Electronic healthcare management form creation

• US 7,590,932 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 09/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Britton, Catherine, Rao, Kiron, Steinberg, Terri H.
• Primary Examiner(s): PESIN, BORIS M
• Application Number:
  US10/383,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 715505-506, 715/221, 715/222, 715/235
• US Class Current: 715/222
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

Certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a method for creating an electronic form for use in healthcare management. The method can comprise initiating generation of at least one display image supporting a user in: selecting a template form from a repository of template forms; modifying said selected template form by linking a user selected object from a predetermined list of objects with a user selected data field of said selected template form, objects in said predetermined list being associated with at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient, said selected object being usable in determining a query to be used in soliciting data for entry in said user selected data field; and associating a name with said modified form. The method can also comprise storing said modified form in response to user command. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. This abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Claims

1. A method for creating an electronic form for soliciting information for use in healthcare management, comprising the activities of:

initiating generation of at least one display image supporting a user in;

selecting a template form for soliciting information, from a repository of template forms,

modifying a data type of a data field within said selected template form to produce said electronic form for soliciting information for use in healthcare management by linking a user selected object chosen from a predetermined list of objects with a user selected data field of said selected template form, objects in said predetermined list being automatically derived and provided in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient, said selected object being usable in determining a query to be used in soliciting data for entry in said user selected data field and

associating a name with said electronic form for soliciting information; and

storing said electronic form in response to user command.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said query is for display in said user selected data field.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said at least one display image supports a user in creating said selected object by enabling a user to select a related object from said predetermined list and by at least one of, (a) selecting a data type for a created object, and (b) entering a name for said created object.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising the activity of:

including said object name in said predetermined list.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said selected object supports categorizing data solicited for entry in said user selected data field.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

in response to user selection of said modified form, associating said form with at least one of, (a) a particular patient and (b) a particular healthcare worker and

pre-populating said modified form with data associated with at least one of, (i) said particular patient and (ii) said particular healthcare worker and

said particular treatment activity is performed by a worker having a particular role in providing healthcare to a patient.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

associating said query with said user selected data field.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

rendering said query upon a user-caused event.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the activity of:

rendering said query upon entry of a cursor into said user selected data field.

10. A system embodied on a computer-readable media for implementing claim 1 wherein

said activity of initiating generation of at least one display image is performed using a display processor and said display processor stores said modified form in said repository.

11. A graphical user interface, embodied on a computer-readable media, for creating an electronic form for soliciting information for use in healthcare management, said graphical user interface comprising:

a graphical listing of a plurality of selectable template forms for soliciting information;

a selected template form from the plurality of selectable template forms;

a graphical linking element adapted to modify a data type of a data field within said selected template form by linking a user selected object from a predetermined list of objects with a user selected data field of said selected template form to produce said electronic form for soliciting information for use in healthcare management, objects in said predetermined list being automatically derived and provided in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed by a worker having a particular role in providing healthcare to a patient, said selected object being usable in determining a query to be used in soliciting data for entry in said user selected data field; and

a graphical rendering of a name associated with said electronic form for soliciting information.

12. A computer-readable media containing instructions for activities comprising:

initiating generation of at least one display image supporting a user in,

selecting a template form from a repository of template forms for soliciting information,

modifying a data type of a data field within said selected template form to produce an electronic form for soliciting information for use in healthcare management by linking a user selected object chosen from a predetermined list of objects with a user selected data field of said selected template form, objects in said predetermined list being automatically derived and provided in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient, said selected object being usable in determining a query to be used in soliciting data for entry in said user selected data field and

associating a name with said electronic form for soliciting information; and

storing said electronic form in response to user command.

13. A method for scheduling a patient for receiving a particular service via at least one displayed image comprising an electronic template form, comprising the activities of:

receiving patient identification information;

initiating retrieval of said template form for use in scheduling a visit;

automatically deriving a predetermined list of a available visit types in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient;

automatically modifying a visit type data field in the retrieved template form by linking a particular patient visit type from the predetermined list of available visit types with a visit type data field;

in response to user selection of a visit type data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular patient visit type from the predetermined list of available visit types linked with said visit type data field;

in response to user selection of an appointment data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular visit appointment time and date from a predetermined list of available appointment times and dates linked with said appointment data field;

in response to user selection of a service selection data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular service from a predetermined list of available services linked with said service selection data field;

populating the modified template form with information comprising said patient identification information, said visit type, said appointment time and date and said particular service; and

initiating scheduling of said visit by communicating the populated modified template form information to a recipient application in response to user command.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

receiving said list of available visit types and wherein said particular treatment activity is performed by a worker having a particular role in providing healthcare to a patient.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

linking said list of available visit types with said visit type data field.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

receiving said list of available appointment times and dates.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

linking said list of available appointment times and dates with said appointment data field.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

receiving said list of available services.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

linking said list of available services with said service selection data field, said list of available services being indicated in an automatically provided predetermined list derived in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising the activity of:

creating said scheduling form.

21. A system embodied on a computer-readable media for implementing claim 13, wherein said activity of initiating retrieval of a template form is performed using a display processor and said display processor stores said modified form in said repository.

22. A graphical user interface, embodied on a computer-readable media, for scheduling a patient for receiving a particular service via at least one displayed image, comprising:

a processor for automatically modifying a visit type data field in an electronic form by linking a particular patient visit type from the predetermined list of available visit types with a visit type data field in response to user selection of a particular patient visit type;

a graphical and user-selectable visit type data field in the electronic form for selecting a particular patient visit type from a predetermined list of available visit types linked with said visit type data field, said predetermined list of available visit types being automatically derived and provided in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient;

a graphical and user-selectable appointment data field in the electronic form for selecting a particular visit appointment time and date from a predetermined list of available appointment times and dates linked with said appointment data field;

a graphical and user-selectable service selection data field in the electronic form for selecting a particular service from a predetermined list of available services linked with said service selection data field; and

a processor for populating the electronic form with said patient identification information, said visit type, said appointment time and date, and said particular service.

23. A computer-readable media containing instructions for activities comprising:

receiving patient identification information;

initiating retrieval of a template form for use in scheduling a visit;

automatically deriving a predetermined list of available visit types in response to at least one of, (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular treatment activity being performed in providing healthcare to a patient;

automatically modifying a visit type data field in the retrieved template form by linking a particular patient visit type from the predetermined list of available visit types with a visit type data field;

in response to user selection of a visit type data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular patient visit type from the predetermined list of available visit types linked with said visit type data field;

in response to user selection of an appointment data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular visit appointment time and date from a predetermined list of available appointment times and dates linked with said appointment data field;

in response to user selection of a service selection data field in the modified template form, selecting a particular service from a predetermined list of available services linked with said service selection data field;

populating the modified template with said patient identification information, said visit type, said appointment time and date and said particular service; and

initiating scheduling of said visit by communicating the populated modified template form information to a recipient application in response to user command.

24. A method for creating an electronic healthcare management form for soliciting information comprising the activities of:

initiating generation of at least one display image supporting a user in, loading an image file into an electronic form file, the image file corresponding to a scanned healthcare management form for soliciting information;

modifying a data type of a data field within said scanned healthcare management form by designating a plurality of regions of the electronic form file as a plurality of form objects, each of the plurality of form objects associated with a data solicitation query;

for each form object from the plurality of form objects, associating the form object with one of a predetermined list of database fields, form objects in said predetermined list being automatically derived and provided in response to at least one of (a) a particular role of a healthcare worker and (b) a particular patient healthcare treatment activity; and

storing the electronic form file.