Medical vital sign indication tool, system and method

• US 8,550,996 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hospital For SICK Children
• Original Assignee: Hospital For SICK Children
• Inventors: Parshuram, Christopher Sushil, Middaugh, Kristen Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomson, Bill
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORIANO, BOBBY GILES
• Application Number:
  US12/669,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,901 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

A vital sign evaluation tool (100, 200, 300) for evaluating a measure of severity of illness associated with a patient is provided, where the tool comprises a displayed grid (102) divided into a plurality of coded regions (104 to 106, 206, 306) each assigned to a vital sign associated with the patient. Each of the plurality of coded regions are scaled according to one of a plurality of age ranges (136, 202, 302) associated with the patient and adapted to generate a score value corresponding to a measurement of the vital sign. The score value within the plurality of the coded regions is summed to produce a total score (156), where the total score is adapted to provide an indication of the severity of illness of the patient.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of determining a measure associated with a severity of illness of a patient, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, information indicating the age of the patient;

receiving, by the computer, measurement data pertaining to the patient, the measurement data comprising a plurality of vital signs including respiratory rate, heart rate, respiratory effort, oxygen therapy, capillary refill time, transcutaneous oxygen saturation, and systolic blood pressure;

determining, by the computer, for each vital sign a set of ranges, wherein each range has associated therewith a score value based on a severity of illness, and wherein the upper and lower bounds of each range are determined based on the age of the patient;

processing, by the computer, the measurement data to identify, for each vital sign, a corresponding range and a corresponding score value, thereby obtaining a set of score values; and

processing, by the computer, the set of score values and calculating a total score associated with a severity of illness of the patient.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the score value comprises an integer value that increases based on the vital sign deviating from normality.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the total score comprises an integer value that increases based on an increase in the severity of illness.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising processing the total score to determine one or more care recommendations.

5. The method according to claim 4 wherein the one or more care recommendations comprise admission of the patient to an intensive care unit (ICU) based on the total score exceeding a pre-determined threshold.

6. The method according to claim 4 wherein the one or more care recommendations comprise the scheduling of a patient assessment.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising processing the total score to predict the occurrence of an adverse event.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising processing the total score to determine a resource allocation recommendation.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising processing a plurality of total scores associated with a plurality of patients to determine a resource allocation recommendation.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the resource allocation recommendation comprises a determination of medical staffing needs.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the determination of medical staffing needs comprises a determination of a number of nurses.

12. The method according to claim 1 further comprising determining, based on the total score, a designated time interval for subsequent documentation of the set of measurements for the patient.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the designated time interval is determined, at least in part, based on whether or not the total score is obtained as an initial determination of the total score or as a subsequent determination of the total score.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the designated time interval is determined, at least in part, based on whether or not the total score has deviated from a previous determination of the total score.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising calculating the total score at multiple times during a time interval.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising processing the total scores obtained at multiple times to determine, based on changes in the total score, a measure of the severity of illness based on changes in the total score.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the total score is calculated at pre-determined time intervals.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein one or more of the pre-determined time intervals are determined based on the total score.

19. The method according to claim 15 further comprising evaluating a variation in score value for at least one vital sign based on score value calculated at pre-determined time intervals.

20. The method according to claim 1 further comprising evaluating a medical condition indication associated with the patient based on the variation in the score value.

21. The method according to claim 1 further comprising displaying the measurement data on a grid.

22. The method according to claim 21 wherein the grid comprises a chronological axis that is adapted to for displaying the score value at one or more times during a time period.

23. The method according to claim 21 wherein the grid comprises a plurality of color-coded sections associated with each vital sign, and wherein each color-coded section has a score value associated therewith.

24. The method according to claim 23 wherein each one of the plurality of color-coded sections comprises at least one color-coded row.

25. The method according to claim 1 wherein the upper and lower bounds of the each range are customized for pediatric patients.

26. The method according to claim 1 wherein one or more vital sign measurement devices are operatively coupled to the patient, and wherein the measurement data is received by a processing device connected to the one or more vital sign measurement devices.

27. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

generating a response based on the total score; and

transmitting the response to at least one mobile computing device.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein the at least one mobile computing device includes a mobile communications device.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein the at least one mobile computing device includes an additional monitoring device.