Comprehensive healthcare waste assessment system

• US 8,185,406 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2009
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Healthcare Waste Solutions LLC (Stericycle Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Healthcare Waste Solutions LLC (Stericycle Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mayernik, Geoffrey D., Crawford, Jeff D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, Allen J
• Application Number:
  US12/613,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus and program product analyze medical waste processes by determining waste cost information for a number of waste streams. The waste cost pricing information is organized, formatted, associated or otherwise processed for presentation in a manner that facilitates waste cost analysis.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of assessing medical waste processes, the method comprising:

guiding a user to collect pricing information relating to products or services associated with a plurality of waste streams generated by a health organization;

prompting the user to input the pricing information, wherein prompting the user to input the pricing information further comprises;

prompting the user to enter waste stream investigation data collected at points of generation and points of collection for the plurality of waste streams at at least one healthcare facility for the health organization, wherein the waste stream investigation data includes time and location data associated with current waste disposal practices for a plurality of containers at the at least one healthcare facility, wherein the time and location data associated with the current waste disposal practices for the plurality of containers includes, for each of the plurality of containers, time and location data particular to such container; and

prompting the user to enter contractual and invoice data associated with current waste disposal practices for the plurality of waste streams and particular to the plurality of containers, wherein the contractual data includes a contracted cost and the invoice data includes an invoiced cost, wherein the assessment report is based at least in part on the waste stream investigation data and contractual and invoice data;

storing the pricing information within a database configured to store pricing information associated with a plurality of waste products and waste services associated with the plurality of waste streams; and

by at least one hardware-implemented processor, electronically generating an assessment report including the pricing information, wherein the assessment report further includes at least one operational improvement and a projected cost savings associated therewith that is based upon the stored pricing information.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to input the pricing information further comprises prompting the user to input data relating to at least one of a contract, an invoice and a discrepancy between the contract and the invoice.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to input the pricing information further comprises prompting the user to enter the pricing information into text fields of a computer display.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein prompting the user to input the pricing information further comprises prompting the user to enter different types of pricing information for different types of the plurality of waste streams.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the waste stream investigation data further includes conditions of the plurality of containers.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising highlighting a discrepancy between a contract and an invoice.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the assessment report includes a listing of multiple containers being used at a facility.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the report includes a waste recommendation that includes generating an invoice accounting for at least two of the plurality of waste streams.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the report includes a waste recommendation to improve a medical waste process.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the pricing information includes a comparison between operating costs with the waste recommendation and operating costs without.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising automatically determining the waste recommendation by retrieving from a memory the waste recommendation subsequent to receiving the pricing information.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of waste streams include at one waste stream selected from a group consisting of:

solid, regulated medical, recycling, confidential document destruction, hazardous and construction debris waste streams.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory accessible to the processor, the memory including a database storing pricing information associated with a plurality of waste products and waste services associated with a plurality of waste streams generated by a health organization; and

program code executable by the processor and configured to guide a user to collect pricing information relating to products or services associated with the plurality of waste streams, prompt the user to input the pricing information, store the pricing information within the database, and electronically generate an assessment report including the pricing information, wherein the assessment report further includes at least one operational improvement and a projected cost savings associated therewith that is based upon the stored pricing information, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter waste stream investigation data collected at points of generation and points of collection for the plurality of waste streams at at least one healthcare facility for the health organization, wherein the waste stream investigation data includes time and location data associated with current waste disposal practices for a plurality of containers at the at least one healthcare facility, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter contractual and invoice data associated with current waste disposal practices for the plurality of waste streams and particular to the plurality of containers, wherein the assessment report is based at least in part on the waste stream investigation data and contractual and invoice data, wherein the time and location data associated with the current waste disposal practices for the plurality of containers includes, for each of the plurality of containers, time and location data particular to such container, and wherein the contractual data includes a contracted cost and the invoice data includes an invoiced cost.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to input data relating to at least one of a contract, an invoice and a discrepancy between the contract and the invoice.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter the pricing information into text fields of a computer display.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter different types of pricing information for different types of the plurality of waste streams.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the waste stream investigation data further includes conditions of the plurality of containers.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the program code is configured to highlight a discrepancy between a contract and an invoice.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the assessment report includes a listing of multiple containers being used at a facility.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the report includes a waste recommendation that includes generating an invoice accounting for at least two of the plurality of waste streams.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the report includes a waste recommendation to improve a medical waste process.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pricing information includes a comparison between operating costs with the waste recommendation and operating costs without.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the program code is further configured to automatically determine the waste recommendation by retrieving from the memory the waste recommendation subsequent to receiving the pricing information.

24. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of waste streams include at one waste stream selected from a group consisting of:

solid, regulated medical, recycling, confidential document destruction, hazardous and construction debris waste streams.

25. A program product, comprising:

program code configured upon execution to guide a user to collect pricing information relating to products or services associated with a plurality of waste streams generated by a health organization, prompt the user to input the pricing information, store the pricing information within a database that stores pricing information associated with a plurality of waste products and waste services associated with the plurality of waste streams, and electronically generate an assessment report including the pricing information, wherein the assessment report further includes at least one operational improvement and a projected cost savings associated therewith that is based upon the stored pricing information, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter waste stream investigation data collected at points of generation and points of collection for the plurality of waste streams at at least one healthcare facility for the health organization, wherein the waste stream investigation data includes time and location data associated with current waste disposal practices for a plurality of containers at the at least one healthcare facility, wherein the program code is configured to prompt the user to enter contractual and invoice data associated with current waste disposal practices for the plurality of waste streams and particular to the plurality of containers, wherein the assessment report is based at least in part on the waste stream investigation data and contractual and invoice data, wherein the time and location data associated with the current waste disposal practices for the plurality of containers includes, for each of the plurality of containers, time and location data particular to such container, and wherein the contractual data includes a contracted cost and the invoice data includes an invoiced cost; and

a non-transitory recordable computer readable medium storing the program code.