Displaying an item of work in a workflow context

• US 8,768,741 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2009
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinton, Tommy L., Chamberlain, Jerald T., Collins, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett, Jonathan G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Swartz, Stephen S
• Application Number:
  US12/432,504
• Time in Patent Office: 1,889 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/7.13, 705/7.25, 705/7.27
• US Class Current: 705/7.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management

Abstract

A user interface for use in, e.g., a healthcare computing environment, for displaying an item of work in a workflow context associated with a particular resource is provided In one embodiment, the user interface includes a first workflow context display area configured to display a current workflow state of the item of work and at least one of a past workflow state and a potential future workflow state of the item of work. The user interface may further include a selectable workflow view indicator, whereby following the selectable workflow view indicator allows a user to navigate to a second workflow context display area configured to display an identity of at least one additional resource associated with the item of work and a status of the item of work as it pertains to the additional resource.

Claims

1. A method in a healthcare computing environment for displaying at least one clinical item of work in a workflow context associated with a plurality of resources, the method comprising:

receiving an information requiring an action;

generating, utilizing one or more computing devices, a first resource-specific item of work for a first resource requiring a first action by the first resource, in response to receiving the information requiring the action;

determining, utilizing one or more computing devices, a standard workflow for the information requiring the action, the standard workflow including the plurality of healthcare resources, wherein the standard workflow is determined utilizing standard procedural rules determined, at least in part, according to best practices of a healthcare environment;

displaying the first resource-specific clinical item of work in the workflow context of the determined standard workflow including a first current workflow state of the first resource-specific clinical item of work and at least one of a first past workflow state and a first potential future workflow state of the first resource-specific clinical item of work;

determining, utilizing the one or more computing devices, whether the first action by the first resource has been completed, wherein;

(1) when the action by the first resource has been completed, removing the first resource-specific item of work from the determined workflow;

generating a second resource-specific clinical item of work for a second resource requiring a second action by the second resource;

displaying the second resource specific clinical item of work in the workflow context of the determined standard workflow including a second current workflow state of the second resource-specific clinical item of work and at least one of a second past workflow state and a second potential future workflow state of the second resource-specific clinical item of work;

or

(2) when the action by the first resource has not been completed, determining that at least one exception clinical event has occurred that affects the first resource-specific clinical item of work, wherein the exception clinical event comprises an inaction by the first resource with respect to the first resource-specific clinical item of work;

generating, utilizing one or more computing devices, an escalated third resource-specific clinical item of work for a third resource requiring a third action by the third resource, in parallel with a fourth resource-specific clinical item of work for the first resource requiring a fourth action by the first resource;

displaying in parallel the escalated third resource-specific clinical item of work in the workflow context of the determined standard workflow including an escalated third current workflow state of the escalated third resource-specific clinical item of work and at least one of an escalated third past workflow state and an escalated third potential future workflow state of the escalated third resource-specific clinical item of work, and the fourth resource-specific clinical item of work in the workflow context of the determined workflow, wherein completion of the third action or the fourth action, removes both the escalated third resource-specific item of work and the fourth resource-specific item of work from the determined standard workflow.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed standard workflow includes an identity of the first, second, and third resources and a status of the respective resource-specific clinical item of work as it pertains to the first, second, and third resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed standard workflow is capable of being altered by an authorized user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third and fourth resource-specific items of work are selectable.

4. One or more non-transitory computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device having a processor and memory, cause the computing device to perform a method for displaying, in a healthcare computing environment, at least one clinical item of work in a workflow context associated with a particular resource, the method comprising:

receiving information requiring an action;

generating a first resource-specific item of work for the first resource requiring a first action by the first resource, in response to receiving the information requiring the action;

determining a standard workflow for the information requiring the action, the standard workflow including a plurality of healthcare resources, wherein the standard workflow is determined utilizing standard procedural rules determined, at least in part, according to best practices of a healthcare environment;

displaying the first resource-specific clinical item of work in the context of the determined standard workflow including a first current workflow state of the first resource-specific clinical item of work and at least one of a first past workflow state and a first potential future workflow state of the first resource-specific clinical item of work;

determining that at least one exception clinical event has occurred that affects the first resource-specific clinical item of work, wherein determining that at least one exception clinical event has occurred is based at least in part upon the first action or a first inaction of the first resource, wherein when the at least one exception clinical event is based on the first inaction;

generating an escalated second resource-specific clinical item of work for a second resource requiring a second action by the second resource, in parallel with a third resource-specific clinical item of work for the first resource requiring a third action by the first resource;

displaying the second resource-specific clinical item of work and the third resource-specific clinical item of work in the context of the determined standard workflow including a second current workflow state of the clinical item of work and at least one of a second past workflow state and a second potential future workflow state of the clinical item of work; and

wherein action taken on either the second resource-specific item of work or the third resource-specific item of work removes both the second resource-specific item of work or the third resource-specific item of work from the determined standard workflow.

5. The non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 4, wherein the displayed standard workflow context includes an identity of the first and second resources and a status of the information requiring the action as it pertains to the plurality of healthcare resources.

6. The non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 4, wherein the standard workflow is capable of being altered by an authorized user.

8. The non-transitory computer-storage media of claim 4, wherein the first, second, and third resource-specific items of work are selectable.

9. A method in a healthcare computing environment for displaying at least one clinical item of work in a workflow context associated with a plurality of resources comprising resources at a plurality of levels of escalation, the method comprising:

receiving a test result for a patient;

determining, utilizing one or more computing processes, a level of criticality of the test result;

determining, utilizing one or more computing processes, a workflow based on the determined criticality of the test result, wherein the workflow is determined utilizing standard procedural rules determined, at least in part, according to best practices of a healthcare environment;

generating, utilizing one or more computing processes, a first-resource specific item of work for a first plurality of resources at a first level of escalation requiring a first action;

notifying, utilizing one or more computing processes, the first plurality of resources of the test result and the required first action;

allowing the first plurality of resources to complete the first action in a first predetermined amount of time, wherein;

(1) when the first action has been completed in the allowed predetermined amount of time, the workflow is terminated and displaying the first resource specific item or work in a workflow context of the determined workflow;

or

(2) when the first action has not been completed in the allowed predetermined amount of time, determining if there is a level of escalation, wherein when there is a level of escalation;

a) generating, the utilizing one or more computing processes, a second resource-specific item of work for a second plurality of resources at a second level of escalation requiring a second action;

b) generating, the utilizing one or more computing processes, a third resource-specific item of work for the first plurality of resources, requiring a third action, in parallel with the second resource-specific item of work;

c) notifying, utilizing one or more computing processes, the second plurality of resources of the test result and the required second action, and notifying the first plurality of resources of the required third action; and

d) displaying the first, second, and third resource-specific items of work for the first and second plurality of resources in a workflow context of the determined workflow;

e) allowing the second plurality of resources and the first plurality of resources to complete the second action in a second predetermined amount of time; and

wherein the one or more computing processes are performed by one or more computing devices.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining a workflow based on the determined criticality of the test result comprises determining a number of levels of escalation available for the workflow.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein when a resource-specific item of work requiring an action is generated and the action is not completed within the allowed predetermined amount of time, escalating the workflow until all the number of levels of escalation have been exhausted.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein when the first action has not been completed in the allowed predetermined amount of time and there are no levels of escalation available, notifying the test result to the plurality of resources at the plurality of levels of escalation.

13. The method of claim 9, further generating, utilizing one or more computing processes, a third resource-specific item of work for the first plurality of resources, requiring a third action, in parallel with the second resource-specific item of work, wherein completion of the second action or the third action terminates the workflow.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein when a resource-specific item of work requiring an action is generated and the action is not completed within the allowed predetermined amount of time, escalating the workflow until all the plurality of resources all levels of escalation have been notified.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determined workflow is capable of being altered by an authorized user.