics, enabling the user'"'"'s interpretive output to be monitored and improved. The disclosed systems and methods have applications including, but not limited to, training, performance analysis, process improvement, and data analysis and data mining in workflows.

Claims

1. A system for processing medical image files comprising:

an unscreened files data structure configured to access unscreened medical image files created by at least one imaging modality, wherein each of the unscreened image files comprises a file header and file data;

a prescreened files module configured to access prescreened medical image files and an associated diagnosis for each of the prescreened medical image files, wherein each of the prescreened image files comprise a file header and file data;

a distribution module comprising a selection processor, a workflow queue generation processor, and a transmission processor;

at least one workstation comprising a receiving processor, a user display, and a user input;

a system monitoring module configured to monitor and evaluate a user'"'"'s interpretive output information of the unscreened and prescreened files; and

a distribution override processor in communication with the system monitoring module and the selection processor, wherein the distribution override processor is configured to adjust at least one of a ratio of unscreened medical image files to prescreened medical image files, and characteristics of prescreened medical image files presented to the user, based on the monitoring and evaluation of the system monitoring module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein monitoring and evaluating a user'"'"'s interpretive output information comprises determining the richness of the user'"'"'s interpretation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein monitoring and evaluating a user'"'"'s interpretive output information comprises determining the volume of the user'"'"'s output information.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein monitoring and evaluating a user'"'"'s interpretive output information comprises determining the seriousness of diagnosis of unscreened files.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of prescreened medical images are related to the diagnosis associated with the prescreened medical image file.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the prescreened medical image files are altered in such a way for the origination data in the file header associated with each of the prescreened medical image files to be hidden from a user of the system so that the file header of each prescreened image file is substantially similar to the file header of an unscreened image file

7. A system for processing medical image files comprising:

an unscreened files data structure configured to access unscreened medical image files created by at least one imaging modality;

a distribution module comprising a selection processor, a workflow queue generation processor, and a transmission processor;

at least one workstation comprising a receiving processor, a user display, and a user input;

a system monitoring module configured to monitor and evaluate a user'"'"'s interpretive output information of the unscreened files; and

a distribution override processor in communication with the system monitoring module and the selection processor, wherein the distribution override processor is configured to adjust the number of unscreened files presented to the user based on the monitoring and evaluation of the system monitoring module.

8. A system for processing medical image files comprising:

an unscreened files data structure configured to access unscreened medical image files created by at least one imaging modality;

a distribution module comprising a selection processor, a workflow queue generation processor, and a transmission processor;

at least one workstation comprising a receiving processor, a user display, and a user input;

a system monitoring module configured to assign a score to a user'"'"'s interpretive output information of the unscreened files; and

a distribution override processor in communication with the system monitoring module and the selection processor, wherein the distribution override processor is configured to adjust the number of unscreened medical image files presented to the user, based on the assigned score.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the score comprises a neutral, a positive or a negative score.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein a user'"'"'s interpretive output information relating to an unscreened medical image of abnormal anatomy or pathology is assigned an increasingly higher positive score depending on the seriousness of the user'"'"'s findings.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a user'"'"'s interpretive output information relating to an unscreened medical image of abnormal anatomy or pathology is assigned an increasingly higher positive score depending on the richness of the user'"'"'s findings.