PATIENT MONITORING NETWORK AND METHOD OF USING THE PATIENT MONITORING NETWORK

• US 20090177641A1
• Filed: 01/03/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Raghavan, Jayaram
• Application Number:
  US11/968,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20090177641A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of using a patient monitoring network is provided. The method comprises steps of storing an association data at a primary server unit, the association data mapping a caregiver with at least one patient associated with the caregiver, storing an object data of at least one patient at a patient monitor coupled to the primary server unit, the object data comprising an identification data and a patient data of the patient, receiving a query at the patient monitor by the caregiver, fetching the association data of the caregiver from the primary server unit, displaying the identification data of at least one patient associated with the caregiver at the patient monitor, obtaining a selection for the patient at the patient monitor and displaying the patient data of the patient at the patient monitor.

Claims

1. A method of using a patient monitoring network, the method comprising:

storing an association data at a primary server unit, the association data mapping a caregiver with at least one patient associated with the caregiver;

storing an object data of at least one patient at a patient monitor coupled to the primary server unit, the object data comprising an identification data and a patient data of the patient;

receiving a query at the patient monitor by the caregiver;

fetching the association data of the caregiver from the primary server unit;

displaying the identification data of at least one patient associated with the caregiver at the patient monitor;

obtaining a selection for the patient at the patient monitor; and

displaying the patient data of the patient at the patient monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient data comprises at least a portion of an electronic health record of the patient.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying a menu at the patient monitor listing an option to view pending authentication requests;

obtaining a selection for the option;

fetching a list of pending authentication requests for the caregiver from the primary server unit;

displaying the list of pending authentication requests for the caregiver at the patient monitor;

receiving a response for each pending authentication request via a user interface of the patient monitor;

sending response for each authentication request to the primary server unit; and

storing the response as a part of the electronic health record of the patient associated with the authentication request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the response comprises an approval.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the response comprises a rejection.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a trim knob.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing identity of the caregiver at the patient monitor;

determining a location information of the caregiver based on the identity of the caregiver;

updating the location information of the caregiver in the primary server unit; and

transmitting the location information of the caregiver from the primary server unit to a secondary server unit.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a query at a terminal coupled to the secondary server unit to obtain location information of the caregiver;

obtaining the location information of the caregiver from the secondary server unit; and

displaying the location information of the caregiver at the terminal.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein establishing identity of the caregiver comprises receiving an identification data of the caregiver from an information tag associated with the caregiver.

10. A patient monitoring network comprising:

a primary server unit, the primary server unit configured to store an association data, the association data mapping a caregiver with at least one patient associated with the caregiver;

a patient monitor coupled to the primary server unit;

an information tag coupled to the caregiver;

a tag reader coupled to the patient monitor and capable of reading the information tag;

wherein the patient monitor is capable of reading the information tag; and

querying the primary server unit for data associated with the information tag.

11. The patient monitoring network of claim 10, wherein the tag reader is integrated with the patient monitor.

12. The patient monitoring network of claim 10, further comprising:

a secondary server unit coupled to the primary server unit; and

at least one terminal coupled the secondary server unit.

13. A computer program product stored in a computer-readable storage medium for execution by a computing device, the computer program product providing a method of using a patient monitoring network, the computer program product including:

computer-readable program code for storing an association data at a primary server unit, the association data mapping a caregiver with at least one patient associated with the caregiver;

computer-readable program code for storing an object data of at least one patient at a patient monitor coupled to the primary server unit, the object data comprising an identification data and a patient data of the patient;

computer-readable program code for receiving a query at the patient monitor by the caregiver;

computer-readable program code for fetching the association data of the caregiver from the primary server unit;

computer-readable program code for displaying the identification data of at least one patient associated with the caregiver at the patient monitor,

computer-readable program code for obtaining a selection for the patient at the patient monitor; and

computer-readable program code for displaying the patient data of the patient at the patient monitor.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the patient data comprises at least a portion of an electronic health record of the patient.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising:

computer-readable program code for displaying a menu at the patient monitor listing an option to view pending authentication requests;

computer-readable program code for obtaining a selection for the option;

computer-readable program code for fetching a list of pending authentication requests for the caregiver from the primary server unit;

computer-readable program code for displaying the list of pending authentication requests for the caregiver at the patient monitor;

computer-readable program code for receiving a response for each pending authentication request via a user interface of the patient monitor;

computer-readable program code for sending response for each authentication request to the primary server unit; and

computer-readable program code for storing the response as a part of the electronic health record of the patient associated with the authentication request.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the response comprises an approval.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the response comprises a rejection.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface comprises a trim knob.

19. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer-readable program code for establishing identity of the caregiver at the patient monitor;

computer-readable program code for determining a location information of the caregiver based on the identity of the caregiver;

computer-readable program code for updating the location information of the caregiver in the primary server unit; and

computer-readable program code for transmitting the location information of the caregiver from the primary server unit to a secondary server unit.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising:

computer-readable program code for receiving a query at a terminal coupled to the secondary server unit to obtain location information of the caregiver;

computer-readable program code for obtaining the location information of the caregiver from the secondary server unit; and

computer-readable program code for displaying the location information of the caregiver at the terminal.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein computer readable program code for establishing identity of the caregiver comprises:

computer-readable program code for receiving an identification data of the caregiver from an information tag associated with the caregiver.