Medical care administration system and method

• US 8,930,206 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 01/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Remedi Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Remedi Technology Holdings, LLC
• Inventors: DiMaggio, John, Guth, Paul, Friar, Timothy, Kerr, Robert, Russo, Michael, Spiers, Bonnie, Drasin, Daniel, Romick, Jerome, Stutz, John Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): SEOH, MINNAH L
• Application Number:
  US11/788,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010089A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,818 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 705/8, 70 2- 3, 70/8
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A medical care administration system that continuously provides accurate identifications of what medical care orders are due for administration in a medical care facility. The system uses a services oriented architecture to provide an interface with a pharmacy. The architecture provides message formats and respective data definitions in a web services descriptive language. Thus, data relating to medical care orders may be stored in a relational database in normative format of definitions that is independent of known pharmacy codes and definitions. With the system, all written orders are sent to a pharmacy by facsimile copy and returned to the care facility in electronic form for comparison with the written order. The system further provides a user interface that leads a person through an administration process and simplifies creation of an electronic administration record.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating an administration of medical care comprising:

receiving an order for medical care using an application server;

storing, in a relational database of an administration computer which includes each order for medical care data relating to an identity of a person which is to receive the medical care, an identity of one of a pharmaceutical and a treatment, an order start date, a frequency of administration, an administration interval start time, an administration interval stop time and a duration of the order for medical care, the relational database being in electrical communication with the application server, the data permitting a determination, for each order, of a plurality of administration windows during which medical care in the order is to be administered over the duration of the order;

synchronizing the relational database of the administration computer in response to establishing connectivity to a data synchronization server; and

calculating, with the administration computer and for the person which is to receive the medical care, a current administration requirement of the medical care using data from the relational database, the calculating being repeatedly performed at each administration interval start time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

producing the order in written form for medical care within a medical care facility;

providing the written order for medical care to a pharmacy by facsimile transmission;

converting the written order for medical care to an electronic pharmacy order for medical care;

receiving an electronic pharmacy order for medical care with the application server, the electronic pharmacy order being created in response to the written order;

storing in the relational database first data that may be used to generate an electronic administration record of the medical care order in response to receiving the electronic pharmacy order;

transmitting the first data to a computer in the medical care facility;

comparing the first data with the written order for medical care;

accepting the first data as accurately representing the written order for medical care.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein after the step of receiving the electronic pharmacy order, the method further comprises transforming with the application server the electronic pharmacy order for medical care into the first data having a normative format of standard definitions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein after the accepting step, the method further comprises:

providing the first data to an administration cart computer; and

generating with the administration cart computer second data relating to a charting of an administration of the medical care order;

providing the second data to the application server; and

storing the second data in the relational database.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the method further comprises:

generating an electronic administration record in response to the first data.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the method further comprises:

generating an electronic administrative record in response to the first data and the second data.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein all data relating to the written medical care order is provided to the pharmacy by only facsimile transmission.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein all data relating to the electronic pharmacy order is provided only from the pharmacy to the application server.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein no data relating to the written medical care order is provided from the application server to the pharmacy.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

producing the medical care order in written form within a medical care facility;

providing the written medical care order to a pharmacy by facsimile transmission;

generating an electronic pharmacy medical care order in response to the written medical care order;

receiving the electronic pharmacy medical care order with an application server;

generating in response to a user input a first screen display on a first computer in the medical care facility, the first display permitting a selection of a temporary order entry relating to one of a medication order, a non-medication order and a new admittance;

generating, in response to an input selecting the temporary order entry display a series of further screen displays permitting an entry of data relating the temporary order entry; and

generating a further display permitting an acceptance of the temporary order entry.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein in response to an input selecting the acceptance of the temporary order entry, the method further comprises:

transmitting the data relating to the temporary order entry to the application server;

storing the data relating to the temporary order entry in the relational database; and

transmitting the data relating to the temporary order entry to a second computer in the medical care facility operable during an administration of the medical care order.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

transmitting a facsimile copy of the data relating to the temporary order entry to the pharmacy.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

producing a second written medical care order within the medical care facility relating to the temporary order entry;

providing the second written medical care order to a pharmacy by facsimile transmission;

generating an electronic second pharmacy medical care order in response to the second written medical care order;

receiving the second electronic pharmacy medical care order with the application server;

storing in the relational database second data that may be used to generate an electronic administration record of the second written medical care order in response to receiving the second electronic pharmacy medical care order;

generating a screen display of the first computer permitting an acceptance of the second data representing the second written medical care order; and

transmitting the second data to the second computer to replace the data relating to the temporary order entry.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing with a services oriented architecture one message format for the medical care order and data definitions for the one message format using a web services description language;

creating with the administration computer associated with a pharmacy an electronic pharmacy order for the medical care order using the one message format and the data definitions;

receiving the electronic pharmacy order for the medical care order with an application server;

transforming with the application server the electronic pharmacy order for the medical care order to first data in a normative format of definitions derived from the one message format and the data definitions; and

storing the first data in the relational database, the first data being usable to generate an associated electronic administration record.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising providing with the services oriented architecture message formats for one of a medication order, a non-medication order, a discontinue and void order, a resident demographics order, a physician demographics order and an administration override order.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing with the services oriented architecture message formats for each of a medication order, a non-medication order, a discontinue and void order, a resident demographics order, a physician demographics order and an administration override order.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, in response to storing the data for the medical care order, start and stop times of a first administration interval with respect to the order start date;

calculating a number of start times of respective administration intervals occurring between the order start date and a first time after storing the data for the order for medical care;

calculating a number of stop times of respective administration intervals occurring between the order start date and the first time;

comparing the number of start times to the number of stop times; and

determining that the medical care order is due for administration at the first time in response to the number of start times not being substantially equal to the number of stop times.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a human perceptible output in response to determining that the order for medical care is due for administration.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising determining that the order for medical care is not due for administration at the first time in response to the number of start times being substantially equal to the number of stop times.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

storing data representing a change in the order for medical care; and

iterating the steps following the storing in a database step in response to storing the data representing the change in the order for medical care.

21. The method of claim 17 further comprising iterating the steps at periodic intervals after the first time.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the periodic intervals are variable.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the periodic intervals are fixed.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the periodic intervals are measured in one of seconds, minutes and hours.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

storing in an orders table for each order for medical care data relating to an order identity, a frequency of administration identity, an order start date, an identity of a person to receive a respective order for medical care, an identity of one of a pharmaceutical and a treatment, and other data relating to the order;

storing in a frequency elements table for each order identity data relating to a frequency element identity, and a frequency definition element identity;

storing in a frequency definition elements table for each frequency of administration identity data relating to a frequency definition element identity, an administration start time, an administration stop time and a repeat interval; and

storing in a frequency definition table data relating to each frequency of administration identity.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the data relating to the repeat interval comprises data relating to a repeat interval as measured in hours.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the data relating to the repeat interval comprises data relating to a repeat interval as measured in months.

28. The method of claim 25 further comprising assigning respective global universal identities to the order identity, the frequency of administration identity, the identity of a person to receive a respective order for medical care, the frequency element identity, and the frequency definition element identity, the respective global universal identities being used in different tables.

29. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating with the administration computer a first screen display identifying persons in the medical care facility currently requiring administrations of respective medical care orders;

generating with the administration computer and in response to a first person being selected from the first screen display, a second screen display having a display portion identifying the first person;

a first display area identifying medical care orders currently due for administration to the first person,

a first button display for selecting a first medical care order,

a second display area identifying medical care orders selected for administration, the second display area identifying the first medical care order in response to the first button display being selected, and upon the first medical care order being identified in the second display area, the first medical care order ceases to be identified in the first display area,

a second button display for selecting the first medical care order as being administered,

a third display area identifying medical care orders ready for charting, the third display area identifying the first medical care order in response to the second button display being selected, and upon the first medical care order being identified in the third display area, it ceases to be identified in the second display area, and

a third button display for updating electronic administration records for respective medical care orders identified in the third display area.

30. An apparatus for providing data used to generate an electronic administration record of a medical care order created in a medical care facility comprising:

a facsimile machine in the medical care facility adapted to transmit by facsimile copy a written medical care order to a pharmacy;

an application server adapted to receive an electronic pharmacy medical care order corresponding to the written medical care order;

a database server connectable to the application server and comprising a relational database adapted to store first data adapted to correspond to the electronic pharmacy medical care order, the first data information relating to medical care orders, and for each medical care order, the first data relating to an identity of a person to receive a respective medical care order, an identity of one of a medication and a treatment, an order start date, a frequency of administration, an administration interval start time, an administration interval stop time and a duration of the order for medical care;

a wireless network connectable to the applications server; and

an administration computer connectable to the application server via the wireless network for receiving the first data from, and providing second data to, the relational database and synchronizing the relational database of the administration computer in response to reestablishing connectivity to a data synchronization server,

the administration computer calculating, for the person which is to receive the medical care, a current administration requirement of the medical care using data from the relational database, the calculating being repeatedly performed at each administration interval start time.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

a display screen in electronic communication with the administration computer and being operable to present on the display screen a first display permitting a comparison between the first data and the written order for medical care, and

a second display permitting an acceptance of the first data as accurately representing the written order for medical care.

32. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

a pharmacy computer adapted to store an electronic pharmacy order for the medical care order;

wherein the application server is adapted to receive the electronic pharmacy order from the pharmacy computer;

wherein the relational database is in electronic communications with the application server and adapted to store first data corresponding to the electronic pharmacy order;

a display screen in electronic communication with the administration computer and being operable to present on the display screen

a first display permitting a selection of a temporary order entry relating to one of a medication order, a non-medication order and a new admittance;

a series of further displays permitting an entry of data relating the temporary order entry, and

a further display permitting an acceptance of the temporary order entry.

33. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

a website accessible by the pharmacy for storing a message format for the medical care order and data definitions for the message format using a web services description language; and

first data generated by the application server having a normative format of definitions derived from the one message format and the data definitions.

34. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the administration computer repeatedly executes the independent calculations for each respective medical care order over a duration starting before an order start and ending at a respective order end date.

35. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the relational database comprises:

an orders table for storing for each medical care order data relating to an order identity, a frequency of administration identity, an order start date, an identity of a person to receive a respective medical care order, an identity of one of a pharmaceutical and a treatment, and other data relating to the respective medical care order;

a frequency elements table for storing for each order identity data relating to a frequency element identity, and a frequency definition element identity;

a frequency definition elements table for storing for each frequency of administration identity data relating to a frequency definition element identity, an administration start time, an administration stop time and a repeat interval; and

a frequency definition table for storing data relating to each frequency of administration identity.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 wherein the data relating to the repeat interval comprises data relating to a repeat interval as measured in hours.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 wherein the data relating to the repeat interval comprises data relating to a repeat interval as measured in months.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the data relating to the order identity, the frequency of administration identity, the identity of a person to receive a respective medical care order, the frequency element identity, the frequency definition element identity are data having a global universal identity.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein at least one of an identity of a person to receive a respective medical care order, an order identity, a frequency of administration identity, a frequency element identity and a frequency definition element identity are assigned a global universal identification.

40. The apparatus of claim 30 further comprising:

a first screen display generated by the administration computer and identifying persons in the medical care facility currently requiring administrations of respective medical care orders,

a second screen display in response to an input provided by a first person being selected from the first screen display, the second screen display comprising

a display portion identifying the first person;

a first display area identifying medical care orders currently due for administration to the first person,

a first button display for selecting a first medical care order for administration,

a second display area identifying medical care orders selected for administration,

the second display area identifying the first medical care order in response to the first button display being selected, and upon the first medical care order being identified in the second display area, the first medical care order ceases to be identified in the first display area,

a second button display for selecting the first medical care order as being administered,

a third display area identifying medical care orders ready for charting, the third display area identifying the first medical care order in response to the second button display being selected, and upon the first medical care order being identified in the third display area, it ceases to be identified in the second display area, and

a third button display for updating electronic administration records for respective medical care orders identified in the third display area.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the first button display is part of a display of one of the medical care orders identified in the first display area, and the first display button being effective to select the one of the medical care orders.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein the first button display is part of the first display area, and the first display button being effective to select all of the medical care orders identified in the first display area.