Method of graphically indicating patient information

• US 7,107,547 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grady Smith
• Original Assignee: Grady Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Grady, Cule, LaVonne, Frankenberg, Beth
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Muhebbullah, Sajeda
• Application Number:
  US09/870,373
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 345/706, 345/701, 345/702, 705 2- 3, 367/116, 715/846, 715/706, 715/810, 434/267
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof

Abstract

A system and method for graphically indicating patient information. The invention includes a representative image of the patient with icons to indicate or inform a health care worker of the condition of the patient. Each icon in a set of icons represents a condition available for use in describing the condition of a particular patient. Each icon is located at a predetermined position of the image in each implementation of the invention. After a user creates an image with icons selected for a particular patient, a fixed representation of the image is created. The fixed representation of the image (e.g., on a sheet of paper) is placed proximal to the patient (e.g., bedside) for visual conveyance of the patient'"'"'s condition.

Claims

1. A method of graphically indicating patient information in a confidential manner, said method comprising the steps of:

relating each of a plurality of icons to a predetermined position in a fixed image associated with a patient;

receiving information identifying one or more conditions of the patient, each of the identified conditions of the patient being associated with a location on the body of the patient;

selecting at least one icon from the plurality of icons, said selected icon corresponding to at least one of the identified conditions of the patient; and

creating the fixed image, said fixed image including the selected icon located at the predetermined position related thereto in the fixed image, wherein the predetermined position related to the selected icon in the fixed image is independent of the location, on the body of the patient, associated with the identified condition of the patient corresponding to the selected icon to protect the privacy of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of proximally associating the image with the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conditions are selected from the group consisting of:

hearing impairment, right arm weakness, left arm weakness, special diet, no lift, one person lift, two person lift, comatose, total lift, right leg weakness, left leg weakness, cardiac, pivot lift, wheelchair bound, vision impairment, Alzheimer'"'"'s, potentially combative, incontinent, turn and reposition, cognitive impairment, potential to elope, diabetic, and speech impairment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of associating an electronic representation of the image with the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of creating the fixed image includes generating an electronic representation of the image and moving each of the selected icons to its predetermined position on the image.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of printing the image with the selected icons in their respective, predetermined positions on the image.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of executing a computer program for automatically positioning the selected icons in their respective, predetermined positions on the image.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of storing the image with the selected icons in a computer readable medium.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a plurality of images for different patients are stored in the computer readable medium and further comprising the step of searching for a stored image based on a name associated with the patient.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of modifying a stored image associated with a particular patient when the conditions of the particular patient change.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of customizing at least one icon to represent a specific condition.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of maintaining an archive of original and modified images.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of alerting a health care worker to the at least one of the identified conditions of the patient via the image.

14. One or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the fixed image.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying the fixed image proximal to the patient to confidentially communicate the at least one of the identified conditions of the patient to a person with knowledge of the relationship between each of the plurality of icons and the predetermined position.

17. A system for graphically indicating information about a patient in a confidential manner, wherein the patient has one or more conditions identified from a set of available conditions, said system comprising:

an image associated with the patient;

one or more icons, each of said one or more icons corresponding to at least one of the available conditions, and each of said one or more icons being related to a predetermined position in the image; and

a creation component for creating a fixed representation of the image with selected icons, each of the selected icons corresponding to at least one of the identified conditions of the patient, each of the identified conditions of the patient being associated with a location on the body of the patient, each of the selected icons being located at the predetermined position related thereto, and wherein the predetermined position related to each of the selected icons in the fixed image is independent of the location, on the body of the patient, associated with the identified condition of the patient corresponding to the selected icon to protect the privacy of the patient.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the creation component comprises a software application stored on a computer readable medium.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the software application includes computer-executable instructions which, when executed, place each of the selected icons at the predetermined position related thereto on the image.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the software application includes computer-executable instructions which, when executed, electronically associate the fixed representation of the image with the patient.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the software application includes computer-executable instructions which, when executed, print the fixed representation of the image with the selected icons in the predetermined positions on the image for placement proximal to the patient.

22. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of providing and selecting from a menu on the display, comprising the steps of:

allowing a user to select with the user interface selection device one or more icons from the menu, each of said one or more icons corresponding to a condition of a patient and being assigned to a predetermined position in an image representative of the patient, said condition of the patient being associated with a location on the body of the patient; and

displaying each of the said one or more icons on the image on the display, each of said one or more icons being displayed at the predetermined position assigned thereto in the image, wherein the predetermined position assigned to the icon in the fixed image is independent of the location, on the body of the patient, associated with the identified condition of the patient corresponding to the icon to protect the privacy of the patient.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of allowing the user to create a fixed representation of the image.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of allowing the user to proximally associate the fixed representation of the image with the patient.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein at least one of the icons is linked to at least one other icon such that selecting the at least one icon from the menu automatically selects the at least one other icon.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of allowing the user to select with the user interface selection device a form from the group consisting of:

an accident investigation report, an employee information test, an employee report of injury, an employee resident survey, a facility to do list, an incident report, a patient information form, a resident handling ergonomics program, a resident handling program key and explanation, a resident handling program training outline, and at least one safety form.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of allowing the user to customize the selected form by inputting information relevant to the selected form.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising the step of storing each customized form in a computer readable medium.

29. One or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 22.

30. A system for graphically indicating patient information in a confidential manner, said system comprising:

means for relating each of a plurality of icons to a predetermined position in a fixed image associated with a patient and receiving information identifying one or more conditions of the patient, each of the identified conditions of the patient being associated with a location on the body of the patient;

means for selecting a first icon and a second icon from the plurality of icons, each of said first icon and said second icon corresponding to at least one of the identified conditions of the patient; and

means for creating the fixed image, said fixed image including the first icon located at the predetermined position related thereto in the fixed image, said fixed image including the second icon located at the predetermined position related thereto in the fixed image, wherein the predetermined position related to the first icon in the fixed image is independent of the location, on the body of the patient, associated with the identified condition of the patient corresponding to the first icon, and the wherein the predetermined position related to the second icon in the fixed image indicates the location, on the body of the patient, associated with the identified condition of the patient corresponding to the second icon.