Methods, systems, and devices for managing transfer of medical files

• US 8,386,278 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2012
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• 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:
  US13/443,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20120197664A1
• Time in Patent Office: 322 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 of electronically transferring medical files from a source medical facility to a destination medical facility, the method comprising:

receiving by a computer system over a computer network an authorization message from a user access point system, the authorization message configured to permit electronic transmission of a first electronic medical file from a source computing system of the source medical facility to a destination computing system of the destination medical facility;

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

modifying or causing modification of by the computer system the first electronic medical file by removing the first patient identifier and replacing the first patient identifier in the first electronic medical file with a second patient identifier or otherwise associating the first electronic medical file with the second patient identifier, wherein the source computing system uses the first patient identifier for identifying a patient, and the destination computing system uses the second patient identifier for identifying the patient; and

transmitting electronically or causing the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file from a data store to a computing device of the destination computing system over the computer network,

wherein the computer system comprises a computer processor and an electronic storage medium.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user access point system is configured to be operated by the patient or a representative of the patient.

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

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is accessible by the source computing system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the computer system is accessible by the destination computing system.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a main server computing system comprises the computer system, and wherein the main server computing system is configured to control the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file by processing a request to electronically transmit the first electronic medical file from the source computing system to the destination computing system and by initiating the electronic transmission thereof.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising storing the first patient identifier and the second patient identifier in an electronic data repository, wherein the electronic data repository is configured to store a plurality of patient identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein electronic medical files in the source computing system are incompatible with the destination computing system, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises modifying by the computer system an electronic file format of the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computing system.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user access point system is a mobile device comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user access point system is a desktop computer comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.

11. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed computer 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 computer system, the method comprising:

receiving by the computer system over a computer network an authorization message from a user access point system, the authorization message configured to permit electronic transmission of a first electronic medical file from a source computing system to a destination computing system;

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

modifying or causing modification of by the computer system the first electronic medical file by removing the first patient identifier and replacing the first patient identifier in the first electronic medical file with a second patient identifier or otherwise associating the first electronic medical file with the second patient identifier, wherein the source computing system uses the first patient identifier for identifying a patient, and the destination computing system uses the second patient identifier for identifying the patient; and

transmitting electronically or causing the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file from a data store to a computing device of the destination computing system over the computer network,

wherein the computer system comprises a computer processor and an electronic storage medium.

12. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user access point system is configured to be operated by the patient or a representative of the patient.

13. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computer system comprises one or more computer systems.

14. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computer system is accessible by the source computing system.

15. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the computer system is accessible by the destination computing system.

16. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein a main server computing system comprises the computer system, and wherein the main server computing system is configured to control the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file by processing a request to electronically transmit the first electronic medical file from the source computing system to the destination computing system and by initiating the electronic transmission thereof.

17. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises storing the first patient identifier and the second patient identifier in an electronic data repository, wherein the electronic data repository is configured to store a plurality of patient identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities.

18. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein electronic medical files in the source computing system are incompatible with the destination computing system, and wherein the method further comprises modifying by the computer system an electronic file format of the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computing system.

19. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user access point system is a mobile device comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.

20. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 11, wherein the user access point system is a desktop computer comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.

21. A computer system for electronically transferring medical files from a source medical facility to a destination medical facility, the computer system comprising:

an electronic memo storage configured to store modules; and

a computer processor configured to execute the modules comprising at least;

an authorization module programmed to receive over a computer network an authorization message from a user access point system, the authorization message configured to permit electronic transmission of a first electronic medical file from a source computing system to a destination computing system;

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

a modification module programmed to modify or cause modification of the first electronic medical file by removing the first patient identifier and replacing the first patient identifier in the first electronic medical file with a second patient identifier or otherwise associating the first electronic medical file with the second patient identifier, wherein the source computing system uses the first patient identifier for identifying a patient, and the destination computing system uses the second patient identifier for identifying the patient; and

a transfer module programmed to transmit electronically or cause the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file from the source computing system to a computing device of the destination computing system over the computer network.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the user access point system is configured to be operated by the patient or a representative of the patient.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the storage computer system is accessible by the source computing system.

24. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the storage computer system is accessible by the destination computing system.

25. The computer system of claim 21, wherein a main server computing system comprises the storage computer system, and wherein the main server computing system is configured to control the electronic transmission of the first electronic medical file by processing a request to electronically transmit the first electronic medical file from the source computing system to the destination computing system and by initiating the electronic transmission thereof.

26. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the source computing system uses a different patient identification system than the destination computing system.

27. The computer system of claim 21, further comprising an electronic data repository configured to store the first patient identifier and the second patient identifier, wherein the electronic data repository is further configured to store a plurality of patient identifiers associated with the patient at a plurality of medical facilities.

28. The computer system of claim 21, wherein electronic medical files in the source computing system are incompatible with the destination computing system, and wherein the computer processor is further configured to execute a conversion module programmed to modify an electronic file format of the first electronic medical file to make the first electronic medical file compatible with the destination computing system.

29. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the user access point system is a mobile device comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.

30. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the user access point system is a desktop computer comprising an interface module configured to display output data and to receive input data for transmission over the computer network to the computer system.