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Method and system to optimize and automate clinical workflow

  • US 7,895,055 B2
  • Filed: 12/14/2005
  • Issued: 02/22/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for automating and optimizing patient clinical workflow wherein medical personnel oversee a patient from intake through care in the clinical workflow, comprising the steps of:

  • providing said clinical workflow comprising at least the following stepsobtaining patient information including symptoms information as workflow information,obtaining patient diagnostics response information from the patient to diagnostic questions to said patient as further workflow information,obtaining patient examination information for said patient as further workflow information,acquiring result/report information for said patient as further workflow information,providing patient therapy,providing patient care, andproviding patient rehabilitation, said workflow and further workflow information being obtained in advance of the patient'"'"'s treatment for use in automatically determining for said patient an optimized workflow to be followed for said patient;

    providing a patient monitoring unit in the form of a radio frequency identification tag providing tracking location information of the patient during said clinical workflow;

    providing at least one equipment communication unit for providing operation information for equipment used in the workflow in examining, treating, or caring for the patient;

    providing at least one information technology system providing information technology medical information for said patient as said workflow information;

    providing rules information as said workflow information;

    providing medical personnel information relevant to said patient as said workflow information;

    providing a centralized communication platform computer for receiving said patient information, symptoms information, patient diagnostics information, patient examination information, patient tracking location information, patient result/report information, equipment operation information, information technology medical information, rules information, and medical personnel information;

    with said communication platform computer, utilizing said workflow information to automatically determine said optimized clinical workflow for said patient in advance of said patient treatment;

    to automatically determine said optimized clinical workflow, said platform computer performing the steps ofanalyzing said workflow and further workflow information to describe and define low hanging fruits comprising easy changes with relatively high performance;

    checking said information technology medical information from said at least one information technology system against said workflow information to determine interfaces and redundant data,for automating small process steps setting up an inquiry during said workflow of said tracking location information for said patient and said operation information for said at least one equipment communication unit,in a measuring and bench marking analysis determining quality measures to be used during said workflow, anddetermining the workflow to be followed, a kind of data needed for each step of the workflow and establishing procedures for combining and processing data from said information technology system and said patient location information; and

    with said centralized communication platform computer outputting the optimized clinical workflow in advance of said treatment for said patient including information for overall management of the clinical workflow and including a schedule for decision making and a check list relevant to said optimized workflow.

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