METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND DEVICES FOR TRANSFERRING MEDICAL FILES

• US 20110231209A1
• Filed: 05/31/2011
• Published: 09/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OneMedNet Corp.
• Original Assignee: OneMedNet Corp.
• Inventors: Yu, Jeffrey N., Maresh, Guy
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for preventing data loss of medical files at a medical facility, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more configured computer systems,

receiving notification from at least one of a radiology information system, a hospital information system, a picture archiving and communication system, an image server, and other medical system that a medical file has been at least created or modified;

obtaining the medical file from the at least one of the radiology information system, the hospital information system, the picture archiving and communication system, the image server, and the other medical system;

accessing a secure network connection between the medical facility and a storage facility using paired encryption keys; and

transferring automatically the medical file from the medical facility to the storage facility.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the paired encryption keys are obtained from a common server, and wherein the paired encryption keys are different for the medical facility and the storage facility.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the paired encryption keys expire at a predetermined time.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the paired encryption keys are only valid for a single use.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transferring is in response to the notification.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the storage facility is off-site from the medical facility.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the storage facility is operated by a third party service provider.

8. A computer-implemented method for transferring and managing medical files at a medical facility to enable teleradiology, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under control of one or more configured computer systems,

receiving at a source medical facility notification from at least one of a radiology information system, a hospital information system, a picture archiving and communication system, an image server, and other medical system that a medical file has been at least created or modified;

obtaining the medical file from the at least one of the radiology information system, the hospital information system, the picture archiving and communication system, the image server, and the other medical system;

analyzing the medical file to determine based on criteria whether to transfer the medical file to a destination medical facility that provides at least one of outsourced radiology film interpretation, analysis, and other medical services;

transferring the medical file from the source medical facility to the destination medical facility based on the analyzing.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising storing said medical file on a client server at the destination medical facility based on storage rules.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the criteria comprises at least one of a time period for transferring all medical files to the destination medical facility, a time period for storing said medical file at the destination medical facility, a medical expertise required to review the medical file, and an availability of medical professionals at the source medical facility.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the criteria comprises information related to an availability of one or more medical professionals at a destination facility.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the criteria comprises information related to a specialty of one or more medical professionals at the destination facility.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

identifying one or more other medical files related to the medical file; and

transferring the one or more other medical files to the destination medical facility.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising causing the medical file to be flagged at the destination facility.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising causing a notification to be sent to a medical professional at the destination facility.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a signed report associated with the medical file from the destination facility.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the medical file includes information identifying a status of the medical file.

18. A computer system comprising:

one or more computing devices programmed to;

receive a notification from an electronic medical records system that an electronic medical record has been edited;

obtain access to the electronic medical file from the electronic medical records system;

analyze the electronic medical file to determine based on criteria whether to transfer the medical file to a remote destination medical facility that provides medical services;

causing transfer of the electronic medical file from the source medical facility to the remote destination medical facility based on the analyzing.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the one or more computing devices are further programmed to store the electronic medical file on a client server at the destination medical facility based on storage rules.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the criteria comprises at least one of a time period for transferring the electronic medical file to the destination medical facility, a time period for storing the electronic medical file at the destination medical facility, a medical expertise associated with reviewing the electronic medical file, and an availability of medical professionals at the destination medical facility.

21. A computer system comprising:

a database to store electronic medical files;

one or more computing devices in communication with the database, the one or more computing devices programmed to;

receive a first electronic medical file from a first medical facility, the first electronic medical file having a first identifier associated with a patient;

store the first electronic medical file in the database;

receive a second electronic medical file from a second medical facility, the second electronic medical file having a second identifier associated with the patient, wherein the first identifier and the second identifier are different;

modify at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier such that the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file are both associated with the same identifier;

compare the first identifier to the second identifier; and

cause the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to be concurrently displayed when the comparison indicates that the first identifier and the second identifier match.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the one or more computing devices are programmed to modify the first identifier to be the same as the second identifier.

23. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the one or more computing devices are programmed to modify the first identifier and the second identifier to be a third identifier different from both the first identifier and the second identifier.

24. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the one or more computing devices are further programmed to:

modify the first identifier to correspond to a third identifier associated with the patient in a computing system at a requesting medical facility;

modify the first identifier to correspond to a third identifier associated with the patient in a computing system at a requesting medical facility; and

cause transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file to the computing system at the requesting medical facility.

25. The computer system of claim 24, wherein the one or more computing devices are further programmed to cause transfer of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file in response to an indication that a teleradiologist has reviewed at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file.

26. The computer system of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first electronic medical file and the second electronic medical file includes a radiology image.