Healthcare communication and workflow management system and method

• US 8,571,884 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2008
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aionex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Aionex, Inc.
• Inventors: Badgett, Becky, Rodgers, Jeremy, Smith, Lee, Freemyer, Curt
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Neha
• Application Number:
  US12/139,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20090313046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

A communication and workflow management system and method is provided for integrating a wide range of health care organization workflow management functions, generated by automated systems, manual and automated events associated with patients and staff interactions, through input-output devices such that requests and dispatch requests can be handled locally or over a widely distributed network, and can be tracked and escalated as required. The invention features a rules engine and database that identifies and defines resources, patients, tasks, and task handling. The invention uses extensive logic for the assignment of tasks and communication with resources that can execute tasks, tracking, completion of task, and escalation of tasks. The communication system can be integrated with staff and equipment tracking for automated closure of tasks.

Claims

1. A system for managing workflow of a healthcare facility, comprising:

(a) a computer network, comprising at least two computers, that receives an invocation condition over a healthcare facility information network, said invocation condition having one or more associated task requests, wherein said invocation condition is triggered by a monitored medical device reaching a pre-determined monitored medical device reading threshold;

(b) where the computer network identifies a plurality of staffers, each having associated qualifications to respond to one or more task requests, a physical location and a workload, wherein information about the qualifications, physical location and workload of said staffers is stored in a database located in an electronically readable media within the computer network;

(c) where the computer network automatically associates patient information with the one or more task requests, and where the patient information comprises a patient name, a room number, a monitored medical device reading, and a summary of relevant patient allergic condition, wherein the patient information is stored in a database comprising a transactional database and a federated data model, and where the federated data model stores current processes and data, and where the federated data model purges historical data;

(d) where the computer network assigns one or more primary staffers to complete the task request, wherein the primary staffers assigned to the task request are determined at least in part by the qualifications, physical location and workload of the primary staffers;

(e) where the computer network communicates the task request to the assigned primary staffers;

(f) where the computer network assigns a primary escalation timer value based at least in part on the nature of the task request and starts the primary escalation timer;

(g) where the computer network tracks progress towards completion of the task request;

(h) where the computer network escalates the task request if the task request is not completed by the end of the primary escalation timer by notifying one or more secondary staffers of the uncompleted task request and a secondary escalation timer value is assigned and started as part of such notification;

(i) where the computer network further escalates the task request by notifying one or more tertiary staffers of the uncompleted task request if the task request is not completed by the end of the secondary escalation timer;

(j) where the computer network repeats step (i) until the task request is completed; and

(k) where the computer network documents the completion of the task request by storing the documentation in an electronically readable media within the computer network.

2. The system of claim 1, where the task request comprises a patient request.

3. The system of claim 1, where the task request comprises a housekeeping request.

4. The system of claim 1, where the task request comprises a dietary request.

5. The system of claim 1, where the system monitors staffer locations with an asset tracking system.

6. The system of claim 1, where escalation of the task request comprises a reminder message to the same qualified staffers originally notified of the task request.

7. The system of claim 1, where escalation of the task request comprises notification of supervisory personnel.

8. The system of claim 1, where documenting the completion of the task request stored electronically in said database for later analysis.

9. The system of claim 1, where the workflow of the healthcare facility is managed from a geographically remote patient response center.

10. A method for managing workflow of a healthcare facility comprising:

(a) storing, by a computer network comprising at least two computers, patient data and staffer data in a database comprising a transactional database and a federated data model, said staffer data comprising qualifications to respond to a plurality of tasks, physical location and workload associated with a plurality of staffers wherein the federated data model stores current processes and data and purges historical data;

(b) storing, by the computer network, a plurality of tasks in a rules engine, said rules engine in communication with said database and in communication with one or more application bindings;

(c) automatically associating, by the computer network, the patient data with the task request, and where the patient data comprises a patient name, a room number, a monitored medical device reading, and a summary of relevant patient allergic conditions;

(d) receiving, by the computer network, in the rules engine from an application binding an invocation condition associated with one or more of said tasks, where the invocation condition is triggered by a monitored medical device reaching a pre-determined threshold;

(e) assigning, by the computer network, one or more qualified primary staffers to said task based on said qualifications, physical location and workload of the primary staffers;

(f) communicating, by the computer network, said task to one or more qualified primary staffers;

(g) monitoring, by the computer network, if the task is completed by the primary staffer in a first predefined amount of time;

(h) escalating, by the computer network, the task by notifying one or more qualified secondary staffers of the uncompleted task if the task is not completed by the end of the first predefined amount of time and monitoring if the task request is completed by the one or more secondary staffers within a second predefined amount of time;

(i) further escalating, by the computer network, the task by notifying one or more qualified tertiary staffers of the uncompleted task if the task is not completed within the second predefined amount of time and repeating this step (h) until the task is completed;

(j) documenting, by the computer network, the completion of the task request by storing the documentation in an electronically readable media within the computer network.

11. The method of claim 10, where the secondary staffers of (h) are selected based on at least qualifications and other active tasks assigned to the secondary staffers.