HEALTHCARE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM HAVING CONFIGURABLE ALARM RULES

• US 20150022330A1
• Filed: 10/09/2014
• Published: 01/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hill-Rom Services Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, Williams F. Jr., Allen, James M., Huster, Keith A., Riley, Carl W., Glidewell, Patricia A., Vanderpohl, Irvin J. III, Schuman, Richard J., Mathura, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,050,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/286.07
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1115 Monitoring leaving of a patient support, e.g. a bed or a wheelchair
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14542 for measuring blood gases A61B5/14551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6891 Furniture
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/42 for inclination
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/44 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/012 raising or lowering of the whole mattress frame A61G7/005, A61G7/008 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/015 divided into different adjustable sections, e.g. for Gatch position
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0516 with height adjustability
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/0527 Weighing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 7/1021 Inflatable cushions
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0092 Cuffs therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 3/00 : Registering or indicating the condition or the working of machines or other apparatus, other than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 : Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/028 : Communication between parent and child units via remote transmission means, e.g. satellite network
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/04 : responsive to non-activity, e.g. of elderly persons G08B21/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0438 : Sensor means for detecting
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/005 : Alarm destination chosen according to a hierarchy of available destinations, e.g. if hospital does not answer send to police station
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 : Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/22 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 19/00 : Electric signal transmission systems G08C17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 : ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• 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 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

A system that monitors various conditions of a plurality of hospital beds located in different rooms of a healthcare facility is provided. Alternatively or additionally, other types of equipment may be monitored by the system. Various configurations of network interface units that are coupleable to or integrated into a hospital bed are also disclosed. The system receives data from the hospital beds and/or other equipment and initiates a communication to a wireless communication device of at least one designated caregiver in response to the received data being indicative of an alarm condition.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one alarm selection screen on the display screen, the at least one alarm selection screen permitting a user to select at least one respective boundary condition for at least two of the pieces of equipment and to specify that the respective boundary conditions of each of the at least two of the pieces of equipment must be violated before an alarm condition is considered to exist, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the alarm condition.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least two pieces of equipment comprise a patient bed and at least one of the following:

an IV pump, a sequential compression device, a therapy device, and a device that measures a patient physiological parameter.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the at two pieces of equipment comprises at least two of the following:

a patient bed, a blood pressure measurement device, a respiration rate measurement device, a temperature measurement device, a blood oxygen level measurement device, a heart rate measurement device, an IV pump, a sequential compression device, an air mattress, and a therapy device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one boundary condition of the at least two of the pieces of equipment pertains to at least one of the following:

an angle at which a head section of a patient bed is raised, a height at which an upper frame of the patient bed is raised, a position of a siderail of the patient bed, a patient position with respect to the patient bed, and a patient weight as measure by a weigh scale system of the patient bed.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one boundary condition of the at least two of the pieces of equipment pertains to at least one of the following:

blood pressure, respiration rate, temperature, blood oxygen level, and heart rate.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the boundary conditions are assigned automatically based on patient acuity level.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the boundary conditions changes from a first value to a second value after an elapsed amount of time.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the elapsed amount of time is selectable using the computer device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the boundary conditions changes from a first value to a second value at a preprogrammed time.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication initiated by the computer device comprises an alphanumeric message destined for receipt by the wireless communication device of the at least one caregiver.

21. The system of claim 11, wherein the communication initiated by the computer device comprises an audio message destined for receipt by the wireless communication device of the at least one caregiver.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer device is operable to initiate communications with pagers, wireless badges, and wireless handsets.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer device is operable to communicate via a network of the healthcare facility with any at least one of the following:

an electronic medical records database, a nurse call badge, a nurse location badge, a workflow process system, a personal data assistant (PDA), a voice communication badge, a badge having text message capability, and a pager.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer device is operable to cause at least a portion of an image to flash on the display screen in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative that at least one of the boundary conditions is violated.

25. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one computer device is operable to designate a first set of boundary conditions as corresponding to the alarm condition during a first period of time and to designate a second set of boundary conditions as corresponding to the alarm condition during a second period of time.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first period of time and the second period of time partially overlap.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the second period of time begins upon the expiration of the first time period or after an interim period of time.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein at least one of the first and second periods of time begin or end in response to detection by the at least one computer device of a predetermined condition.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein some of the boundary conditions of the first set are also included in the second set.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the at least one computer device is operable to communicate a reminder to at least one designated caregiver a preset amount of time before the expiration of the first period of time, the second period of time, or both.