WIRELESS PATIENT CARE SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170186301A1
• Filed: 03/18/2015
• Published: 06/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RistCall, LLC
• Original Assignee: RistCall, LLC
• Inventors: Vaddepally, Srinath, Bhat, Ameya, Bai, Yicheng
• Granted Patent: US 9,990,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/245 Reminder of hygiene compliance policies, e.g. of washing hands
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A patient care system and a corresponding method that provide patient monitoring. The system includes a server, at least one patient communication device, and at least one caregiver communication device. The communication devices send receiving signals and notifications wirelessly to/from the server, and may be adapted to be worn on a user'"'"'s wrist. Notifications can be sent to the caregiver communication device to notify the user to provide care to a patient in response to a patient request for assistance based on defined conditions, which may be proximity based. The server may track all received and sent notifications and may provide analytics of this information to improve quality of healthcare in a facility.

Claims

1. A patient care system, comprising:

a server comprising means for wireless communications;

at least one patient communication device comprising;

a user interface, and

wireless communications means for sending an assistance signal to said server; and

at least one caregiver communication device comprising;

a user interface,

wireless communications means for receiving a notification signal from said server, and

a display indicating said notification signal,

wherein said server includes a server memory storing server instructions and a server processor for executing said server instructions, said server instructions when executed causing said server processor to send said notification signal to a plurality of caregiver communication devices when preset conditions have been satisfied upon receipt of an assistance signal, and further configured to track the receipt of each assistance signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said patient communication devices and said caregiver communication devices each comprise a client memory storing client instructions and a client processor for executing said client instructions, wherein said client instructions are the same for said patient communication devices and said caregiver communication devices though operable in different modes for different types of communication devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said patient communication device is adapted to be worn on a patient'"'"'s wrist.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said patient communication devices or said caregiver communication devices further comprise a proximity detector;

said wireless communication means of said patient communication devices or of said caregiver communication devices is further configured to send an arrival signal to said server upon arrival of a caregiver in proximity to a patient; and

said server is further configured to track each arrival signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface of said patient communication devices comprises a call button, wherein said server is further configured to send said notification signal to a plurality of said caregiver communication devices when said wireless communications means of one of said patient communication devices sends said assistance signal to said server.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said user interface of said patient communication device comprises classification buttons.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein said user interface of said patient communication device comprises feedback buttons;

wherein said wireless communication means of said patient communication devices is further configured to send a feedback signal to said server; and

wherein said server is further configured to track each of said feedback signals.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said feedback buttons become available once said proximity detector determines that said caregiver communication device is outside of a preset proximity to a patient communication device.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said display of said caregiver communication device displays a count of the number of times said notification signal has been received.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said notification signal includes a patient identification and a patient location.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one wander beacon;

wherein said patient communication devices further comprise a proximity detector;

wireless communication means of said patient communication device is further configured to send a wander signal to said server when the proximity detector of said patient communication device detects that said patient communication device is in proximity to said wander beacon; and

said server is further configured to send a wander notification signal to said plurality of caregiver communication devices when said wander signal is detected by said server.

12. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

at least one hand hygiene beacon;

wherein said caregiver communication devices further comprise an accelerometer;

wherein said wireless communication means of said caregiver communication device is further configured to send a hand hygiene signal to said server;

wherein said server is further configured to calculate a time duration of hand cleaning from said hand hygiene signal; and

wherein said server is further configured to send a hand hygiene notification to said caregiver communication device if said time duration does not satisfy a time condition or if proximity conditions are not satisfied.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a call light device, wherein said call light device comprises:

wireless communications means for receiving a status signal from said patient communication devices; and

an indicator light, wherein said indicator light changes colors to indicate patient call status, and

wherein said wireless communication means of said patient communication devices is further configured to send a status signal to said call light device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said one or more patient communication devices further comprise a proximity detector;

said wireless communication means of said patient communication device is further configured to send to said server a patient location signal comprising a macro-location and a micro-location based on devices in proximity to said patient communication device;

said plurality of caregiver communication devices further comprise a proximity detector;

said wireless communications means of said caregiver communication device is further configured to send a caregiver location signal comprising a macro-location and a micro-location based on devices in proximity to said caregiver communication device; and

said server is further configured to send a patient or caregiver location notification to any of said plurality of caregiver communication devices.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is further configured to display a dashboard, depicting care analytics and adjustable parameters for sending notification signals.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said server receives battery status data from said patient communication device and said caregiver communication device, and said dashboard displays battery status data.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said display of said caregiver communication device displays a list of each open notification received by that caregiver communication device;

said server is further configured to send a completion signal to said caregiver communication device when said preset conditions have been satisfied; and

said display of said caregiver communication device no longer indicates said notification signal after receiving a completion signal.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication means of said caregiver communication device is further configured to send an assistance signal to said server, wherein said server upon receipt of said assistance signal sends a help notification to other caregiver communication devices to indicate that another caregiver requires assistance.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said wireless communication means of said caregiver communication device is further configured to send a reminder signal to said server, wherein said server, after receipt of said reminder signal and a period of time, sends a reminder notification to said caregiver communication device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein said preset conditions of said server comprise automatic rounding reminders, said automatic rounding reminders automatically sending said notification signal to said caregiver communication devices at preset intervals.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said patient communication device further comprises a microphone and said wireless communication means of said patient communication device is further configured to send a noise level signal to said server.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising a patient microphone and a patient speaker, wherein:

said wireless communication means of said patient communication device is further configured to send a voice signal to said server;

said caregiver communication device further comprises a microphone and a speaker;

said wireless communication means of said caregiver communication device is further configured to send a voice signal to said server; and

said server is further configured to send a voice message to any of said caregiver communication devices and to any of said patient communication devices.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein said patient communication device further comprises an accelerometer;

and said wireless communication means of said patient communication device is further configured to send a movement level signal to said server.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is further configured to send a fall notification to a caregiver communication device in response to a particular movement level signal.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of caregiver communication devices further comprise an accelerometer;

and said wireless communication means of said caregiver communication devices and said patient communication devices is further configured to send an activity level signal to said server.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein said server is further configured to receive vital sign data, to track Electronic Medical Record (EMR) data, or to track admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) data.

27. A method for providing patient care, comprising:

setting, at a server, preset conditions for sending a notification signal to at least one caregiver communication device, and to designated ones of a plurality of caregiver communication devices to which to send said notification signal;

receiving an assistance signal from a patient communication device;

tracking said assistance signal;

determining whether to send a notification signal in response to said assistance signal or other preset conditions;

sending said notification signal to said designated ones of said plurality of caregiver communication devices; and

updating all of said caregiver communication devices with remaining notification signals after a notification is satisfied.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving an arrival signal in response to a proximity detection of said patient communication device to one of said caregiver communication devices, or in response to a proximity detection of said caregiver communication devices to one of said patient communication devices; and

updating all of said of caregiver communication devices with remaining notification signals for which an arrival signal has not yet been received.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein said assistance signal comprises a classification;

and

further comprising transmitting said classification to said plurality of caregiver communication devices.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a feedback signal from said patient communication device and tracking said feedback signal.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein said notification signal comprises a patient identification and a patient location.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a wander signal from said patient communication devices based on it being in proximity to a wander beacon;

sending a wander notification to said caregiver communication device based on said preset conditions.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a hand hygiene signal from one of said caregiver communication devices;

calculating a time duration from said hand hygiene signal; and

determining whether, based on a time condition or proximity conditions, to send a hand hygiene notification to one of said plurality of caregiver communication devices.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

requesting location information from said patient communication device or said caregiver communication device;

receiving a patient location signal or a caregiver location signal comprising a macro-location and a micro-location based on devices in proximity to said patient communication device; and

sending a location notification, comprising of said macro-location and said micro-location, to any of said caregiver communication devices.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a dashboard depicting care analytics and adjustable parameters for sending notification signals.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving battery status data from said patient communication device and said caregiver communication device, and displaying said battery status data on said dashboard.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising checking whether completion requirements have been satisfied, and sending a completion signal to said caregiver communication devices.

38. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a reminder signal from said caregiver communication device, and, after a period of time, sending a reminder notification to said caregiver communication device.

39. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a noise level signal from said patient communication device;

determining whether said noise level signal satisfies said preset conditions; and

sending a noise level notification to said plurality of caregiver communication devices.

40. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving a voice signal from said patient communication device or said caregiver communication device, and sending a voice message to any of said patient communication devices or said caregiver communication devices.

41. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving a movement level signal from said patient communication device;

determining whether said movement level signal satisfies preset conditions to send a fall notification or a patient adjustment notification; and

sending a fall notification or a patient adjustment notification to said caregiver communication device.

42. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving vital sign data and tracking said vital sign data in an Electronic Medical Record or in the patient'"'"'s admission, discharge, and transfer (ADT) data.