System for patient intervention assistance and evaluation

• US 20030182163A1
• Filed: 02/25/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Integrated Software, LLC
• Original Assignee: Integrated Software, LLC
• Inventors: Tice, Bradley P., Viegut, Todd A.
• Application Number:
  US10/082,757
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, and system that provides a personal, portable module that can be used by a pharmacist, pharmacy student, or pharmacy preceptor to more effectively practice. It can be usable by others, including other types of healthcare practitioners. The module is preferably hand-portable and has both input and output features. It can be communicated to another device. It includes software which integrates several practice functions and allows data transfer, both to another device for further use or to the portable module for point of care use. In one aspect of the invention, the system establishes a mechanism to assess the level of cognitive complexity of patient interventions performed by students or practitioners. Another aspect of the invention involves automatic documentation of the intervention. In another aspect of the invention, the system enables data entry and the capture of drug-related problem intervention information, enables treatment guidelines to be incorporated into the point of care.

Claims

1. A system for patient intervention assistance comprising:

(a) a personal computing device including an input component allowing input of data to the personal computing device, a display; and

a storage medium for storing data;

(b) software operably loaded on the personal computing device which;

(i) presents on the display a set of queries related to a patient intervention;

(ii) presents on the display prompts to enter answers to the queries; and

(iii) automatically creates documentation of a patient intervention based on the queries and the answers.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of computing devices each having the software operably loaded thereon.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein further comprising a component operatively connected to the computing device to facilitate communication with another device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the said another device comprises one or more of a personal computer, a local server, or a remote server.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a PDA.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the PDA includes A component adapted to synchronize data with another computing device.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the computing device is a hand-held computer.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the queries are questions presented in templates, the queries comprising relevant questions regarding patient intervention.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the prompts include one or more of pull down lists, drop down menus, or other pre-created choices, and/or blanks into which can be filled free text.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the automatic creating of documentation comprises a database into which can be stored documentation data in a pre-designed format.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the data can be synchronized with a database in another computing device.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the database can be accessible by another authorized party.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the said another authorized party comprises a preceptor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the preceptor comprises a teacher.

15. The system of claim 1 further at least some of the queries being based on a knowledge base for a specific disease or condition.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the knowledge base comprises recommended guidelines which are updateable by periodic updating of the software.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the knowledge base is specific to a specific disease or condition.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the form of documentation includes in the form of a SOAP note.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the patient intervention is related to drug treatment or therapy by a pharmacist or pharmacy student.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the software further allows evaluation of a patient intervention by applying a score to the answers to queries.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the score for an answer to a query is weighted on the basis of the cognitive ability indicated by the answer relative to the query.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the weighting is pre-created by an expert in the field of the patient intervention.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the expert comprises a skilled person in the field of the patient intervention.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the expert comprises a preceptor in the field of the patient intervention.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the expert comprises a panel of experts in the field of the patient intervention.

26. A method for patient intervention assistance comprising:

(a) presenting on the display of a computing device a set of queries related to a patient intervention;

(b) presenting on the display prompts to enter answers to the queries; and

(c) automatically creating documentation of a patient intervention based on the queries and the answers.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising a plurality of computing devices.

28. The method of claim 26 communicating the computing device with another computing device.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the said another computing device comprises one or more of a personal computer, a local server, or a remote server.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the computing device is a PDA.

31. The method of claim 26 further comprising synchronizing data stored on the computing device with data stored on another computing device.

32. The method of claim 26 wherein the queries are questions presented in templates, the queries comprising relevant questions regarding patient intervention.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the prompts include one or more of pull down lists, drop down menus, or other pre-created choices, and/or blanks into which can be filled free text.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the automatic creation of documentation comprises a database into which can be stored data in a pre-designed format.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the database can be synchronized with a second database in another computing device.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the second database can be accessible by another authorized party.

37. The method of claim 26 wherein the computing device is used by a student and said another authorized party comprises a preceptor.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the preceptor comprises a teacher.

39. The method of claim 26 further comprising at least some of the queries being based on a knowledge base for a specific disease or condition.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the knowledge base comprises recommended guidelines which are updateable by periodic updating of the computing device.

41. The method claim 39 wherein the knowledge base is specific to a specific disease.

42. The method of claim 26 wherein the documentation includes a SOAP note.

43. The method of claim 26 wherein the patient intervention is related to drug treatment or therapy by a pharmacist or pharmacy student.

44. The method of claim 26 further comprising evaluating a patient intervention by applying a score to the answers to queries.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein the score for an answer to a query is weighted on the basis of the cognitive ability indicated by the answer relative to the query.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein the weighting is pre-created by an expert in the field of the patient intervention.

47. A system for patient intervention assistance comprising:

(a) a personal computing device including an input component allowing input of data to the personal computing device, a display; and

a storage medium for storing data;

(b) software operably loaded on the personal computing device which;

(i) presents on the display a set of queries related to a patient intervention;

(ii) presents on the display prompts to enter answers to the queries;

(iii) the set of queries being predesigned to be correlated to relevant guidelines for a selected disease, and

(iv) automatically creates documentation of a patient intervention based on the queries and the answers.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the computing device is a PDA.

49. The system of claim 47 wherein the PDA includes a component adapted to synchronize data with another computing device.

50. The system of claim 47 wherein the queries are questions presented in templates, the queries comprising relevant questions regarding patient intervention.

51. The system of claim 47 wherein the prompts include one or more of pull down lists, drop down menus, or other pre-created choices, and/or blanks into which can be filled free text.

52. The system of claim 47 wherein the automatic creating of documentation comprises a database into which can be stored data in a pre-designed format.

53. The system of claim 47 wherein the patient intervention is related to drug treatment or therapy by a pharmacist or pharmacy student.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein the patient intervention is related to a medical treatment or therapy by a physician or other healthcare provider.

55. The system of claim 47 wherein the software further allows evaluation of a patient intervention by applying a score to the answers to queries.

56. The system of claim 55 wherein the score for an answer to a query is weighted on the basis of the cognitive ability indicated by the answer relative to the query.

57. The system of claim 56 wherein the weighting is pre-created by an expert in the field of the patient intervention.

58. A method of assisting a healthcare practitioner or student in patient intervention comprising:

presenting a predetermined set of queries to the user, the queries correlated to relevant guidelines for a selected disease, and automatically documenting in standardized form the user'"'"'s answers to the queries.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the healthcare practitioner or student is a pharmacist or pharmacy student.

60. The method of claim 58 further comprising evaluating a patient intervention by applying a score to the answers to queries, wherein the score for an answer to a query is weighted on the basis of the cognitive ability indicated by the answer relative to the query.

61. A system for patient intervention assistance comprising:

(a) a personal computing device including an input component allowing input of data to the personal computing device, a display; and

a storage medium for storing data;

(b) software operably loaded on the personal computing device which;

(i) presents on the display a set of queries related to a patient intervention;

(ii) presents on the display prompts to enter answers to the queries;

(iii) allows evaluation of the user by (a) creating a model including a hierarchy of possible levels of interaction;

(b) assigning a value to said possible levels of interaction, each value correlated to a degree of interaction required for such interaction;

(c) assigning a value to optional answers to queries in templates related to specific intervention types; and

(d) summing the values for a documented intervention to calculate a combined intervention score; and

(iv) automatically creates documentation of a patient intervention based on the queries and the answers.

62. The system of claim 61 wherein the computing device is a PDA.

63. The system of claim 61 wherein the PDA includes a component adapted to synchronize data with another computing device.

64. The system of claim 61 wherein the queries are questions presented in templates, the queries comprising relevant questions regarding patient intervention.

65. The system of claim 61 wherein the prompts include one or more of pull down lists, drop down menus, or other pre-created choices, and/or blanks into which can be filled free text.

66. The system of claim 61 wherein the automatic creating of documentation comprises a database into which can be stored data in a pre-designed format.

67. The system of claim 61 wherein the patient intervention is related to drug treatment or therapy by a pharmacist or pharmacy student.

68. The system of claim 61 wherein the score for an answer to a query is weighted on the basis of the cognitive ability indicated by the answer relative to the query.

69. The system of claim 68 wherein the weighting is pre-created by an expert in the field of the patient intervention.

70. A method of evaluating the performance of a pharmacist or pharmacy student in patient interventions comprising:

(a) providing a model including a hierarchy of possible levels of interaction;

(b) assigning a value to said possible levels of interaction, each value correlated to a degree of interaction required for such interaction;

(c) assigning a value to optional answers to queries in templates related to specific intervention types; and

(d) summing the values for a documented intervention to calculate a combined intervention score.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein the model is a pre-existing model.