PATIENT COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A healthcare communication system comprising:
- a patient terminal comprising a keyboard unit having message keys for generating different ones of a plurality of programmed messages and alphanumeric keys for composing messages, wherein said patient terminal is communicatively linked to a patient terminal display for presenting said plurality of programmed messages and composed messages, each said message key having a surface portion and unique identifying indicia disposed on the surface portion and corresponding to a particular programmed patient message that is transmitted over the communication system after a patient selects said message key, the identifying indicia symbolically indicating a type of the particular programmed message;
a memory communicatively linked to the patient terminal for storing the programmed messages, wherein the plurality of programmed messages include at least one patient-specific message composed by a patient or other person using the keyboard unit, wherein the at least patient-specific message is associated with one of the message keys, defining an activation key, to enable the patient to send the message by pressing the activation key, and wherein the at least one patient-specific message can be sent by the patient to a patient-directed destination by the patient pressing one or more other message keys, defining destination keys;
a visitor station remotely located from and communicatively linked to the patient terminal, wherein the system is configured to convey visitor messages from the patient to a visitor and to convey visitor messages to the patient from the visitor;
a nurse station remotely located from and communicatively linked to the patient terminal for receiving assistance messages from the patient, wherein the system dates and time-stamps each assistance message for performing quality control monitoring; and
a patient-door display communicatively linked to the patient terminal for displaying a care-giver notice when an associated message key is pressed by the patient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A healthcare communication system can include a patient terminal having a keyboard unit with message keys for transmitting different ones of one or more programmed messages, and alphanumeric keys for composing messages. The patient terminal can be communicatively linked to a patient terminal display for presenting the programmed messages and composed messages. Each of the message keys can include identifying indicia associated with a programmed message transmitted upon selection of the message key. The patient terminal keyboard also can include one or more destination keys for specifying one of multiple destination addresses within the healthcare communication system for delivering individual ones of the messages.
24 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A healthcare communication system comprising:
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a patient terminal comprising a keyboard unit having message keys for generating different ones of a plurality of programmed messages and alphanumeric keys for composing messages, wherein said patient terminal is communicatively linked to a patient terminal display for presenting said plurality of programmed messages and composed messages, each said message key having a surface portion and unique identifying indicia disposed on the surface portion and corresponding to a particular programmed patient message that is transmitted over the communication system after a patient selects said message key, the identifying indicia symbolically indicating a type of the particular programmed message; a memory communicatively linked to the patient terminal for storing the programmed messages, wherein the plurality of programmed messages include at least one patient-specific message composed by a patient or other person using the keyboard unit, wherein the at least patient-specific message is associated with one of the message keys, defining an activation key, to enable the patient to send the message by pressing the activation key, and wherein the at least one patient-specific message can be sent by the patient to a patient-directed destination by the patient pressing one or more other message keys, defining destination keys; a visitor station remotely located from and communicatively linked to the patient terminal, wherein the system is configured to convey visitor messages from the patient to a visitor and to convey visitor messages to the patient from the visitor; a nurse station remotely located from and communicatively linked to the patient terminal for receiving assistance messages from the patient, wherein the system dates and time-stamps each assistance message for performing quality control monitoring; and a patient-door display communicatively linked to the patient terminal for displaying a care-giver notice when an associated message key is pressed by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 15, 16)
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5. A method for facilitating patient communications, comprising:
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providing a healthcare communication system, said healthcare communication system comprising; a patient system comprising a patient video display, and a patient terminal comprising at least one message keys and destination buttons, a plurality of healthcare stations, said plurality of healthcare stations comprising a nurse station remotely located and communicatively linked to the patient terminal for receiving and responding to assistance messages from a patient, and a visitor station remotely located from and communicatively linked to the patient terminal, wherein said destination buttons comprise destination buttons associated with said nurse station and said visitor station; programming each of said at least one message keys with a patient-specific message, said patient-specific message composed by a patient or other person using the healthcare communication system, wherein each message key has a unique identifying indicia on a surface of said message key, said identifying indicia symbolically indicating the patient-specific message, each of said patient destination buttons associated with a location communicatively linked to said healthcare communication system; recording and storing an audio or visual message for the patient from a visitor using said visitor station; and playing the audio or visual message on said patient system when requested by the patient. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A healthcare communication system comprising:
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a patient terminal comprising a keyboard unit having message keys for generating different ones of a plurality of programmed messages and alphanumeric keys for composing messages, wherein said patient terminal is communicatively linked to a patient terminal display for presenting said plurality of programmed messages and composed messages, each said message key having a surface portion and unique identifying indicia disposed on the surface portion and corresponding to a particular programmed patient message that is transmitted over the communication system after a patient selects said message key, the identifying indicia symbolically indicating a type of the particular programmed message; and a memory communicatively linked to the patient terminal for storing the programmed messages, wherein the plurality of programmed messages include at least one patient-specific message composed by a patient or other person using the keyboard unit, wherein the at least one patient-specific message is associated with one of the message keys, defining an activation key, to enable the patient to send the message by pressing the activation key, and wherein the at least one patient-specific message can be sent by the patient to a patient-directed destination by the patient pressing one or more other message keys, defining destination keys. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification