DYNAMICALLY UPDATING ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS AND LEVERAGING A PERSON'S PATH IN A FACILITY TO MITGATE RISKS

• US 20130024205A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 01/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lyle, Ruthie D., Barber-Mingo, Cynthia E., Jones, Angela Richards, Lection, David B.
• Application Number:
  US13/185,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20130024205A1
• 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 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

Automatically updating an electronic medical record in response to an exposure to a communicable disease is disclosed. A system receives data indicating a common reference point of exchange for a first person and for a second person. The system further detects an update to an electronic medical record of the first person where the update includes a diagnosis of a communicable disease. The data indicating the common reference point and the communicable disease is used to determine an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease. Upon determining such exposure, an electronic medical record for the second person is updated to reflect the exposure to the disease.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for updating an electronic medical record, the method comprising:

receiving data indicating a common reference point of exchange for a first person and a second person;

detecting an update to an electronic medical record (EMR) of the first person, the update including a diagnosis of a communicable disease;

determining an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease in accordance with the data indicating a common reference point of exchange and the communicable disease; and

automatically updating an EMR of the second person in accordance with the determination of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically updating the EMR of the second person includes updating the EMR of the second person in accordance with information in the EMR of the second person.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease includes determining one or more of an incubation period for the communicable disease, a transmission medium for the communicable disease, or a severity factor for the communicable disease.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising performing one or more actions in response to determining an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease, the one or more actions including one or more of ordering medicine for the second person, providing a prescription to the second person, providing information to the second person, scheduling an appointment for the second person, or notifying a third party of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the common reference point of exchange includes a location of the first person and the second person, an object handled by the first person and the second person, or a vehicle occupied by the first person and the second person.

6. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

determining a path of the first person through a medical facility; and

determining an action in accordance with the path and with the communicable disease.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the action comprises one or more of evacuating an area along the path, treating the area along the path, or offering a treatment for the communicable disease to a second person exiting the area along the path.

8. A computer program product for updating an electronic medical record, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising a computer usable program code configured to;

receive data indicating a common reference point of exchange for a first person and a second person;

detect an update to an electronic medical record (EMR) of the first person, the update including a diagnosis of a communicable disease;

determine an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease in accordance with the data indicating a common reference point of exchange and the communicable disease; and

automatically update an EMR of the second person in accordance with the determination of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code configured to automatically update the EMR of the second person includes computer usable program code configured to update the EMR of the second person in accordance with information in the EMR of the second person.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code configured to determine an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease includes the computer usable program code configured to determine one or more of an incubation period for the communicable disease, a transmission medium for the communicable disease, or a severity factor for the communicable disease.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code is further configured to perform one or more actions in response to determining an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease, the one or more actions including one or more of ordering medicine for the second person, providing a prescription to the second person, providing information to the second person, scheduling an appointment for the second person, or notifying a third party of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the common reference point of exchange includes a location of the first person and the second person, an object handled by the first person and the second person, a vehicle occupied by the first person and the second person.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the computer usable program code is further configured to:

determine a path of the first person through a medical facility; and

determine an action in accordance with the path and with the communicable disease.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the action comprises one or more of evacuating an area along the path, treating the area along the path, or offering a treatment for the communicable disease to a person exiting the area along the path.

15. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

a response analysis unit executable by the one or more processors and configured to;

receive data indicating a common reference point of exchange for a first person and a second person;

detect an update to an electronic medical record (EMR) of the first person, the update including a diagnosis of a communicable disease;

determine an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease in accordance with the data indicating a common reference point of exchange and the communicable disease; and

automatically update an EMR of the second person in accordance with the determination of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the response analysis unit updates the EMR of the second person in accordance with information in the EMR of the second person.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the response unit determines one or more of an incubation period for the communicable disease, a transmission medium for the communicable disease, or a severity factor for the communicable disease.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the response unit is further configured to perform one or more actions in response to determining an exposure of the second person to the communicable disease, the one or more actions including one or more of ordering medicine for the second person, providing a prescription to the second person, providing information to the second person, scheduling an appointment for the second person, or notifying a third party of the exposure of the second person to the communicable disease.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the common reference point of exchange includes a location of the first person and the second person, an object handled by the first person and the second person, or a vehicle occupied by the first person and the second person.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, and further comprising a location detector, wherein the response analysis unit is further configured to:

receive location data from the location detector;

determine a path of the first person through a medical facility using the location data; and

determine an action in accordance with the path and with the communicable disease.