METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING DISTRIBUTED DIGITAL MEDICAL DATA
First Claim
1. A method operable on a computer for managing distributed medical files, comprising the steps of:
- receiving, on a central computer, a request to access a patient medical file stored on a remote medical information system;
determining a remote agent computer having access to the remote medical information system;
transmitting, from the central computer to the remote agent computer, a request to provide the patient medical file to a specified device;
retrieving, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file;
transmitting, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file to the specified device; and
transmitting, by the remote agent computer to the central computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the remote medical information system to the specified device.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network for mediating the peer-to-peer transfer of digital patient medical data includes a plurality of distributed agents each associated with a health care provider and connected to a central system. Periodically the agents collect local information relating to patient medical files and/or data streams, for example diagnostic images and associated reports, and process that information into metadata files acting as pointers to the original files. The metadata files are transmitted to the central system where they are parsed and the attributes are stored on the central system in patient records with records from the same patient grouped together whenever possible. Registered users can search the central system, even in the absence of a unique identifier, to identify patient records pointing to the remote patient medical files. Upon finding a patient medical file, the invention provides a streamlined process for communicating access authorization from the patient to the hospital or facility storing the medical files. Once patient authorization is received, secure processes are provided for transferring the data in its entirety to or for viewing by the user in a peer-to-peer fashion.
36 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method operable on a computer for managing distributed medical files, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, on a central computer, a request to access a patient medical file stored on a remote medical information system; determining a remote agent computer having access to the remote medical information system; transmitting, from the central computer to the remote agent computer, a request to provide the patient medical file to a specified device; retrieving, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file; transmitting, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file to the specified device; and transmitting, by the remote agent computer to the central computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the remote medical information system to the specified device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for managing distributed medical files, comprising:
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a remote agent computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions for controlling the operation of the agent computer; a central computer comprising a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions for controlling the operation of the central computer to perform the steps of; receiving a request to access a patient medical file stored on a remote medical information system; determining the remote agent computer having access to the remote medical information system; transmitting to the remote agent computer, a request to provide the patient medical file to a specified device; the agent computer operative to perform the steps of; retrieving the patient medical file; transmitting, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file to the specified device; and transmitting to the central computer a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the remote medical information system to the specified device. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for managing distributed medical files, comprising:
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means for receiving, on a central computer, a request to access a patient medical file stored on a remote medical information system; means for determining a remote agent computer having access to the remote medical information system; means for transmitting, from the central computer to the remote agent computer, a request to provide the patient medical file to a specified device; means for retrieving, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file; means for transmitting, by the remote agent computer, the patient medical file to the specified device; and means for transmitting, by the remote agent computer to the central computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the remote medical information system to the specified device.
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12. A method operable on a computer for managing distributed medical files, comprising the steps of:
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receiving, on a central computer, a request to obtain a remotely stored patient medical file; determining, by the central computer, a remote first agent computer having access to the medical information system storing the patient medical file; transmitting, by the central computer to the remote first agent computer, a request to obtain the patient medical file and to transmit the patient medical file directly to a specified device; and receiving, on the central computer from the remote first agent computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the medical information system to the specified device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. A system for managing distributed medical files, comprising:
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a processor; a memory connected to the processor and storing instructions for controlling the operation of the processor to perform the steps of; receiving a request to obtain a remotely stored patient medical file; determining a remote first agent computer having access to the medical information system storing the patient medical file; transmitting to the remote first agent computer a request to obtain the patient medical file and to transmit the patient medical file directly to a specified device; and receiving from the remote first agent computer a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the medical information system to the specified device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A method operable on a computer for managing distributed medical files, comprising the steps of:
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receiving a request to obtain a remotely stored patient medical file; determining a remote first agent computer having access to the medical information system storing the patient medical file; transmitting, to the remote first agent computer, a request to obtain the patient medical file and to transmit the patient medical file directly to a specified device; and receiving, from the remote first agent computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the medical information system to the specified device.
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21. A system for managing distributed medical files, comprising:
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means for receiving, on a central computer, a request to obtain a remotely stored patient medical file; means for determining, by the central computer, a remote first agent computer having access to the medical information system storing the patient medical file; means for transmitting, by the central computer to the remote first agent computer, a request to obtain the patient medical file and to transmit the patient medical file directly to a specified device; and means for receiving, on the central computer from the remote first agent computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the medical information system to the specified device.
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22. A computer readable storage medium having control instructions stored thereon that when processed by a processor cause said processor to manage distributed medical files by causing the processor to perform the steps of:
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receiving, on a central computer, a request to obtain a remotely stored patient medical file; determining, by the central computer, a remote first agent computer having access to the medical information system storing the patient medical file; transmitting, by the central computer to the remote first agent computer, a request to obtain the patient medical file and to transmit the patient medical file directly to a specified device; and receiving, on the central computer from the remote first agent computer, a notice that the patient medical file has been transferred from the medical information system to the specified device.
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Specification