Hospital error avoidance system

• US 4,857,713 A
• Filed: 02/14/1986
• Issued: 08/15/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jack Brown
• Original Assignee: Jack Brown
• Inventors: Brown, Jack D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardillo, Raymond F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US06/829,199
• Time in Patent Office: 1,278 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375-377, 235/380-382, 235/385, 235/462, 235/494, 235/487, 235/472, 364/400, 364/401, 364/402, 364/413, 364/415
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 5/00 Methods or arrangements for verifying the correctness of markings on a record carrier; Column detection devices
• 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 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A Hospital Error-Limiting Program (HELP) directed primarily at reduction of hospital errors in the delivery of medications, goods, services or procedures in patient treatment without a requirement to create patient labels and with the ability to verify frequency of dosage and other treatment specifications. The invention includes a patient wrist identification band with preprinted barcode. The barcode should be selected to correspond with the standard used to barcode unit dose medications. The portable computer should be small in size and equipped with a communication link with the host computer or barcode reader. The portable computer should preferably be coupled directly to the host computer means of the hospital for data transmission by a communication link. The portable computer should be loaded with physician'"'"'s orders for medications, goods, services or procedures for specific patients. Before medications, goods, services or procedures are administered to a patient, hospital personnel will scan the machine readable code on the patient'"'"'s identification band, and then the machine readable code on the unit dose(s) of the medications, goods, services, or procedures will be scanned. The portable computer will compare these readings with the doctor'"'"'s orders and other internal files as required and verify that the administration of the identified medications, goods, services or procedures is either correct or not correct.

Claims

1. A hospital error limiting system employing bar codes for identifying patients, medications, goods, services and procedures comprising:

host computer means for maintaining a patient history file, which indicates when particular medications, goods, services or procedures were delivered to a particular patient in the past, and a physician instruction file, which indicate what particular medications, goods, services or procedures are to be given to a particular patient at a particular time interval.

communication link means to link said host computer means to a portable computer means for transferring said patient history file and said physician instruction file between said host computer means and said portable computer means.

wherein said portable computer means comprises a portable memory means for storing said patient history file and said physician instruction file,

portable bar code reading means for identifying a patient by reading a bar code provided to said patient, and for identifying medications, good, services or procedures proposed to be delivered to said patient, by reading a bar code provided on said medications, goods, services or procedures,

portable processing means for processing the bar codes read by said portable bar code reading means so as to determine if said identified medications, goods, services or procedures are permitted to be delivered to said identified patient, according to said patient history file and said physician instruction file in said portable memory means, and for updating said patient history file in said portable memory means if said identified medications, goods, services or procedures are permitted to be delivered to said identified patient,

wherein said determination requires that said identified medications, goods, services or procedures are related to said identified patient in said physician instruction file in the portable memory means and that said identified medications, goods, services or procedures would be delivered to said identified patient at an appropriate time according to when identified medications, goods, services or procedures were lasts delivered to the identified patient in the past as indicated in the patient history file in the portable memory means and according to the time interval in said physician instruction file in said portable memory means to grant permission to deliver said identified medications, goods, services or procedures, and portable display means for indicating the determination of said portable processing means,

Wherein said patient history file in said host computer means is updated periodically by transferring said updated patient history file in said portable computer means to said host computer means via said communication link means.