Tactical clinical evaluation of patient monitor events
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of evaluating alarm events generated by patient monitors, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) receiving a plurality of alarm events and associated alarm event data from one or more patient monitors at a central control unit;
b) storing the alarm event data in an electronic storage medium;
c) selecting a time interval for performing the step of calculating an acuity score;
d) calculating an acuity score for the patient monitor from the alarm event data and a customizable rule set input into and stored in the control unit, the customizable rule set applied to the alarm event data relevant to a care area in which the patient monitors are located;
e) comparing the calculated acuity score to a threshold value for the acuity score;
f) transmitting an alert if the acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value;
g) re-calculating the acuity score upon expiration of each time interval; and
h) transmitting an alert if the re-calculated acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value,wherein the step of calculating the acuity score comprises applying a weighting factor from the customizable rule set to the alarm event data, andwherein the step of applying a weighting factor to the alarm event data comprises;
i) increasing a significance of a first portion of the alarm event data; and
ii) decreasing significance of second portion of the alarm event data.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In the present invention, a method and accompanying system for evaluating alarm events generated by patient monitors includes the steps of receiving a plurality of alarm events and associated alarm event data from one or more patient monitors at a central control unit, storing the alarm event data in an electronic storage medium, calculating an acuity score for the patient monitor from the alarm event data and a customizable rule set input into and stored in the control unit, the rule set applied to the alarm event data and comparing the calculated acuity score to a threshold value for the acuity score.
5 Citations
15 Claims
-
1. A method of evaluating alarm events generated by patient monitors, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a) receiving a plurality of alarm events and associated alarm event data from one or more patient monitors at a central control unit; b) storing the alarm event data in an electronic storage medium; c) selecting a time interval for performing the step of calculating an acuity score; d) calculating an acuity score for the patient monitor from the alarm event data and a customizable rule set input into and stored in the control unit, the customizable rule set applied to the alarm event data relevant to a care area in which the patient monitors are located; e) comparing the calculated acuity score to a threshold value for the acuity score; f) transmitting an alert if the acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value; g) re-calculating the acuity score upon expiration of each time interval; and h) transmitting an alert if the re-calculated acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value, wherein the step of calculating the acuity score comprises applying a weighting factor from the customizable rule set to the alarm event data, and wherein the step of applying a weighting factor to the alarm event data comprises; i) increasing a significance of a first portion of the alarm event data; and ii) decreasing significance of second portion of the alarm event data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of evaluating a patient condition from alarm events generated by patient monitors, the method comprising the steps of:
-
a) inputting a customized rule set into a central control unit including at least one weighting factor applied to alarm event data relevant to a care area in which the patient monitors are located; b) receiving and storing at a central monitor a notification of an alarm event and associated alarm event data from a patient monitor; c) selecting a time interval for performing the step of calculating an acuity score; d) calculating an acuity score from the alarm event data and the customized rule set; e) comparing the acuity score to an acuity score threshold value to determine a patient condition; and f) transmitting the calculated acuity score and the patient condition for review by a clinician; g) generating an alert if the acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value; h) re-calculating the acuity score upon expiration of each time interval; and i) generating an alert if the re-calculated acuity score exceeds the stored threshold value; wherein the step of calculating the acuity score comprises applying a weighting factor from the customizable rule set to the alarm event data, and wherein the step of applying a weighting factor to the alarm event data comprises; i) increasing a significance of a first portion of the alarm event data; and ii) decreasing significance of second portion of the alarm event data. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
-
-
15. A system for evaluating alarms events determined by a patient monitor, the system comprising:
-
a) a patient monitor configured to receive physiological patient data, to detect an occurrence of an alarm condition, and to transmit an alarm event notification of the alarm condition and accompanying data concerning the alarm event; b) a control unit configured to receive the notification of the alarm and accompanying data, to calculate an acuity score within a selected time interval with the data from the patient monitor and a customizable weighted rule set input into the control unit to customize the acuity score to a clinical care area within which the system is operated, to store the acuity score on a computer-readable memory device, to re-calculate an acuity score within a subsequent selected time interval with the data from the patient monitor and a customizable weighted rule set, to apply a weighting factor from the customizable rule set to the alarm event data to increase a significance of a first portion of the alarm event data and decrease a significance of second portion of the alarm event data, and to generate an alert if one of the calculated acuity score or the re-calculated acuity score exceeds a stored threshold value for the acuity score.
-
Specification