Medical information system

• US 4,893,270 A
• Filed: 05/12/1986
• Issued: 01/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davidheiser, Timothy S., Huff, Stanley M., Craig, Robert B. Jr., Radigan, Russell P., Beck, Roger P., Castagno, Daniel L., Haley, Allen W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Gareth D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chun, Debra A.
• Application Number:
  US06/862,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 364/200 MS File, 364/900 MS File
• US Class Current: 700/90
• 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: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A medical information system (1) for use in a hospital environment. The system comprises clinic and department computer terminals (1000) of the hospital interconnected with a message network (19). A computer terminal (10010, 10011, 10022) is arranged to enter record and medical data into the system. The record and medical data is formatted (10017, 10018) into a data message and transmitted over the message network to each of the other computer terminals. Each computer terminal modifies (10015, 10017, 10018) the received record and medical data in accordance with clinic and departmental station requirements file data (10015) assigned the receiving computer terminal and records (10011, 10018, 10022) the modified record and medical data in forms files and medical data dictionary data bases (100112, 100222). Patient data entered into the clinic and department computer terminals is recorded in a computer terminal patient file data base (10030) consistent with the modified record and medical data recorded in the computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.

Claims

1. A computer information system (1) having a plurality of interconnected computer terminals (1000) each defined by a user class (10015):

characterized in that

said information system comprises

means (19, 10010, 10011, 10018,

     10022) for entering a user information into a computer terminal for transmission to each other computer terminal,

means (10011, 10015, 10018,

     10022) for modifying said user information each receiving computer terminal to conform to said user class assigned the receiving computer terminal, and

means (10011, 10013, 10014, 10015, 10022,

     10030) for recording and displaying data entered at the receiving computer terminal in accordance with the receiving computer terminal defined user class and modified user information.

2. A medical information system (1) having a plurality of interconnected computer terminals (1000) each defined by station requirements file data (10015):

characterized in that

said medical information system comprises

means (10010, 10011,

     10022) for entering record and medical data into one of the computer terminals and recording said record and medical data in forms files and medical data dictionary data bases (100112,

     100222) of the computer terminal,

means (19, 10011, 10017, 10018,

     10022) for accessing said recorded record and medical data at predetermined intervals of time and transmitting said accessed record and medical data to each of the interconnected computer terminals, and

means (10011, 10013, 10014, 10018,

     10022) for modifying said transmitted record and medical data at each computer terminal in accordance with the computer terminal station requirements file data and recording said modified record and medical data in the computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases (100112,

     100222) for use in entering patient data into a patient file data base (10030) of the computer terminal consistent with said station requirements file data and said modified record and medical data.

3. The medical information system set forth in claim 2:

characterized in that

said entering recording means comprises

visual editor means (10010) common to each of the interconnected computer terminals for entering said record and medical data into each computer terminal and for verifying the accuracy of said entered record and medical data.

4. The medical information system set forth in claim 3:

characterized in that

said entering and recording means comprises

means (100110,

     100220) for recording said entered and verified record and medical data into a forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the one computer terminal.

5. The medical information system set forth in claim 4:

characterized in that

said accessing and transmitting means comprises

means (10018) for formatting said accessed record and medical data into a record and medical data message for transmission to each of the computer terminals on demand and at said predetermined intervals of time.

6. The medical information system set forth in claim 5:

characterized in that

said modifying and recording means comprises

means (10017,

     10018) located at each computer terminal for receiving said transmitted record and medical data message and modifying said record and medical data message in accordance with the station requirements file data assigned the receiving computer terminal.

7. The medical information system set forth in claim 6:

characterized in that

said modifying and recording means comprises

means (10018, 100110,

     100220) for recording said modified record and medical data into the forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the receiving computer terminal.

8. The medical information system set forth in claim 7:

characterized in that

said medical information system comprises

means (10011, 10013, 10014, 10015, 10018,

     10022) located at the receiving computer terminal for entering said patient data into the receiving computer terminal and recording said entered patient data in said patient file data base of the receiving computer terminal consistent with said modified record and medical data recorded in said receiving computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.

9. A medical information system (1) having a plurality of computer terminals (1000) each interconnected with a network (19):

characterized in that

said medical information system comprises

visual editor means (10010) common to each computer terminal for entering record and medical data into one computer terminal and for verifying the accuracy of said entered record and medical data,

means (10011,

     10022) for recording said entered and verified record and medical data into a forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the one computer terminal,

means (10011, 10018,

     10022) common to each computer terminal for accessing said forms files and medical data dictionary data bases and formatting said entered and verified record and medical data into record and medical data messages,

means (10017,

     10018) activated at predetermined intervals of time and on demand for transmitting said formatted record and medical data messages over the network to each of the other computer terminals connected to the network,

means (10017,

     10018) located at each computer terminal for receiving said transmitted record and medical data messages and modifying said record and medical data in accordance with station requirements file data (10015) assigned the receiving computer terminal,

means (10011, 10022,

     10018) for recording said station requirements file data modified record and medical data into a forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the receiving computer terminal, and

means (10011, 10013, 10018, 10019,

     10022) located at the receiving computer terminal for entering patient data into the receiving computer terminal and recording said entered patient data in a patient file data base (10030) of the receiving computer terminal consistent with said station requirements file data modified record and medical data recorded in said receiving computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.

10. A hospital medical information system having a medical department master computer terminal (171) and a plurality of clinic and department computer terminals (1000) each interconnected with a message network (19):

characterized in that

said hospital medical information system comprises

visual editor means (10010) located at the master computer terminal for entering record and medical data into the master computer terminal and for verifying the accuracy of said entered record and medical data,

master computer terminal means (10011,

     10022) for recording said entered and verified record and medical data into a forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the master computer terminal,

master computer terminal means (10011, 10018,

     10022) for accessing said master computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases and formatting said entered and verified record and medical data into record and medical data messages,

master computer terminal means (10017,

     10018) activated at predetermined intervals of time and on demand for transmitting said formatted record and medical data messages over the message network to each clinic and department computer terminal connected to the message network,

means (10017,

     10018) located at each clinic and department computer terminal for receiving said transmitted record and medical data messages and modifying said record and medical data in accordance with clinic and department data (10015) assigned the receiving clinic and department computer terminal,

means (10011, 10018,

     10022) located at each clinic and departmental computer terminal for recording said modified record and medical data into a forms files data base (100112) and medical data dictionary data base (100222), respectively, of the receiving computer terminal, and

means (10011, 10013, 10018, 10019,

     10022) located at the receiving clinic and department computer terminal for entering patient data into the receiving clinic and department computer terminal and recording said entered patient data in a patient file data base (10030) of the receiving clinic and department computer terminal consistent with said modified record and medical data recorded in said receiving clinic and department computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.

11. A method of enabling a medical information system (1) having a plurality of interconnected computer terminals (1000) for conditioning the computer terminals to accept patient data:

characterized in that

said method comprises the steps of

entering (301,

     302) record and medical data into one of the computer terminals and recording (303, 304, 305, 401, 402, 403,

     404) said record and medical data in forms files and medical data dictionary data bases of the computer terminal,

accessing (306, 307, 308, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406,

     409) said recorded record and medical data at predetermined intervals of time and on demand and transmitting (407,

     408) said accessed record and medical data to each of the interconnected computer terminals, and

modifying (501, 502

     503) said transmitted record and medical data at each computer terminal in accordance with station requirement data assigned the computer terminal and recording (401, 402, 403, 404,

     504) said modified record and medical data in the computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases for use in entering patient data into a patient file data base of the computer terminal consistent with said station requirement data and said recorded modified record and medical data.

12. The medical information system enabling method for conditioning interconnected computer terminals to accept patient data set forth in claim 11:

characterized in that

said entering and recording step comprises the steps of

exercising (301) a visual editor common to each of the interconnected computer terminals for entering said record and medical data into each computer terminal and for verifying (302) the accuracy of said entered record and medical data, and

recording (303, 304, 305, 401, 402, 403,

     404) said entered and verified record and medical data into a forms files data base and medical data dictionary data base, respectively, of the one computer terminal.

13. The medical information system enabling method for conditioning interconnected computer terminals to accept patient data set forth in claim 12:

characterized in that

said accessing and transmitting step comprises the steps of

formatting (405, 406, 407,

     409) said accessed record and medical data into record and medical data messages, and

transmitting (408) said formatted record and medical data messages to each of the computer terminals at said predetermined intervals of time.

14. The medical information system enabling method for conditioning interconnected computer terminals to accept patient data set forth in claim 13:

characterized in that

said modifying and recording step comprises the steps of

receiving (501) at each computer terminal said transmitted record and medical data messages, and

modifying (502,

     503) said record and medical data in said record and medical data messages in accordance with said station requirement data assigned the receiving computer terminal.

15. The medical information system enabling method for conditioning interconnected computer terminals to accept patient data set forth in claim 14:

characterized in that

said modifying and recording step further comprises the steps of recording (401, 402, 403, 404,

     504) said station requirement modified record and medical data into a forms files data base and medical data dictionary data base, respectively, of he receiving computer terminal, and

entering (601) said patient data into the receiving computer terminal and recording (402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 602, 603, 604,

     605) said entered patient data in said patient file data base of the receiving computer terminal consistent with said station requirement modified record and medical data recorded in said receiving computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.

16. A method of enabling a hospital medical information system (1) having a medical department master computer terminal (171) and a plurality of clinic and departmental computer terminals (1000) each interconnected with a message network (19) for conditioning the clinic and departmental computer terminals to accept patient data:

characterized in that

said method comprises the steps of

entering (301) record and medical data into the master computer terminal and verifying (302) the accuracy of said entered record and medical data,

recording (304, 305, 401, 402, 403,

     404) said entered and verified record and medical data in a forms files data base and medical data dictionary data base, respectively, of the master computer terminal,

accessing (306, 307, 308, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406,

     409) said master computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases and formatting (407) said entered and verified record and medical data into record and medical data messages,

transmitting (408) said formatted record and medical data messages over the message network to each clinic and department computer terminal connected to the message network,

receiving (501) said transmitted record and medical data messages at each clinic and department computer terminal and modifying (502,

     503) said record and medical data in accordance with clinical and departmental data assigned the receiving clinic and department computer terminal,

recording (401, 402, 403, 404,

     504) said modified record and medical data into a forms files data base and medical data dictionary data base, respectively, of the receiving clinic and department computer terminal, and

entering (601) patient data into each receiving clinic and department computer terminal and recording (402, 404, 405, 406, 602, 603, 604,

     605) said entered patient data in a patient file data base of the receiving clinic and department computer terminal consistent with said modified record and medical data recorded in said receiving clinic and department computer terminal forms files and medical data dictionary data bases.