Method and system for identifying and anticipating adverse drug events

• US 6,993,402 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vigilanz Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vigilanz Corporation
• Inventors: Klass, David B., Klass, Adam P., Ring, Dennis Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Gandhi, Jayprakash N.
• Application Number:
  US09/970,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20020120350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 700/90, 700/103, 700/108, 705 1- 3, 702/188
• US Class Current: 700/103
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for anticipating potential Adverse Drug Events (ADE) in a patient'"'"'s medication regimen by integrating data typically located in laboratory and pharmacy information systems and filtering the data using predefined criteria. The present invention includes a system for anticipating a possible ADE through the use of a search engine that compares integrated data from laboratory and pharmacy information systems and compares it to predefined ADE rules defining normal ranges for a particular laboratory test. If an abnormal test value is received and a drug in the patient'"'"'s medication regimen satisfies a drug included in an ADE rule then an alert procedure is triggered which allows for a period of time wherein the patient'"'"'s lab and pharmacy data is monitored in order to determine if a proper corrective action is undertaken, and if no corrective action or an improper corrective action is taken within that period of time, the healthcare provider is warned of a potential ADE.

Claims

1. A method of anticipating adverse drug episodes comprising:

defining a plurality of ADE rules, each having data fields for a lab test name, a value for the lab test, a drug name, and at least one drug/lab linkage parameter relating the lab test name and the drug name; and

filtering a patient'"'"'s lab data and pharmacy data using the plurality of definitions.

2. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the additional step of creating a normalized drug table from the patient'"'"'s pharmacy data, the pharmacy table having data fields for each drug administered, a dosage, and a time administered.

3. The method of claim 2, and further comprising the additional step of creating a normalized lab table from the patient'"'"'s lab data, the lab table having data fields for a patient id, time of test, name of test, and a test result.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of filtering includes the steps of extracting a lab name, a result of the lab from the lab table and a drug from the drug table and matching it to a lab name, lab result and drug within an ADE rule.

5. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the additional step of importing laboratory data and pharmacy data from a healthcare facility.

6. The method of claim 5, and further comprising the additional step of verifying imported lab data or pharmacy data is formatted in accordance with a predefined format.

7. The method of claim 1, and further comprising the additional steps of computing a cumulative dosage for a drug within a 24 hour period from a date of administration.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ADE rules also includes a data field containing a waiting period for a proper corrective action.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the additional steps of filtering subsequent lab data or pharmacy data to determine if a proper corrective action has occurred.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising the additional step of alerting a health care provider when a waiting period for a proper corrective action has expired without a proper corrective action occurring.

11. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the additional step of adjusting a waiting period based on a test lab value.

12. The method of claim 8 and further comprising the additional step of adjusting a waiting period based on previous lab test values.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the lab/data definition includes data fields for associated drugs.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the additional step of filtering a patient'"'"'s previous pharmacy data for an associated drug.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the lab/data definition includes data fields for an associated test lab and result.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the additional step of filtering a patient'"'"'s lab data for an associated test lab and result.

17. A system for anticipating adverse drug events comprising:

a central processor having a search engine therein; and

an ADE rule database in communication with the central processor, a plurality of ADE rules, each having data fields for a lab test name, a value for the lab test, a drug name, and at least one drug/lab linkage parameter being stored in the ADE rule database, the at least one drug/lab linkage parameter relating the lab test name and the drug name.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor is in communication with a computer network.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computer network is an intranet.

20. The system of claim 17, and further comprising a laboratory database and a pharmacy database.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor includes a web server hosting a web site therein and in communication with an intranet.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor is in communication with a pharmacy information system and a laboratory information system.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor is in communication with a nursing station at a medical facility.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor is in communication with a paging system.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the central processor includes a web server, an application server, a database server, and a directory server.

26. The system of claim 17 wherein the central processor includes an application for reformatting and integrating pharmacy data and lab data.

27. A method of anticipating adverse drug episodes comprising:

defining a plurality of ADE rules, each having data fields for a lab test name, a value for the lab test, and a drug name, and at least one drug/lab linkage parameter relating the lab test name and the drug name;

storing the plurality of ADE rules within an ADE rules database;

importing a patient'"'"'s lab data and pharmacy data, the patient'"'"'s lab data including a lab test name and a lab test result, and the patient'"'"'s pharmacy data including a name of a drug administered to the patient;

storing the patient'"'"'s lab test result, lab test name, and a administered drug name within a database;

matching the patient'"'"'s lab test result, lab test name, and administered drug name with a lab value, lab test name and drug name within an ADE rule.

28. The method of claim 27, and further comprising the additional steps of extracting the lab test name and the lab test result from the patient'"'"'s lab data and extracting the administered drug name from the patient'"'"'s pharmacy data.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of storing includes the steps of storing the patient'"'"'s lab test result and the lab test name within a lab database and storing a name of the drug administered within a pharmacy database.

30. The method of claim 27, and further comprising the additional steps alerting a health care provider when a match occurs.

31. The method of claim 27, and further comprising the additional step of storing a patient'"'"'s hospital unit, doctor, diagnosis, gender, and age within a database.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the ADE rule includes a data field for storing a hospital unit, doctor, diagnosis, gender, and age.

33. The method of claim 32, and further comprising the additional steps of matching a patient'"'"'s hospital unit, doctor, diagnosis, gender, and age with a respective value in an ADE rule.