Perioperative mobile communication system and method

• US 9,928,636 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TeleTracking Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: TeleTracking Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Spear, Steven Edward, Weber, Michael James
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kimbinh T
• Application Number:
  US14/694,607
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 345473, 345419, 715736
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0633 Workflow analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An embodiment provides a mobile application that animates change information in a way that specifically indicates a change in workflow information for various users. This animation of change information permits users, which are often busy healthcare professionals, to be quickly apprised of relevant changes to workflow status. The mobile application also allows users to communicate change information, e.g., for updating the status of a workflow item, which may then be propagated throughout a network, including mobile devices.

Claims

1. A method of animating change information presented in a mobile healthcare application, comprising:

issuing, from a mobile client device running the mobile healthcare application, a request for a mobile client device specific change set, wherein the mobile client device provides location information of a patient within a healthcare facility and wherein the request for the mobile client device specific change set is communicated to a server storing change information for a plurality of mobile client devices, wherein the mobile client device specific change set comprises at least one change occurring since a time of the last request;

said request including an indicator specific to the mobile client device issuing the request;

receiving, at the mobile client device, a response from the server, wherein the response comprises the mobile client device specific change set;

associating, using the mobile client specific change set, at least one change included in the mobile client device specific change set with at least one graphical element displayed by the mobile healthcare application; and

responsive to associating the at least one change with the at least one graphical element, automatically animating, without additional user input, on a display screen of the mobile client device, the change to the at least one graphical element displayed by the mobile healthcare application based on the at least one change, since the time of the last request, included in the mobile client device specific change set, wherein the at least one change included in the mobile client device specific change set comprises a change in workflow information regarding a location status of a patient and wherein the animating comprises updating a location of the patient based upon the location status of the patient and wherein the animating comprises providing movement to the graphical element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the animating comprises animating the removal of the at least one graphical element from the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the animating the removal of the at least one graphical element comprises key-stoning or shading the element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the animating comprises key-stoning the at least one graphical element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one graphical element is one of a plurality of graphical elements currently displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing occurs according to a policy.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the policy is associated with device display screen powering.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the policy is time-based.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile client device specific change set is user specific.

10. A server that produces and transmits change information animated by a mobile healthcare application, comprising:

a network communication element;

a processor;

a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to;

receive, using the network communication element, a request from a mobile client device for a mobile client device specific change set, wherein the mobile client device provides location information of a patient within a healthcare facility and wherein the mobile client device specific change set comprises at least one change occurring since a time of the last request;

said request including an indicator specific to the mobile client device issuing the request;

identify a response for the mobile client device, wherein the response comprises the mobile client device specific change set; and

provide the response to the mobile client device, wherein the response includes at least one change in the mobile client device specific change set, wherein the at least one change included in the mobile client device specific change set comprises a change in workflow information regarding a location status of a patient and wherein the response provides information for updating a location of the patient based upon the location status of the patient and automatically animating, without additional user input, at least one graphical element displayed by the mobile healthcare application based on the at least one change since the time of the last request and wherein the animating comprises providing movement to the graphical element.

11. A non-transitory program product having a mobile healthcare application, comprising:

a storage device that including processor executable instructions stored therewith, the processor executable instructions comprising;

instructions that issue, from a mobile client device running the mobile healthcare application, a request for a mobile client device specific change set, wherein the mobile client device provides location information of a patient within a healthcare facility and wherein the request for the mobile client device specific change set is communicated to a server storing change information for a plurality of mobile client patient devices, wherein the mobile client device specific change set comprises at least one change occurring since a time of the last request;

said request including an indicator specific to the mobile client device issuing the request;

instructions that receive, at the mobile client device, a response from the server, wherein the response comprises the mobile client device specific change set;

instructions that associate, using the mobile client specific change set, at least one change included in the mobile client device specific change set with at least one graphical element displayed by the mobile healthcare application; and

instructions that, responsive to associating the at least one change with the graphical element, automatically animate, without additional user input, on a display screen of the mobile client device, the change to the at least one graphical element displayed by the mobile healthcare application based on the at least one change, since the time of the last request, included in the mobile client device specific change set, wherein the at least one change included in the mobile client device specific change set comprises a change is workflow information regarding a location status of the patient and wherein the animating comprises updating a location of the patient based upon the location status of the patient and wherein the animating comprises providing movement to the graphical element.

12. The program product of claim 11, wherein animating comprises animating the removal of the at least one graphical element from the display.

13. The program product of claim 12, wherein animating the removal of the at least one graphical element comprises key-stoning or shading the element.

14. The program product of claim 11, wherein the animating comprises key-stoning the at least one graphical element.

15. The program product of claim 11, wherein the at least one graphical element is one of a plurality of graphical elements currently displayed.

16. The program product of claim 11, wherein said issuing occurs according to a policy.

17. The program product of claim 16, wherein the policy is associated with device display screen powering.

18. The program product of claim 11, wherein the mobile client device specific change set is user specific.