Medical Information Device And Associated Methods

• US 20110202369A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Soteria Services LLC
• Original Assignee: Soteria Services LLC
• Inventors: Sanchez, Virgil
• Application Number:
  US13/030,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20110202369A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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

Abstract

A device and method are provided for improving patient safety preparatory to a surgical procedure. The device is affixable to or adjacent the patient and includes an audio recording and playback medium. The medium can be used to record a message thereon, preferably by the patient. The message is for communicating at least patient identity and planned procedure to, for example, a surgical team. The medium can be activated by a healthcare worker prior to initiating the procedure, such as during a planned “time-out” period. A second recording can also be made by a healthcare worker that contains patient and procedure data to provide yet another safety element. Both recordings are reviewed prior to beginning the surgical procedure to ensure the correctness of the procedure.

Claims

1. A method for improving patient safety preparatory to a performance of a procedure by a surgical team comprising, prior to initiating the procedure:

associating a recording and a playback device with a patient;

receiving a patient recording on the device including at least patient name and identification of a procedure to be performed on the patient;

receiving a physician recording on the device including at least the patient name and identification of the procedure to be performed on the patient;

playing the patient and the physician recordings on the device to at least one member of a surgical team;

performing a correlation between the patient and the physician recordings; and

if the physician and the patient recordings do not correlate, halting the procedure.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein the device-associating step comprises associating substantially common indicia with the device and a patient chart.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein:

the patient-recording-receiving step comprises receiving a first indicator to initiate a recording and receiving the patient recording; and

the physician-recording-receiving step comprises receiving a second indicator to initiate a recording and receiving the physician recording, wherein the second indicator is different from the first indicator.

4. The method recited in claim 3, further comprising, following the second-indicator-receiving step and prior to the physician-recording-receiving step, issuing an alert that the physician statement will be recorded.

5. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, following the patient-recording-receiving step, playing the patient recording back to the patient and, if the patient recording is unacceptable to the patient, receiving a revised patient recording, replacing the patient recording with the revised patient recording.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising, following the physician-recording-receiving step, playing the physician recording back to the physician and, if the physician recording is unacceptable to the physician, receiving a revised physician recording, replacing the physician recording with the revised physician recording.

7. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, prior to the patient-recording-receiving step, providing the patient recording to the patient and receiving patient approval of the patient recording.

8. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, prior to the patient-recording-receiving step, playing the patient recording to the physician for approval.

9. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising, following the patient- and the physician-recording-receiving steps, transmitting the patient and the physician recordings to a storage device.

10. The method recited claim 1, further comprising, following the correlation-performing step, if the physician and the patient recordings correlate, receiving an indication of the correlation.

11. A device for improving patient safety preparatory to a performance of a procedure by a surgical team comprising:

a base;

a processor affixed to the base;

a first input element in signal communication with the processor comprising a record indicator affixed to the base;

a second input element in signal communication with the processor comprising a play indicator affixed to the base;

a third input element comprising at least one of a microphone and a video camera in signal communication with the processor affixed to the base;

a transmitter, a recorder, and a playback device, each in signal communication with the processor affixed to the base; and

software resident on the processor comprising code segments adapted for;

receiving a first signal from the record indicator;

receiving via the third input element a patient recording including at least patient name and identification of a procedure to be performed on the patient;

storing the patient recording on the recorder;

receiving a second signal from the record indicator;

receiving via the third input element a physician recording including at least the patient name and identification of the procedure to be performed on the patient;

storing the physician recording on the recorder

receiving a signal from the play indicator;

playing through the playback device the patient and the physician recordings; and

transmitting the patient and the physician recordings to a remote storage device via the transmitter.

12. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the device further comprises means for associating the device with a patient chart.

13. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the second signal is different from the first signal.

14. The device recited in claim 13, wherein the software further comprises a code segment adapted for, following the second-signal-receiving code segment and prior to the physician-recording-receiving code segment, issuing an alert via the playback device that the physician recording will be recorded.

15. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the software further comprises code segments adapted for, following the patient-recording-receiving code segment, playing the patient recording back to the patient via the playback device, receiving a signal that the patient recording is unacceptable to the patient, receiving a revised patient recording, and replacing the patient recording with the revised patient recording on the recorder.

16. The device recited in claim 15, wherein the software further comprises code segments adapted for, following the physician-recording-receiving code segment, playing the physician recording back to the physician and, if the physician recording is unacceptable to the physician, receiving a revised physician recording, replacing the physician recording with the revised physician recording.

17. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the software further comprises a code segment adapted for, prior to the patient-recording-receiving code segment, playing the patient recording through the playback device to the physician for approval.

18. The device recited in claim 11, wherein the software further comprises a code segment adapted for, following the patient- and the physician-recording-receiving code segments, transmitting the patient and the physician recordings to a storage device via the transmitter.

19. The device recited claim 11, wherein the software further comprises a code segment adapted for, following the correlation-performing code segment, if the physician and the patient recordings correlate, receiving an indication of the correlation.