Method and system for authenticating and monitoring home health interactions

• US 9,703,931 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2013
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jennifer M. Hinkel
• Original Assignee: Jennifer M. Hinkel
• Inventors: Hinkel, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEP VAN
• Application Number:
  US13/911,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20130332197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 705 3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system uses a multi-pass authentication method to authenticate the presence of a health care provider co-located with an assigned patient at a specific time and in a specific place that includes a data reader and transmitter with particular capabilities held by the health care provider, a token held by the patient, and a back-end database and internet-based interface. The system includes an object that includes a wirelessly detectable patient identification (ID) and an electronic device. The electronic device includes a provider ID and is configured to receive the patient ID from the object, retrieve, from a database, healthcare intervention data. The electronic device selectively locks and unlocks access to clinical data recording functions of the electronic device based on the healthcare intervention data.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a provider electronic device, of securing access to and recording of healthcare information related to a healthcare intervention, the method comprising:

receiving, by a provider electronic device held by a healthcare provider and having an associated provider identification (ID) that identifies the healthcare provider, a patient ID that identifies a patient, from a wireless identification enabled object held by the patient, wherein the provider electronic device includes an enabled software lock that prohibits the healthcare provider from using the provider electronic device to access, receive, or transmit any healthcare information concerning the patient'"'"'s healthcare intervention;

receiving, from global positioning system (GPS) circuitry associated with the provider electronic device, a location signal that identifies a current location of the provider electronic device;

retrieving, from a database, healthcare intervention data that includes expected time criteria, an expected patient ID, an expected provider ID for a healthcare intervention to be performed on an expected patient associated with the expected patient ID, and expected location criteria identifying where the healthcare intervention is to be performed;

receiving a time signal that identifies a current time at the current location of the provider electronic device;

if the received patient ID does not match the expected patient ID, the provider ID associated with the provider electronic device does not match the expected provider ID, the current location is not within the expected location criteria, or the current time is not within the expected time criteria;

maintaining the software lock on the provider electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generating an exception report; and

generating a message that informs a third party of the exception report; and

only if the received patient ID matches the expected patient ID, the provider electronic device'"'"'s associated provider ID matches the expected provider ID, the current location is within the expected location criteria, and the current time is within the expected time criteria, disengaging the software lock on the provider electronic device to permit the recording of clinical data and completion of the healthcare intervention.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the expected time criteria includes a scheduled time, a scheduled duration, and a scheduled location for the scheduled healthcare intervention.

3. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

if the scheduled time from the healthcare intervention data does not match the current time;

maintaining the software lock on the provider electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generating an exception report; and

generating a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

4. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

determining, by the provider electronic device, a current location of the provider electronic device; and

if the current location does not match the scheduled location from the healthcare intervention data;

maintaining the software lock on the provider electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generating an exception report; and

generating a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

5. The method according to claim 2 further comprising, after disengaging the software lock:

periodically determining, by the provider electronic device, a current duration for the scheduled healthcare intervention;

if the current duration is longer than the scheduled duration

maintaining the software lock on the provider electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generating an exception report; and

generating a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein periodically determining the current duration comprises determining an amount of time that has elapsed since the scheduled time of the scheduled healthcare intervention.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein periodically determining the current duration comprises determining an amount of time that has elapsed since the patient ID was scanned by the provider electronic device.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising, after disengaging the lock, recording clinical data by performing the scheduled healthcare intervention.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising transmitting one or more data messages to the database, the one or more data messages including one or more of a current time, a start time, a current location, a current duration, and the clinical data.

10. An electronic device for securing access to and recording of healthcare information related to a healthcare intervention, the device comprising:

a processor;

a network interface;

a short-range communications component;

global positioning system (GPS) circuitry associated with the electronic device; and

a computer readable medium for storing a provider identification (ID) that identifies a healthcare provider and program instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to;

enable a software lock that prohibits the healthcare provider from using the electronic device to access, receive, or transmit any healthcare information concerning the patient'"'"'s healthcare intervention;

receive a patient ID that identifies a patient from a wireless identification enabled object held by the patient using the short-range communications component;

receive, from the GPS circuitry associated with the electronic device, a location signal that identifies a current location of the electronic device;

retrieve, from a database, healthcare intervention data that includes an expected patient ID, an expected provider ID for a scheduled healthcare intervention to be performed on an expected patient associated with the expected patient ID, and expected location criteria identifying where the healthcare intervention is to be performed;

receive a time signal that identifies a current time at the current location of the electronic device,

authenticate the healthcare interaction by determining whether the received patient ID matches the expected patient ID, whether the provider ID matches the expected provider ID, whether the current location is within the expected location criteria, and whether the current time is within the expected time criteria,

if the expected patient ID does not match the received patient ID, the expected provider ID does not match the stored provider ID, the current location is not within the expected location criteria, or the current time is not within the expected time criteria;

maintaining the software lock on the electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generate an exception report; and

generate and transmit via the network interface a message that informs a third party of the exception report; and

only if the expected patient ID matches the received patient ID, the expected provider ID matches the stored provider ID, the current location is within the expected location criteria, and the current time is within the expected time criteria, disengage the software lock on the electronic device to permit the recording of clinical data and completion of the healthcare intervention.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein expected time criteria further includes a scheduled time, a scheduled duration, and a scheduled location for the scheduled healthcare intervention.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

if the scheduled time does not match the current time;

maintaining the software lock on the electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generate an exception report; and

generate and transmit via the network interface a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

determine a current location of the electronic device; and

if the current location does not match the scheduled location;

maintaining the software lock on the electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generate an exception report; and

generate and transmit via the network interface a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

14. The device according to claim 11, wherein the program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

periodically determine a current duration for the scheduled healthcare intervention;

if the current duration is longer than the scheduled duration;

maintaining the software lock on the electronic device that prevents the recording of clinical data;

generate an exception report; and

generate and transmit via the network interface a message that informs a third party of the exception report.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the instructions to determine the current duration comprise instructions to determine an amount of time that has elapsed since the scheduled time of the scheduled healthcare intervention.

16. The device according to claim 14 wherein the instructions to determine the current duration comprise instructions to determine an amount of time that has elapsed since the patient ID was scanned by the electronic device.

17. The device according to claim 10 further comprising additional program instructions that, when executed after the lock is disengaged, cause the processor to receive and record clinical data for the scheduled healthcare intervention.

18. The device according to claim 17, further comprising additional the program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to transmit, through the network interface, one or more data messages to the database, the one or more data messages including one or more of a current time, a start time, a current location, a current duration, and the clinical data.

19. A system, comprising:

an object to be held by a patient that includes a wirelessly detectable patient identification (ID); and

a global positioning system (GPS) capable electronic device, that includes a provider ID that is unique to a healthcare provider and is to be held by the healthcare provider, wherein the electronic device includes an enabled software lock that prohibits the electronic device from accessing, receiving, or transmitting any healthcare information concerning the patient'"'"'s healthcare intervention, wherein the electronic device is configured to;

read the patient ID from the object;

receive, from global positioning system (GPS) circuitry associated with the electronic device, a location signal that identifies a current location of the electronic device;

receive a time signal that identifies a current time at the current location of the electronic device;

retrieve, from a database, healthcare intervention data that includes expected time criteria, an expected patient ID, an expected provider ID for a healthcare intervention to be performed on an expected patient associated with the expected patient ID, and expected location criteria identifying where the healthcare intervention is to be performed; and

permit access to clinical data recording functions of the electronic device by disengaging the software lock only if the object'"'"'s patient ID matches the expected patient ID, the electronic device'"'"'s provider ID matches the expected provider ID, the current location is within the expected location criteria, and the current time is within the expected time criteria, otherwise locking out access to the clinical data recording functions.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein:

the expected time criteria further includes a scheduled time, a scheduled duration, and a scheduled location for the scheduled healthcare intervention, and

the electronic device is further configured to;

determine a current duration;

determine whether the current time matches the scheduled time, whether the current duration matches the scheduled duration, and whether the current location matches the scheduled duration; and

unlock access to clinical data recording functions of the electronic device by disengaging the software lock only if the current time matches the scheduled time, the current duration matches the scheduled duration, and the current location matches the scheduled duration, otherwise locking out access to the clinical data recording functions and transmitting an exception report to a third party.