CONTINUOUS AUTOMATED HEALTHCARE ENTERPRISE RESOURCE ASSIGNMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20140108034A1
• Filed: 10/02/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Srinivas Bollapragada
• Inventors: Akbay, Kunter Seref, Bollapragada, Srinivas, Day, Andrew Phelps, Dulgeroglu, Ilkin Onur, Toledano, David S., Thomas, Bex George, Peterson, Marcia, Yang, Dan
• Application Number:
  US14/044,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20140108034A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• 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

Current resource data may be continuously and automatically received indicative of a current state of resources that are used to deliver healthcare to a plurality of patients associated with a healthcare enterprise. The current resource data may be automatically used to update a healthcare enterprise simulation model. The healthcare enterprise simulation model may be executed to automatically generate a predicted future state of the resources. A resource request may then be received, and a resource assignment engine may automatically assign a particular resource to the resource request based at least in part on the predicted future state of the resources.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

continuously and automatically receiving current resource data indicative of a current state of resources that are used to deliver healthcare to a plurality of patients associated with a healthcare enterprise;

automatically using the current resource data to update a healthcare enterprise simulation model executed by a computer processor;

executing, by the computer processor, the healthcare enterprise simulation model to automatically generate a predicted future state of the resources;

receiving a resource request; and

automatically assigning, by a resource assignment engine, a particular resource to the resource request based at least in part on the predicted future state of the resources.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a response to the resource request recommending the particular resource that was assigned to the resource request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically arranging to provide the particular resource that was assigned to the resource request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the current resource data is performed in substantially real time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the resources are associated with at least one of:

(i) patient beds, (ii) healthcare staff who provide treatment to the plurality of patients associated with the healthcare enterprise, and (iii) medical equipment.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting, by the healthcare enterprise simulation model, a potential patient flow bottleneck and said assigning is based at least in part on said detecting.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing scheduled future events to the healthcare enterprise simulation model, wherein the predicted future state of the resources is further based on the scheduled future events.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the predicted future state of the resources is further based on predicted future events.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning is based at least in part historical information of the healthcare enterprise.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to said receiving, configuring the resource assignment engine.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said configuring comprises:

defining a plurality goals; and

for each defined goal, assigning a level of importance to that goal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare enterprise simulation model is based at least in part on patient flow molecules, each molecule being associated with:

(i) a prior state, (ii) an enter time, (iii) a past length of service, (iv) a remaining length of service, (v) a current state, (vi) a patient attribute, (vii) a departure time, and (viii) a next state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the healthcare enterprise comprises a hospital and at least one of the treatment units are associated with at least one of:

(i) an emergency department, (ii) an outpatient unit, (iii) a holding room, (iv) an operating room, (v) a recovery room, (vi) a cardiac treatment unit, (vii) a physical therapy unit, (viii) a laboratory, (ix) an X-ray and MRI unit, and (x) an intensive care unit.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically monitoring assigned resources; and

based on said monitoring, automatically adjusting at least one of the resource assignment engine or the healthcare enterprise simulation model to improve future performance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the current resource data comprises real time location system information.

16. A system, comprising:

an input port to receive current resource data indicative of a current state of resources that are used to deliver healthcare to a plurality of patients associated with a healthcare enterprise;

a healthcare enterprise simulation model platform including a computer processor to;

use the received current resource data to execute a healthcare enterprise simulation model and generate a predicted future state of the resources;

a resource assignment engine to;

receive a resource request, and

assign a particular resource to the resource request based at least in part on the predicted future state of the resources.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the resource assignment engine is further to:

prior to said receiving, being configuring with a defined plurality goals and, for each defined goal, an assigned level of importance to that goal.

18. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

continuously receiving current hospital bed data indicative of a current state of hospital beds that are used to deliver healthcare to a plurality of patients associated with a healthcare enterprise;

using the current hospital bed data to update a healthcare enterprise simulation model;

executing the healthcare enterprise simulation model to automatically generate a predicted future state of the hospital beds;

receiving a hospital bed request; and

assigning a particular hospital bed to the hospital bed request based at least in part on the predicted future state of the hospital beds.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein the predicted future state of the hospital beds is further based on:

(i) scheduled future events, and (ii) predicted future events.

20. The medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

prior to said receiving, configuring a resource assignment engine by defining a plurality goals, and, for each defined goal, assigning a level of importance to that goal.