GPS-ASSISTED REFERRAL OF INJURED OR AILING EMPLOYEE DURING MEDICAL TRIAGE

• US 20100293005A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 11/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medcor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Medcor Incorporated
• Inventors: Victorson, Troyt M., Sahouri, Tim I., Huffine, Thomas S., Kleeburg, Peter B., Glimp, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US12/781,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20100293005A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• 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 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method for directing an employee to a treatment center includes receiving with a computer an electronic communication from an employee of a client while the employee is traveling away from a normal location of work, the employee initiating the electronic communication with a GPS-enabled mobile device; determining the location of the employee based on a GPS location of the mobile device with a GPS-tracking system coupled with the computer; performing triage on the employee by a triage operator to determine a level of urgency of a medical condition of the employee, to thereby determine an appropriate disposition for the employee, wherein triage questions are provided to the triage operator by the computer based on a category related to the medical condition; and automatically determining, with the computer, a nearest treatment center to the location of the employee based on the GPS location of the mobile device, the nearest treatment center being adequate to address the level of urgency required by the determined disposition and a designated preferred provider of the client.

Claims

1. A method for directing an employee to a treatment center, the method executable by a computer having a processor and memory, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic communication from an employee of a client while the employee is traveling away from a normal location of work, the employee initiating the electronic communication with a GPS-enabled mobile device;

determining the location of the employee based on a GPS location of the mobile device with a GPS-tracking system coupled with the computer;

performing triage on the employee by a triage operator to determine a level of urgency of a medical condition of the employee, to thereby determine an appropriate disposition for the employee, wherein a plurality of triage questions are provided to the triage operator by the computer based on a category related to the medical condition; and

automatically determining, with the computer, a nearest treatment center to the location of the employee based on the GPS location of the mobile device, the nearest treatment center being adequate to address the level of urgency required by the determined disposition and a designated preferred provider of the client.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client is not adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that there are no nearest treatment centers in a proximity of the location that are designated as preferred by the client.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

referring the employee to a treatment center of any suitable medical provider when no client-preferred provider in the network of providers is within the proximity of the location of the employee.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dispatching emergency personnel from the treatment center to the location of the employee.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating within the triage as provided by the computer an alternate one or more additional treatment centers that are not designated as preferred to which to refer the employee where required by applicable laws or regulations that govern the restriction to, or selection of, preferred treatment centers.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client that is adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition is not currently open.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining directions to the nearest treatment center by selecting an indicia for obtaining directions on a screen of the computer displaying the nearest treatment center; and

providing the directions to the employee.

9. A system for directing an employee in a remote location to a treatment center, comprising:

a computer having a processor and memory and coupled with a GPS-tracking system, wherein the processor is configured to receive an electronic communication from an employee of a client while the employee is traveling away from a normal location of work, the employee initiating the electronic communication with a GPS-enabled mobile device, the processor further configured to determine the location of the employee with the GPS-tracking system based on a GPS location of the mobile device;

wherein a triage operator performs triage on the employee with the computer to determine a level of urgency of a medical condition of the employee, to thereby determine an appropriate disposition for the employee, wherein a plurality of triage questions are provided to the triage operator by the computer based on a category related to the medical condition; and

wherein the processor automatically determines a nearest treatment center to the location of the employee based on the GPS location of the mobile device, the nearest treatment center being adequate to address the level of urgency required by the determined disposition and a designated preferred provider of the client.

10. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to refer the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client is not adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition.

11. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to refer the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that there are no nearest treatment centers in a proximity of the location that are designated as preferred by the client.

12. The system of claim 11, the processor further configured to refer the employee to a treatment center of any suitable medical provider when no client-preferred provider in the network of providers is within the proximity of the location of the employee.

13. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to dispatch emergency personnel from the treatment center to the location of the employee.

14. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to integrate within the triage as provided by the computer an alternate one or more additional treatment centers that are not designated as preferred to which to refer the employee where required by applicable laws or regulations that govern the restriction to, or selection of, preferred treatment centers.

15. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to refer the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client that is adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition is not currently open.

16. The system of claim 9, the processor further configured to:

obtain directions to the nearest treatment center by selecting an indicia for obtaining directions on a screen of the computer displaying the nearest treatment center; and

provide the directions to the employee.

17. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for directing an employee to a treatment center, the instructions executable by a computer having a processor and memory, the set of instructions to direct the processor to perform the acts of:

receiving an electronic communication from an employee of a client while the employee is traveling away from a normal location of work, the employee initiating the electronic communication with a GPS-enabled mobile device;

determining the location of the employee based on a GPS location of the mobile device with a GPS-tracking system coupled with the computer;

performing triage on the employee by a triage operator to determine a level of urgency of a medical condition of the employee, to thereby determine an appropriate disposition for the employee, wherein a plurality of triage questions are provided to the triage operator by the computer based on a category related to the medical condition; and

automatically determining, with the computer, a nearest treatment center to the location of the employee based on the GPS location of the mobile device, the nearest treatment center being adequate to address the level of urgency required by the determined disposition and a designated preferred provider by the client.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the set of instructions further to direct the processor to perform the act of referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client is not adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, the set of instructions further to direct the processor to perform the act of referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that there are no nearest treatment centers in a proximity of the location that are designated as preferred by the client.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the set of instructions further to direct the processor to perform the act of referring the employee to a treatment center of any suitable medical provider when no client-preferred provider in the network of providers is within the proximity of the location of the employee.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the set of instructions further to direct the processor to perform the act of integrating within the triage as provided by the computer an alternate one or more additional treatment centers that are not designated as preferred to which to refer the employee where required by applicable laws or regulations that govern the restriction to, or selection of, preferred treatment centers.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, the set of instructions further to direct the processor to perform the act of referring the employee to any treatment center of a client-preferred provider in a network of providers when the computer determines that the nearest treatment center designated as preferred by the client that is adequate to address the level urgency of the medical condition is not currently open.