PATIENT TEST DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20150051922A1
• Filed: 08/19/2014
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Goodmark Medical Limited
• Original Assignee: Goodmark Medical Limited
• Inventors: Rentas, Nestor, Coffman, Sheila, Flynn, Gregg, Stevens, Marryat, Hall, Steven, Carter, Christopher, Farish, Neil
• Granted Patent: US 10,930,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A method and system is disclosed for receiving patient test data from a point of care computer, identifying additional required data missing from the patient test data according to electronic health record provider requirements, transmitting an indication to the point of care computer of the additional required data to be input by an operator of the point of care computer; receiving operator input data from the operator; and adding the input data to the patient test data to store complete patient test data.

Claims

1. A point of care computer comprising:

a device interface for receiving patient test data for a patient test from a point of care device;

a network interface for transmitting the patient test data to a remote server system;

program memory for storing a software application;

a processor for reading and implementing the software application in the memory; and

an operator interface to allow an operator to input data;

wherein the program memory stores an application for implementation by the processor to control the device interface to receive the patient test data, to control the network interface to transmit the patient test data to the server and to receive data identifying additional required data, to control the operator interface to generate a display interface indicating the additional required data and to receive operator input data in response, and to control the network interface to transmit the operator input data to the server system.

2. A point of care computer according to claim 1, wherein the application is adapted to be implemented by the processor to add point of care computer identifier data and device identifier data to the test data for transmission by the network interface to the server system.

3. A point of care computer according to claim 2, wherein the application is adapted to be implemented by the processor to determine the device identifier data dependent upon parameters for the device interface.

4. A point of care computer according to claim 1, wherein the application is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the operator interface to receive operator identification information for transmission by the network interface for the association of operator identifier data with the patient test data.

5. A point of care computer according to claim 1, wherein the application is adapted to be implemented by the processor to cause the operator interface to check the received operator input data for input errors.

6. A point of care computer according to claim 1, wherein the application is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the network interface to receive complete patient test data comprising the patient test data and the operator input data, and to cause the operator interface to display the complete patient test data and to receive an operator response input.

7. A server system for processing patient test data from at least one point of care device, the server system comprising:

a point of care interface for receiving patient test data from a point of care computer, the point of care computer receiving the patient test data from at least one point of care device;

program memory for storing software; and

a processor for reading and implementing the software in the memory;

wherein the program memory stores software for implementation by the processor to control the point of care interface to receive the patient test data from the point of care computer, to identify additional required data missing from the patient test data according to electronic health record provider requirements, to control the point of care interface to indicate to the point of care computer the additional required data to be input by an operator of the point of care computer and to receive operator input data, and to add the operator input data to the patient test data to form complete patient test data.

8. A server system according to claim 7, including an electronic health record interface for sending and receiving data to and from electronic health record providers;

wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the electronic health record interface to obtain the electronic health recorder provider requirements.

9. A server system according to claim 8, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the electronic health record interface to transmit the complete patient test data to the electronic health record provider.

10. A server system according to claim 7, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to convert the received patient test data to a structure common to patient test data from a plurality of point of care devices.

11. A server system according to claim 10, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to convert the received patient test data in the structure common to patient test data from a plurality of point of care devices into a structure specific to one of a plurality of electronic health record providers.

12. A server system according to claim 7, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the point of care interface to receive operator information, and to derive and associate operator identifier data with the patient test data.

13. A server system according to claim 7, including a cache memory for storing the patient test data until the complete patient test data is formed.

14. A server system according to claim 7, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to check the received patient test data and operator input data for errors.

15. A server system according to claim 7, wherein the software is adapted to be implemented by the processor to control the point of care interface to transmit the complete patient test data to the point of care computer for display to the operator, and to receive an operator response input.

16. A method of operating a point of care computer, the method comprising:

receiving patient test data for a patient test from a point of care device over a device interface;

transmitting the patient test data to a remote server system over a network;

receiving data identifying additional required data;

generating a display interface on a display indicating the additional required data;

receiving operator input data in response from a user input device; and

transmitting the operator input data to the server system over the network.

17. A method according to claim 16, including adding point of care computer identifier data and device identifier data to the test data for transmission to the server system.

18. A method according to claim 17, including determining the device identifier data dependent upon parameters for the device interface.

19. A method according to claim 16, including receiving operator identification information from the user input device for transmission by the network interface for the association of operator identifier data with the patient test data.

20. A method according to claim 16, including checking the received operator input data for input errors.

21. A method according to claim 16, including receiving complete patient test data over the network comprising the patient test data and the operator input data, displaying on the display the complete patient test data, and receiving an operator response input from the user input device.

22. A method of operating a server system to process patient test data from at least one point of care device, the method comprising:

receiving patient test data from a point of care computer from a point of care interface, the point of care computer receiving the patient test data from at least one point of care device;

identifying additional required data missing from the patient test data according to electronic health record provider requirements;

using the point of care interface to transmit an indication to the point of care computer of the additional required data to be input by an operator of the point of care computer;

receiving operator input data from the point of care computer; and

adding the operator input data to the patient test data to form and store complete patient test data.

23. A method according to claim 22, including controlling an electronic health record interface to obtain the electronic health recorder provider requirements from an electronic heath record provider over a network.

24. A method according to claim 23, including transmitting the complete patient test data to the electronic health record provider.

25. A method according to claim 22, including converting the received patient test data to a structure common to patient test data from a plurality of point of care devices.

26. A method according to claim 25, including converting the received patient test data in the structure common to patient test data from a plurality of point of care devices into a structure specific to one of a plurality of electronic health record providers.

27. A method according to claim 22, including receiving operator information over the point of care interface, and deriving and associating operator identifier data with the patient test data.

28. A method according to claim 22, including storing the patient test data in a cache memory until the complete patient test data is formed.

29. A method according to claim 22, including checking the received patient test data and operator input data for errors.

30. A method according to claim 22, including transmitting the complete patient test data to the point of care computer for display to the operator, and receiving an operator response input.

31. A non-transient storage medium storing computer readable code for controlling a computer 30, comprising:

code for controlling the computer to receive patient test data for a patient test from a point of care device over a device interface;

code for controlling the computer to transmit the patient test data to a remote server system over a network;

code from controlling the computer to receive operator input data in response from a user input device; and

code for controlling the computer to transmit the operator input data to the server system over the network.

32-54. -54. (canceled)

55. A non-transient storage medium storing computer readable code for controlling a computer, comprising:

code for controlling the computer to receive patient test data from a point of care computer from a point of care interface, the point of care computer receiving the patient test data from at least one point of care device;

code for controlling the computer to identify additional required data missing from the patient test data according to electronic health record provider requirements;

code for controlling the computer to use the point of care interface to transmit an indication to the point of care computer of the additional required data to be input by an operator of the point of care computer;

code from controlling the computer to receive operator input data from the point of care computer; and

code for controlling the computer to add the operator input data to the patient test data to form and store complete patient test data.