Methods, systems, and devices for modifying medical files

• US 8,131,569 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2011
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneMedNet Corp.
• Original Assignee: OneMedNet Corp.
• Inventors: Maresh, Guy, Yu, Jeffrey N.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRANG T
• Application Number:
  US13/151,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 279 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining access to a first electronic medical file stored in a source computing system, the first electronic medical file including a first identifier associated with a patient;

modifying by a computer system the first electronic medical file by removing the first identifier associated with the patient in the first electronic medical file and replacing the first identifier with a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein a source facility uses the first identifier for identifying the patient and a destination facility uses the second identifier for identifying the patient; and

transmitting or causing to transmit electronically the first electronic medical file to a computing device of a destination computing system, the computing device of the destination computing system configured to permit causing display of the first electronic medical file including the second identifier to a user in conjunction with a second electronic medical file including the second identifier associated with the patient, the second electronic medical file stored in the destination computing system,

wherein the computing device of the destination computing system is configured to prevent causing display of the first electronic medical file including the first identifier in conjunction with the second electronic medical file including the second identifier, and

wherein the computer system comprises at least a computer processor and an electronic storage device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at the source facility.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at the destination facility.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at a central server, the central server being separate from both the source computing system and the destination computing system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computing device of the destination computer system is configured to display an electronic medical file based on matching identifiers from a different patient identification system than an identification system of the destination computing system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a list of identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities, and wherein the modifying is based on the generated list of identifiers associated with the patient.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising updating the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computing system.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second identifier associated with the patient is included in a header of another electronic medical file, and wherein the another electronic medical file is in a format that is incompatible with the source computing system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising using an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the modified first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file, does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system comprises one or more computer systems.

11. A storage computer system comprising:

a computer processor configured to execute modules comprising at least;

an access module programmed to obtain access to a first electronic medical file stored in a source computing system, the first electronic medical file including a first identifier associated with a patient;

a modification module programmed to modify the first electronic medical file by removing the first identifier associated with the patient in the first electronic medical file and replacing the first identifier with a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein a source facility uses the first identifier for identifying the patient and a destination facility uses the second identifier for identifying the patient; and

a transfer module programmed to transmit or cause transmission of the first electronic medical file to a computing device of a destination computing system, the computing device of the destination computing system configured to permit causing display of the first electronic medical file including the second identifier to a user in conjunction with a second electronic medical file including the second identifier associated with the patient, the second electronic medical file stored in the destination computing system,

wherein the computing device of the destination computing system is configured to prevent causing display of the first electronic medical file including the first identifier in conjunction with the second electronic medical file including the second identifier.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the modification module is accessible by or resides at the source facility.

13. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the modification module is accessible by or resides at the destination facility.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the modification module is accessible by or resides at a central server, the central server being separate from both the source computing system and the destination computing system.

15. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the source computing system uses a different patient identification system than the destination computing system.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the one or more configured computer systems are further operative to generate a list of identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities, and wherein the modifying is based on the generated list of identifiers associated with the patient.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the first electronic medical file is incompatible with the destination computing system, and wherein the one or more configured computer systems are further operative to update the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computer system.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the second identifier assigned by the destination facility to identify the patient is included in a header of another electronic medical file, and wherein the another electronic medical file is in a format that is incompatible with the source computing system.

19. The computer system of claim 11, further comprising a marking module programmed to use an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

20. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computing system to process by one or more computers processors computer-program code by performing a method when the computer program is executed on the suitably programmed computing system, the method comprising:

obtaining access to a first electronic medical file stored in a source computing system, the first electronic medical file including a first identifier associated with a patient;

modifying by a computer system the first electronic medical file by removing the first identifier and replacing the first identifier with a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein a source facility uses the first identifier for identifying the patient and a destination facility uses the second identifier for identifying the patient; and

transmitting or causing to transmit electronically the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to a computing device of a destination computing system, the computing device of the destination computing system configured to permit causing display of the first electronic medical file including the second identifier to a user in conjunction with the second electronic medical file based at least in part on the first identifier of the first electronic medical file and the second identifier of the second electronic medical file,

wherein the computing device of the destination computing system is configured to prevent causing display of the first electronic medical file including the first identifier in conjunction with the second electronic medical file including the second identifier.

21. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at the destination facility.

22. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at the source facility.

23. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computer system is accessible by or resides at a central server, the central server being separate from both the source computing system and the destination computing system.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises using an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

25. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the computing device of the destination computer system is configured to display an electronic medical file based on matching identifiers from a different patient identification system than an identification system of the destination computing system.

26. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, further comprising generating a list of identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities, and wherein the modifying is based on the generated list of identifiers associated with the patient.

27. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, further comprising updating the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computing system.

28. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 20, wherein the second identifier associated with the patient is included in a header of another electronic medical file, and wherein the another electronic medical file is in a format that is incompatible with the source computing system.

29. A storage computer system comprising:

a computer processor configured to execute modules comprising at least;

a receiving module programmed to receive a first electronic medical file from a first facility, the first electronic medical file having a first identifier associated with a patient;

a storing module programmed to store the first electronic medical file in a database;

the receiving module programmed to receive a second electronic medical file from a second facility, the second electronic medical file having a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are different;

a modification module programmed to modify at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier such that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are both associated with the same identifier;

a comparison module programmed to compare the first electronic medical file to the second electronic medical file; and

a display causation module programmed to permit causing the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to be concurrently displayed when the comparison indicates that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are associated with the same identifier.

30. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the modification module is programmed to modify the first identifier to be the same as the second identifier.

31. The computer system of claim 29, wherein the modification module is programmed to modify the first identifier and the second identifier to be a third identifier different from both the first identifier and the second identifier.

32. The computer system of claim 29,

wherein the modification module is further programmed to modify the first identifier and the second identifier as to correspond to a third identifier associated with the patient in a computing system at a requesting facility, and

further comprising a transfer module programmed to cause transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to the computing system at the requesting facility.

33. The computer system of claim 32, wherein the transfer module is further programmed to cause transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file in response to an indication that a teleradiologist has reviewed at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file.

34. The computer system of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file includes a radiology image.

35. The computer system of claim 29, further comprising a marking module programmed to use an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

36. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a first electronic medical file from a first facility, the first electronic medical file having a first identifier associated with a patient;

storing the first electronic medical file in a database;

receiving a second electronic medical file from a second facility, the second electronic medical file having a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are different;

modifying by a computer system at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier such that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are both associated with the same identifier;

comparing the first electronic medical file to the second electronic medical file; and

permitting to cause the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to be concurrently displayed when the comparison indicates that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are associated with the same identifier.

37. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, further comprising modifying the first identifier to be the same as the second identifier.

38. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, further comprising modifying the first identifier and the second identifier to be a third identifier different from both the first identifier and the second identifier.

39. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, further comprising:

modifying the first identifier and the second identifier to correspond to a third identifier associated with the patient in a computing system at a requesting facility; and

causing transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to the computing system at the requesting facility.

40. The computer-implemented method of claim 39, further comprising causing transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file in response to an indication that a teleradiologist has reviewed at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file.

41. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file includes a radiology image.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, further comprising using an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

43. The computer-implemented method of claim 36, wherein the computer system comprises one or more computer systems.

44. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computing system to process by one or more computer processors computer-program code by performing a method when the computer program is executed on the suitably programmed computing system, the method comprising:

receiving a first electronic medical file from a first facility, the first electronic medical file having a first identifier associated with a patient;

storing the first electronic medical file in a database;

receiving a second electronic medical file from a second facility, the second electronic medical file having a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are different;

modifying by a computer system at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier such that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are both associated with the same identifier;

comparing the first electronic medical file to the second electronic medical file; and

permitting to cause the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to be concurrently displayed when the comparison indicates that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are associated with the same identifier.

45. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, further comprising modifying the first identifier to be the same as the second identifier.

46. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, further comprising modifying the first identifier and the second identifier to be a third identifier different from both the first identifier and the second identifier.

47. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, further comprising:

modifying the first identifier and the second identifier to correspond to a third identifier associated with the patient in a computing system at a requesting facility; and

causing transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to the computing system at the requesting facility.

48. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 47, further comprising causing transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file in response to an indication that a teleradiologist has reviewed at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file.

49. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, wherein at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file includes a radiology image.

50. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, further comprising using an electronic communication to mark or cause to mark the first electronic medical file as signed, so that the first electronic medical file does not appear to a medical professional as unread and/or a new study.

51. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 44, wherein the computer system comprises one or more computer systems.