System and method for electronic medical file management

• US 7,885,822 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2001
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: William Rex Akers
• Original Assignee: William Rex Akers
• Inventors: Rau, Karen D., Normyle, Robert J., Walker, Craig Alan, Canterbury, Jeff W., Akers, William Rex, King, James R., Graves, Jerry L., Watts, Brandon T., Miller, Blake B., Hale, Kevin P., Patterson, Jay Travis
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan; Robert W
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOREY, ROBERT A
• Application Number:
  US09/851,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169637A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,562 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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

Abstract

A system for transferring electronic medical files is provided, such as for providing for patient file integrity and continuity in a telemedicine system. The system includes a record server that has a medical record data file for each patient, wherein each patient'"'"'s medical record data file holds medical record data for that patient. A record client coupled to the record server receives the medical record data file. The medical record data is encapsulated to prevent modification of the medical record data, thus providing for integrity and continuity of the patient'"'"'s medical record.

Claims

1. A system for transferring electronic medical files comprising:

a record client comprising software systems operating on a processing platform;

the record client comprising a diagnostic record system configured to include generated diagnostic record data in a medical record data file;

the record client comprising a comment record system configured to receive and include comments from a local practitioner or a remote practitioner, and associate the comments with the diagnostic record data in the medical record data file following entry of the comments by the practitioner;

the record client comprising an encapsulation system configured to encapsulate a first version of the medical record data file including the diagnostic record data and comments, wherein encapsulating the medical record data file comprises encryption algorithms that generate a record tracking data value based on the exact data structure of the entire medical record data file or preselected portions thereof;

the encapsulation system configured to buffer the first version of the medical record data file when accessed such that any modification causes the first version of the medical record data file to be stored separately from the modified version;

a network communications medium configured to transfer encapsulated medical record data files between the record client and a record server;

the record server comprising software systems operating on a processing platform;

the record server comprising a sync system configured to compare the record tracking data values of the first version of the encapsulated medical record data file and a second version of the encapsulated medical record data file to determine whether modification to part or all of a medical data record has occurred;

the sync system of the record server also configured to store at the record client the most recent version of the encapsulated medical record data file, and to store on a record server tracking system all historical versions of the encapsulated medical record data file in a record database system, wherein record data stored by the record database system is organized as one or more files where each file has one or more data fields; and

the record server comprising a notification system configured to generate a message comprising a notification that an encapsulated medical record data file has been received to be reviewed.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the sync system is further configured to verify that the record client has received a sync file before transferring the medical record data file.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the record server tracking system is further configured to update a tracking record when a version of the medical record data file is received by the record server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the record client comprises a tracking system configured to update a tracking record when the medical record data file is accessed.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the record client further comprises a remote data system configured to generate medical record data.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the record server further comprises an excerpt transfer system configured to receive medical record excerpt data and transfer it to a predetermined recipient.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the notification system is further configured to transfer notification data to a party regarding the availability of medical record data, the notification data comprising notification of a transmission of a version of the medical record data file to the record client.

8. A method for transferring electronic medical files comprising:

providing a record client comprising software systems operating on a processing platform;

including, by the record client comprising a diagnostic record system, generated diagnostic record data in a medical record data file;

receiving and including, by the record client comprising a comment record system, comments from a local practitioner or a remote practitioner, and associating the comments with the diagnostic record data in the medical record data file following entry of the comments by the practitioner;

encapsulating, by the record client comprising a tracking system, a first version of the medical record data file including the diagnostic record data and the comments, wherein encapsulating the medical record data file comprises encryption algorithms that generate a record tracking data value based on the exact data structure of the entire medical record data file or preselected portions thereof;

buffering, by the encapsulation system, the first version of the medical record data file when accessed such that any modification causes the first version of the medical record data file to be stored separately from the modified version;

transferring, by a network communications medium, the encapsulated medical record data file from the record client to a record server, wherein the record server comprises software systems operating on a processing platform;

comparing, by the record server comprising a sync system, the record tracking data values of the first version of the encapsulated medical record data file and a second version of the encapsulated medical record data file to determine whether modification to part or all of a medical data record has occurred;

storing at the record client, by the sync system of the record server, the most recent version of the encapsulated medical record data file, and storing on the record server comprising a tracking system all historical versions of the encapsulated medical record data file in a record database system, wherein record data stored by the record database system is organized as one or more files where each file has one or more data fields; and

generating, by the record server comprising a notification system, a message comprising a notification that an encapsulated medical record data file has been received to be reviewed.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein transferring the encapsulated medical record data file to the record server comprises transferring a sync file to the record server.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein including the generated diagnostic record data in the first medical record data file comprises storing a tracking record with the first medical record data file.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising generating notification data at the record server, the notification data comprising notification of the transfer of the first version of the medical record data file to the record server.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

accessing the medical record data file at the record server; and

updating a tracking record to show that the medical record data file has been accessed at the record server.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving additional medical record data at the record server;

encapsulating the additional medical record data, wherein encapsulating the additional medical record data comprises generating a second value based on the data structure of the additional medical record data; and

updating the medical record data file to include the additional medical record data.