Managing Patient Consent in a Master Patient Index

• US 20120203571A1
• Filed: 01/09/2012
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Health Catalyst, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Medicity Incorporated (Health Catalyst, Inc.)
• Inventors: Coyle, David M., Owen, Carol L., Crapo, Jared, Pearson, Preston, McRae, Kristen
• Granted Patent: US 8,949,137 B2
• 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 system and method for managing patient consent. A data access manager includes a controller, a lookup module, a clinical authorization engine, a logging/auditing unit, a user profile engine, a report module and a user interface engine. The controller manages the core functions and the transmission of data between the data access manager components. The lookup module enables a user to query patient data. The clinical authorization engine authorizes access to patient data. The logging/auditing unit logs and monitors user activity. The user profile engine accesses and updates user profile information. The patient profile engine accesses and updates patient profile information. The report module generates reports related to the user activity. The user interface engine generates user interfaces for displaying the user profiles and patient information data.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method executed on one or more processors for managing patient consent, the method comprising:

receiving, with the one or more processors, patient information;

determining, with the one or more processors, confidential data in the patient information based on an indicator;

determining whether a user is allowed to access the confidential data; and

responsive to the user being allowed to access the confidential data, providing the confidential data to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is associated with at least one of a patient profile and an encounter associated with the patient profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the user for accessing the confidential data, the request including an emergency permission that is available to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising ignoring patient consent to identify effected patients during an emergency.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging access activity by the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple users access patient information and further comprising generating a report based on the access of the patient information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is allowed to access confidential information comprises determining whether the user opted-in or opted-out of exchanging the patient information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising anonymizing the patient data and transmitting the anonymized patient data to the user without patient consent.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an age of the patient and denying access to the patient information in accordance with a state law.

10. A system for managing patient consent, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a data access manager stored on a memory and executable by the processor, the data access manager receiving patient information, determining confidential data in the patient information based on an indicator, determining whether a user is allowed to access the confidential data and responsive to the user being allowed to access the confidential data, providing the confidential data to the user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the indicator is associated with at least one of a patient profile and an encounter associated with the patient profile.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the data access manager receives a request from the user for accessing the confidential data, the request including an emergency permission that is available to the user.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data access manager ignores patient consent to identify effected patients during an emergency.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the data access manager logs access activity by the user.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein multiple users access patient information and wherein the data access manager generates a report based on a plurality of access events by the user.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein determining whether the user is allowed to access confidential information comprises determining whether the user opted-in or opted-out of exchanging the patient information.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the data access manager anonymizes the patient data and transmits the anonymized patient data to the user without patient consent.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the data access manager determines an age of the patient and denies access to the patient information in accordance with a state law.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive patient information;

determe confidential data in the patient information based on an indicator;

determine whether a user is allowed to access the confidential data; and

responsive to the user being allowed to access the confidential data, provide the confidential data to the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the indicator is associated with at least one of a patient profile and an encounter associated with the patient profile.