System for providing expert care to outpatients from a remote location
First Claim
1. A system for providing expert care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:
- a network;
patient monitoring stations located at the OPCLs for monitoring patient data elements from outpatients, wherein the monitored patient data elements comprise data elements indicative of medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein each patient monitoring station comprises a communications interface that transmits the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center via the network; and
the remote command center connected to the network, wherein the remote command center comprises a rules engine, wherein the rules engine comprises rules comprising conditions, and wherein the remote command center comprises instructions which when executed by the remote command center cause the remote command center to;
receive the monitored patient data elements from the OPCLs;
acquire other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “
patient data elements;
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utilize the rules engine to apply rules in accordance with the requirements of the rules to at least two patient data elements;
determine when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied; and
when the conditions of any one of the rules has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the any one of the rules with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, andwherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command whenever the computerized patient care management system determines that the action should be taken.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for providing expert care to a basic care medical facility (OPCL) from a remote location. The system facilitates real-time, continuous assessment of patients receiving care in an OPCL that is not generally equipped to provide expert medical care on a twenty-four basis. Patient monitoring equipment acquires monitored data elements from a patient monitoring station and transmits the monitoring data over a network to a remote command center. The remote command center also receives other patient data to the extent available from the OPCL. Alternatively, the patient monitored data is sent to a remote command center along with patient data at a pre-established time or when requested by remote command center. The delivery of stored monitoring data and patient data may be expedited if an urgent consultation is warranted. A rules engine continuously applies a patient-specific rule or rule set to the data elements selected from the assessment data from each OPCL monitored patient to determine whether intervention is warranted. Patient-specific rules may be created that are consistent with the capabilities of the OPCL.
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Citations
56 Claims
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1. A system for providing expert care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:
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a network; patient monitoring stations located at the OPCLs for monitoring patient data elements from outpatients, wherein the monitored patient data elements comprise data elements indicative of medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein each patient monitoring station comprises a communications interface that transmits the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center via the network; and the remote command center connected to the network, wherein the remote command center comprises a rules engine, wherein the rules engine comprises rules comprising conditions, and wherein the remote command center comprises instructions which when executed by the remote command center cause the remote command center to; receive the monitored patient data elements from the OPCLs; acquire other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “
patient data elements;
”utilize the rules engine to apply rules in accordance with the requirements of the rules to at least two patient data elements; determine when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied; and when the conditions of any one of the rules has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the any one of the rules with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, and wherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command whenever the computerized patient care management system determines that the action should be taken. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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5. The system of 3, wherein the communications scheduler establishes communications in response to a command received from the remote command center.
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6. The system of 3, wherein the patient monitoring station further comprises an urgent consultation warning system and wherein the urgent consultation warning system comprises instructions which when executed by the urgent consultation warning system cause the urgent consultation warning system to:
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evaluate the patient data elements before receipt of the patient data elements at the storage device and to determine if an event has occurred that warrants an urgent consultation; and when an urgent consultation is warranted, then instruct the communications scheduler to establish communications between the storage device and the communications interface to send the stored patient data elements to the remote command center.
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29. A method for providing expert critical care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:
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communicating over a network monitored patient data elements from monitoring stations, wherein the monitoring stations comprise instructions for obtaining the monitored patient data elements of the outpatients to a remote command center, wherein the remote command center comprises a computerized patient care management system, which system utilizes a rules engine to apply rules, repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements, wherein the rules applied by the rules engine identify existing or potential patient conditions that may warrant management by a health care provider; acquiring at the remote command center other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “
patient data elements;
” andusing the rules engine to apply the rules to at least two patient data elements; determining when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied; and when the conditions of any one of the rules has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the rule with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, and wherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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33. The method of 31, wherein establishing communications between the storage device and the communications interface using a communications scheduler comprises the computerized patient care management system establishing communications between the storage device and the communications interface using a communications scheduler according to a command received from the remote command center.
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34. The method of 31, wherein the patient monitoring station further comprises a computerized urgent consultation warning system and wherein the method further comprises:
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evaluating by the urgent consultation warning system the patient data elements using the urgent consultation warning system before receipt of the patient data elements at the storage device; determining by the urgent consultation warning system whether an event has occurred that warrants an urgent consultation; and when an urgent consultation is warranted, then the urgent consultation warning system instructing the communications scheduler to establish communications between the storage device and the communications interface to send the stored patient data elements to the remote command center.
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56. A system for providing expert care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:
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a network; patient monitoring stations located at the OPCLs for monitoring patient data elements from outpatients, wherein the monitored patient data elements comprise data elements indicative of a heart condition of the outpatients and wherein each patient monitoring station comprises a communications interface that transmits the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center via the network; and the remote command center connected to the network, wherein the remote command center comprises a rules engine, wherein the rules engine comprises rules comprising conditions, and wherein the remote command center comprises instructions which when executed by the remote command center cause the remote command center to; receive the monitored patient data elements from the OPCLs; acquire other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the heart condition of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “
patient data elements;
”utilize the rules engine to apply rules in accordance with the requirements of the to at least two patient data elements; determine when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied; and when the conditions of the any one of the rule has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the any one of the rules with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, and wherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command center by the computerized patient care management system determines that the action should be taken.
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Specification