Method and apparatus for generating toxicology reports

• US 8,359,207 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ameritox Limited (Aegis Sciences Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ameritox Limited (Aegis Sciences Corporation)
• Inventors: Backer, Ronald C., Pace, William, Patrick, Patricia, Lowry, Sybil Patricia, Rau, Shesh, McEndree, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cobanoglu, Dilek B
• Application Number:
  US11/949,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,877 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3, 705/14.56, 702/118, 702/19, 436/56, 436/518
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/13 Tracers or tags

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and apparatuses for generating toxicology reports. Using the methods and apparatus disclosed herein, physicians can more easily understand toxicological lab test results. Physicians receive a toxicology report that explains, in plain language, the toxicological lab test results. A rules engine provides rules for interpreting the toxicological lab test results. Detailed explanations are associated with the rules, and the explanations appear on the toxicology report. The toxicology report greatly reduces the need for the physician to call the toxicology scientist.

Claims

1. A method for generating a toxicology report comprising:

receiving a toxicology sample of a patient;

receiving patient data about the patient, the patient data including patient medication information;

performing a lab test on the toxicology sample to produce a lab result, the lab result including data indicative of the presence of a drug in the toxicology sample;

submitting the lab result to a rules engine to produce a rules engine output that describes a relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information, the rules engine including a toxicology rule that evaluates the data indicative of the presence of the drug and the patient medication information; and

automatically generating a supplemental explanation report based on the lab result and the rules engine output, the supplemental explanation report including a plain language sentence that describes the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information.

2. The method of claim 1, including verifying the lab results, wherein verification is performed by a verification scientist.

3. The method of claim 1, including modifying the toxicology rule using a graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, including:

receiving a subscription for the supplemental explanation report from a physician; and

transmitting a document to the physician, the document containing the lab result and the supplemental explanation report.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data includes data indicative of the patient'"'"'s age, height and weight.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lab test is for a drug-to-metabolite correlation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the supplemental explanation report includes an explanation for an inconsistent lab result.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plain language sentence describes at least one of:

(i) whether the lab result is inconsistent with the patient medication information or (ii) a potential reason for an inconsistency between the lab result and the patient medication information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the patient medication information includes a prescription for the patient, and wherein the plain language sentence describes a relationship between the prescription and the lab result.

10. The method of claim, wherein the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information includes an indication of whether the lab result and the patent medication information are inconsistent.

11. A system for generating a toxicology result, the system comprising:

a testing device to perform a lab test on a toxicology sample of a patient and to produce a lab result, the lab result including data indicative of the presence of a drug in the toxicology sample;

an input device to receive the lab result and patient data about the patient, the patient data including patient medication information;

a memory capable of storing the lab result and a toxicology rule that evaluates the data indicative of the presence of the drug and the patient medication information;

a processor to analyze the lab result based on the toxicology rule and to automatically create a supplemental explanation report, the supplemental explanation report including a plain language sentence that describes the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information; and

an output device to display the supplemental explanation report.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the input device receives data indicative of a verification of the lab result, wherein the data is entered by a verification scientist.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the input device receives a modified toxicology rule in a graphical format.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the input device receives subscription information from a physician, and wherein the output device displays the supplemental explanation report to the physician.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the patient data includes data indicative of the patient'"'"'s age, height and weight data.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the lab test is for a drug-to-metabolite correlation.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the supplemental explanation report includes an explanation for an inconsistent lab result.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the plain language sentence describes at least one of:

(i) whether the lab result is inconsistent with the patient medication information or (ii) a potential reason for an inconsistency between the lab result and the patient medication information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the patient medication information includes a prescription for the patient, and wherein the plain language sentence describes a relationship between the prescription and the lab result.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information includes an indication of whether the lab result and the patent medication information are inconsistent.

21. A computer readable medium storing instructions structured to cause a computing device to:

receive a lab result and patient data about a patient, the patient data including patient medication information and the lab result being based on a lab test preformed on a toxicology sample of the patient, wherein the lab result includes data indicative of the presence of a drug in the toxicology sample;

store the lab result and a toxicology rule that evaluates the data indicative of the presence of the drug and the patient medication information;

produce a rules engine output that describes a relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information by analyzing the lab result with a rules engine, the rules engine including the toxicology rule; and

automatically generate a supplemental explanation report based on the lab result and the rules engine output, the supplemental explanation report including a plain language sentence that describes the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are structured to cause the computing device to receive data indicative of a verification of the lab result, wherein the data is entered by a verification scientist.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are structured to cause the computing device to receive the toxicology rule in a graphical format.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the instructions are structured to cause the computing device to receive subscription information from a physician, and display the supplemental explanation report to the physician.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the patient data includes data indicative of the patient'"'"'s age, height and weight data.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the lab test is for a drug-to-metabolite correlation.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the supplemental explanation report includes an explanation for an inconsistent lab result.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the plain language sentence describes at least one of:

(i) whether the lab result is inconsistent with the patient medication information or (ii) a potential reason for an inconsistency between the lab result and the patient medication information.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the patient medication information includes a prescription for the patient, and wherein the plain language sentence describes a relationship between the prescription and the lab result.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 21, wherein the relationship between the lab result and the patient medication information includes an indication of whether the lab result and the patent medication information are inconsistent.