Method and system for clinical interpretation and review of patient data

• US 20080009682A1
• Filed: 07/07/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Hernke, David
• Application Number:
  US11/483,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20080009682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

The method and system improves the efficiency of the use of trained medical personnel in treating monitored patients. Specifically, this efficiency is improved in remote chronic disease monitoring. The method and system incorporates a pool of call screeners to contact and screen remote patients that have not submitted their data. Depending on the results of the screening, the patient may require assistance from skilled medical personnel and be routed to such personnel. Alternative embodiments may screen all remote patients without first collecting physiological data. A preferred embodiment will include a means for the patient to provide feedback to the caseworker or the skilled medical personnel.

Claims

1. A method of clinically interpreting and reviewing patient data, the method comprising:

collecting a set of physiological data from each of a plurality of patients;

triaging the set of physiological data from each of the plurality of patients to determine whether any of the plurality of patients need clinical attention and whether the set of physiological data for any of the plurality of patients has not been collected; and

screening those of the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected; and

forwarding a set of screening data to a skilled medical personnel when the screening data indicates that one of the plurality of patients needs clinical attention.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the collecting step includes sensing the set of physiological data with a remote sensing system, and each of the plurality of patients submitting the set of physiological data sensed by the remote sensing system.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the screening step includes a screener contacting the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the screening step includes the screener submitting a set of scripted questions to the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected, and further wherein the screening data includes a set of answers to the set of scripted questions.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the screener assisting one of the plurality of patients when the screening data indicates that one of the plurality of patients does not need medical attention.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the triaging step determines the physiological data for one of the plurality of patients has not been collected, a blank record corresponding to the patient is placed in a queue.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein a plurality of screeners select from a plurality of blank records in the queue.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the queue is located on a secure internet site.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the queue is located in a database.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising any one of the plurality of patients providing a set of feedback corresponding to a perceived level of care.

11. A system for clinically interpreting and reviewing patient data, the system comprising:

a monitoring system configured to collect a set of physiological data from a plurality of patients;

a storage media for storing a computer application; and

a processor coupled to the monitoring system and the storage media, the processor configured to execute the computer application, and further configured to receive the set of physiological data from the monitoring system,

wherein when the computer application is executed, the set of physiological data is triaged to determine whether any of the plurality of patients need clinical attention and whether the set of physiological data for any of the plurality of patients has not been collected, and further wherein a patient record is placed in a queue for each of the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected, such that a plurality of screeners may select a patient record from the queue to perform a screening.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of screeners forwards a set of screening data resulting from the screening.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of patients submits to the processor the set of physiological data collected by the remote sensing system.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the screening includes one of the plurality of screeners contacting the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the screening includes the screener submitting a set of scripted questions to the plurality of patients that did not have the set of physiological data collected, and further wherein the screening data includes a set of answers to the set of scripted questions.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein the screener assists one of the plurality of patients when the screening data indicates that one of the plurality of patients does not need medical attention.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the queue is located on a secure internet site.

18. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the queue is located in a database.

19. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the system is configured to receive a set of feedbacks corresponding to a perceived level of care from any of the plurality of patients.

20. The system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a network configured to couple the plurality of screeners to the processor.

21. A method of clinically interpreting and reviewing patient data, the method comprising:

collecting a set of physiological data from each of a plurality of patients;

screening the plurality of patients; and

forwarding a set of screening data to a skilled medical personnel when the screening data indicates that one of the plurality of patients needs clinical attention.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the collecting step includes sensing the set of physiological data with a remote sensing system, and each of the plurality of patients submitting the set of physiological data sensed by the remote sensing system.

23. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the screening step includes the screener submitting a set of scripted questions to the plurality of patients and further wherein the screening data includes a set of answers to the set of scripted questions.

24. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising the screener assisting one of the plurality of patients when the screening data indicates that one of the plurality of patients does not need medical attention.

25. The method as claimed in claim 21, further comprising any one of the plurality of patients providing a set of feedback corresponding to a perceived level of care.