Methods for refining patient, staff and visitor profiles used in monitoring quality and performance at a healthcare facility

• US 7,786,874 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Careview Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Samarion, Inc.
• Inventors: Rodgers, Mark E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins; Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/608,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20070136102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/286.01, 340/286.06, 340/286.07, 340/539.12, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1113 Local tracking of patients, e.g. in a hospital or private home
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1117 Fall detection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6829 Foot or ankle
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6889 Rooms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/747 in case of emergency, i.e. alerting emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/043 detecting an emergency event, e.g. a fall
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0446 worn on the body to detect changes of posture, e.g. a fall, inclination, acceleration, gait
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0461 integrated or attached to an item closely associated with the person but not worn by the person, e.g. chair, walking stick, bed sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0469 Presence detectors to detect unsafe condition, e.g. infrared sensor, microphone G08B21/0476 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0476 Cameras to detect unsafe condition, e.g. video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0492 Sensor dual technology, i.e. two or more technologies collaborate to extract unsafe condition, e.g. video tracking and RFID tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/22 responsive to presence or absence of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• 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 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

Methods, systems and computer program products are used in monitoring patients, staff, assets and visitors at a facility, initiating a response to prevent or mitigate harm, and assess and ensure overall quality and performance, and refine individual patient, staff and visitor profiles. A plurality of sensors throughout the facility provide multiple data streams relating to the locations of patients relative to at least one of caregivers, assets, other patients, visitors or one or more fixed locations. A computer system analyses the data stream and determines the location and/or movements of the patients relative to the caregivers, assets, other patients, visitors and/or fixed locations. A profile containing individual data for the patient is used to accurately detect events, including actionable events, ensure completion of prescribed care, assess patient wellness, and, in some cases, provide tailored patient specific responses to detected events. Patient profiles are periodically refined by means of an information feedback loop in order to more accurately predict (actionable) events, provide adequate care and ensure a desired level of patient wellness. Staff and visitor profiles can be used to measure staff and visitor performance at a facility.

Claims

1. In a computer system that includes a processor and system memory, that maintains stored profiles for a plurality of patients at a facility, and that receives data from networked computers or other devices at the facility relating to behavior, activities, care, wellness or other information for each patient, a method for maintaining the stored profiles for patients at the facility comprising:

the computer system storing an initial profile for each of a plurality of patients at a facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for each patient or general information common to more than one patient, the profile for each patient including a limit and/or alarm level for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by the patient,

a first limit and/or alarm level in a first patient profile for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by a first patient differing from a second limit and/or alarm level in a second patient profile for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by a second patient,

the profile for each patient optionally including at least one of a limit for detecting an event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, a care regimen, or a wellness parameter;

the computer system receiving first collected data related to bodily movements of the first patient positioned on a first bed and which are predictive of attempted bed exiting by the first patient based on the first patient profile, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera or computer positioned at a location near the first bed on which the first patient is positioned; and

the computer system refining the first patient profile for the first patient based on the first collected data in order to modify the first limit and/or alarm level for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by the first patient.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first patient profile includes both static data and dynamic data relating to bed exiting behavior, wherein refining the first patient profile involves altering the dynamic data relating to bed exiting behavior.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first patient profile is further refined by the computer system automatically altering at least one of a limit for detecting an event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, an alarm level for detecting an event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, a treatment regimen, a wellness parameter.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first patient profile is refined by a staff member manually altering the limit and/or alarm level for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by the patient.

5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the static data remains unmodified.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, the first patient profile further including a limit for detecting an event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, the limit being refined in order to more accurately determine occurrence of the event for the first patient.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, the first patient profile further including an alarm level for detecting an actionable event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, the alarm level being refined in order to more accurately determine occurrence of the actionable event for the first patient.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, the event or actionable event being detected in accordance with a recursively refined profile for the first patient based at least in part on previously collected data.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, the first patient profile including a plurality of limits that indicate a plurality of corresponding body part positions that, when attained simultaneously or sequentially, are predictive of bed existing by the first patient.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein refining the first patient profile includes modifying the limits based on collected data in order to further reduce the risk of unattended bed exiting by the first patient and/or false positive alerts or alarms relating to the first patient.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising collecting data relating to an event other than attempted bed exiting by the first patient, the method further comprising staff verifying whether or not the event is an actionable event, wherein verifying or rejecting the event as an actionable event forms part of an information feedback loop that at least partially comprises refining the first patient profile.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein the event and/or actionable event relate to at least one of patient wandering into unauthorized zones, patient flight from the facility, patient support exiting other than bed exiting, patient initiated alert, failure to complete a prescribed regimen, or patient injury.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on a measured level of social interaction by the patient.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on a measured level of total ambulation by the patient over a predetermined period of time.

15. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on a measured level of total ambulation by the patient over a predetermined period of time in association with a previously defined personal ambulation assistive device.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on a measured level of denture use by the patient.

17. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on a measured level of denture cleaning compared to denture cleaning schedules utilized by staff.

18. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based completion of a prescribed patient treatment.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the prescribed patient treatment involves an interaction between the patient and at least one of a caregiver or asset.

20. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on changes in patient gait.

21. A method as defined in claim 1, the profile for a patient at the facility being refined based on patient breathing that is indicative of a medical condition.

22. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing a performance profile for each of a plurality of caregivers and/or visitors at the facility relating to caregiver and/or visitor performance, collecting data regarding the locations and/or movements by the caregivers and/or visitors, and refining caregiver and/or visitor performance profiles based on the collected data.

23. A computer-program product comprising one or more tangible computer-readable media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the computer system to implement the method of claim 1.

25. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

the computer system receiving second collected data related to bodily movements of the second patient positioned on a second bed and which are predictive of attempted bed exiting by the second patient based on the second patient profile, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera or computer positioned at a location near the first bed on which the first patient is positioned; and

the computer system refining the second patient profile for the second patient based on the second collected data in order to modify the second limit and/or alarm level for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by the second patient.

26. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

the computer system, when storing an initial profile for at least one of the patients, further storing information relating to at least one of a limit for detecting an event other than attempted bed exiting, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event other than attempted bed exiting, a care regimen, or a wellness parameter;

the computer system storing an initial profile for at least one of a staff member or a visitor at the facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for the staff member and/or visitor, respectively, or general information common to more than one staff member and/or visitor, respectively, the profile for the staff member, if stored by the computer system, including a performance parameter for the staff member and/or the profile for the visitor, if stored by the computer system, including a performance parameter for the visitor;

the computer system receiving collected data related to at least one of i) a detected event or an actionable event other than attempted bed exiting by the patient, ii) a care regimen for a patient, iii) a wellness parameter for a patient, (iv) a performance parameter for a staff member, or v) a performance parameter for a visitor, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera, or computer positioned within the facility that detect and/or analyze data regarding at least one of location and/or movements by the patient, location and/or movements by staff members, assets and/or visitors, physical condition of the patient, or activities performed on and/or by the patient; and

the computer system refining the profile for at least one of the patient, staff member or visitor based on the collected data in order to modify at least one of the limit, alarm level, care regimen, or wellness parameter of the patient, performance parameter for the staff member, or performance parameter for the visitor.

24. In a computer system that includes a processor and system memory, that maintains stored profiles for a plurality of patients at a facility, and that receives data from networked computers or other devices at the facility relating to behavior, activities, care, wellness or other information for each patient, a method for maintaining the stored profiles for patients at the facility comprising:

the computer system storing an initial profile for each of a plurality of patients at a facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for each patient or general information common to more than one patient, the profile for each patient including a limit and/or alarm level for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by the patient,

wherein limits and/or alarm levels for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by at least some of the patients at the facility differing from limits and/or alarm levels for use in detecting attempted bed exiting by at least some other of the patients at the facility,

the profile for each patient optionally including at least one of a limit for detecting an event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable. event unrelated to attempted bed exiting, a care regimen, or a wellness parameter;

the computer system receiving collected data related to bodily movements for at least some of the patients at the facility while positioned on respective beds, which movements are predictive of attempted bed exiting based on stored profiles for the patients, at least some of which profiles differing based on differences in attempted bed exiting behaviors as between different patients, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera or computer positioned at locations near the beds on which the patients are positioned; and

the computer system refining the profiles for the plurality of patients based on the collected data in order to modify limits and/or alarm levels for the patients relative to attempted bed exiting, at least some of the patient profiles differing based on differences in attempted bed exiting behaviors as between different patients.

27. A method as defined in claim 24, further comprising:

the computer system, when storing an initial profile for at least one of the patients, further storing information relating to at least one of a limit for detecting an event other than attempted bed exiting, an alarm level for use in detecting an actionable event other than attempted bed exiting, a care regimen, or a wellness parameter;

the computer system storing an initial profile for at least one of a staff member or a visitor at the facility based on at least one of specific personalized information for the staff member and/or visitor, respectively, or general information common to more than one staff member and/or visitor, respectively, the profile for the staff member, if stored by the computer system, including a performance parameter for the staff member and/or the profile for the visitor, if stored by the computer system, including a performance parameter for the visitor;

the computer system receiving collected data related to at least one of i) a detected event or an actionable event other than attempted bed exiting by the patient, ii) a care regimen for a patient, iii) a wellness parameter for a patient, (iv) a performance parameter for a staff member, or v) a performance parameter for a visitor, the data being collected using one or more of a sensor, camera, or computer positioned within the facility that detect and/or analyze data regarding at least one of location and/or movements by the patient, location and/or movements by staff members, assets and/or visitors, physical condition of the patient, or activities performed on and/or by the patient; and

the computer system refining the profile for at least one of the patient, staff member or visitor based on the collected data in order to modify at least one of the limit, alarm level, care regimen, or wellness parameter of the patient, performance parameter for the staff member, or performance parameter for the visitor.