REDUCING MEDICAL ERROR

• US 20100262430A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SNIF Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SNIF Labs Incorporated
• Inventors: Liang, Philip Angus, Gips, Jonathan Peter, Valade, Aaron Douglas, Aylward, Ryan Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 9,111,435 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• 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 method, apparatus, and system for reducing medical error may comprise receiving an enter signal including an enter status when a first worker device enters a zone. An exit signal including an exit status may be received when the first worker device exits the zone. Moreover an action signal including an action status may be received if an action device is actuated.

Claims

1. A method for reducing medical error comprising:

receiving an enter signal including an enter status when a first worker device enters a zone;

receiving an exit signal including an exit status when the first worker device exits the zone; and

receiving an action signal including an action status if an action device is actuated.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining the presence of at least one of a compliance opportunity and a compliance action, based upon, at least in part, at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status to a server computer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

calculating a proximity between the first worker device and at least one of a compliance device and a second worker device; and

determining the zone based upon, at least in part, the proximity.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

calculating an adherence rate based upon, at least in part, the at least one compliance opportunity and compliance action.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status include at least one of a date and time, a zone identification, an action device identification, and a compliance device identification.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein at least one of the compliance opportunity and compliance action are determined based upon, at least one of the date and time, the zone identification, the action device identification, and the compliance device identification.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

aggregating a plurality of enter statuses, exit statuses, and action statuses into a time-based sequence of events;

running the sequence through at least one predefined rule;

determining the presence of at least one of a compliance opportunity and compliance action based upon, at least in part, the sequence and the at least one predefined rule; and

calculating an adherence rate based upon, at least in part, the at least one compliance opportunity and compliance action.

9. An apparatus for reducing medical error comprising:

a first worker device configured to receive an enter signal including an enter status when the first worker device enters a zone, an exit signal including an exit status when the first worker device exits the zone, and an action signal including an action status if an action device is actuated.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

a computing device configured to determine the presence of at least one of a compliance opportunity and a compliance action, based upon, at least in part, at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first worker device is further configured to:

send at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status to a server computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first worker device is further configured to:

calculate a proximity between the first worker device and at least one of a compliance device and a second worker device; and

determine the zone based upon, at least in part, the proximity.

13. A system for reducing medical error comprising:

a first worker device configured to receive;

an enter signal including an enter status when the first worker device enters a zone;

an exit signal including an exit status when the first worker device exits the zone; and

an action signal including an action status if an action device is actuated; and

the action device configured to transmit the action signal including the action status if the action device is actuated.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a compliance device configured to;

transmit the enter signal including the enter status when the first worker device enters the zone; and

transmit the exit signal including the exit status when the first worker device exits the zone.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising:

a server computer configured to receive at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first worker device, the action device, compliance device, and the server computer are configured to determine the presence of at least one of a compliance opportunity and a compliance action, based upon, at least in part, at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein at least one of the first worker device, the action device, compliance device, and the server computer are configured to calculate an adherence rate based upon, at least in part, the at least one compliance opportunity and compliance action.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one of the first worker device and the compliance device are further configured to:

calculate a proximity between the first worker device and the compliance device; and

determine the zone based upon, at least in part, the proximity.

19. The system of claim 13 further comprising:

a second worker device, and wherein at least one of the first worker device and the second worker device is further configured to;

calculate a proximity between the first worker device and the second worker device; and

determine the zone based upon, at least in part, the proximity.

20. The system of claim 13 wherein at least one of the enter status, the exit status, and the action status include at least one of a date and time, a zone identification, an action device identification, and a compliance device identification.

21. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first worker device, the action device, compliance device, and the server computer are configured to:

aggregate a plurality of enter statuses, exit statuses, and action statuses into a time-based sequence of events;

run the sequence through at least one predefined rule;

determine the presence of the at least one of a compliance opportunity and compliance action based upon, at least in part, the sequence and the at least one predefined rule; and

calculate an adherence rate based upon, at least in part, the at least one compliance opportunity and compliance action.

22. A hand hygiene system for reducing medical error comprising:

a beacon device in a patient zone configured to transmit;

an enter signal including an enter status when a body-worn device enters the patient zone; and

an exit signal including an exit status when the body-worn device exits the patient zone;

a dispense device configured to transmit a dispense signal including a dispense status if the dispense device is actuated; and

the body-worn device configured to receive;

the enter signal including the enter status when the body-worn device enters the patient zone;

the exit signal including the exit status when the body-worn device exits the patient zone; and

the dispense signal including the dispense status if the dispense device is actuated.

23. A method for reducing medical error comprising:

detecting an enter event when a monitoring device receives an enter signal with at least an entrance threshold signal strength associated with a zone;

setting a timer associated with the zone;

if an action device is actuated, detecting an action event when the monitoring device receives an action signal with at least an action threshold signal strength; and

detecting an exit event when the timer expires.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

determining the presence of at least one of a compliance opportunity and a compliance action, based upon, at least in part, at least one of the enter event, the exit event, and the action event.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

calculating an adherence rate based upon, at least in part, the at least one compliance opportunity and compliance action.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the compliance opportunity is determined based upon, at least in part, a probability of contact.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the probability of contact is retrieved from a lookup table.