CONTEXT-AWARE METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR FACILITATING THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE TO PATIENTS WITHIN A CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT MONITORED BY REAL-TIME LOCATING APPARATUS

• US 20110125524A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 05/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versus Technology, Inc. (Midmark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Versus Technology, Inc. (Midmark Corporation)
• Inventors: Gaisser, Gary, Snowday, H.T., Tenarvitz, Henry J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,922,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A context-aware method and system for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus including auto-ID patient tags where patients having tags are located within the environment in real time by the apparatus are provided. The system includes a plurality of self-service units where one or more of the units is configured to store a plurality of auto-ID patient tags and where the one or more of the units includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense stored tags. The system further includes a control computer subsystem coupled to the at least one of the units and including at least one user interface. The subsystem still further includes a processor operable to execute software instructions and a memory operable to store software instructions accessible by the processor. The subsystem still further includes a set of software instructions stored in the memory to at least partially perform the steps of: identifying an incoming patient; assigning a stored auto-ID patient tag to the identified patient to obtain a tag assignment; transmitting a signal over a communication channel to an electronic medical record subsystem to link the tag assignment to a medical record of the patient whereby the patient becomes a linked patient; and controlling the dispensing mechanism to dispense a stored tag to the linked patient.

Claims

1. A context-aware system for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus including auto-ID patient tags wherein patients having tags are located within the environment in real time by the apparatus, the system comprising:

a plurality of self-service units wherein at least one of the units is configured to store a plurality of auto-ID patient tags and wherein the at least one of the units includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense stored tags; and

a control computer subsystem coupled to the at least one of the units and including at least one user interface, a processor operable to execute software instructions, a memory operable to store software instructions accessible by the processor, and a set of software instructions stored in the memory to at least partially perform the steps of;

identifying an incoming patient;

assigning a stored auto-ID patient tag to the identified patient to obtain a tag assignment;

transmitting a signal over a communication channel to an electronic medical record subsystem to link the tag assignment to a medical record of the patient whereby the patient becomes a linked patient; and

controlling the dispensing mechanism to dispense a stored tag to the linked patient.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising means for authenticating the incoming patient as an authorized patient based, at least in part, on an authenticator, wherein the authenticator includes at least one of a password, a pass phrase, a personal identification number, a security token, a security card, and a biometric identifier.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the biometric identifier includes at least one of a fingerprint, a retinal pattern, an infrared vein pattern, a signature, a voice, a face, a bio-electric signal, and a DNA sequence.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each dispensed tag is sanitized.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially perform the step of providing notification of arrival of the linked patient.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of identifying includes the step of receiving registration data at the at least one user interface wherein the registration data includes at least one of a medication history, an allergy, a medical problem, a family medical history, an insurance provider, an employer, a social security number, contact information, and demographic information.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of directing the linked patient where to proceed to begin a healthcare delivery process within the environment at the at least one user interface.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the units includes a receiving mechanism to receive previously dispensed tags and wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of transmitting a signal over the communication channel to the electronic medical record subsystem to delete the tag assignment from the medical record whereby the linked patient becomes unlinked.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, further comprising means for sanitizing the received tags.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the steps of:

receiving discharge instructions over the communications channel from the electronic medical record subsystem; and

communicating the discharge instructions to the unlinked patient at the at least one user interface.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of receiving verifying data that the discharge instructions were received by the unlinked patient at the at least one user interface.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the steps of receiving education material specific to a diagnosis of the unlinked patient over the communication channel from the electronic medical record subsystem and communicating the education material to the unlinked patient at the at least one user interface.

13. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of collecting payment from the unlinked patient.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of validating the payment.

15. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the steps of:

communicating a satisfaction survey to the unlinked patient at the at least one user interface; and

receiving survey data from the unlinked patient at the at least one user interface.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising identifying a linked patient within a region about the at least one user interface wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs at least one of the steps of:

communicating context-tailored information regarding progression of a care delivery process of the linked patient at the at least one user interface;

communicating context-tailored education content to the linked patient at the at least one user interface;

determining whether content is communicated for a predetermined period of time to the linked patient at the at least one user interface; and

issuing CE credit to the linked patient.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface includes at least one of a video camera, a display, a key pad or board, a microphone, a touch screen, and a printer.

18. A context-aware method for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus including auto-ID patient tags, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of auto-ID patient tags;

identifying an incoming patient;

assigning a stored auto-ID patient tag to the identified patient to obtain a tag assignment;

transmitting a signal over a communication channel to an electronic medical record subsystem to link the tag assignment in a medical record of the patient whereby the patient becomes a linked patient; and

controlling the dispensing of the stored auto-ID patient tag to the linked patient.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

authenticating the incoming patient as an authorized patient based, at least in part, on an authenticator, wherein the authenticator includes at least one of a password, a pass phrase, a personal identification number, a security token, a security card, and a biometric identifier.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

receiving of the previously dispensed tag from the linked patient; and

transmitting a signal over the communication channel to the electronic medical record subsystem to delete the tag assignment from the medical record wherein the linked patient becomes unlinked.

21. A context-aware system for facilitating the delivery of healthcare to patients within a clinical environment monitored by real-time locating apparatus including auto-ID patient tags wherein patients having tags are located within the environment in real time by the apparatus, the system comprising:

a plurality of self-service units wherein at lest one of the units is configured to store a plurality of auto-ID patient tags, each of the tags being capable of transmitting a wireless signal including ID information upon actuation and wherein the at least one of the units includes a dispensing mechanism to dispense stored tags and to actuate tags during dispensing of the tags so that each of the dispensed tags transmit a wireless signal; and

a control computer subsystem coupled to the dispensing mechanism and including at least one user interface, a processor operable to execute software instructions, a memory operable to store software instructions, a memory operable to store software instructions accessible by the processor, and a set of software instructions stored in the memory to at least partially perform the steps of;

identifying an incoming patient;

assigning a stored auto-ID patient tag to the identified patient to obtain a tag assignment;

transmitting a signal over a communication channel to an electronic medical record subsystem to link the tag assignment to a medical record of the patient whereby the patient becomes a linked patient; and

controlling the dispensing mechanism to dispense a stored tag to the linked patient wherein the at least one of the units includes a first receiver coupled to the subsystem to receive the wireless signal including its associated ID information and provide the ID information to the subsystem.

22. The system as claimed in claim 21, wherein at least one of the units includes a second receiver coupled to the subsystem and a receiving mechanism to receive previously dispensed tags and to actuate tags during receiving of the tags wherein the second receiver receives the wireless signals from the actuated tag during receiving of the tag and provides the ID information to the subsystem wherein the set of software instructions at least partially performs the step of transmitting a signal over the communication channel to the electronic medical record subsystem to delete the tag assignment from the medical record whereby the linked patient becomes unlinked.