Methods to Improve Workflow by Automatically Adding Patient Identification

• US 20140343967A1
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Welch Allyn Incorporated
• Inventors: Baker, Steven D.
• Application Number:
  US14/278,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20140343967A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method implemented on an electronic device for pairing patient records with a patient identifier includes programming a smart tag with the patient identifier. The smart tag is attached on an item associated with a patient. The patient identifier is read from the smart tag. The reading of the patient identifier from the smart tag activates a software application on the electronic device for reading the patient records. After the patient identifier is obtained, one of the patient records is automatically accessed on the electronic device using the patient identifier.

Claims

1. A method implemented on an electronic device for pairing patient records with a patient identifier, the method comprising:

programming a smart tag with the patient identifier;

attaching the smart tag on an item associated with a patient;

reading the patient identifier from the smart tag, the reading of the patient identifier from the smart tag activating a software application on the electronic device for reading the patient records; and

after the patient identifier is obtained, on the electronic device, automatically accessing one of the patient records using the patient identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item associated with the patient is a patient chart in a medical facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the item associated with the patient comprises one of a patient bed, a door frame in a room in which the patient is located in a medical facility and an item that the patient is wearing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag or a near-field communication (NFC) device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a smart telephone or a tablet computer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the electronic device to obtain the patient identifier from the smart tag comprises moving the electronic device into close proximity with the smart tag.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an identity of a user of the electronic device; and

rendering a view of the one patient record on the electronic device based on the identity of the user of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the electronic device to read data from a medical sensor device used by the patient, the electronic device using radio frequency (RF) communication to read the data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the RF communication is near-field communication (NFC) or a body area network (BAN).

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing in the patient record the data read from the medical sensor device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving patient data at the electronic device; and

storing the patient data in the patient record.

12. A method implemented on an electronic device for pairing patient records with a patient identifier, the method comprising:

using the electronic device to access a server computer to obtain the patient identifier;

after the patient identifier is obtained, touching the electronic device to a smart tag, the smart tag being connected to a patient monitor device, the touching of the electronic device to the smart tag transferring the patient identifier to the smart tag;

after the patient identifier is transferred to the smart tag, automatically obtaining one of the patient records from the server computer, the one patient record being identified by the patient identifier; and

displaying the patient record on the patient monitor device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein transferring the patient identifier to the smart tag comprises programming the smart tag with the patient identifier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein using the electronic device to access the server computer comprises:

activating a software application on the electronic device for accessing patient information;

accessing the server computer from the electronic device;

entering or speaking a patient name into the electronic device;

receiving the patient identifier from the server computer; and

displaying the patient identifier on the electronic device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the smart tag is wired to the patient monitor device.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the patient identifier is transferred to the smart tag using near-field communication (NFC).

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the patient identifier is transferred to the smart tag using a body area network (BAN).

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving patient data at the electronic device and updating the patient record with the received patient data.

19. A system for accessing patient records, the system comprising:

an NFC tag, the smart tag storing a patient identifier, the smart tag being a radio frequency identification (RFID) device or a near-field communication (NFC) device; and

an electronic device, the electronic device configured to read the patient identifier from the smart tag, the electronic device including software for interpreting data from the smart tag, the electronic device providing connectivity to a patient data server computer,

wherein the connectivity is automatically provided when the patient identifier is read from the smart tag, wherein the connectivity permits a patient record to be obtained from the patient data server computer based on the patient identifier and wherein the electronic device is configured to display the patient record on the electronic device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the electronic device updates the patient record after receiving new patient data.

21. A system for communicating between a first device, having a unique identifier, and a second device for the purpose of transmitting data from the first device via the second device to a database, the system comprising

a Near Field Communication (NFC) tag being programmed to store the unique identifier of the first device, the NFC tag being positioned adjacent to the first device;

a tag reader programmed to read the unique identifier from the NFC tag and provide the unique identifier to the second device;

wherein the second device uses the unique identifier to create a communication link between the second device and the first device.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first device is a computer and the second device is a sensor.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier is a global unique identifier, and the global unique identifier is a media access control address of a radio in the computer.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the first device is a cellular telephone and the second device is a sensor.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprising the database, wherein the database is an electronic health record.

26. The system of claim 21, where the system ensures that the transmitted unique identifier from the second device matches the unique identifier of the first device, allowing communication to continue only when the transmitted unique identifier and the unique identifier of the first device match.