Patient health record access system

• US 20030208381A1
• Filed: 03/29/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Epic Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Rod, Joel Erick, Dvorak, Carl David, Sureka, Samit Govind, Allu, Mukesh, Holmes, Gary Stanton, Walter, Ervin Dennis, Rana, Sumit Singh, Lordi, Scott Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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 integrated system provides patients with secure, real-time access to their Personal Health Record and an Enterprise Health Information System (PHR and EHIS, respectively). Access may be provided by way of the Internet and via a Personal Health Portal (PHP) web page. From the secure PHP web page, patients can view information created and maintained by their health care providers and their affiliated staff. The patients can also request services and information from their health care providers and affiliated staff, directly access EHIS-related services, such as scheduling an appointment, scheduling, paying a bill, enrolling in a class, completing insurance and other forms, and viewing information and Internet services that are relevant to their particular health status.

Claims

1. A system for providing a patient with access to a patient health record for that patient, the system comprising:

a patient health record server including a machine readable media having a data structure, the data structure containing patient-created data;

a communication network coupling the patient health record server with a patient interface, the patient interface providing the patient with access to the patient health record server via the communication network;

a secure interface adapted to securely couple in real-time the patient health record server to an enterprise health record system for providing access by the patient health record server to patient-related data for the patient retained within the enterprise health record system;

wherein, via the patient interface, the patient may access the patient health record server for manipulating the patient-created data and for accessing the patient-related data from the enterprise health record system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and wherein the patient interface comprises a web browser.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the patient interface further comprises a personalized patient home page.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure interface is adapted for securely exchanging messages between the patient and the enterprise health record system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the messages comprise messages of the type comprising:

a request for medical advice;

a request for prescription renewal;

a request for a referral;

a customer service request;

a request for a pre-qualified appointment and a request for an appointment.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a shadow server coupled to the enterprise health record system, the shadow server including a machine readable media and wherein a copy of the patient-related data is retained on the shadow server, and

wherein the communication network securely couples the patient interface to the shadow server for permitting viewing of the patient-related data by the patient.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a security server, the security server being adapted to prohibit copying of the patient-created data or the patient related data from the respective patient health record server and the enterprise health record system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a security server, the security server being adapted to prohibit unauthorized access to the patient-created data and the patient-related data via the communication network.

9. The system of claim 1, adapted to receive a scheduling ticket from the enterprise health record system and the communicate the scheduling ticket to the patient, the scheduling ticket enabling the patient to schedule an appointment with a health care provider in accordance an authorization provided by the scheduling ticket.

10. The system of claim 1, the patient health record server coupled to a source of information, the patient health record server including a relevancy engine for selecting patient-specific health-related information and for displaying that information to the patient via the patient interface.

11. The system of claim 1, the patient health record server adapted to receive payment information from the patient via the patient interface and to communicate the payment information to the enterprise health record system.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the secure interface is configured to provide view only access to the patient-related information.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient-related information comprises one of the group of patient-related information types comprising:

a medication list, a lab result, recent visit information, appointment information, immunization information, allergy information, a problem list, insurance information, account information, referrals information, administrative information, staff information, financial information, insurance information and messages.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient health record server is adapted to receive messages from the patient via the patient interface and to forward the messages to the enterprise health record system.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the messages comprises one of the group of message types comprising:

an appointment request, a medical advice request, a medication renewal request, a customer service message and an address change.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient health record server is adapted to receive a self-service access authorization for a patient from the enterprise health record system and to forward the self-service access authorization to the patient via the patient interface.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the self-service access authorization comprises one of the group of self-service access authorization types comprising:

an option to schedule an appointment, an option to enroll in a health education class and an option to make credit card payments.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient-created data comprises one of unstructured information and structured information.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient-created data comprises one of the group of data entry types comprising:

a medication list, a health reminder list, a medical history summary, an immunizations list, an allergies list and a current health issues list.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient-created data comprises one of clinical information and administrative information.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient health record server is adapted to receive an information flag from the patient via the patient interface and to associate the information flag with one of the patient-created information and the patient-related information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the patient health record server is further adapted to send an alert to the enterprise health record system upon receipt of an information flag.

23. A method of linking patients with a patient health record for that patient, the method comprising the steps of:

within a patient health record server, providing a data structure containing patient-created data;

coupling the patient health record server with a patient interface, the patient interface providing the patient with access to the patient health record server via the communication network; and

securely coupling in real-time the patient health record server to an enterprise health record system for providing access by the patient health record server to patient-related data for the patient retained within the enterprise health record system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communication network comprises the Internet and wherein the patient interface comprises a web browser.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the patient interface further comprises a personalized patient home page.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of securely exchanging messages between the patient and the enterprise health record system.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the messages comprise messages of the type comprising:

a request for medical advice;

a request for prescription renewal;

a request for a referral;

a customer service request;

a request for a pre-qualified appointment and a request for an appointment.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of providing a shadow server coupled to the enterprise health record system and copying the patient-related data to the shadow server.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of prohibiting the copying of the patient-created data or the patient related data from the respective patient health record server and the enterprise health record system.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of prohibiting unauthorized access to the patient-created data and the patient-related data via the communication network.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of receiving a scheduling ticket from the enterprise health record system and communicating the scheduling ticket to the patient, wherein the scheduling ticket enables the patient to schedule an appointment with a health care provider in accordance an authorization provided by the scheduling ticket.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of providing patient-specific information to the patient via the patient interface.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of receiving payment information from the patient via the patient interface and communicating the payment information to the enterprise health record system.

34. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of limiting information access to view only access of the patient-related information.

35. The method of claim 23, wherein the patient-related information comprises one of the group of patient-related information types comprising:

a medication list, a lab result, recent visit information, appointment information, immunization information, allergy information, a problem list, insurance information, account information, referrals information, administrative information, staff information, financial information, insurance information, and messages.

36. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of receiving messages from the patient via the patient interface and forwarding the messages to the enterprise health record system.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the messages comprises one of the group of message types comprising:

an appointment request, a medical advice request, a medication renewal request, a customer service message and an address change.

38. The method of claim 23 further comprising the steps of receiving a self-service access authorization for a patient from the enterprise health record system.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the self-service access authorization comprises one of the group of service request types comprising:

an option to schedule an appointment, an option to enroll in a health education class and an option to make credit card payments.

40. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of receiving patient-created data and linking the patient-created data to a corresponding data entry in the enterprise health record system.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the corresponding data entry comprises one of the group of data entry types comprising:

a medication list, a health reminder, a medical history summary, an immunizations list, an allergies list and a current health issues list.

42. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of building a patient health record from the patient created data.

43. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of receiving an information flag from the patient via the patient interface and associating the information flag with one of the patient-created information and the patient-related information.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of sending an alert to the enterprise health record system upon receipt of an information flag.