LOCATION-BASED MANAGEMENT OF HEALTHCARE ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20110106561A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Compton, David L., Cannon, Paul, Eaton, James D. JR., Nelson, Justin, Nolte, Mark Allen
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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: 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, methods, and computer-readable media for managing healthcare environments are provided. In embodiments, a real-time status of a clinical device, along with a location, is received. The location of the clinical device is obtained via a clinical device identifier that is tracked by a plurality of sensors in a healthcare environment. A clinical device may be identified as inappropriate for use and an alert presented to a clinician including the problem of the clinical device and the location thereof. A replacement clinical device may be located, using clinical identifiers, and presented to the clinician. Such monitoring and location awareness facilitates efficient responses to healthcare situations.

Claims

1. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for managing healthcare environments, the method comprising:

receiving a real-time status of a clinical device, wherein the status indicates at least whether the clinical device is appropriate for use;

identifying that the status of the clinical device indicates that the clinical device is not appropriate for use;

upon identifying that the clinical device is not appropriate for use, presenting an alert including both that the clinical device is not appropriate for use and a location of the clinical device within a blueprint of a healthcare environment, wherein the location of the clinical device is tracked by a clinical device identifier via a plurality of sensors in the healthcare environment;

identifying a location of at least one replacement clinical device; and

displaying the location of the replacement clinical device within the blueprint of the healthcare environment.

2. The computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors in the healthcare environment utilize ultrasound technology, infrared technology, or radio-frequency identification technology.

3. The computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the alert indicates a name of clinical device, the location of the clinical device, and a problem associated with the clinical device.

4. The computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the status of a clinical device is one of:

in use and functioning, not in use and capable of functioning, not in use and requires maintenance, in use and requires maintenance, in use and not functioning, or not in use and not able to function.

5. The computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the location of the at least one replacement clinical device is determined based on proximity of the replacement clinical device to the patient.

6. The computer-storage media of claim 1, wherein the location of the at least one replacement clinical device is determined based on proximity of the replacement clinical device to a location of the clinician.

7. The computer-storage media of claim 6, wherein the location of the clinician is determined based on a clinician identifier that is tracked via the plurality of sensors in the healthcare environment.

8. A computer-implemented method for managing healthcare environments, the method comprising:

receiving from a first clinician, utilizing a first computer process, a healthcare order input into a patient'"'"'s electronic health record to be completed for the patient;

in response to receiving the healthcare order, displaying the healthcare order to a second clinician;

associating, utilizing a second computer process, the healthcare order with one or more tangible items required to fulfill the healthcare order;

identifying a location of one or more tangible items required to fulfill the healthcare order, wherein the location of one or more tangible items required to fulfill the healthcare order is based on an item identifier that is tracked via a plurality of sensors in a healthcare environment;

displaying the location of the one or more tangible items required to fulfill the healthcare order to the second clinician; and

navigating the second clinician to the one or more tangible items required to fulfill the healthcare order;

wherein the first and second computer processes are executed utilizing one or more computing devices.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more tangible items to fulfill the healthcare order is equipment, a clinical device, or supplies.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the location of the one or more tangible items to fulfill the healthcare order is presented within a blueprint of the healthcare environment.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sensors utilize ultrasound technology, infrared technology, or radio frequency identification technology.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the second clinician is associated with the patient in the patient'"'"'s electronic health record.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the location of the one or more tangible items to fulfill the order is determined based on proximity of the tangible item to the second clinician.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the location of the one or more tangible items to fulfill the order is determined based on proximity of the tangible item to the patient.

15. One or more computer-storage media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for managing healthcare environments, the method comprising:

receiving patient clinical information from a patient'"'"'s electronic health record;

receiving a real-time status of the patient, wherein the real-time status includes a location of the patient based on a patient identifier that is tracked via a plurality of sensors in a healthcare environment;

based on the patient clinical information and the real-time status of the patient, determining that an alert is required; and

displaying the alert in both an alert area of a user interface and a blueprint area of the user interface such that the alert is visible simultaneously with the location of the patient within the blueprint area.

16. The computer-storage media of claim 15, further comprising:

presenting a live video feed of a patient'"'"'s room in response to identifying that an alert is in effect for the patient.

17. The computer-storage media of claim 15, wherein the plurality of sensors utilize ultrasound technology, infrared technology, or radio frequency identification technology.

18. The computer-storage media of claim 15, wherein the real-time status of the patient further includes vital signs of the patient.

19. The computer-storage media of claim 15, wherein the real-time status of the patient further includes clinical device functionality information.

20. The computer-storage media of claim 15, wherein the patient identifier is a patient wristband.