Configurable system for alerting caregivers
First Claim
1. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, at least one of the pieces of equipment being a hospital bed, the computer device receiving configuration data from the hospital bed indicative of features with which the hospital bed is equipped, and the computer device rendering portions of at least one of the template screens unusable, the portions of the template screens rendered unusable corresponding to features absent from the hospital bed.
7 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system that monitors various conditions of a plurality of hospital beds located in different rooms of a healthcare facility is provided. Alternatively or additionally, other types of equipment may be monitored by the system. Various configurations of network interface units that are coupleable to or integrated into a hospital bed are also disclosed. The system receives data from the hospital beds and/or other equipment and initiates a communication to a wireless communication device of at least one designated caregiver in response to the received data being indicative of an alarm condition.
785 Citations
46 Claims
- 1. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, at least one of the pieces of equipment being a hospital bed, the computer device receiving configuration data from the hospital bed indicative of features with which the hospital bed is equipped, and the computer device rendering portions of at least one of the template screens unusable, the portions of the template screens rendered unusable corresponding to features absent from the hospital bed.
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23. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, a plurality of audio stations located remotely from the computer device, and a locating-and-tracking system operable to determine locations of caregivers, the computer device being operable to communicate an audio message to one of the audio stations nearest the designated caregiver as determined by information received by the locating-and-tracking system.
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24. The A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, wherein, if a first of the designated caregivers does not respond to the communication within a predetermined period of time, then the computer device operates to automatically initiate the communication to a second of the designated caregivers.
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25. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, the computer device being operable to cause at least a portion of an image to flash on the display screen in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, and a locating-and-tracking system to monitor the whereabouts of caregivers in the healthcare facility, the computer device being operable to cause the portion of the image to cease flashing when the data from the locating-and-tracking system indicates that at least one of the designated caregivers has entered a room in which the alarm is occurring.
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26. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, and a locating-and-tracking system to monitor the whereabouts of caregivers in the healthcare facility, the computer device being operable to detect whether at least one designated caregiver has exited a room without rectifying a cause of an alarm and, if so, the computer device being operable to notify the at least one designated caregiver that the cause of the alarm still exists.
- 27. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, the at least one computer device is being operable by users to designate a first set of alarm conditions to which at least one designated caregiver is to be alerted during a first period of time and to designate a second set of alarm conditions to which at least one designated caregiver is to be alerted during a second period of time.
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38. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, the computer device receiving a patient name and a template name from an admission, discharge, and tracking (ADT) system and the computer device associating one of the template screens with the patient in response to receiving the template name.
- 39. A system for alerting caregivers carrying wireless communication devices of alarm conditions associated with pieces of equipment in a healthcare facility, the system comprising at least one computer device that is remote from the pieces of equipment and that receives data from the pieces of equipment, a display screen associated with the computer device, the computer device being operable to display at least one template screen on the display screen, the at least one template screen permitting a user to select types of alarms to which designated caregivers are to be notified, the computer device being operable to initiate a communication to the wireless communication device of at least one of the designated caregivers in response to the data received from at least one of the pieces of equipment being indicative of at least one of the types of alarms selected on the at least one template screen, at least one of the pieces of equipment being a hospital bed, the computer device being operable to associate bed identification data with patient identification data and with caregiver identification data so that, if the hospital bed is moved to a new location, the computer device maintains the association between the hospital bed, the patient, and at least one of the designated caregivers.
Specification