Systems and methods for workflow processing

• US 9,477,809 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James G. Marx
• Original Assignee: James G. Marx
• Inventors: Marx, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reyes, Reginald R
• Application Number:
  US12/343,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20090172036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,863 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• 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 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing a workflow are disclosed. Certain embodiments allow prescreened data to be inserted into a workflow. A user'"'"'s interpretation of prescreened data can be compared with previously obtained characteristics, enabling the user'"'"'s interpretive output to be monitored and improved. The disclosed systems and methods have applications including, but not limited to, training, performance analysis, process improvement, and data analysis and data mining in workflows.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing workflow data generated by inspection systems, the workflow data comprising training for users of a method, data analysis, performance analysis, data mining, or quality control systems for the workflow data, the inspection systems including a plurality of inspection devices comprising image modalities, each modality generating unscreened data comprising one or more patient medical image files, the method comprising:

with a computing system comprising one or more computing devices, the computing devices comprising;

a plurality of inspection devices comprising a plurality of image modalities each modality generating unscreened data comprising one or more patient medical image files;

an unscreened data coordinator for combining the unscreened data from the image modalities and generating a workflow;

a server comprising;

a distribution module, and

a data evaluation module;

the server configured to access the workflow of the unscreened data, the workflow comprising a plurality of sets of the unscreened data, each set comprising the one or more patient medical image files;

the distribution module configured to distribute the workflow of the unscreened data to one or more workstations, each workstation, comprising;

a display for providing notifications or alerts to a user, and

a user input device,

the user comprising an interpreter of the unscreened data, the user providing interpretative data to the workstation via the user input device;

the data evaluation module comprising a processor configured to execute instructions to carry out the method, comprising;

receiving, from an interpreter'"'"'s workstation, the interpretive data created by the interpreter during review of a set of the one or more patient medical image files that have not been previously reviewed by the interpreter, wherein the interpretive data comprises a textual characterization of structures or findings that the interpreter observed in the set of the one or more patient medical image files;

storing in the data evaluation module a plurality of keywords that are commonly literally found in the textual characterization within the interpretive data, the keywords associated with the one or more patient medical image files;

associating each keyword with a rank;

parsing text in the interpretive data for keywords, wherein the keywords are indicative of a degree of richness of the structures or findings, the degree of richness reflecting a degree of seriousness, abnormality, rarity, criticality, and/or difficulty of characterization;

accessing keywords and associated scores or ranks stored in the data evaluation module;

comparing the parsed keywords with the accessed keywords;

applying a numerical ranking algorithm to the interpretive data based on a comparison of the parsed keywords and the associated score or rank for each keyword, such that an aggregated numerical rank is assigned to the set of the one or more patient medical image files, wherein the algorithm is configured to assign a smaller rank when the characterization indicates normal structures or a lack of findings and an increasingly larger rank to increasingly rich structural variants or findings;

generating an aggregate rank for the interpreter for the plurality of sets of the one or more patient medical image files based on the assigned rank; and

based on the aggregate rank for all interpreters using the computing system, cause the unscreened data coordinator to adjust the workflow of the inspection systems by halting the inspection or adjusting a rate of inspection from the imaging modalities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a large rank is a low number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the ranking algorithm assigns the rank by accounting for a context of the one or more patient medical image files.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the aggregate rank is related to an arithmetic sum, a moving average, or some other aggregation of the rank over time.

5. A computing system for processing workflow data generated by an inspection system for distribution to a plurality of users, the inspection system comprising a plurality of inspection devices for generating unscreened data comprising one or more patient medical image files comprising:

a server configured to access a workflow of a plurality of sets of unscreened data, each set comprising the one or more patient medical image files, the server configured to be in electronic communication with a plurality of entities requesting review of the workflow data;

an unscreened data coordinator for combining the unscreened data from the inspection system and generating the workflow;

a distribution module configured to distribute the workflow of the unscreened data to one or more workstations, each workstation comprising;

a display for providing notification or alerts to a user, and a user input device, the user comprising an interpreter of the unscreened data, the user providing interpretative data to the workstation via the user input device;

a receiver configured to receive, from an interpreter'"'"'s workstation, the interpretive data created by the interpreter during review of a set of the one or more patient medical image files that have not been previously reviewed by the interpreter, wherein the interpretive data comprises a characterization of structures or findings that the interpreter observed in the set of the one or more patient medical image files;

a parser configured to parse text in the interpretive data for keywords associated with the one or more patient medical image files, wherein the keywords are indicative of a degree of richness of the interpreter'"'"'s observed structures or findings, the degree of richness reflecting a degree of seriousness, abnormality, rarity, criticality, and/or difficulty of characterization, the parser configured to compare the parsed keywords with previously stored anticipated keywords, each anticipated keyword having a previously stored and associated rank;

a ranking processor in a data evaluation module configured to apply a numerical ranking algorithm to the interpretive data based on the parsed keywords and the associated rank for each respective keyword, such that a numerical rank is assigned to the set of the one or more patient medical image files reviewed by the interpreter, wherein the algorithm is configured to assign a smaller rank when the characterization indicates normal structures or a lack of findings and an increasingly larger rank to increasingly rich structural variants or findings;

an aggregator configured to generate an aggregate rank for the interpreter for the plurality of sets of the one or more patient medical image files based on the assigned rank; and

an output processor configured to perform the following,

if the rank is large, automatically transmit, to a requesting entity'"'"'s computer, another computer accessible by the requesting entity'"'"'s computer, or another computer accessible by the requesting entity, based on the rank, a first electronic communication concerning the richness of the interpretive data on an urgent basis, and

based on the aggregate rank for all interpreters using the computing system, causing the unscreened data coordinator to adjust the workflow of the inspection system by halting the inspection or adjusting a rate of inspection from the imaging modalities.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the output processor is configured to transmit the first electronic communication during the interpreter'"'"'s review of the set of the one or more patient medical image files.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the output processor is configured to transmit the first electronic communication after the interpreter'"'"'s review of the set of the one or more patient medical image files.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein a large rank is a low number.

9. The system of claim 5, further comprising another receiver configured to receive an electronic acknowledgment of the first electronic communication.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising

a watcher configured to watch for the electronic acknowledgment,

wherein the output processor is further configured to transmit a second electronic communication concerning a richness of the interpretive data when the electronic acknowledgment is not received within a time period.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the output processor is configured to transmit the second electronic communication using a different communication medium than the first electronic communication.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the output processor is configured to transmit the first electronic communication when the rank exceeds a threshold indicating a sufficiently serious, abnormal, rare, critical, and/or difficulty to characterize condition.

13. The system of claim 5, wherein the ranking processor is configured to assign the rank by accounting for the context of the set of the one or more patient medical image files.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the aggregate rank is related to an arithmetic sum, a moving average, or some other aggregation of the rank over time.