Systems and methods for clinical decision crawler agent

• US 7,702,600 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Deshpande, Shrikant L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wong; Lut
• Application Number:
  US11/389,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system for clinical decision support including a crawler agent component. The crawler agent component is adapted to receive a search parameter. The search parameter specifies a criteria for evidence data to be searched for. The crawler agent component is adapted to initiate a search of a plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter. The search identifies the evidence data. The evidence data is utilized by the clinical decision support system to provide decision support to a healthcare provider for a patient.

Claims

1. A clinical decision support system including:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium encoded with a crawler agent component,

wherein the crawler agent component receives a search parameter, wherein the search parameter specifies a criteria for evidence data to be searched for, wherein the search parameter includes a context limiter, and

wherein the crawler agent component initiates a simultaneous search of a plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter, wherein the search identifies the evidence data, wherein the evidence data is utilized by the clinical decision support system to provide decision support to a healthcare provider for a patient, wherein at least one of the plurality of evidence sources is selected based at least in part on the context limiter, the context limiter restricting evidence to be searched for to an area in which at least one healthcare facility is located and/or healthcare facility capabilities;

wherein the crawler agent component provides a link to the source of the evidence data, wherein each of the plurality of evidence sources comprises one or more of PACS, RIS, and/or CVIS, wherein the search parameter comprises one or more of patient name, patient identifier, order number and/or exam type, and wherein the evidence data comprises one or more of prior exams, images, key image notes, laboratory exams and reports, allergies, pathology results, medication, alerts, and/or document images, and

a recommendation component that generates a recommendation for a diagnosis and/or course of treatment for a patient based at least in part on the evidence data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the search parameter includes an identifier for a genetic relative of the patient.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the context limiter is a domain.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the crawler agent component automatically determines a domain to search.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the domain is based at least in part on the search parameter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the crawler agent component automatically initiates a search when the search parameter is received.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the crawler agent component is located at a first healthcare facility and wherein at least one of the plurality of evidence sources is located at a second healthcare facility, wherein the second healthcare facility is geographically remote from the first healthcare facility.

8. A method for clinical decision support, the method including:

receiving a search parameter at a crawler agent component, wherein the search parameter specifies a criteria for evidence data to be searched for, wherein the search parameter includes a context limiter that restricts evidence data to be searched for to an area in which at least one healthcare facility is located and/or healthcare facility capabilities;

simultaneously searching of a plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter, wherein the search identifies the evidence data, wherein the evidence data is utilized by a clinical decision support system to provide decision support to a healthcare provider for a patient, wherein each of the plurality of evidence sources comprises one or more of PACS, RIS, and/or CVIS, wherein the search parameter comprises one or more of patient name, patient identifier, order number and/or exam type, and wherein the evidence data comprises one or more of prior exams, images, key image notes, laboratory exams and reports, allergies, pathology results, medication, alerts, and/or document images;

providing a link to the evidence data; and

automatically generating a diagnostic and/or treatment recommendation for the patient based at least in part on the evidence data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the search parameter includes an identifier for a genetic relative of the patient.

10. The method of claim 8, further including automatically selecting at least one of the plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter.

11. A computer-readable medium including a set of instructions for execution on a computer, the set of instructions including:

a search parameter receiving routine that receives a search parameter, wherein the search parameter specifies a criteria for evidence data to be searched for, wherein at least one of a plurality of evidence sources is selected based at least in part on a context limiter, the context limiter restricting evidence to be searched for to an area in which at least one healthcare facility is located and/or healthcare facility capabilities;

a search routine that simultaneously searches a plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter, wherein the search identifies the evidence data, wherein the evidence data is utilized by a clinical decision support system to provide decision support to a healthcare provider for a patient, wherein each of the plurality of evidence sources comprises one or more of PACS, RIS, and/or CVIS, wherein the search parameter comprises one or more of patient name, patient identifier, order number and/or exam type, and wherein the evidence data comprises prior exams, images, key image notes, laboratory exams and reports, allergies, pathology results, medication, alerts, and/or document images;

a link-providing routine that provides a link to the evidence data; and

a recommendation generation routine that generates a diagnostic and/or treatment recommendation for the patient based at least in part on the evidence data.

12. The set of instructions of claim 11, further including a search determination routine that automatically selects at least one of the plurality of evidence sources based at least in part on the search parameter.