Auxiliary system for nursing personnel

Abstract

The invention discloses a nurse assistance system. The nurse assistance system comprises a plurality of beds and a nurse assistance application suitable for running on a server. Each bed of the plurality of beds includes a controller adapted to initiate an alarm when a respective sensor detects that the respective bed is in an undesired state and to stop the alarm when a caregiver responds to the alarm and to transmit an identifier, a first alarm message and a second alarm message from the respective bed via a network transceiver, the first alarm message is sent in response to the alarm being started, and the second alarm message is sent in response to the alarm being stopped; the caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive an identifier, a first alert message and a second alert message from a bed. The inventive system may monitor how quickly the caregiver responds to one or more alarm conditions related to the bed and / or patient and generate a report for the manager regarding the response time.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese Patent Application No. 202080057572.7, filed on June 25, 2020, entitled “Nursing Staff Assistance System”.

[0002] Related application cross-index

[0003] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 868,947, filed June 30, 2019, entitled “CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 868,387, filed June 28, 2019, entitled “CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM”; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 868,360, filed June 28, 2019, entitled “CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] This application relates to and includes by reference the entire contents of the following applications: U.S. Patent Application 62 / 781,831, filed December 19, 2018, entitled “SYSTEM FOR MANAGING PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES AND CLINICAL ROUNDS”; U.S. Patent Application 62 / 868,387, filed June 28, 2019, entitled “CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM”; U.S. Patent Application 62 / 826,187, filed March 29, 2019, entitled “SYSTEM FOR MANAGING PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES AND PATIENT FALL RISKS”; U.S. Patent Application 62 / 868,360, filed June 28, 2019, entitled “CAREGIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEM”; and U.S. Patent Application 62 / 868,360, filed December 19, 2018, entitled “SYSTEM FOR MANAGING PATIENT SUPPORT”. U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 781,879, entitled “APPARATUSES AND CLINICAL ROUNDS”; and U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 826,195, entitled “SYSTEM FOR MANAGING PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES AND BEDSORE RISKS”, filed on March 29, 2019. Background of the Invention

[0005] This invention relates to patient support equipment, such as beds, hospital beds, stretchers, operating tables, reclining chairs, etc. More specifically, this invention relates to a system for assisting nursing staff in managing the aforementioned patient support equipment and performing other tasks, such as, but not limited to, rounds.

[0006] Hospitals typically expect nurses and / or other nursing staff to perform a variety of different duties when caring for patients. These duties include administering medications and / or treatments, taking vital sign readings, setting up and removing IV drip sets, collecting blood samples, ensuring patient adherence to prescribed activities and / or medications, assisting patients with getting in and out of bed, making regular patient visits, configuring the patient's bed as needed, recording one or more of these activities, and responding to the patient's needs. One of these duties includes performing what is commonly known as patient rounds. Such rounds involve nursing staff personally checking on the patient's health at certain designated intervals. Hospital administrators typically specify a minimum frequency at which nursing staff will perform these rounds, such as at least once every two hours. In some cases, the frequency of rounds may vary based on the patient's medical condition, the hospital's wing or department, and / or other factors.

[0007] Hospitals typically expect nurses and / or other caregivers to help reduce the risk of patient falls. In many hospitals, patients are assigned a fall risk, and if the risk exceeds a certain threshold, caregivers will take steps to reduce the likelihood of the patient falling while in the hospital. Such fall risk reduction steps often include placing one or more parts of the bed in one or more necessary states, such as putting an exit detection system on standby, activating brakes, etc. Additionally, hospitals typically expect nurses and / or other caregivers to ensure that patients do not develop pressure ulcers while in the healthcare facility, and / or to ensure that any existing pressure ulcers do not worsen.

[0008] In addition to the tasks described above, hospitals typically expect nurses to ensure that patient beds are properly configured. Proper configuration may include any one or more of the following: ensuring the bed is plugged into its socket; ensuring the bed is properly connected to the nurse call system; ensuring the exit monitoring system is in standby mode; ensuring the bedside monitoring system is in standby mode; and / or other measures to ensure that one or more other aspects of the bed are in the required condition.

[0009] Nurses and other caregivers have a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities, requiring techniques to help them fulfill their duties and provide high-quality healthcare to patients. Summary of the Invention

[0010] According to several different embodiments, tools are provided herein to assist caregivers in performing their various patient care duties. According to some embodiments, tools are particularly provided to facilitate one or more of the following: performing pressure ulcer risk reduction duties, performing fall risk reduction duties, performing bed configuration duties, performing rounds duties, and performing other periodic duties for which reminders may be set. The tool assists caregivers in performing their duties by displaying a screen showing multiple different status data about the bed, as well as notifications and reminders associated with one or more of the caregiver's duties. The status data about the bed may indicate whether the bed is operating according to one or more healthcare facility protocols, such as protocols for reducing fall risk, protocols for reducing pressure ulcer risk, protocols for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and / or other protocols. The status data may also include information indicating whether the bed is operating based on battery power or power from an electrical outlet, the status of the bed's battery, whether the bed is properly connected to the nurse call system, whether the bed is capable of wireless communication with the hospital's network, whether the bed requires maintenance, whether the bed's departure detection system is on standby and at what sensitivity level, and / or other aspects of the bed.

[0011] Furthermore, the tool provides caregivers with alerts for several different unperformed tasks. Such tasks may include setting multiple different bed states to desired states, assessing one or more aspects of the patient's health (e.g., whether the patient is at risk of falls and / or other undesirable conditions), documenting one or more aspects of patient care, and / or other tasks. By combining alerts and notifications for these fundamentally different tasks into a single tool, the tool eliminates the need for caregivers to access and / or use multiple separate tools to perform the aforementioned fundamentally different patient care tasks. In some embodiments, the tool includes a server-based caregiver assistance application that communicates with the patient's bed, mobile electronic devices carried by caregivers, and stationary electronic devices that display information about the bed located in a pre-designated area of ​​the hospital.

[0012] This tool can also, or alternatively, notify healthcare administrators of nurses' response times to alarm conditions and how well they are managing multiple different facility protocols. Such information can be collected, averaged, graphically represented, and / or segmented across multiple beds over different time periods based on various parameters, such as, but not limited to, nurses, wards, floors, etc. The tool also allows nurses to easily view operational guidelines for performing any one or more of these protocols and / or operational guidelines for any one or more characteristics of the operating bed.

[0013] A caregiver assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes multiple beds and a server-based caregiver assistance application. Each bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a nurse call cable port adapted to connect to a first end of a nurse call cable, the second end of the nurse call cable being adapted to connect to a nurse call jack, thereby enabling the bed to communicate with a nurse call system; a sensor adapted to detect the status of the corresponding bed; a network transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory, the network transceiver, and the sensor. The controller is adapted to activate an alarm when the sensor detects that the bed is in an undesirable state and to deactivate the alarm when a caregiver responds to the alarm. The controller is also adapted to forward the identifier, a first alarm message, and a second alarm message to the caregiver assistance application via the network transceiver. The first alarm message is sent in response to the alarm being activated, and the second alarm message is sent in response to the alarm being deactivated. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive an identifier, a first alarm message, and a second alarm message from a bed, and to perform the following steps: (i) for each bed, record the time interval between the receipt of the first alarm message and the second alarm message by the caregiver assistance application, wherein the time interval corresponds to the amount of time between the receipt of the first alarm message and the receipt of the second alarm message; (ii) forward the time interval to an electronic device; and (iii) display the time interval on the display of the electronic device.

[0014] According to another aspect of the invention, the nursing care assistive application is also adapted to average multiple time intervals together and display the average value of the multiple time intervals on the display of an electronic device.

[0015] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to perform the following steps: (i) determining a first average value of a first set of multiple time intervals collected across a first time period; (ii) determining a second average value of a second set of multiple time intervals collected across a second time period; and (iii) simultaneously displaying the first average value and the second average value on an electronic device.

[0016] The first and / or second time periods can be configured by the administrator and may include, but are not limited to, one day, one week, one month, one year, etc.

[0017] In some embodiments, the sensor is an exit detection system, and the undesirable state is the state that the corresponding patient has left the corresponding bed. In some other embodiments, the sensor may also be, or alternatively, a set of sensors monitored by a bed monitoring system. In these latter embodiments, the undesirable state may include any one or more of the following: the brakes on the corresponding bed are not activated; a set of guardrails on the corresponding bed are not erected; the mattress height of the corresponding bed is not at the minimum height; or the exit detection system for the corresponding bed is not enabled.

[0018] In some embodiments, each of a plurality of beds includes a timer, and a controller is adapted to use the timer to determine the time interval and send the time interval to a caregiver assistance application. In other embodiments, the caregiver assistance application includes a timer and is adapted to use the timer to determine the time interval.

[0019] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is adapted to record multiple time intervals and categorize each of the multiple time intervals according to at least one of the following: caregiver, location, time of day, and patient type.

[0020] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to perform one or more of the following: (a) receiving pressure ulcer risk data from the caregiver regarding the risk of developing pressure ulcers for each patient and determining a pressure ulcer risk assessment score from the pressure ulcer risk data; (b) receiving fall risk data from the caregiver regarding the fall risk for each patient and determining a fall risk assessment score from the fall risk data; (c) receiving completion data from the caregiver indicating when the caregiver has completed rounds for each patient; and (d) displaying a pressure ulcer risk assessment indicator on the display of an electronic device. The indicator indicates the risk of pressure ulceration for each patient; (e) a fall risk assessment indicator is displayed on the screen of the electronic device, indicating the fall risk for each patient; (f) the time until the next round of inspection for each patient is completed is displayed; (g) a reminder to perform a round of inspection for each patient is displayed; (h) a reminder to perform a pressure ulceration risk assessment for each patient is displayed; (i) a reminder to perform a fall risk assessment for each patient is displayed; (j) the bed-integrated exit detection system is activated using the electronic device; and (k) an exit alarm is received when each patient leaves his or her corresponding bed.

[0021] In some embodiments, one or more beds further include a battery and a battery sensor adapted to detect the battery's status. In such an embodiment, the controller is adapted to send the status of the corresponding battery to a caregiver assistance application, which is also adapted to display a battery status indicator on a display of an electronic device. The battery status indicator indicates the status of the corresponding battery.

[0022] In some embodiments, the bed further includes a short-range transceiver adapted to communicate with a short-range transmitter of a location beacon, mounted at an end wall. The short-range transmitter is adapted to forward location data and beacon battery status data to adjacent beds among a plurality of beds. The location data indicates the location of the adjacent beds, and the beacon battery status data indicates the status of the location beacon's battery. The adjacent beds are adapted to forward the beacon battery status data to a caregiver assistive application, which is further adapted to display a beacon status indicator on a display of an electronic device. The beacon status indicator indicates the current status of the location beacon's battery.

[0023] In some embodiments, each controller is also adapted to forward signal strength data to a caregiver assistance application. The signal strength data indicates the signal strength between the corresponding transceiver at the healthcare facility and the wireless access point. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a signal strength indicator on a display of an electronic device, indicating the signal strength between the corresponding transceiver at the healthcare facility and the wireless access point.

[0024] In some embodiments, the alarm indicates that the nurse call cable port is not communicating with the nurse call system.

[0025] In some embodiments, the sensor is adapted to determine whether the corresponding bed is currently operating based on power from the battery or power from the electrical outlet, and an alarm indicates that the corresponding bed is currently operating based on battery power.

[0026] In some embodiments, each controller is also adapted to determine whether the corresponding bed should be serviced and, if so, to forward servicing data to a caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a bed servicing indicator on the display of the electronic device.

[0027] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display on an electronic device an operating guide for using at least one bed.

[0028] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a nursing staff assistance system is disclosed, comprising a plurality of beds and a nursing staff assistance application hosted by a server. Each of the plurality of beds includes: a mattress; a support plate supported on the mattress and configured to support a corresponding patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the corresponding bed; a nurse call cable port adapted to connect to a first end of a nurse call cable, the second end of the nurse call cable being adapted to connect to a nurse call jack, thereby enabling the corresponding bed to communicate with a nurse call system; an occupancy detector adapted to detect when the corresponding patient occupies the corresponding bed and when the corresponding bed is not occupied; a sensing system adapted to sense alarm conditions of the corresponding bed when activated and not sense alarm conditions when deactivated; a network transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory, the network transceiver, and the sensing system. The controller is adapted to forward occupancy data and activation data from the corresponding bed via the network transceiver. The occupancy data indicates when the corresponding patient occupies the corresponding bed and when the corresponding bed is not occupied, and the activation data indicates when the corresponding sensing system is activated or deactivated. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive identifiers, enable data, and occupancy data, and perform the following steps: (i) determining whether each bed is currently in compliance with the healthcare facility protocol based on the enable data and occupancy data; (ii) recording compliance values ​​indicating how many beds are currently in compliance with the healthcare facility protocol and how many beds are currently not in compliance with the healthcare facility protocol; and (iii) displaying the compliance values ​​on the display of an electronic device communicating with the caregiver assistance application.

[0029] According to other aspects of the invention, the caregiver assistance application can also be configured to generate reports that display compliance values ​​measured over a period of time.

[0030] In some embodiments, the sensing system for each bed is an exit detection system adapted to detect when a corresponding patient leaves the corresponding bed. In other embodiments, the sensing system for each bed is a bed monitoring system adapted to monitor multiple conditions of the corresponding bed. In other embodiments, the sensing system for each bed is a locking control adapted to prevent the pivotable head section of the support plate from rotating below a threshold angle when activated. In such embodiments, the medical facility protocol is a ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention protocol.

[0031] In other embodiments, multiple sensing systems may be included. For example, in some embodiments, each bed may also include a second sensing system adapted to sense a second alarm condition for the corresponding bed when it is enabled and not to sense the second alarm condition when it is disabled. In such embodiments, the controller is also adapted to send second enable data to a caregiver assistance application, indicating when the second sensing system is enabled or disabled. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to perform the following steps: (i) determining whether each bed is currently complying with the institution's protocol based on the second enable data and occupancy data; (ii) recording a second compliance value indicating how many beds are currently complying with the institution's protocol based on the second enable data and occupancy data and how many beds are currently not complying with the institution's protocol based on the second enable data and occupancy data; and (iii) displaying the second compliance value on a display of an electronic device communicating with the caregiver assistance application.

[0032] In some embodiments, each bed is also configured to transmit an alarm to a caregiver assistance application via a network transceiver and to a nurse call system via a nurse call cable port when the sensing system detects an alarm condition.

[0033] In embodiments with a bed monitoring system, the bed monitoring system may be adapted to monitor at least: the status of the brakes on the corresponding bed; the status of a set of guardrails on the corresponding bed; the height of the mattress frame on the corresponding bed; and the activation / deactivation status of the departure detection system on the corresponding bed.

[0034] In some embodiments, caregiver-assisted applications are also adapted to generate reports on compliance values ​​for beds associated with a specific caregiver.

[0035] In some embodiments, the healthcare facility protocol defines when the sensing system for a particular bed will be activated based on whether a specific patient assigned to that bed has a fall risk assessment score above a threshold. Alternatively or additionally, the healthcare facility protocol may define when the sensing system for a particular bed will be activated based on whether a specific patient assigned to that bed has a pressure ulcer risk assessment score above a threshold.

[0036] Caregiver assistance applications can also be configured to receive fall risk assessment data from mobile electronic devices associated with a specific caregiver and generate a fall risk assessment score from that data. Similarly, caregiver assistance applications can also be configured to receive pressure ulcer risk assessment data from mobile electronic devices associated with a specific caregiver and generate a pressure ulcer risk assessment score from that data.

[0037] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to communicate with a mobile electronic device associated with a specific caregiver and to display at least the following data for a specific bed associated with that caregiver: (a) the status of the battery integrated into the specific bed; (b) a signal strength indicator indicating the strength of the wireless signal between the network transceiver of the specific bed and the wireless access point of the healthcare facility's local area network; (c) an indicator indicating that the nurse call cable port of the specific bed is not communicatively connected to the nurse call system; and (d) an indicator indicating whether the specific bed is currently operating based on power from the battery or power from the electrical outlet.

[0038] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to send a notification to a mobile electronic device associated with a particular caregiver when a particular bed associated with a particular caregiver fails to comply with an institution protocol.

[0039] Nursing staff assistance applications are also suitable for displaying operating instructions on electronic devices that feature the use of at least one bed.

[0040] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a caregiver assistance system is provided, comprising a bed and a caregiver assistance application with a server as the host. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a nurse call cable port adapted to connect to a first end of a nurse call cable, the second end of which is adapted to connect to a nurse call jack, thereby enabling the bed to communicate with a nurse call system; a sensor adapted to detect the status of the bed; a network transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory and the network transceiver. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and data from the sensors from the bed via the network transceiver. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive the identifier and sensor data and perform the following steps: (i) displaying the sensor data on a mobile electronic device associated with a caregiver assigned to the patient; and (ii) displaying an operating guide for using the features of the bed on the mobile electronic device.

[0041] According to other aspects of the invention, the operating instructions may include video stored in a memory location accessible to a caregiver assistance application. In such an embodiment, the caregiver assistance application is configured to transmit the video to a mobile electronic device.

[0042] In some embodiments, the bed further includes a sensing system adapted to sense alarm conditions of the bed when it is activated and not to sense such alarm conditions when it is deactivated; and an occupancy detector adapted to detect when a patient occupies the bed and when the patient does not occupy the bed. In such embodiments, the controller may also be adapted to forward occupancy data and activation data from the bed to a caregiver assistance application via a network transceiver. The occupancy data indicates when the corresponding patient occupies the bed and when the patient does not occupy the bed, and the activation data indicates when the corresponding sensing system is activated or deactivated. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to: determine whether the bed is currently complying with a healthcare facility protocol based on the activation data and occupancy data; and if the bed is currently not complying with a healthcare facility protocol, display data indicating non-compliance on a mobile electronic device.

[0043] In some embodiments, the controller is also adapted to activate an alarm when a sensor detects that the bed is in an undesirable state and to deactivate the alarm when a caregiver responds to the alarm, and to forward a first alarm message and a second alarm message to a caregiver assistance application via a network transceiver. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to record a time interval corresponding to the amount of time between the receipt of the first alarm message and the receipt of the second alarm message; forward the time interval to a second mobile electronic device associated with a supervisor in the healthcare facility; and display the time interval on a display of the second mobile electronic device. The sensor may be an exit detection system, a bed monitoring system, a component of any of these systems, or another type of sensor.

[0044] In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the mobile electronic device may be a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or another type of mobile electronic device.

[0045] Additionally, in any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the mobile electronic device may include a browser app for communicating with a caregiver assistance application by accessing at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with a server. The caregiver assistance application may be adapted to send alerts to the mobile electronic device, which are processed by an app other than the browser app, such as, but not limited to, a phone app, an email app, or a messaging app.

[0046] A caregiver assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first bed, a second bed, and a server-based caregiver assistance application. Each of the first and second beds includes: a support frame; a support plate supported on the support frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the respective bed; a sensor adapted to detect the state of the respective bed; a transceiver; and a controller. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and data from the sensors from the respective bed to a server on which the caregiver assistance application resides. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive first sensor data from the first bed and second sensor data from the second bed and perform the following steps: forwarding the first sensor data to a first mobile electronic device associated with a first caregiver assigned to a first patient on the first bed; forwarding the second sensor data to a second mobile electronic device associated with a second caregiver assigned to a second patient on the second bed; receiving a sharing request; if the caregiver assistance application receives acceptance of the sharing request, forwarding the first sensor data to the second mobile electronic device; if the caregiver assistance application does not receive acceptance of the sharing request, not forwarding the first sensor data to the second mobile electronic device.

[0047] According to other aspects of the invention, the caregiver assistance application may be adapted to receive a sharing request from a first mobile electronic device and to receive the acceptance from a second mobile electronic device.

[0048] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive and accept sharing requests from a second mobile electronic device.

[0049] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to designate a second caregiver as the primary caregiver for the first patient upon receiving the acceptance. Subsequently, while the second caregiver is designated as the primary caregiver for the first patient, the caregiver assistance application forwards alarms from the first bed to a second mobile electronic device. Alternatively, while the second caregiver is designated as the primary caregiver for the first patient, the caregiver assistance application does not forward alarms from the first bed to the first mobile electronic device.

[0050] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to receive a non-sharing request, and if the caregiver assistance application receives acceptance of the non-sharing request, it stops forwarding the first sensor data to the second mobile electronic device in response to the non-sharing request.

[0051] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to forward additional data about the first patient to a second mobile electronic device when the caregiver assistance application receives acceptance of a sharing request; and not to forward additional data to the second mobile electronic device when the caregiver assistance application does not receive acceptance of a sharing request. The additional data may include reminders to perform at least one of the following tasks: conducting rounds on the first patient, assessing the first patient's risk of pressure ulcers, assessing the first patient's risk of falls, initiating treatment for the first patient, and changing the settings of the first bed.

[0052] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to receive patient data from a second mobile electronic device after receiving acceptance of a sharing request. The patient data from the second mobile electronic device relates to the condition of the first patient, and the caregiver assistance application is further adapted to forward the patient data to an electronic medical record server for inputting a patient record corresponding to the first patient.

[0053] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to obtain the location of a first mobile electronic device from a real-time location server. In such embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is adapted to display a first screen on the first mobile electronic device when the first mobile electronic device is in a first location and a second screen on the first mobile electronic device when the first mobile electronic device is in a second location. The caregiver assistance application may also be configured to obtain the location of a second mobile electronic device from a real-time location server, and to display a third screen on the second mobile electronic device when the second mobile electronic device is in a first location and a fourth screen on the second mobile electronic device when the second mobile electronic device is in a second location.

[0054] According to another aspect of the invention, a caregiver assistance system is provided to assist caregivers in performing patient care tasks. The caregiver assistance system includes a plurality of beds, each bed comprising: a mattress frame, a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon, a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the respective bed, sensors adapted to detect the state of components of the respective bed, a transceiver, and a controller. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and sensor data from the respective bed to a server on which the caregiver assistance application resides. The caregiver assistance application is configured to receive the sensor data and the identifier and perform the following steps: communicating with a mobile electronic device carried by the caregiver; determining a group of patients assigned to the caregiver; obtaining the caregiver's location; determining whether the location corresponds to any room in which patients from the group of patients are staying; if the caregiver is in any room in which patients from the group of patients are staying, displaying a first screen on the mobile electronic device; and if the caregiver is not in any room in which patients from the group of patients are staying, displaying a second screen on the mobile electronic device.

[0055] According to other aspects of the invention, the caregiver assistance application can be configured such that a first screen displays sensor data from a specific bed among a plurality of beds, wherein the specific bed is located in the same room as the caregiver.

[0056] In some embodiments, the second screen displays a list of all the rooms in which a group of patients identifying the caregiver reside.

[0057] In some embodiments, the second screen displays the status of multiple beds in a room where a group of patients are located, as described by a caregiver.

[0058] The sensor data displayed on the first screen may include data indicating whether the bed departure system integrated in a specific bed among the multiple beds is in a standby or deactivated state. Alternatively or additionally, the sensor data displayed on the first screen may include data indicating whether the bed monitoring system integrated in a specific bed among the multiple beds is in a standby or deactivated state. Furthermore, the sensor data displayed on the first screen may include any one or more of the following: (a) data indicating whether the brake of a specific bed among the multiple beds is activated; (b) data indicating the low-height status of the mattress of a specific bed among the multiple beds; (c) data indicating whether the power cord of a specific bed among the multiple beds is plugged into an electrical outlet; and / or (d) data indicating whether the nurse call cable of a specific bed among the multiple beds is plugged into a nurse call jack.

[0059] A caregiver assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of beds and a server-based caregiver assistance application. Each bed includes: a mattress frame, a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon, a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the respective bed, a plurality of sensors adapted to detect the status of a plurality of components of the respective bed, a transceiver, and a controller. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and sensor data from the plurality of sensors from the respective bed to a server of the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive the sensor data and the identifier and perform the following steps: communicating with a mobile electronic device carried by a caregiver; determining a group of patients assigned to the caregiver; determining the room number of the group of patients; determining a group of beds from the plurality of beds, wherein each bed in the group of beds is associated with a corresponding patient from the group of patients; and displaying a first screen on the mobile electronic device. The first screen includes a list of room numbers of the group of patients and a status indicator of at least one bed in the group of beds, wherein the status indicator is derived from sensor data received from the at least one bed.

[0060] According to other aspects of the invention, the caregiver assistance application determines a set of patients to be assigned to a caregiver by communicating with an Admission-Discharge Tracking (ADT) server and a nurse call system server.

[0061] In some embodiments, a status indicator indicates whether at least one bed complies with a set of criteria. This set of criteria may be defined by a fall risk reduction protocol, a pressure ulcer risk reduction protocol, and / or any one or more of the following: activation of the brakes on at least one bed, activation of the exit detection system integrated on at least one bed, erection of multiple guardrails on at least one bed, and low height of the mattress frame on at least one bed.

[0062] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a fall risk indicator on a first screen when any patient from the group has an increased risk of falling, and / or to display a pressure ulcer risk indicator when any patient from the group has an increased risk of developing pressure ulcers.

[0063] A caregiver assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a bed and a server-based caregiver assistance application. The bed includes: a mattress frame, a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon, an inflatable mattress located on the support plate and adapted to turn the patient over when supported thereon, sensors adapted to detect the state of the bed's components, a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed, a transceiver, and a controller. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and sensor data from the sensors from the bed to a server acting as the host of the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application receives the identifier and sensor data and is adapted to perform the following steps: receiving a login credential from a user's mobile electronic device; determining whether the login credential is valid; determining whether the login credential corresponds to a caregiver or a technician; if the login credential corresponds to a caregiver, displaying data including sensor data and patient information related to the patient assigned to the bed on the display of the user's mobile electronic device; or if the login credential corresponds to a technician, displaying data including sensor data but excluding patient information on the display of the user's mobile electronic device.

[0064] According to other aspects of the invention, if the login credentials correspond to a technician, the nursing assistant application is further configured to perform the following steps: communicating with a geographically remote equipment management system; sending a request for bed maintenance history to the geographically remote equipment management system using an identifier; receiving the bed maintenance history from the geographically remote equipment management system; and displaying the bed maintenance history on the display of the user's mobile electronic device.

[0065] In some embodiments, if the login credentials correspond to a caregiver, the caregiver assistance application is configured not to display any bed maintenance history on the user's mobile electronic device.

[0066] In some embodiments, if the login credentials correspond to a technician, the caregiver assistance application is configured to receive maintenance information about the bed from the user's mobile electronic device and forward the maintenance information to a geographically distant device management system.

[0067] In some embodiments, if the login credentials correspond to a technician, the caregiver assistance application is configured to receive maintenance information and confirmation data about the bed from the user's mobile electronic device, analyze the confirmation data to confirm the presence of a technician at the bedside, and send the confirmation data and maintenance information to a geographically distant device management system.

[0068] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to receive a bed code from a user's mobile electronic device. The bed code is captured by the user's mobile electronic device and uniquely identifies the bed. The bed may be adapted to display the bed code on a display screen, enabling the user's mobile electronic device to capture an image of the bed code. Alternatively or additionally, the bed may be adapted to wirelessly transmit the bed code to a short-range transmitter integrated into the user's mobile electronic device via a short-range transmitter.

[0069] In some embodiments, if the login credentials correspond to a caregiver, the caregiver assistance application is configured to automatically select what type of screen to display on the user's mobile electronic device's monitor using a bed code. The screen type can be selected from the following: a first screen displaying sensor data from the bed; and a second screen displaying sensor data from multiple beds.

[0070] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also configured to determine whether the login credentials correspond to an administrator, and if the login credentials correspond to an administrator, to display all of the following: sensor data from the bed, patient information related to the patient assigned to the bed, and the bed's maintenance history.

[0071] In some embodiments, if the login credentials correspond to a caregiver, the caregiver assistance application is also configured to receive a sharing request from the caregiver, forward the sharing request to another mobile electronic device associated with a second caregiver, and if the second caregiver accepts the sharing request, forward sensor data from the bed and patient information to the other mobile electronic device.

[0072] A caregiver assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a bed and a server-based caregiver assistance application. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a nurse call cable port adapted to connect to a first end of a nurse call cable, the nurse call cable having a second end adapted to connect to a nurse call jack, thereby enabling the bed to communicate with a nurse call system; a sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call cable port is electrically connected to the nurse call system via the nurse call cable; a transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory, transceiver, and sensor. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and data from the sensor from the bed to a server acting as the host of the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive the identifier and sensor data from the bed and perform the following steps: forwarding the sensor data to a mobile electronic device associated with a caregiver assigned to the patient; and displaying a connection indicator on the display of the mobile electronic device. The connection indicator indicates whether the nurse call cable port is communicatively connected to the nurse call system.

[0073] According to other aspects of the invention, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display on a mobile electronic device the time indicating when a caregiver should perform rounds for the patient. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to receive completion data from the caregiver indicating that the caregiver has completed the rounds. Additionally, the caregiver assistance application is adapted to forward the completion data to an electronic medical record server for input into the patient record corresponding to the patient. Furthermore, the mobile electronic device can be configured to acquire confirmation data confirming that the caregiver was present near the bed when the rounds were completed. The mobile electronic device forwards the confirmation data to the caregiver assistance application.

[0074] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to forward sensor data to a stationary electronic device and display a connection indicator on the display of the stationary electronic device.

[0075] In some embodiments, the bed further includes a short-range transceiver adapted to communicate with a short-range transmitter of a location beacon, mounted at an end wall. The short-range transmitter forwards location data and beacon battery status data to the bed. The location data indicates the location of the bed, and the beacon battery status data indicates the status of the location beacon's battery. In such embodiments, the bed is adapted to forward the beacon battery status data to a caregiver assistance application, which is also adapted to display a beacon status indicator on a display of a mobile electronic device. The beacon status indicator indicates the current status of the location beacon's battery. The current status of the location beacon's battery may refer to the current charge level of the beacon battery, an indication of whether the location beacon battery should be replaced, and / or another indication regarding the charge and / or health of the location beacon battery.

[0076] In some embodiments, the controller is also adapted to determine whether the bed should be inspected and, if so, to forward inspection data to a caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a bed inspection indicator on the display of a mobile electronic device when the bed should be inspected.

[0077] In some embodiments, the bed controller is also adapted to forward signal strength data to a caregiver assistance application. The signal strength data indicates the signal strength between the transceiver at the medical facility and the wireless access point. In such embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a signal strength indicator on a display of a mobile electronic device. The signal strength indicator indicates the signal strength between the transceiver at the medical facility and the wireless access point. In at least some embodiments, the signal strength data is forwarded to the caregiver assistance application using the transceiver.

[0078] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a wireless connectivity indicator on the display of a mobile electronic device. The wireless connectivity indicator includes a first form indicating that the bed cannot wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application, and a second form indicating that the bed can wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application.

[0079] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to query the admission-discharge-tracking server for patient-room assignment information and use the patient-room assignment information to determine whether the bed cannot wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application.

[0080] A caregiver assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a bed and a caregiver assistance application with a server as the host. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a short-range transceiver adapted to communicate with a short-range transmitter of a location beacon mounted on an end wall of a medical facility room; and a controller. The short-range transceiver is adapted to receive location data and beacon battery status data from the location beacon. The location data indicates the location of the bed, and the beacon battery status data indicates the current state of the location beacon's battery. The controller communicates with the memory, the network transceiver, and the short-range transceiver, and is adapted to transmit the identifier, location data, and beacon battery status data from the bed to the server, which is the host of the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to perform the following steps: (i) determining the location of the bed using location data; (ii) forwarding beacon battery status data to a mobile electronic device associated with the caregiver assigned to the patient; and (iii) displaying a beacon battery status indicator on the display of the mobile electronic device, which indicates the current status of the location beacon's battery.

[0081] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a caregiver assistance system includes a bed and a caregiver assistance application hosted by a server. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a short-range transceiver adapted to receive location data from a short-range transmitter of a location beacon installed on an end wall of a medical facility room; a network transceiver adapted to wirelessly communicate with a wireless access point of a medical facility network; and a controller communicating with the memory, the short-range transceiver, and the network transceiver. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and location data from the bed to the caregiver assistance application via the network transceiver. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to perform the following steps: (i) determining the location of the bed using the location data; (ii) forwarding the location to a mobile electronic device associated with a caregiver assigned to the patient; and (iii) displaying the location on a display of the mobile electronic device; and (iv) displaying a wireless connection indicator on a display of the mobile electronic device. The wireless connection indicator includes a first form indicating that the bed cannot wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application using the network transceiver, and a second form indicating that the bed can wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application using the network transceiver.

[0082] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a caregiver assistance system includes a bed and a caregiver assistance application with a server as the host. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; a battery; a power cord adapted to be connected to an electrical outlet; sensors adapted to determine whether the bed is operating based on power from the battery or from the power cord; a transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory, transceiver, and sensors. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier and data from the sensors from the bed to the server, which is the host of the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive the identifier and sensor data from the bed and perform the following steps: (i) forwarding the sensor data to a mobile electronic device associated with a caregiver assigned to the patient; and (ii) displaying a power status indicator on the display of the mobile electronic device. The power status indicator indicates whether the bed is currently operating based on power from the battery or from the power cord.

[0083] In some embodiments, the bed further includes: a nurse call cable port adapted to connect to a first end of a nurse call cable, the nurse call cable having a second end adapted to connect to a nurse call jack, thereby enabling the bed to communicate with a nurse call system; and a sensor adapted to detect whether the nurse call cable port is electrically connected to the nurse call system via the nurse call cable. In such embodiments, the controller may also be adapted to transmit data from the sensor to a caregiver assistance application, which may also be adapted to display a connection indicator on a display of a mobile electronic device. The connection indicator indicates whether the nurse call cable port is communicatively connected to the nurse call system.

[0084] In some embodiments, the bed also includes a battery and a battery sensor adapted to detect the battery's status. In such embodiments, the controller is adapted to send the battery status to a caregiver assistance application, which is also adapted to display a battery status indicator on a display of a mobile electronic device. The battery status indicator indicates the battery's status and may indicate the battery's current charge level, whether the battery should be replaced, and / or other data regarding the charge and / or health of the location beacon battery.

[0085] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a wireless connectivity indicator on the display of a mobile electronic device. The wireless connectivity indicator includes a first form indicating that the bed cannot wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application, and a second form indicating that the bed can wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to query patient-room assignment information from an admission-discharge-tracking server and use the patient-room assignment information to determine whether the bed cannot wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application.

[0086] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to perform the following steps: (a) displaying on the display of a mobile electronic device a time indicating when the caregiver should perform patient rounds; (b) receiving completion data from the caregiver indicating that the caregiver has completed the rounds; and (c) forwarding the completion data to an electronic medical record server for input into the patient record corresponding to the patient. In some embodiments of these embodiments, the mobile electronic device may also be adapted to acquire confirmation data confirming that the caregiver was near the bed when the rounds were completed, and to forward the confirmation data to the caregiver assistance application.

[0087] A caregiver assistance system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a bed and a server-based caregiver assistance application. The bed includes: a mattress frame; a support plate supported on the mattress frame and configured to support a patient thereon; a memory containing an identifier uniquely identifying the bed; sensors adapted to detect the state of bed components; a short-range transceiver adapted to receive location data from a short-range transmitter of a location beacon installed on an end wall of a medical facility room; a network transceiver; and a controller communicating with the memory, the short-range transceiver, and the network transceiver. The controller is adapted to transmit the identifier, location data, and sensor data away from the bed. The caregiver assistance application is adapted to receive location data, sensor data, and identifiers and to perform the following steps: (i) communicating with a mobile electronic device associated with the caregiver; (ii) communicating with a stationary electronic device; (iii) using the location data to determine the room in which the bed is located; (iv) determining a group of patients assigned to the caregiver; (v) displaying the sensor data on the display of the mobile electronic device when the patient assigned to the bed is from the group of patients assigned to the caregiver; (vi) not displaying the sensor data on the display of the mobile electronic device when the patient assigned to the bed is not from the group of patients assigned to the caregiver; (vii) determining a group of room locations associated with the stationary electronic device; (viii) displaying the sensor data on the display of the stationary electronic device when the room in which the bed is located is from the group of room locations; and (ix) not displaying the sensor data on the display of the stationary electronic device when the room in which the bed is located is not from the group of room locations.

[0088] In some embodiments, the short-range transceiver is also adapted to receive beacon battery status data from the location beacon. The beacon battery status data indicates the status of the location beacon's battery. In such embodiments, the bed is adapted to forward the beacon battery status data to a caregiver-assisted application, which is also adapted to perform the following steps: (i) displaying a beacon status indicator on the display of a mobile electronic device when the patient assigned to the bed is from a group of patients assigned to the caregiver; (ii) not displaying the beacon status indicator on the display of the mobile electronic device when the patient assigned to the bed is not from a group of patients assigned to the caregiver; (iii) displaying the beacon status indicator on the display of a stationary electronic device when the room in which the bed is located is from said group of rooms; and (iv) not displaying the beacon status indicator on the display of the stationary electronic device when the room in which the bed is located is not from said group of rooms.

[0089] In any embodiment of the caregiver assistance system disclosed herein, the steps undertaken by caregiver assistance applications, mobile electronic devices, and / or beds may be embodied in one or more methods for assisting caregivers.

[0090] The various embodiments disclosed herein have been described in detail above. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the operational or structural details and component arrangements presented in the following description or shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described herein can be implemented or performed in alternative ways not explicitly disclosed herein. Moreover, it should be understood that the wording and terminology used herein are for descriptive purposes and should not be considered limiting. The use of "comprising" and "including" and variations thereof is intended to include the items listed thereafter and their equivalents, as well as other items and their equivalents. Furthermore, enumeration may be used in the description of several different embodiments. Unless expressly indicated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the invention to a particular order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding any additional steps or components that may be combined with or included therein from the scope of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0091] Figure 1 A perspective view of a patient support device that can be used in a nursing staff assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0092] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the nursing staff assistance system of the present invention, which shows... Figure 1 A detailed set of components for a patient support device, a server-based nursing assistant application, and a part of the local area network in which the patient support device communicates;

[0093] Figure 3 A block diagram of a set of components for a server-based nursing staff assistance application;

[0094] Figure 4 A block diagram showing a nursing staff support system integrated within a healthcare facility's local area network;

[0095] Figure 5 A flowchart of a general algorithm that can be executed with the assistance of nursing staff;

[0096] Figure 6 A flowchart of a caregiver assistance algorithm that can be executed by a caregiver assistance application;

[0097] Figure 7 A floor plan of a portable electronic device that can be used with a caregiver assistance system, wherein the portable electronic device is shown as a login screen displaying a caregiver assistance application;

[0098] Figure 8 An illustrative room list screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that support caregivers;

[0099] Figure 9 An illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in a caregiver support system;

[0100] Figure 10 An illustrative first round of questions screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0101] Figure 11 A second round of questions screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0102] Figure 12 A descriptive third round question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0103] Figure 13 An illustrative fourth round question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0104] Figure 14 An illustrative round completion screen that can be displayed on electronic devices within a nursing staff assistive system;

[0105] Figure 15 A first round verification screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be shown on a nursing staff assistive system;

[0106] Figure 16 A second round verification screen that can be displayed on an electronic device of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0107] Figure 17 A third round verification screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a nursing staff assistive system;

[0108] Figure 18 A flowchart of a fall risk reduction algorithm that can be implemented with the assistance of caregivers;

[0109] Figure 19 A first fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used by caregivers;

[0110] Figure 20 A second, illustrative fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports caregivers;

[0111] Figure 21 A third, illustrative fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in caregiver assistive systems;

[0112] Figure 22 A fourth, illustrative fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in caregiver assistive systems;

[0113] Figure 23A fifth, illustrative fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports caregivers;

[0114] Figure 24 A sixth, illustrative fall risk assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in caregiver assistive systems;

[0115] Figure 25 A screen displaying illustrative fall risk assessment information on an electronic device that can be shown on a caregiver assistive system;

[0116] Figure 26 An illustrative first bed leave consultation screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be shown on a caregiver assistive system.

[0117] Figure 27 An illustrative second bed exit consultation screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports the caregiver system;

[0118] Figure 28 A flowchart of a patient skin care algorithm that can be executed with the assistance of nursing staff;

[0119] Figure 29 An illustrative skin care overview screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in a caregiver support system;

[0120] Figure 30 A first skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used by caregivers;

[0121] Figure 31 A second, illustrative skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports caregivers;

[0122] Figure 32 A third skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in a caregiver assistive system;

[0123] Figure 33 A illustrative fourth skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a caregiver assistive system;

[0124] Figure 34 An illustrative fifth skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used in a caregiver assistive system;

[0125] Figure 35 A sixth, illustrative skin assessment question screen that can be displayed on electronic devices within a caregiver support system;

[0126] Figure 36 For about from Figure 30 The first information screen provides additional, explanatory information upon the first selection made on the screen;

[0127] Figure 37 For about from Figure 30 The second option on the screen provides additional, illustrative second information screens;

[0128] Figure 38 For about from Figure 30 The third option provided by the screen offers additional, illustrative third information;

[0129] Figure 39 An illustrative skin risk assessment score screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports caregivers;

[0130] Figure 40 An illustrative general treatment screen that suggests a variety of different skin treatments and can be displayed on an electronic device in a caregiver assistive system;

[0131] Figure 41 This includes a specific, illustrative treatment screen that suggests setting the patient's mattress to a low-leakage mode and can be displayed on the electronic device of the caregiver's assistive system.

[0132] Figure 42 A flowchart of a mattress control algorithm that can be executed with the assistance of caregivers;

[0133] Figure 43 A first patient turning screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be shown on a nursing staff assistive system;

[0134] Figure 44 A second patient turning screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be shown on a nursing staff assistive system;

[0135] Figure 45 For an illustrative record confirmation screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports nursing staff;

[0136] Figure 46 An illustrative mattress treatment status screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports caregivers;

[0137] Figure 47 Select illustrative first mattress parameters that can be displayed on the electronic device of the caregiver assistive system;

[0138] Figure 48 For the selection of illustrative second mattress parameters that can be displayed on the electronic device of the caregiver assistive system;

[0139] Figure 49 For the selection of illustrative third mattress parameters that can be displayed on the electronic device of the caregiver assistive system;

[0140] Figure 50 A flowchart of a skin care recording algorithm that can be executed with the assistance of caregivers;

[0141] Figure 51 An illustrative first skin care data input screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be shown on a caregiver assistance system;

[0142] Figure 52 Input screens containing illustrative skin care images that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in a caregiver assistance system;

[0143] Figure 53 A confirmation screen for illustrative skin care records that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used by caregivers;

[0144] Figure 54 A second, illustrative skin care data input screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that supports the caregiver system;

[0145] Figure 55 A third skin care data input screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used by caregivers;

[0146] Figure 56 A illustrative, stored image review screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in caregiver support systems;

[0147] Figure 57 A flowchart illustrating a manual task list modification algorithm that can be performed by a nursing staff assistance system;

[0148] Figure 58 An illustrative alternative room overview screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of a caregiver support system;

[0149] Figure 59 An illustrative list of alternative rooms screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that support caregivers;

[0150] Figure 60 A flowchart of a reminder algorithm that can be executed by a caregiver-assisted application;

[0151] Figure 61 A flowchart of an alarm algorithm that can be executed by a nursing staff-assisted application;

[0152] Figure 62 A flowchart of an access algorithm that can be executed by a caregiver-assisted application;

[0153] Figure 63 A flowchart of a screen selection algorithm that can be executed by a caregiver-assisted application;

[0154] Figure 64A flowchart of a load-sharing algorithm that can be executed by a nursing staff-assisted application;

[0155] Figure 65 For the first illustrative sharing request screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used in a caregiver support system;

[0156] Figure 66 A second illustrative sharing request screen that can be displayed on an electronic device that can be used in a caregiver support system;

[0157] Figure 67 For an illustrative, non-distributive request screen that can be displayed on electronic devices that can be used in a caregiver assistance system;

[0158] Figure 68 This is a block diagram of a second embodiment of the nursing staff assistance system of the present invention, which shows a detailed set of elements of the patient support device that can be used therein and a portion of the local area network in which the patient support device communicates.

[0159] Figure 69 This is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the nursing staff assistance system of the present invention, which shows a detailed set of elements of the patient support device that can be used therein and a portion of the local area network in which the patient support device communicates.

[0160] Figure 70 This is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the nursing staff assistance system of the present invention, which shows a detailed set of elements of the patient support device that can be used therein and a portion of the local area network in which the patient support device communicates.

[0161] Figure 71 This is a block diagram of a fifth embodiment of the nursing staff assistance system of the present invention, which illustrates a nursing staff assistance application suitable for operation in conjunction with a remote device management system;

[0162] Figure 72 To be displayed Figure 71 Instructional bed recognition screens on electronic devices of the nursing care assistive system;

[0163] Figure 73 To be displayed Figure 71 Instructional bed maintenance screens on electronic devices of the nursing care assistive system;

[0164] Figure 74 As an alternative room overview screen that can be displayed on electronic devices of any caregiver assistance system disclosed herein, including at least one bed without bed observation and monitoring features;

[0165] Figure 75 for Figure 74 The room overview screen shows that the patient is not currently in bed;

[0166] Figure 76 for Figure 74 The room overview screen displays a graphical representation of the first sensitivity level leaving the detection system;

[0167] Figure 77 for Figure 74 The room overview screen displays a graphical representation of the second sensitivity level leaving the detection system;

[0168] Figure 78 for Figure 74 The room overview screen shows a graphical representation of the third sensitivity level leaving the detection system;

[0169] Figure 79 For a room overview screen that can be displayed on the electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, when an exit detection alarm is issued;

[0170] Figure 80 For another illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on the electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, it shows additional status information about the bed;

[0171] Figure 81 For another illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on the electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, which shows additional information about the patient and bed;

[0172] Figure 82 A flowchart of a detection algorithm used to detect the absence of a communication connection between patient support devices and nursing staff assistive applications;

[0173] Figure 83 An illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on an electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, showing that no communication connection exists;

[0174] Figure 84 For an illustrative room list screen that can be displayed on a stationary electronic device of any caregiver support system disclosed herein;

[0175] Figure 85 For another illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on an electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, it shows operating instructions for using the features of a specific bed located in the respective room;

[0176] Figure 86 For another illustrative room overview screen that can be displayed on an electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, which shows a video explaining the use of one or more features of a particular bed located in the respective room;

[0177] Figure 87 A first-type report, which can be generated by any caregiver support system disclosed herein, is shown, illustrating a pie chart of bed leave standby compliance.

[0178] Figure 88 A second type of report, which can be generated by any caregiver support system disclosed herein, is shown, illustrating a pie chart of bed monitoring standby compliance;

[0179] Figure 89 A third type of report, which can be generated by any caregiver support system disclosed herein, is shown, illustrating a graph of the response time between alerts and caregiver interventions;

[0180] Figure 90 A fourth type of report, which can be generated by any caregiver support system disclosed herein, is shown, which presents multiple statistical results regarding beds in a healthcare facility;

[0181] Figure 91 Another illustrative room list screen that can be displayed on an electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, which includes information in addition to information included in some other room list screens, such as the amount of time the patient spends out of bed;

[0182] Figure 92 Another illustrative room overview screen is provided, which can be displayed on the electronic device of any caregiver assistive system disclosed herein, showing a notification when a bed with a local, built-in monitoring system has activated its monitoring system. Detailed Implementation

[0183] An illustrative patient support device 20 that can be used in the nursing staff assistance system according to the present invention. Figure 1 As shown in the image. Although Figure 1 The specific form of patient support device 20 shown is a bed suitable for use in hospitals or other medical facilities. It should be understood that in different embodiments, patient support device 20 may be a hospital bed, stretcher, recliner, or any other structure capable of supporting a patient while the patient is in a medical facility, such as, but not limited to, a hospital. For the purposes of the following written description, patient support device 20 will be primarily described as a bed, and it should be understood that the following written description can also be applied to other types of patient support devices.

[0184] Generally, the patient support device 20 includes a base 22 having multiple wheels 24, a lifting subsystem including a pair of lifting mechanisms 26 supported on the base, a support frame 28 supported on the lifting mechanisms 26, and a support plate 30 supported on the support frame 28. The patient support device 20 also includes a headboard 32, a footboard 34, and multiple guardrails 36. The guardrails 36 are... Figure 1 The patient support device 20 is shown in an upright position, but each guardrail can be individually moved to a lowered position, in which entry into and exit from the patient support device 20 are not obstructed by the lowered guardrail 36. In some embodiments, the guardrail 36 may also be moved to one or more intermediate positions.

[0185] The lifting mechanism 26 is configured to raise and lower the cushion 28 relative to the base 22. The lifting mechanism 26 can be a hydraulic actuator, an electric actuator, or any other suitable device for raising and lowering the cushion 28 relative to the base 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting mechanism 26 is independently operable, allowing adjustment of the tilt of the cushion 28 relative to the base 22. That is, the cushion 28 includes a head end and a foot end, the height of which can be independently adjusted via the nearest lifting mechanism 26. The patient support device 20 is designed such that when the patient lies on it, his or her head will be located adjacent to the head end, and his or her feet will be located adjacent to the foot end.

[0186] The cushion frame 28 provides a structure for supporting the support plate 30, headboard 32, footboard 34, and guardrail 36. The support plate 30 provides a supporting surface for the mattress 38 or other cushioning, allowing a person to lie and / or sit on it. The support plate 30 consists of multiple segments, some of which are rotatable about a generally horizontal pivot. Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the support plate 30 includes a head section 40, which is sometimes also referred to as the Fowler section or the backrest section. The head section 40 is oriented in a generally horizontal position about a generally horizontal pivot (not shown in the figure). Figure 1 (as shown in the image) and multiple erected positions (one of the erected positions is in...) Figure 1 Rotation between (shown in the figure). The support plate 30 may include additional segments, such as thigh or calf segments and / or calf segments or foot segments (not labeled), that are rotatable about one or more horizontal pivots.

[0187] The patient support device 20 also includes multiple control panels 42 that enable users of the patient support device 20, such as patients and / or associated caregivers, to control one or more aspects of the patient support device 20. Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the patient support device 20 includes a footrest control panel 42a, a pair of inner guardrail control panels 42b (only one of which is visible), and an outer guardrail control panel 42c (only one of which is visible). The footrest control panel 42a and outer guardrail control panel 42c are intended for use by caregivers or other authorized personnel, while the inner guardrail control panel 42b is intended for use by the patient associated with the patient support device 20. Not all control panels 42 include the same controls and / or functionality. In the illustrated embodiment, the footrest control panel 42a includes a substantially complete set of controls for controlling the patient support device 20, while control panels 42b and 42c include selected subsets of those controls. Any one or more of control panels 42a, 42b, and / or 42c may include height adjustment controls that, when enabled, change the height of the pad 28 relative to the base 22.

[0188] Control panels 42a and / or 42c may include controls enabling a user to perform one or more of the following: activate and deactivate the brakes on wheel 24, be ready to leave detection system 46, obtain patient weight readings, activate and deactivate the propulsion system, and communicate with a medical facility computer network installed in the medical facility where patient support equipment 20 is located. The inner railing control panel 42b may also include a nurse call control enabling the patient to call a nurse. A speaker and microphone are included on or adjacent to the inner railing control panel 42b, enabling the patient to communicate with a nurse located at a distance via hearing.

[0189] Foot control panel 42a Figure 1 The illustrated embodiment is implemented as a touchscreen display 70, having a plurality of controls 72 located adjacent to the touchscreen display 70. The controls 72 may be implemented as buttons, dial pads, switches, or other devices. Any one or both of control panels 42b and 42c may also include a display for showing information about the patient support device 20; in some embodiments, such a display may be a touchscreen. Alternatively, any one or more of control panels 42a-c may omit the touchscreen display and instead include only dedicated controls 72 or some other form of non-display control.

[0190] The mechanical construction of those aspects of the patient support device 20 not explicitly described herein may be identical or substantially identical to that of the FL27 InTouch Critical Care bed manufactured and sold by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. This mechanical construction is described in more detail in the Stryker Maintenance Manual for the FL27 InTouch Critical Care bed published by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan (Revision 2.4; 2131-409-002REV B), the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Those skilled in the art will understand that, alternatively, aspects of the patient support device 20 not explicitly described herein may be designed with other types of mechanical constructions, such as, but not limited to, those described in U.S. Patent 7,690,059 to Lemire et al. entitled “HOSPITAL BED” and / or U.S. Patent Application 2007 / 0163045 to Becker et al. entitled “PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE INCLUDING LOCAL STATUS INDICATION, ONE-TOUCH FOWLER ANGLE ADJUSTMENT, AND POWER-ON ALARM CONFIGURATION”, the entire disclosure of which is also incorporated herein by reference. The mechanical construction of aspects of the patient support device 20 not explicitly described herein may also take forms different from those disclosed in the aforementioned documents.

[0191] Figure 2 A first embodiment of a nursing staff assistance system 106 according to the present invention is shown. The nursing staff assistance system 106 includes a patient support device 20 communicating with a nursing staff assistance server 90 and one or more electronic devices 104 adapted to communicate with the nursing staff assistance server 90. The nursing staff assistance system 106 may also include a patient support device server 86 separate from the nursing staff assistance server 90, or the functionality of the nursing staff assistance server 90 may be modified to include the functionality of the patient support device server 86, thereby allowing the patient support device server 86 to be omitted. As will be discussed below... Figure 4 In more detail, the caregiver assistance system 106 communicates with multiple traditional servers on the local area network 74 of the healthcare facility and uses those communications to obtain some of the information it needs to perform caregiver assistance functions.

[0192] Figure 2The internal components of the patient support device 20 are shown in more detail. As shown, the patient support device 20 includes a controller 48, a memory 50, a first lifting actuator 52a, a second lifting actuator 52b, a brake sensor 54, a scale / absence detection system 46, an AC (A / C) power input 56, an A / C power sensor 58, one or more control panels 42, an external network transceiver 60 with a signal strength detector 75, a nurse call cable interface 62, multiple guardrail sensors 63, a position transceiver 64, a headboard (HOB) angle sensor 69, a battery 71, and a battery monitor 73. Additionally, the patient support device 20 includes a first lifting sensor 66a, a second lifting sensor 66b, a cable sensor 68, a display 70, and one or more controls 72 contained within one or more control panels 42. Furthermore, the patient support device 20 includes a mattress 38 with at least one mattress sensor 39 located therein. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the patient support device 20 can be modified to include components not present in the control panel 42. Figure 2 The other elements shown can also be modified to include more than Figure 2 The number of components shown is even fewer.

[0193] Controller 48 ( Figure 2 The controller 48 is composed of any electrical component or set of electrical components capable of performing the functions described herein. In many embodiments, the controller 48 is a conventional microcontroller or a set of conventional microcontrollers, although not all such embodiments include a microcontroller. Generally, as known to those skilled in the art, the controller 48 includes any one or more of the following: microprocessor, field-programmable gate array, monolithic system, volatile or non-volatile memory, discrete circuitry, and / or other hardware, software, or firmware capable of performing the functions described herein. These components can be physically configured in any suitable manner, such as mounting them to one or more circuit boards or otherwise arranging them, combining them into a single unit or distributing them across multiple units as part of an embedded network. When implemented to include an embedded network, the embedded network may include multiple nodes communicating using one or more of the following: Controller Area Network (CAN); Local Area Interconnect Network (LIN); I²C serial communication bus; Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) communication bus; any of RS-232, RS-422, and / or RS-485 communication interfaces; LonWorks network; and / or Ethernet. The instructions followed by controller 48 in performing the functions described herein, as well as the data required to perform those functions, are stored in memory 50 and / or in one or more other memories accessible to one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, or other programmable elements of controller 48. Memory 50 also includes a unique identifier 186 that uniquely identifies the specific patient support device containing it, such as, but not limited to, a serial number.

[0194] When controller 48 is implemented to use on-board Ethernet communication, the on-board Ethernet can be designed according to any patient support device with Ethernet as described in U.S. Patent Application 14 / 622,221, filed February 13, 2015, entitled “COMMUNICATION METHODS FOR PATIENT HANDLING DEVICES”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, controller 48 can be implemented to include multiple nodes communicating with each other using different communication protocols. In such embodiments, controller 48 can be implemented according to any embodiment disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 903,477, filed February 23, 2018, entitled “PATIENTCARE DEVICES WITH ON-BOARD NETWORK COMMUNICATION”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0195] Controller 48 Figure 2 The diagram shows the use of a monitor 77. The monitor 77 monitors the use of multiple different components of the patient support device 20 and determines whether any of these components require maintenance. In some embodiments, the use of the monitor 77 is implemented entirely within the controller 48 based on inputs from multiple different components of the patient support device 20. In other embodiments, the monitor 77 may include one or more circuits and / or devices separate from the controller 48, which operate in conjunction with the controller 48 to monitor the use and maintenance of multiple different components of the patient support device 20.

[0196] In at least one embodiment, the monitor 77 includes a data logger that tracks the number of times each usable component (e.g., any movable component, such as guardrail 36, actuator 52, etc.) is moved, activated, or used. Once this number reaches a threshold, the controller 48 issues a notification and / or alarm if no maintenance has been performed. This will be discussed in conjunction with the following... Figure 80 In more detail, a notification / alarm may be sent to electronic device 104, informing caregivers that one or more components of patient support equipment 20 require maintenance. (See below for further details.) Figures 71-73 As described, such maintenance can be recorded using a caregiver-assisted application 124 (described below), or independently or in conjunction with a separate equipment management system 918. The maintenance record is forwarded to the controller 48, which then resets the appropriate counters and / or other operating parameters.

[0197] In some embodiments, the monitor 77 is implemented to perform the functions of a data logger disclosed in U.S. Patent 7,690,059, entitled “HOSPITAL BED,” granted to Lemire et al. on April 6, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the monitor 77 performs any functions of the diagnostic and control system disclosed in the aforementioned '059 patent. In some embodiments, the monitor 77, either alone or among other configurations, performs maintenance, monitoring, and / or event detection functions of the equipment management system disclosed in PCT patent application filed by the inventors et al. on July 12, 2017, entitled “”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively or additionally, the monitor 77 may also perform other usage and / or diagnostic monitoring.

[0198] The first and second lifting actuators 52a and 52b Figure 2 The lifting mechanism 26 is a component of the lifting mechanism 26 and is configured to raise and lower the pad 28 relative to the base 22. A first lifting actuator 52a powers the first lifting mechanism 26 positioned adjacent to the head end of the patient support device 20, and a second lifting actuator 52b powers the second lifting mechanism 26 positioned adjacent to the foot end of the patient support device 20. The lifting actuators 52a and 52b can be conventional linear actuators having an electric motor, which, when driven, extend or retract the length of the linear actuator, thereby moving the pad up or down and changing its height H relative to the ground. Figure 1 ).

[0199] Each lifting actuator 52a and 52b includes a corresponding lifting sensor 66a and 66b, respectively. Each sensor 66a, 66b detects the position and / or angle of the associated actuator 52a, 52b and feeds the sensed position / angle to the controller 48. The controller 48 uses the output from sensor 66a as input to a closed-loop feedback system for controlling the movement of actuators 52a, 52b and the pad. The controller 48 also uses the output from sensors 66a, 66b to determine the height H of the pad 28 above the ground. In some embodiments, actuator 52 is constructed in the same manner as actuator 34 disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 449,277, filed March 3, 2017, entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH ACTUATOR FEEDBACK”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In such embodiments, sensors 66a and 66b may be constructed to include any encoder and / or switch sensor disclosed in the aforementioned '277 application.

[0200] The weighing / exit detection system 46 is configured to determine the weight of a patient located on the support plate 30 and / or when the patient moves and may leave the patient support device 20. Specific structural details of the exit detection system can vary considerably. In some embodiments, the weighing / exit detection system 46 includes a plurality of pressure-sensing elements arranged to detect the weight applied to the pad 28. The patient's total weight is determined by summing the outputs from each pressure-sensing element (after subtracting the tare weight). Furthermore, by using the known position of each pressure-sensing element, the controller 48 determines the patient's center of gravity and monitors whether this center of gravity moves beyond one or more thresholds. One method for calculating the patient's center of gravity from the outputs of the aforementioned pressure-sensing elements is described in detail in U.S. Patent 5,276,432 to Travis, entitled "PATIENT EXIT DETECTION MECHANISM FOR HOSPITAL BED," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other methods for determining the patient's weight and / or the weight of non-patient objects supported on the support frame 28 are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 14 / 776,842, entitled "PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS WITH PATIENT INFORMATION SENSORS," filed September 15, 2015, by inventors Michael Hayes et al., and in U.S. Patent Application 14 / 873,734, entitled "PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH MOTION MONITORING," filed October 2, 2015, by inventors Marko Kostic et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Alternatively, other systems for determining the patient's weight and / or detecting the patient's departure from the patient support device 20 may also be used.

[0201] In many embodiments, mattress 38 is an inflatable mattress. In some embodiments, mattress 38 includes its own internal controller (not shown) that, under the instruction of controller 48, controls the inflation and deflation of a plurality of different air chambers contained within the mattress. Therefore, it should be understood that control of mattress 38 by controller 48 may include direct control of blowers, pumps, valves, and other components of mattress 38, or indirect control of a mattress controller on a substrate, which itself performs direct control of blowers, pumps, valves, and other components of mattress 38. In either case, controller 48 may communicate with mattress 38 using a serial cable or other cable extending between patient support device 20 and mattress 38. In at least one alternative embodiment, communication between patient support device 20 and mattress 38 may be wireless, for example, in any manner disclosed in U.S. Patent 9,289,336 to Lambarth et al., entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT WITH ENERGY TRANSFER,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other wireless communication methods may also be used.

[0202] In some embodiments, mattress 38 is constructed according to any mattress disclosed in U.S. Patent 9,468,307, entitled “INFLATABLE MATTRESS AND CONTROL METHODS”, granted to Lafleche et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments, mattress 38 is constructed according to any mattress disclosed in U.S. Patent 8,413,271, entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUS”, granted to Blanchard, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Other mattresses may also be used. Regardless of the specific construction of mattress 38, mattress 38 may be configured to provide one or more different treatment procedures for a patient supported thereon. Such treatment procedures may include, but are not limited to, any of the following: rotation, percussion, vibration, maximal inflation, and turning assistance. Mattress 38 may also be able to be inflated to different states to alter the pressure distribution on the patient's skin while the patient is supported on the mattress. These various treatments and / or states are often used to reduce the likelihood of a patient developing pressure ulcers or exacerbating existing pressure ulcers. The caregiver assistance system 106 is adapted to suggest, encourage, and / or compel the use of one or more of these treatments and / or states when a patient's skin assessment score is above a threshold, as described in detail below in conjunction with the pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141 (see [link to relevant documentation]). Figure 28 ).

[0203] Controller 48 and network transceiver 60 ( Figure 2In at least one embodiment, the network transceiver is a Wi-Fi radio communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with a wireless access point 76 of the local area network 74. In such embodiments, the network transceiver 60 may operate according to any of a number of different IEEE 802.11 standards (such as 802.11b, 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.11ac, 802.11ah, etc.). In other embodiments, or alternatively instead of a Wi-Fi radio communication module, the network transceiver 60 may include a wired port for connecting a network cable to the patient support device 20. In some embodiments, the wired port accepts Category 5e cable (Cat-5e), Category 6 or 6a cable (Cat-6 or Cat-6a), Category 7 cable (Cat-7), or some similar network cable, and the transceiver 60 is an Ethernet transceiver. In other embodiments, the network transceiver 60 may be configured to include the functionality of the communication module 56 disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 831,466, filed December 5, 2017, entitled “NETWORK COMMUNICATION FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0204] Regardless of the specific structure of the network transceiver 60, the controller 48 is able to communicate with the local area network 74 of the medical facility where the patient support equipment is located. Figure 2 Communication. When the network transceiver 60 is a wireless transceiver, it communicates with the local area network 74 via one or more wireless access points 76. When the network transceiver 60 is a wired transceiver, it communicates directly via a cable connecting the patient support device 20 to a network port located in a room within the medical facility. This will be discussed in conjunction with... Figure 4 In more detail, the local area network 74 includes multiple servers used in different ways by the caregiver support system disclosed herein, and the patient support device 20 communicates with one or more of these servers via a transceiver 60, which is part of the caregiver support system.

[0205] When the network transceiver 60 is implemented as a wireless transceiver, it may include a signal strength detector 75 that detects the signal strength of wireless signals received from a wireless access point 76 with which the wireless transceiver communicates. In some embodiments, such as in an embodiment where the network transceiver 60 is a WiFi transceiver, the signal strength detector 75 may be part of conventional WiFi circuitry that determines a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI), in which case the signal strength may be measured as an RSSI value. In other embodiments, the signal strength may be measured as an actual value in milliwatts (or other units), and the signal strength detector 75 may be any conventional circuitry configured to measure signal strength in this manner. In other embodiments, the signal strength detector 75 and / or the patient support device 20 may have a spectrum analysis function built into either or both, as disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 236,452, filed September 29, 2016, entitled “PERSON SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH COMMUNICATION CHANNEL MONITORING” by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0206] Regardless of whether the signal strength detector 75 measures the signal using a relative RSSI value or an actual milliwatt value (e.g., – dBm), the signal strength detector 75 is configured to forward its result to the controller 48, which then displays the value on the display 70 and forwards it to the caregiver assistance application 124 via the network transceiver 60. This will be specifically combined below. Figure 80 In more detail, the caregiver assistance application 124 may forward the signal strength value to one or more electronic devices 104 for display on their displays.

[0207] Nurse call cable interface 62 is suitable for connection to nurse call cable 78. Figure 4 The other end of the nurse call cable 78 is connected to the nurse call jack 82. Figure 4Nurse call jacks are typically built into each end wall of each patient room within a healthcare facility. In many embodiments, the nurse call jack 82 is a 37-pin connector to which cable 78 is attached, allowing the patient support device 20 to communicate directly with a conventional nurse call system 80. In some embodiments, the nurse call cable interface 62 is constructed based on any cable interface 92 disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 945,437, filed April 4, 2018, entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH RECONFIGURABLE COMMUNICATION” by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0208] In other embodiments, the nurse call cable interface 62 may be replaced by a wireless nurse call communication system that wirelessly communicates with the nurse call jack 82. For example, in some embodiments, the nurse call cable interface 62 may be replaced by a radio module, such as the radio module 60 disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 14 / 819,844, filed August 6, 2015, entitled “PATIENTSUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH WIRELESS HEADWALL COMMUNICATION” by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In such wireless endwall embodiments, an endwall module, such as the endwall module 38 disclosed in the aforementioned '844 application, may be included, which is connected to the nurse call jack 82. Such an endwall module may replace and / or supplement the functionality of the positioning beacon 84, as described below. Other types of wireless communication may also be implemented between the patient support device and the nurse call jack 82.

[0209] Regardless of whether the nurse call interface 62 is connected to a nurse call jack on the end wall of a hospital room using a wired cable or using a wireless connection, the nurse call interface 62 may also, or alternatively may, perform any of the functions of the nurse call interface disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 62 / 833,943, filed April 15, 2019, entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH NURSECALL AUDIO MANAGEMENT”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0210] The guardrail sensor 63, which can be a conventional guardrail sensor, is configured to detect when the guardrail 36 is in an upright or lowered position. In most embodiments, a single guardrail sensor 63 is included for each guardrail 36. Therefore, in Figure 1 In one embodiment, the patient support device 20 includes four guardrail sensors 63, each for detecting the position of a corresponding guardrail among the four guardrails 36. In an alternative embodiment, for each guardrail 36, more than one guardrail sensor 63 may be included; for example, a first guardrail sensor 63 detects when a guardrail is raised and / or locked in the raised position, and a second guardrail sensor 63 detects when a guardrail 36 is in the lowered position and / or locked in the lowered position. Generally, any switch or other type of sensor capable of detecting when a corresponding guardrail 36 is in the raised and / or locked position can be used with the patient support device 20. The outputs of the guardrail sensors 63 are fed to the controller 48 and periodically sent to the caregiver assistance server 90 as part of a patient support device status update, which will be described in more detail below. Furthermore, as will be described in more detail below, the position of one or more guardrails 36 is monitored to meet desired states, such as, but not limited to, the desired states defined by the fall risk reduction protocol 93 described in more detail below.

[0211] Location transceiver 64 ( Figure 2 Suitable for detecting nearby location beacons from fixed and known locations within medical facilities. 84 Figure 4 The wireless signal emitted by ). Although Figure 4Only one such location beacon 84 is shown; it should be understood that a particular healthcare facility includes many such location beacons 84 installed throughout the facility. Each location beacon 84 includes a short-range wireless transmitter (not shown) that broadcasts a short-range wireless signal containing a unique identifier. In some embodiments, the short-range signal is broadcast via an infrared transmitter and can only be detected by a receiver (such as location transceiver 64) located within a few feet of the location beacon 84. Therefore, a location transceiver 64 adapted to detect signals transmitted from a location beacon 84 can only detect these signals when the patient support device 20 is located in proximity to one of these location beacons 84 (e.g., within a few feet). If the location transceiver 64 can detect a unique signal from a particular location beacon 84, the corresponding patient support device 20 can therefore be inferred to be currently located near that particular location beacon 84. This enables the identification of the current location of the patient support device 20. In some healthcare facilities, one or more patient rooms may not be completely private rooms but may be shared with one or more other patients. In such a situation, two or more location beacons 84 are typically installed in such a room, one on the end wall of the compartment where the first patient support device 20 is usually located, and the other on the end wall of the compartment where the second patient support device 20 is usually located (if the room is shared by two or more patients, more location beacons are installed).

[0212] When the location transceiver 64 receives a signal from the adjacent location beacon 84, the controller 48 forwards the received signal (including the unique ID of the beacon 84) to the patient support device server 86. Figure 2 This is sometimes referred to here, alternately, as bed server 86. Patient support equipment server 86 includes location table 88 ( Figure 4 The patient support server 86 may have the right to use a table 88 that associates beacon IDs with locations within the healthcare facility. This allows the patient support server 86 to determine the location of each patient support device 20 within the healthcare facility (at least all patient support devices 20 adjacent to the location beacon 84).

[0213] In some embodiments, location beacon 84 ( Figure 2 It functions as both a locator and a wireless link to the nurse call jack 82 integrated in the adjacent end wall. When equipped with this dual function, the patient support device 20 can omit the nurse call cable interface 62, but can still communicate with the nurse call system server 62b. However, in Figure 4In the illustrated embodiment, the patient support device 20 includes a nurse call cable 78 that enables the patient support device 20 to communicate with the nurse call jack 82, thereby allowing the patient support device 20 to communicate directly with the nurse call system 80. Further details regarding the function of the location beacon 84, whether used solely as a locator or as both a locator and a wireless portal to the nurse call system jack 82, can be found in the following U.S. patent documents: U.S. Patent 8,102,254, issued January 24, 2012, to Becker et al., entitled “LOCATION DETECTION SYSTEM FOR A PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE”; U.S. Patent Application 14 / 819,844, filed August 6, 2015, by inventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al., entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH WIRELESS HEADWALL COMMUNICATION”; U.S. Patent Application 62 / 600,000, filed December 18, 2017, by inventor Alex Bodurka, entitled “SMART HOSPITAL HEADWALL SYSTEM”; and U.S. Patent Application 62 / 600,000, filed December 18, 2017, by inventor Alex Bodurka; and U.S. Patent Application 62 / 600,000, filed December 18, 2017, by inventor Alex Bodurka. U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 598,787, filed by Bodurka et al. on December 14, 2017, entitled “HOSPITAL HEADWALL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM”; the entire disclosure of all these patent documents is incorporated herein by reference.

[0214] In at least some embodiments, the location beacon 84 also includes a beacon battery 79 and a beacon battery monitor 81. The beacon battery 79 provides power to the location beacon 84, either proprietaryly or, in at least some embodiments, when the location beacon 84 is not plugged into a socket, or when no power is available from the socket. The beacon battery monitor 81 monitors the charge state of the beacon battery 79 and reports the measurement of that charge to the patient support device 20. That is, the measurement results obtained by the beacon battery monitor 81 are wirelessly forwarded to the patient support device 20 via the location beacon 84 through its built-in transmitter. These measurement results are received by the onboard location transceiver 64 of the patient support device 20 and forwarded to the controller 48. The controller 48 then displays these measurement results on the display 70 and / or forwards them to the caregiver assistance application 124 via the network transceiver 60. As described below (in specific conjunction) Figure 80 As will be described in more detail, the caregiver assistance application 124 can forward these battery charge measurement results to one or more electronic devices 104.

[0215] In some embodiments, the beacon battery monitor 81 may monitor one or more additional factors concerning the beacon battery 79, such as, but not limited to, the overall health of the beacon battery 79. Such overall health may be measured based on the battery's charge capacity, the number of times the battery has been recharged, the battery discharge rate, the battery recharge rate, and / or other methods. In some embodiments, the beacon battery monitor 81 may be implemented and / or configured in a manner similar to that of the battery monitor disclosed in the following patent application to monitor and measure any one or more of the same battery parameters as those of the battery monitor: U.S. Patent Application 2016 / 0331614, filed by inventors Aaron Furman et al., published November 17, 2016, entitled "BATTERY MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES," the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0216] In some embodiments, the location beacon 84 may be included within a wireless end-wall module that communicates with the patient support device 20 via multiple communication channels. In such an embodiment, the first communication channel between the location beacon 84 and the patient support device 20 may be a short-range channel (e.g., infrared), and the second communication channel may be a longer-range channel (e.g., Bluetooth). In such an embodiment, data transmission from the beacon battery monitor 81 to the patient support device 20 and the transmission of the location identifier of the location beacon 84 to the patient support device 20 may be performed via either or both of the two communication channels.

[0217] The controller 48 of the patient support device 20 Figure 2 ) communicates with A / C power sensor 58, which transmits A / C power line 102 ( Figure 4 The A / C power sensor 58 informs the controller 48 whether the patient support device 20 is connected to the conventional A / C power outlet 44. In other words, the A / C power sensor 58 informs the controller 48 whether the patient support device 20 is receiving power from an external power source (such as power outlet 44). In some cases, the patient support device 20 includes one or more batteries that can power the patient support device 20 (including the controller 48) when it is not connected to an electrical source. As will be described in more detail below, the status of the A / C power line 102 (e.g., whether the patient support device 20 is operating on battery power or on power from the A / C outlet) is transmitted from the A / C power sensor 58 to the controller 48, which then forwards the status to the patient support device server 86 and / or the caregiver assistance server 90 via the network transceiver 60.

[0218] Controller 48 also communicates with brake sensor 54. Figure 2The brake sensor 54 notifies the controller 48 whether braking has been applied to the patient support device 20. When braking is applied, one or more wheels 24 are braked to prevent rotation. When braking is not applied, the wheels 24 can rotate freely. Similar to the data from the A / C power sensor 58, the data from the brake sensor 54 is forwarded by the controller 48 via the network transceiver 60 to the patient support device server 86 and / or the caregiver assistance server 90. The caregiver assistance server 90 shares this information with caregivers via one or more electronic devices communicating with the server 90, as will be described in more detail below.

[0219] The controller 48 also communicates with a headboard angle sensor 69. The headboard angle sensor 69 measures the angular orientation of the head section 40 of the patient support device 20 relative to a horizontal or generalized plane relative to the pad 28. In some embodiments, the headboard angle sensor 69 is implemented as one or more accelerometers mounted to the head section 40. In other embodiments, the headboard angle sensor 69 may be implemented as an encoder counter or other type of counter that monitors the extension and retraction of the actuator that pivots the head section 40. Other types of sensors may also be used to measure the angle of the head section 40.

[0220] Regardless of the specific sensor type used for the HOB sensor 69, the HOB sensor 69 reports its readings to the controller 48, which then displays them on the display 70 and / or forwards them to the caregiver assistance application 124 via the network transceiver 60. (This will be discussed in detail below.) Figures 74-77 In more detail, the caregiver assistance application 124 can forward HOB angle readings to one or more electronic devices 104 for display, thereby enabling caregivers to remotely view the current angle of the head segment 40 of the patient support device 20.

[0221] In some embodiments, the patient support device 20 may include one or more batteries 71 for supplying power to the patient support device 20 or certain components when the patient support device 20 is not electrically connected to a conventional power outlet. For example, in some embodiments, the patient support device 20 may include a first battery (or a first battery pack) for all functions in bed except powering the on-board propulsion system, and a second battery (or a second battery pack) for powering the on-board propulsion system. An example of such a patient support device 20 is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 62 / 823,324, entitled “PATIENT CARE SYSTEM WITH POWER MANAGEMENT,” filed March 25, 2019, by inventors Zane Shami et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments, the patient support device 20 includes only a single battery 71 (or a single battery pack 71) for powering all electrical functions of the patient support device 20. In many cases, whether including one or more batteries 71, the battery 71 is typically a rechargeable battery 71.

[0222] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, the patient support device 20 also includes a battery monitor 73 adapted to monitor the state of charge (and / or other parameters) of the battery 71 of the patient support device 20 or each battery 71 (if there is more than one battery). In addition to monitoring the state of charge of one or more batteries 71, the battery monitor 73 may also monitor any of the same parameters that the beacon battery monitor 81 described above can monitor for the beacon battery 79. For this purpose, the battery monitor 73 may be implemented and / or perform any of the same functions as the battery monitor disclosed in the following patent application: U.S. Patent Application 2016 / 0331614, filed by inventors Aaron Furman et al., published November 17, 2016, entitled “BATTERY MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES,” the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0223] Regardless of the specific conditions of one or more batteries 71 monitored by the battery monitor 73 in the patient support device 20, the battery monitor 73 reports the results to the controller 48. The controller 48 then displays one or more results on the display 70 and / or forwards one or more results to the caregiver assistance application 124. The caregiver assistance application 124 then forwards these results to one or more mobile electronic devices 104a, as described in more detail below. The electronic device 104 includes a display and is adapted to display information about the monitored status of the batteries 71. If the patient support device 20 contains more than one battery, the controller 48 forwards the monitoring data for each battery (or each group of batteries) to the caregiver assistance application 124, which in turn forwards the data to one or more electronic devices 104. The receiving electronic device 104 displays the received data separately for each group of batteries. In this way, caregivers remotely from the patient support device 20 can understand the status of the batteries on each panel of the patient support device 20.

[0224] Each control panel 42 includes one or more controls 72 for controlling multiple different functions of the patient support device 20. Figure 2 For example, one or more control panels 42 include motion controls 72 for controlling the movement of lifting actuators 52a and 52b. Additional controls 72 may be provided for enabling and disabling braking of wheels 24, activating and deactivating the departure detection function of the scale / departure detection system 46, obtaining patient weight readings using the scale function of the scale / departure detection system 46, enabling and disabling the propulsion system (if included), and communicating with one or more servers on a local area network 74. It should be understood that in some embodiments, one or more controls 72 may be integrated onto a touchscreen display, such as display 70. In such embodiments, one or more controls 72 may appear only when the user navigates to a specific screen displayed on the touchscreen.

[0225] Patient support device 20 communicates with nursing staff support server 90 on local area network 74. Figure 2 The nursing staff assistance server 90 is adapted to assist nursing staff in performing multiple tasks. Generally, the nursing staff assistance server 90 includes software, namely nursing staff assistance application 124, which, when running, assists nursing staff in ensuring that patient support equipment 20 is kept in the required state, assists nursing staff in performing their rounds, assists nursing staff in performing fall and / or skin assessments, assists nursing staff in setting and receiving reminder notifications, and assists nursing staff in receiving alarms and / or status information about the patients they care for.

[0226] The caregiver assistance server 90 includes a memory 91 that stores various types of data used by the caregiver assistance application 124 (and, in some cases, executable instructions of the caregiver assistance application 124). The memory 91 stores items such as, but not limited to, a fall risk reduction protocol 93 and a pressure ulcer risk reduction protocol 95. The memory 91 may be physically included within the server 90 and / or distributed across one or more other physical locations accessible from the server 90.

[0227] The caregiver assistance application 124 uses a fall risk reduction protocol 93 when executing the patient fall risk reduction algorithm 143, as will be described in more detail below. Generally, the patient fall risk reduction algorithm 143 enables caregivers to use one or more electronic devices 104 to assess a patient's fall risk and subsequently ensure that the patient support device 20 is in the state specified by the healthcare institution for that patient's specific fall risk. The fall risk reduction protocol 93 specifies the required state of the patient support device 20 for one or more fall risk levels. The fall risk reduction algorithm 143 is combined with the following... Figure 18-27 To describe in more detail.

[0228] The caregiver-assisted application 124 uses a pressure ulcer risk reduction protocol 95 when implementing the patient pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141. Generally, the patient pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141 enables caregivers to assess a patient's pressure ulcer risk and perform monitoring, adherence, and implementation of appropriate pressure ulcer risk reduction steps using the same electronic devices used in the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 (and other algorithms discussed herein). In some cases, specific pressure ulcer risk reduction steps for a particular patient are automatically suggested by the caregiver-assisted application 124 based on a pressure ulcer risk score determined for that particular patient. The pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141 is described below in conjunction with... Figure 28-58 To describe in more detail.

[0229] Figure 3The specific functions and components of the caregiver assistance server 90 are shown in more detail below. The caregiver assistance server 90 is adapted to serve as the host for and execute the caregiver assistance application 124, which performs multiple algorithms and utilizes multiple components. The algorithms include: screen selection algorithm 139, caregiver rounds algorithm 140, pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141, patient fall risk reduction algorithm 143, reminder algorithm 145, status / command algorithm 147, alarm algorithm 149, manual task list modification algorithm 151, assessment algorithm 153, load sharing algorithm 175, mattress control algorithm 700, recording algorithm 800, and wireless connection disconnection detection algorithm 990. The caregiver assistance application 124 can be modified to execute only some of these algorithms and / or can be modified to execute other algorithms. Furthermore, the content and functionality of each of these algorithms can be modified from the specific content and functionality described in more detail below.

[0230] Screen selection algorithm 139 automatically selects the screen type to be displayed on one or more mobile electronic devices 104a based on the location of the caregiver and their associated mobile electronic devices. Further details about algorithm 139 are combined below. Figure 63 Describe it.

[0231] The nursing staff rounds algorithm 140 assists nursing staff in performing their rounds duties and, in accordance with the policies of the specific healthcare institution employing and operating the patient support equipment 20, assists them in ensuring that the patient support equipment 20 is properly configured. Generally, the nursing staff rounds algorithm 140 enables nursing staff to record their individual rounds while alerting them to any actions required for proper configuration of the patient support equipment 20. Such patient support equipment configuration includes, but is not limited to, setting brakes, moving the pad to its lowest height (or within a specified range of its lowest height), positioning the guardrails correctly, activating the exit detection system, inserting the nurse call cable, inserting the A / C power cable, and / or activating the patient support equipment monitoring system.

[0232] Algorithm 141 assists caregivers in assessing the risk of developing pressure ulcers in a specific patient and / or managing the care of existing pressure ulcers. Algorithm 143 assists caregivers in assessing the fall risk of a specific patient and / or ensuring that patient support devices 20 are placed in a state that reduces the patient's fall risk. Algorithm 145 assists caregivers in tracking any or all time-limited tasks to be completed by caregivers, including issuing reminders when those tasks are due and / or nearing their due date. Algorithm 147 provides caregivers with updated information on the status of each patient support device 20 assigned to them, and enables caregivers to remotely control one or more aspects of those patient support devices 20. Alert Algorithm 149 provides alerts to caregivers when the status of a patient support device 20 changes to an incompatible state, when a reminder deadline is approaching or reached, and / or when any information from any other algorithm 140, 141, 143, 145, and / or 147 generates information that warrants a warning to the caregiver.

[0233] The manual task list modification algorithm 151 enables caregivers to manually add tasks and / or remove tasks from the task list maintained by the caregiver assistance application 124, as well as change the reminders (timing, frequency, recipient, etc.) associated with any of those tasks. Many tasks on the task list are automatically entered by one or more other algorithms (e.g., pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141, fall risk reduction algorithm 143, etc.) executed by the caregiver assistance application 124, but algorithm 151 allows caregivers to manually modify the list, including tasks already automatically entered by the caregiver assistance application 124. Further details of one embodiment of the manual task list modification algorithm 151 are described below in conjunction with... Figure 57 Describe it.

[0234] Assessment algorithm 153 controls which individuals are allowed to use caregiver assistance system 106, and what information can be viewed by authorized users of caregiver assistance system 106. Further details of an embodiment of assessment algorithm 153 that can be executed by caregiver assistance system 106 are incorporated below. Figure 62 The discussion is provided.

[0235] Algorithm 175 enables caregivers to share or not share their responsibilities, such that, for example, when a first caregiver is temporarily unavailable, a second caregiver will receive alerts, updates, and other information about the patient for whom their first caregiver is temporarily unavailable on their mobile electronic device 104a. Further details of algorithm 175 are combined below. Figures 64-67 supply.

[0236] The mattress control algorithm 700 enables caregivers to remotely control one or more aspects of the mattress 38, including, but not limited to, sending mattress parameters to the mattress, which are stored by the mattress 38 and used during mattress therapy or at other times. In some embodiments, the mattress control algorithm 700 is also configured to ensure that the mattress settings and / or therapy used by the caregiver comply with the healthcare facility's pressure ulcer reduction protocol. The mattress control algorithm 700 is described below in conjunction with... Figure 42-49 To describe in more detail.

[0237] Recording algorithm 800 enables caregivers to use caregiver-assisted application 124 to record multiple different tasks and / or patient data into the patient's corresponding electronic medical record. Such tasks and data include, but are not limited to, tasks and data related to the patient's risk of pressure ulcers, existing pressure ulcers, and / or other information related to the patient's skin condition and / or treatment. Recording algorithm 800 is described below in conjunction with... Figures 50-56 To describe in more detail.

[0238] The wireless connection loss detection algorithm 990 is adapted to detect when one or more patient support devices 20 lose their communication connection to the local area network 74 and / or the caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments, it will be combined with the following Figure 82 In more detail, the wireless connection loss detection algorithm 990 is adapted not only to determine which patient support devices 20 are not communicating with the caregiver assistance application 124, but also to determine which of those non-communicating patient support devices 20 (if any) are assigned to patients and which (if any) are not assigned to patients. By determining this information, the wireless connection loss detection algorithm 990 can avoid sending alarms or notifications about disconnected patient support devices 20 that may be in storage, may not be used, or have not yet been assigned to patients. By avoiding alarms and / or notifications unrelated to relevant safety conditions, it helps reduce alarm fatigue among caregivers.

[0239] The non-algorithmic components of the nursing staff assistance application 124 include a set of local rules 126, a database 128, a communication interface 130, and a World Wide Web application programming interface 132. Figure 3 This set of local rules 126 is initially defined before the caregiver assistance application 124 is installed within a specific healthcare facility, as is the case in at least some embodiments. In other embodiments, this set of local rules 126 is defined during or after the installation of the caregiver assistance application 124. However, in all embodiments discussed herein, local rules 126 can be modified by authorized personnel from the healthcare facility. Such modifications can be made by means of one or more computers 134 communicating with local area network 74. Figure 4 ). 136 authorized individuals ( Figure 4Use computer 134 to communicate with caregiver assistance application 124 and add, delete or modify one or more local rules 126.

[0240] Local rule 126 ( Figure 3 This includes, but is not limited to: rules specifying how frequently caregivers should perform their rounds (e.g., every two hours, every three hours, etc.); rules specifying the placement of patient support equipment 20 (e.g., one or more fall risk reduction protocols 93, pressure ulcer risk reduction protocols 95, VAP protocols, etc.); rules specifying who will be notified and when when rounds are not performed within the expected timeframe; rules specifying who will be notified and when when patient support equipment is not placed in the required state and / or removed from the required state; rules specifying how the aforementioned notifications will be delivered (e.g., email, telephone call, text, etc.); rules specifying which personnel within the healthcare facility are authorized to use the caregiver assistance application 124 to view what data; and rules specifying whether and / or how rounds are verified and / or recorded in the EMR server 98. Rules regarding the frequency of caregiver assistance and the required state of patient support equipment 20 can be configured by an authorized individual 136 to be changed based on one or more factors. For example, the frequency of nursing staff assistance and the required status of patient support equipment 20 can vary depending on different side buildings of the medical facility, different units of the medical facility, different times of day and / or different shifts, different models of patient support equipment, different patient health conditions, different patient treatments, and different data stored in EMR server 98.

[0241] Local rule 126 ( Figure 3 This also includes additional administrative data stored on the caregiver assistance server 90 or in memory accessible to the caregiver assistance application 124. Such administrative data includes, but is not limited to, the IP addresses or other network addresses of each server with which the caregiver assistance application 124 communicates (e.g., EMR server 98, ADT server 94, patient support device server 86, RTLS server 100, and nurse call server 96), and / or the IP addresses or other configuration data required for the caregiver assistance application 124 to communicate with one or more middleware software applications that act as gateways to one or more of these servers. Administrative data may also include email addresses, passwords, phone numbers, usernames, access levels, and other information about hospital personnel authorized to use the caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments of the alert algorithm 149, email addresses and / or phone numbers are used so that the caregiver assistance application 124 can contact the caregiver's mobile electronic device 104a when there is an alert or other information that may draw the caregiver's attention. Figure 4 ).

[0242] Data storage library 128 ( Figure 3 The data repository 128 stores data received by the caregiver assistance application 124 during its operation. This data includes patient support device status data sent from the patient support device 20 (via the patient support device server 86 in some embodiments, directly in others), alarm data (e.g., cause, remedy, notification, etc. when an alarm occurs), rounds completed / incomplete data, verification data for verifying caregiver assistance (described in detail below), patient data from the pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141 and the fall risk reduction algorithm 143, and other data. The data repository 128 may be physically located on server 90 (or another server), or it may be cloud-based, or it may be a combination of cloud-based storage and local storage maintained at the healthcare facility.

[0243] Communication interface 130 ( Figure 3 The communication interface 130 controls communication between the caregiver assistance application 124 and the electronic device 104 with which it communicates. The communication interface 130 also controls communication between the caregiver assistance application 124 and the server with which it communicates. In at least one embodiment, all these communications are accomplished using conventional Internet packet routing. That is, the patient support device 20 sends data in packets having IP addresses corresponding to the patient support device server 86 and / or the caregiver assistance server 90, and the server 86 and / or 90 sends message packets back to the patient support device 20, the message packets including the IP address corresponding to the specific patient support device 20 to which the message is addressed. In some embodiments, each patient support device 20 includes a static IP address stored on the patient support device 20, while in other embodiments, the patient support device 20 consults a local dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server (not shown) on the local area network 74, which assigns a network address to the patient support device.

[0244] When communicating with other servers within a healthcare facility, communication interface 130 may use different communication interfaces, such as, but not limited to, Link Layer Protocol (LLP), Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS), and / or Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). To facilitate communication between caregiver assistance server 90 and other servers on local area network 74, communication interface 130 may use a conventional interface engine, such as, but not limited to, the Redox Cloud Platform, commercially available from Redox, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin. Alternatively, communication interface 130 may use the iGUANA conventional interface engine (or other engines) available from iNTERFACEWARE, Inc., Toronto, Ontario. These interfaces enable caregiver assistance application 124 to communicate with different types and / or brands of electronic health record (EHR) systems, such as, but not limited to, those sold by Cerner Corporation, Epic Corporation, Allscripts, etc.

[0245] Web API 132 provides a portal for authorized devices, software applications, and / or servers to access data from caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments, electronic device 104 communicates with caregiver assistance application 124 via Web API 132 using its built-in web browser, which accesses one or more Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) that direct it to caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments, Web API 132 uses JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) to communicate with the web browser of electronic device 104. In other embodiments, Web API 132 uses Extensible Markup Language (XML) to communicate with the web browser of electronic device 104. Other types of communication may also be used.

[0246] Web API 132 can be configured to communicate with electronic device 104 using traditional GET, POST, DELETE, and UPDATE verbs of the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). These verbs are used to provide REST (Representation of State Transition) services between the Web API and electronic device 104. For aspects of the caregiver assistance application 124 that utilize bidirectional interactive communication, traditional World Wide Web socket protocols (such as IETF RFC 6455 or the WebSocket API in Web IDL (Interface Description Language) standardized by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)) can be used for communication between Web API 132 and electronic device 104. Alternatively or additionally, traditional push-pull requests can be used for this communication, as well as, but not limited to, events and / or long polls sent by the server. Other communication technologies may also be used. In some embodiments, the aforementioned communication is encrypted, making at least those messages containing patient data secure and resistant to eavesdropping. In at least one embodiment, such encryption is part of a RESTful Web service (RWS).

[0247] Web API 132 can also be used to complete additional communication with any server on network 74 and / or to communicate with cloud-based (such as device management system 918 described below) and / or other software applications unrelated to caregiver assistance application 124.

[0248] Generally, the nursing staff rounds algorithm 140, the status / command algorithm 147, and the alarm algorithm 149 of the nursing staff assistance application 124 perform the following functions: collecting data on the current status of patient support devices 20; transmitting patient support device data to electronic devices 104 located remotely from the nursing staff assistance server 90; displaying patient support device status data on the electronic devices 104; displaying alerts and / or other information on their displays to assist nursing staff in performing their rounds, fall prevention, skin care, and other tasks; and receiving patient data (rounds, skin, falls, etc.) generated by nursing staff during multiple tasks. During or after the same task, input is made to electronic device 104; an alarm is sent to the caregiver when the patient support device status data indicates that the patient support device 20 is not in the required state or when a timer associated with the patient or the patient support device 20 has expired; patient support device commands received from the caregiver (via electronic device 104) are forwarded to the patient support device 20; verification data is received from electronic device 104 and / or patient support device 20, verifying that the caregiver was near the patient support device 20 during the rounds; the successful completion of the caregiver's task and the current status of the patient support device status data at the time of task completion are recorded in electronic medical record server 98. Figure 4The nursing staff assistance application 124 provides the following features: confirming that the caregiver follows protocols of one or more healthcare facilities; automatically displaying a screen on an electronic device selected based on the caregiver's location; temporarily sharing bed data, alarms, and alerts with other caregivers; communicating with and using the functions of a remote equipment maintenance system that monitors bed usage and service history, as well as other information. The caregiver assistance application 124 also provides other functions and features. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be modified such that one or more of these functions and / or algorithms are modified, supplemented, and / or omitted. That is, in one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 includes only a single algorithm and / or feature disclosed herein; in another embodiment, it includes all algorithms and / or features disclosed herein; and in still other embodiments, it includes any combination of more than two but fewer than all of these algorithms / features.

[0249] Patient support equipment 20 Figure 2 The example shown is room 92, located in a representative medical facility. Figure 2 The patient support device 20 is also shown communicating with the local area network 74 of the healthcare facility. It should be understood that the exact structure and contents of the local area network 74 will vary from healthcare facility to healthcare facility. Figure 4 Together with the other components of the nursing staff support server 90 and the nursing staff support system 106, the contents of a typical hospital LAN 74 are shown in more detail.

[0250] like Figure 4 As shown, the local area network 74 includes multiple servers, including a conventional Admission, Discharge, and Tracking (ADT) server, a conventional nurse call system server 96, a conventional electronic medical record server 98, a conventional Real-Time Location System (RTLS) server 100, and multiple conventional wireless access points 76. The local area network 74 also includes a caregiver assistance server 90, which, together with one or more patient support devices 20 and one or more electronic devices (e.g., mobile electronic devices 104a or stationary electronic devices 104b), implements an embodiment of the caregiver assistance system 106 according to the invention. Furthermore, the network 74 includes a conventional Internet gateway 108 connecting the local area network 74 to the Internet 110, thereby enabling the servers and / or patient support devices 20 to communicate with computers outside the healthcare facility, such as, but not limited to, geographically remote servers 112. In some embodiments, all or part of the functions of the caregiver assistance server 90 are performed by the geographically remote server 112, while in other embodiments, the caregiver assistance server 90 is configured to perform all its functions without accessing the geographically remote server 112.

[0251] The ADT server 94 stores patient information, including patient identity and the corresponding room 92 and / or cubicle within that room assigned to the patient. That is, the ADT server 94 includes a patient room assignment table 114 or equivalent functionality. The patient room assignment table associates rooms, and cubicles within multi-patient rooms, with the names of individual patients within the healthcare facility. Whenever a patient arrives and registers at the healthcare facility and is assigned to a specific room within the facility, the patient's name is entered into the ADT server 94 by one or more healthcare facility staff. If and / or when a patient is transferred to a different room and / or discharged from the healthcare facility, the healthcare facility staff updates the ADT server 94. Therefore, the ADT server 94 maintains an updated table 114 that associates patient names with the rooms assigned to them. The ADT server 94 can be a conventional server sold by Cerner Corporation of North Kansas City, Missouri; EPIC Systems of Madison, Wisconsin; Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois; and / or other companies. Of course, other types of ADT servers 94 can also be used.

[0252] EMR server 98 ( Figure 4 Individual patient records are stored. Such patient records identify patients through their names and associated medical information. This medical information may include all medical information generated from the patient's current healthcare facility and information from previous visits. EMR Table 116 shows simplified examples of two types of medical information items frequently found in a patient's medical record: a fall risk item indicating whether the patient is at risk of falling, and a pressure ulcer risk item indicating whether the patient is at risk of developing pressure ulcers. Although... Figure 4 The data showing these items will be presented as text, and it should be understood that this data can be stored in the medical record in a numerical format. For example, fall risk data can be stored as values ​​generated from traditional fall risk assessment tools such as, but not limited to, the Morse Fall Risk Scale or the Hester-Davis Fall Risk Scale. Similarly, pressure ulcer data can be stored as values ​​generated from traditional pressure ulcer risk assessment tools such as, but not limited to, scales. As noted, EMR Server 98 includes more than [a certain number of items] in each patient's medical record. Figure 4Table 116 shows much more additional information, some of which, such as the patrol data, is described in more detail below. It should be understood that the term "EMR server" as used herein also includes electronic health record servers, or simply EHR servers; this invention does not distinguish between electronic medical records and electronic health records. The EMR server 98 can be a conventional server sold by Cerner Corporation of North Kansas City, Missouri; EPIC Systems of Madison, Wisconsin; Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc. of Chicago, Illinois; and / or other companies. Of course, other types of EMR servers 98 may also be used.

[0253] RTLS server 100 ( Figure 4 This refers to a traditional server that may exist within a given healthcare facility. When present, the RTLS server 100 tracks the current location of people and devices within the facility. In many cases, the RTLS server tracks one or more tags 120 worn by people and / or attached to devices. Figure 4 The tag 120 can be an RFID tag or other type of tag. RTLS table 118 provides examples of the types of location data that the RTLS server 100 may contain for caregivers. As shown therein, table 118 shows the current locations of two caregivers, one indicated by room number (e.g., room 400) and the other by general location (e.g., corridor). Other types of location data may also be included. Furthermore, as noted, some healthcare facilities may not include the aforementioned RTLS server 100, and the caregiver assistance system 106 may function fully without such a server. The RTLS server 100 may be a conventional Centrak server sold by Halma plc in Amersham, UK, or a conventional RTLS server sold by Stanley Healthcare in Waltham, Massachusetts. Of course, other types of RTLS servers 100 may also be used.

[0254] Nurse Call Server 96 Figure 4The diagram shows a nurse assignment table 122 that matches nurses to specific rooms and / or cubicles within a healthcare facility. While Table 122 only shows nurses assigned to a single room, it should be understood that each nurse is typically assigned to multiple rooms. In some nurse call systems 80, nurses are assigned to specific patients rather than specific rooms. The nurse assistance system 106 is configured to work with both types of nurse call systems 80. The nurse assistance system 106 is also adapted to work with healthcare facilities that use a separate nurse assignment server (not shown) instead of a nurse call server 96 to assign nurses to rooms and / or patients. The nurse call server 96 may be a conventional server sold by Rauland (now owned by Ametek, Inc. of Berwyn, Pennsylvania), West-Com Nurse Call System, Inc. of Fairfield, California, and / or other companies.

[0255] Regardless of whether the nursing staff allocation table 122 is stored within the nurse call server 96 or on some other server on network 74, the nurse call server 96 is configured to communicate with nursing staff and patients. That is, whenever a patient presses or initiates a nurse call on patient support device 20, the nurse call signal is transmitted via nurse call cable 78 to nurse call jack 82. Nurse call jack 82 is wired to the nurse call server 96 and / or another structure of the nurse call system 80, which then routes the call to the appropriate nurse. This allows nurses to communicate with patients from a remote location. In some nurse call systems 80, the nurse call server 96 may also forward alarms and / or other communications to portable wireless devices carried by nursing staff and / or audio stations located in patient rooms 92. In at least one embodiment, the aforementioned portable wireless device is the same as the mobile electronic device 104a described herein.

[0256] LAN 74 may include those not in Figure 4 Other structures shown include, but are not limited to, one or more conventional workflow servers and / or graph servers for monitoring and / or planning patient-related tasks for specific caregivers, and / or one or more conventional communication servers that forward communications, for example, via one or more portable devices (smartphones, pagers, calling devices, laptops, etc.), to specific individuals within the healthcare facility. Forwarded communications may include data and / or alarms originating from patient support equipment 20 and data and / or alarms originating from caregiver assistance server 90.

[0257] In at least some embodiments, the wireless access point 76 is configured to operate according to one or more IEEE 802.11 standards (802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11ah, etc.). Thus, patient support devices 20 and electronic devices 104a, 104b, equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities and appropriate authorization credentials (e.g., password, SSID, etc.), can access the local area network 74 and the servers hosted thereon. This enables patient support devices 20 to send messages to and receive messages from patient support device servers 86 and / or caregiver assistance servers 90. It also enables electronic devices 104 to send messages to and receive messages from patient support device servers 86 and / or caregiver assistance servers 90. As previously noted, alternatively or additionally, patient support devices 20 may include a wired port for connecting patient support devices 20 to one or more routers / gateways / switches, etc., on network 74, such as Category 5, Category 5e, etc., thereby enabling patient support devices 20 to communicate with servers 86 and / or 90 via wired communication.

[0258] In other embodiments, one or more patient support devices 20 are equipped with alternative wireless transceivers, enabling them to communicate directly with patient support device server 86 and / or caregiver assistance server 90 via antennas and transceivers directly connected to server 86 and / or 90 and separate from LAN 74, thereby allowing patient support devices 20 to bypass LAN 74 when communicating with server 86 and / or 90. An example of a patient support device configured to communicate directly with servers on a healthcare facility's local area network without using a LAN is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 831,466, filed December 5, 2017, entitled "NETWORK COMMUNICATION FOR PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES" by inventor Michael Hayes, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, patient support device 20 includes a communication module, such as communication module 66 disclosed in the aforementioned '466 application, with server 86 and / or 90 directly connected to a receiver, such as enterprise receiver 90 disclosed in the aforementioned '466 application. In such an embodiment, the patient support device 20 is able to send messages directly to and receive messages directly from servers 86 and / or 90 without using any hardware of access point 76 or network 74 (different from servers 86 and / or 90).

[0259] The nursing staff support server 90 constructs Table 218, which associates specific nursing staff with the patient support devices 20 assigned to them. Figure 4 ).like Figure 4As shown, Table 218 associates each patient support device 20 and its current status with the specific caregivers assigned to those patient support devices 20. Although not explicitly stated in... Figure 4 As shown, Table 218 can also associate caregivers and their patient support devices 20 with specific rooms within the healthcare facility. To construct Table 218, the caregiver assistance application 124 receives a unique patient support device identifier 186 from the patient support device server 86, along with the current state of the patient support device 20. The caregiver assistance application 124 determines which caregivers are associated with each of these patient support devices 20 based on caregiver-room assignment data received from the nurse call server 96 (i.e., data from Table 122) and room-patient support device data received from the patient support device server 86 (i.e., data from Table 88). The caregiver assistance server 90 is thus provided with sufficient data to understand the current state of each patient support device 20, which room each patient support device 20 is assigned to, the caregiver assigned to that room and / or patient support device 20, the patient assigned to each patient support device 20, and the fall risk and / or pressure ulcer risk (if known) for each patient. In addition, in those embodiments that include RTLS server 100, caregiver assistance server 90 is also provided with sufficient data to know the current location of each caregiver.

[0260] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to determine patient-room, patient-bed, patient-bed compartment, patient-caregiver, caregiver-room, caregiver-patient support equipment, and / or caregiver-bed compartment relationships in any manner disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 62 / 826,097, filed March 29, 2019, entitled “PATIENT CARE SYSTEM”, by inventors Thomas Durlach et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be further modified to perform any staffing error and other error notification functions, as disclosed in the aforementioned '097 application.

[0261] Figure 5 A main algorithm 226, executed by a caregiver assistance application 124 in at least one embodiment of the invention, is shown. The main algorithm 226 is executed by one or more processors of the caregiver assistance server 90 while the caregiver assistance server 90 is executing the caregiver assistance application 124. The main algorithm 226 begins with an initial access step 142, in which a user accesses the caregiver assistance application 124. The initial step 142 is... Figure 5The window shown in the middle is a dashed line. The dashed line is presented to indicate that step 142 is performed by the user, not by the caregiver-assisted application 124 itself. The remaining steps of algorithm 226 are performed by the caregiver-assisted application 124.

[0262] Initial step 142 is performed by the user through operation of one of the electronic devices 104 used in conjunction with the nurse assist application 124. The nurse assist system 106 includes one or more electronic devices 104 communicating with the nurse assist server 90 and its nurse assist application 124. These electronic devices 104 utilize the nurse assist application 124 to receive status data from the patient support device 20 and to send and receive nurse assist data. In other words, the nurse assist application 124 acts as an intermediary between the electronic devices 104 and the patient support device 20, and between the electronic devices 104 and other servers such as the EMR server 98 and / or the nurse call server 96. The nurse assist application 124 also performs other functions as described below.

[0263] Electronic device 104 comes in many different forms. For example... Figure 4 As shown, some electronic devices 104a are mobile electronic devices planned to be carried by a user (e.g., a caregiver), while other electronic devices 104b are stationary electronic devices that are typically kept in one location. Mobile electronic devices 104a can take various forms, such as, but not limited to, smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers on wheels (COWs), and other electronic devices. Stationary electronic devices 104b can also take various forms, such as, but not limited to, televisions, monitors, personal computers (PCs), and other electronic devices. For the purposes of the following written description, the caregiver assistance system 106 will be described in conjunction with access to electronic devices 104 of the caregiver assistance system 106 via a conventional World Wide Web browser. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, electronic devices 104 may be modified to run specialized software applications downloaded to electronic devices 104 and adapted to run by a specific operating system of the electronic device (e.g., Android, iOS, Windows, etc.). The specialized software applications are run by the microcontroller of electronic devices 104 and perform the functions of the caregiver assistance system 106.

[0264] To enable caregivers with electronic device 104 to access caregiver assistance system 106, caregivers use a web browsing application included in electronic device 104 to access a webpage or other URL associated with caregiver assistance application 124. Any conventional web browsing application can be used for this purpose, including but not limited to Microsoft's Bing or Internet Explorer web browser, Google's Chrome web browser, Apple's Safari web browser, Mozilla's Firefox web browser, etc. The specific URL accessed by the web browser may vary depending on the healthcare institution and can be customized by authorized IT personnel within the institution. In some embodiments, a domain name (e.g., www.caregiver-assistance-app.com) may be associated with caregiver assistance application 124, which resolves to the IP address of caregiver assistance server 90 via a local DNS server. In other embodiments, access to caregiver assistance system 106 may be implemented in other ways.

[0265] Once the initial webpage corresponding to the caregiver assistance application 124 is accessed, the caregiver assistance application 124 instructs the web browser of the electronic device 104 to display the login screen on the display of the electronic device 104. Figure 7 An example of such a login screen 144 is shown. Login screen 144 in... Figure 7 The image is shown on a mobile electronic device (smartphone) 104a. This is merely an illustration of one specific type of electronic device 104 that can be used with the caregiver assistance system 106. Other types of electronic devices 104 may also be used, and several different illustrations of the caregiver assistance system 106 illustrate the specific type of electronic device 104 displayed thereon (different from the type shown on the screen). Figure 7 and 65 -67), which is used to reiterate the device agnostic nature of the caregiver assistance system 106.

[0266] Login screen 144 includes a username field 146 where the user is prompted to enter his or her username and a password field 148 where the user is prompted to enter his or her password. To enable the user to enter this information, he or she uses conventional input features of electronic device 104. Thus, for example, when electronic device 104 includes a touchscreen display and the user touches or selects either field 146, 148, in some embodiments, electronic device 104 displays an image of an alphanumeric keyboard on its display that the user can use to enter his or her username and password. After the information is entered into fields 146, 148, the user presses a "Enter" or "Back" button, or touches the login icon 150 shown on login screen 144. If electronic device 104 does not include a touchscreen display, the user can use a conventional keyboard, mouse or other pointer, or other methods to enter the username and login information.

[0267] Nursing staff assistance application 124 receives the user's username and password at step 152 of main algorithm 226. Figure 5 In other words, the username and password entered by the user into electronic device 104 are transmitted by electronic device 104 to caregiver assistance server 90. As already mentioned, this can be done in a conventional manner using the WiFi or other network communication capabilities of electronic device 104. Once caregiver assistance application 124 receives the username and password, it proceeds to step 171 to determine the access level authorized to the user (if any). In many embodiments, this determination is based on... Figure 62 The steps outlined in access algorithm 153 are performed as described in the description of access algorithm 153. The caregiver assistance application 124 can use rule base 126 to check if the username and password match an approved user. Local rule base 126 contains information entered into the application 124 by authorized representatives of the healthcare institution to which the caregiver assistance application 124 is installed. This information includes a list of individuals authorized to use the caregiver assistance application 124, including usernames and passwords (and other data such as their authorization level, email address, phone number, etc.) and the access level authorized to each such individual.

[0268] If the username and password match the authorization entries in the local rule base 126, the caregiver assistance application 124 determines the access level of the authorized user in step 171 (via algorithm 153). For the purposes of the main algorithm 226 described below, the user will be assumed to be a caregiver, although... Figure 62 As described in the description, the user can also be a manager or technician (and other categories are also possible). After determining that the user is an authorized caregiver, algorithm 226 proceeds to step 173, determining which screen to display on the user's electronic device 104. The selection of the display screen in step 173, in some embodiments, is based on the following combination... Figure 63 The screen selection algorithm 139 is described further. Figure 5 In the example shown, algorithm 226 is configured to select between two basic screen types: a room list screen and a room overview screen. Figure 8 , 59 Figures 84 and 91 show four examples of room list screens (156, 156a, 156b, and 156c), while multiple figures show examples of room overview screens (e.g., ...). Figure 9 Room overview screen 162 Figure 58 (e.g., room overview screen 162a). If the caregiver assistance application 124 determines in step 173 to display the room list screen, it proceeds to step 154. If the caregiver assistance application 124 determines in step 173 to display the room overview screen, it proceeds to step 157.

[0269] If possible Figure 8 As can be seen, the room list screen 156 displays multiple rows, each row including a room identifier 158 that identifies a specific room 92 within the medical facility where the caregiver assistance system 106 is installed. In the illustrated embodiment, the room list screen 156 specifically selects which rooms correspond to a specific person who has just logged into the caregiver assistance application 124. That is, each caregiver is assigned an administrative access level to the data contained within the caregiver assistance application 124 (see Algorithm 153). Figure 62 This assignment is performed by one or more authorized individuals 136 who initially set up the caregiver assistance application 124. In at least one embodiment, caregivers are assigned access levels that only allow them to view the rooms assigned to them. Caregiver managers may be authorized higher access levels, which allows them to view all rooms of all caregivers under their supervision. Administrators may be authorized even higher access levels, allowing them to view all rooms throughout the entire healthcare facility. Other types of access levels may also be used and / or created, with rules defining the access level architecture stored in a local rule base 126.

[0270] The nursing staff assistance application 124 automatically determines which rooms a specific nursing staff member has been assigned to by communicating with a server on LAN 74 that maintains nursing staff room assignments. Figure 4In the example shown, nurse call server 96 is shown as including nurse staff-room assignment table 122, which stores room assignments for nurses within the healthcare facility. As previously mentioned, nurse staff-room assignment table 122 may be stored on a different server. During the installation of nurse staff assistance application 124, an authorized administrator enters the IP address of the server containing nurse staff-room assignment table 122 (and / or other data required to access nurse staff-room assignment table 122). Similar data is entered for all other servers and tables discussed herein. After a user successfully logs in at step 152 of algorithm 140, nurse staff assistance application 124 sends a message to the server holding nurse staff-room assignment table 122. This message requests an updated list of rooms assigned to the newly logged-in nurse. Upon receiving this information, nurse staff assistance application 124 displays those rooms on the display of electronic device 104 (or, more precisely, causes a web browser to display those rooms on the display of electronic device 104). Thus, in Figure 8 In the example, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays rooms 7090-7096, which correspond to the rooms assigned to a specific caregiver who is using the caregiver assistance application 124.

[0271] In some healthcare facilities, caregivers may be assigned to specific patients rather than specific rooms. In such cases, the caregiver assistance app 124 can be configured in at least two alternative ways. In the first way, the caregiver assistance app 124 continues to display a list of rooms, for example... Figure 8 Room list screen 156. In the second mode, caregiver assistance application 124 displays a patient list screen, which, instead of rooms assigned to caregivers, displays each patient assigned to a caregiver. When configured in either mode, caregiver assistance application 124 determines the data to be displayed by sending a request to a specific server within the healthcare facility, which maintains sufficient data to associate a specific caregiver with a specific patient. Figure 4 In the specific embodiment shown, there is no server that associates patients with caregivers. However, by using a patient-room assignment table 114 in conjunction with another server that stores caregiver-room assignments (as shown in Table 122), the caregiver assistance application 124 is able to determine which specific patients are assigned to specific caregivers and which rooms 92 within the healthcare facility those specific patients are located in.

[0272] For example, if the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to display a list of rooms in a healthcare facility that assigns caregivers to specific patients rather than specific rooms, screen 156 ( Figure 8The caregiver assistance application 124 sends a first request message and a second request message. The first request message is sent to a server that maintains a table that associates caregivers with the specific patients they have been assigned to care for. The second request is sent to the ADT server 94 and requests a list of the specific rooms in which the patients assigned to the caregivers are located. By using the data retrieved from these two requests, the caregiver assistance application 124 is able to determine which specific patients the caregivers have been assigned to and which patients have been assigned to which rooms. Therefore, the caregiver assistance application 124 is able to display the room list screen 156 in a manner adapted to the specific caregiver using the caregiver assistance application 124.

[0273] In embodiments where the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to display patients assigned to a specific caregiver, rather than the patient room list screen 156, the caregiver assistance application 124 does not need to send the aforementioned first request message. Instead, it may send a single request message to a specific server storing a table (or other data structure) that associates caregivers with specific patients. The caregiver assistance application 124 then displays a list of patients assigned to that specific caregiver on the display screen of the electronic device used by that specific caregiver.

[0274] Furthermore, in some embodiments, a particular healthcare facility may assign rooms to specific caregivers but may wish to have the room list screen 156 replaced by a patient list screen identifying the specific patients assigned to those caregivers. The caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured to accommodate this desire. To this end, the caregiver assistance application 124 sends a message to the nurse call server 96 requesting room allocation for that specific caregiver and a message to the ADT server 94 requesting patient allocation for that specific room. By using data from these requests, the caregiver assistance application 124 can determine which patients have been assigned to which caregivers, and thus can replace or display a patient list screen in addition to the room list screen 156. This can be configured by an authorized individual 136 and stored in a rule base 126.

[0275] It should be noted that while most electronic devices 104 are associated with specific caregivers, this is not always the case, especially for stationary electronic devices 104b. Stationary electronic devices 104b, which may include large-screen smart TVs, may be associated with specific departments, nurse stations, side buildings, floors, and / or other departments within a healthcare facility. For these devices, login credentials can be tailored to the specific location and / or intended function of that particular electronic device 104b. For example, a stationary electronic device 104b may be associated with the oncology department, the east side building, nurse stations XYZ, the second floor, room AG, etc. In such cases, the caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured to assign a username and password customized for each such electronic device 104. Thus, for example, if a particular electronic device 104 is located at a nurse station within a pediatric oncology department, that electronic device 104 may be assigned the username "Pediatric Oncology Display" and have its own specific password. Once an authorized user has logged into the caregiver assistance application 124 on the device, the application displays room and / or patient data corresponding to the pediatric oncology department on that specific device. Room and / or patient data may include rooms and / or patients assigned to multiple caregivers, allowing the electronic device 104 to display information beyond that associated with a single caregiver.

[0276] Regardless of whether the nursing staff assistance application 124 displays the room list screen 156 or the patient list screen in step 154 ​​( Figure 5 The nursing assistant application 124 is also configured to display a status indicator 160 on the screen selected in step 154. Figure 8 The status summary 160 provides additional information about the status of the patient in the room and / or the patient support equipment 20 assigned to that room. Thus, for example, the status indicator 160 may indicate that the patient is at risk of falls or pressure ulcers, that the patient support equipment 20 is currently vacant, that the patient support equipment 20 is in a compliant or non-compliant state, and / or that one or more tasks (e.g., fall risk assessment, skin care assessment, rounds, etc.) are pending for that particular patient and / or room.

[0277] The caregiver assistance application 124 receives the data required to display the status summary 160 by communicating with one or more servers on the local area network 74. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 receives all patient support device data from a patient support device server 86, which may be a commercially available bed status server, such as, but not limited to, an iBed server available from Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Further details of the iBed server can be found in the Stryker Installation / Configuration Manual (Document 5212-209-001REV A) published by Stryker Corporation of Kalamazoo, Michigan in May 2016 for iBedServer 2.0, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In other embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to receive patient support device status data directly from the patient support device 20 itself, rather than through an intermediate server such as the iBed server mentioned above.

[0278] The caregiver assistance application 124 receives patient data and protocol data from the EMR server 98 and / or the ADT server 94. In addition to patient room assignment, the ADT server 94 may also contain requirement data that determines one or more protocols the healthcare facility requires its caregivers to follow when caring for one or more patients. This requirement data may, for example, specify what assessments should be performed on the patient, such as a fall risk and / or pressure ulcer risk assessment. Alternatively, this requirement data may be stored elsewhere, such as, but not limited to, a local rule base 126. In some embodiments, the requirement data specifying which assessments (fall, skin, etc.) should be performed on a given patient may depend on the patient's location within the healthcare facility. For example, some healthcare facilities may configure the local rule base 126 such that all patients in a particular wing, floor, or other section receive fall risk and skin assessments, while patients in different locations receive only one of these assessments or none at all. When a new patient is admitted to a medical facility (as determined from communication with ADT server 94), the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically checks these local rules. If the assessment is not recorded in EMR server 98 (which may be sent there via the caregiver assistance application 124 itself or another device), a reminder that the aforementioned assessment is required is displayed on multiple different screens associated with the patient.

[0279] Therefore, when a new patient enters the healthcare facility, the caregiver-assisted application 124 automatically determines from server 94 and / or rule base 126 (or another location) whether a particular patient is presumed to require a fall assessment, pressure ulcer assessment, or other assessment. If so, the caregiver-assisted application 124 further sends a query to EMR server 98 to determine whether such an assessment has been completed for that particular patient. If it has not been completed, the caregiver-assisted application 124 displays "not completed" in the status indicator 160. Figure 8 ).exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the patient in room 7092 has not yet undergone a fall risk assessment, which is indicated in status indicator 160 corresponding to room 7092.

[0280] Now, more specifically, turn to Figure 8 In the example shown, caregiver assistance application 124 receives data from EMR server 98 or data store 128 indicating that a patient in room 7093 is at risk of falling. Caregiver assistance application 124 requests and receives data from patient support equipment server 86 indicating "safe beds" in rooms 7090 and 7091. Figure 8 The term "safe bed" displayed in the status indicator 160 for rooms 7090 and 7091 means that the patient support equipment 20 in these rooms is currently configured to be in the required state. The "required state" may be a pre-programmed part of the caregiver assistance system 106, which may be defined by a fall risk reduction protocol 93, a pressure ulcer risk reduction protocol 95, or another healthcare institution protocol, and / or may be modified and / or customized by an authorized individual 136. In any of these cases, the required state, or the definition of "safe bed," is stored in a local rule base 126. In some embodiments, a particular patient support equipment 20 is considered to be in a "safe bed" state if all of the following conditions are true: the departure detection system 46 is in standby mode, the brake is activated, the support frame 28 is at its lowest height (or within a specified range of its lowest height), and at least three of the guardrails 36 are in an upright position. As already mentioned, the “safe bed” status may be modified to include one or more of the following: the requirement that the A / C cable 102 is plugged into the A / C power outlet; the requirement that the nurse call cable 78 is plugged into the nurse call jack 82; the requirement that the monitoring function of the patient support device 20 is ready; and / or other requirements. Furthermore, the “safe bed” status may be modified to remove one or more of the conditions mentioned above.

[0281] As previously mentioned, the caregiver assistance application 124 determines whether a patient in a particular room needs an assessment by checking one or more other servers on the local area network, including the EMR server 98, the data repository 128, and / or the server itself, which define what assessments will be performed, when they will be performed, and whether they will be re-performed (and if so, when). In some embodiments, in addition to sending the completion of one or more of these assessments to the EMR server 98, or instead of sending the data to the EMR server 98, the caregiver assistance application 124 also records the data in the data repository 128. As will be described in more detail below, in at least some embodiments, one or more of these assessments can be performed using the electronic device 104 and / or the patient support device 20 and sent from any one or both of these devices to the EMR server 98. Alternatively, the aforementioned assessments can be performed by other devices that forward their results to the EMR server 98. Figure 8 In the specific example shown, the caregiver assistance application 124 has determined that the patient in room 7092 has not yet undergone a fall risk assessment, therefore, "Fall Risk Assessment" is displayed in the status indicator 160 associated with room 7092.

[0282] Similarly, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to display the results of any patient assessments that caregivers should be aware of in the status indicator 160. Therefore, in Figure 8 In the example, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays "Patient at risk of fall" for the status indicator 160 associated with room 7094. This indicates that a fall risk assessment has been performed on the patient in room 7094 and the assessment indicates that the particular patient is at high risk of fall. The results of this fall risk assessment are typically stored in EMR server 98 and / or data store 128, and the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to request these results from either or both locations and display them in the status indicator 160 when a fall risk (or pressure ulcer risk, or other risk) has been detected.

[0283] The caregiver assistance application 124 is also configured to display in a status indicator 160 whether the patient support device 20 is currently occupied by a patient. This information is obtained from a weight sensor, such as a pressure sensor, included within the weighing / leaving detection system 46 of each patient support device 20. Each patient support device 20 periodically transmits its weight reading to the patient support device server 86. These weight readings are forwarded to the caregiver assistance server 90. If the weight reading is less than a threshold (e.g., 50 pounds), the caregiver assistance application 124 infers that the patient support device 20 is not occupied and may display this information in the status indicator 160 (or it may display other information configured to have higher priority, such as, but not limited to, any assessment required for that particular patient). The aforementioned information may be displayed in the status indicator 160 using the words “No weight detected” or “Patient not in bed” or some other text indicating that the patient support device 20 has not detected a patient.

[0284] exist Figure 8 In the example shown, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays the word "empty" for rooms 7095 and 7096. This indicates that those rooms have not yet been assigned any patients. Caregiver assistance application 124 determines this information by sending a request to ADT server 94 to query patient information for those rooms 92 assigned to a specific caregiver using caregiver assistance system 106. In this example, ADT server 94 instructs caregiver assistance application 124 that rooms 7095 and 7096 have not been assigned any patients. Therefore, caregiver assistance application 124 displays "empty" in the status indicator 160 for these rooms.

[0285] It should be understood that, Figure 8 The examples of information displayed in the status indicator 160 shown are just a few examples of the types of information that can be displayed on the room list screen 156. The caregiver assistance application 124 can be modified to display less, more, and / or different information in the status summary 160 and / or eliminate them entirely. Furthermore, the caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured to display the status summary 160 in different colors based on the information content of the status indicator 160. Thus, for example, tasks that need to be completed can be highlighted with a different color (e.g., orange); information indicating that a task has not been completed within a specified time period and / or that the patient support device 20 is not in compliance with requirements can be highlighted with another color (e.g., red); information indicating that no tasks or non-compliant statuses exist can be indicated with yet another color (e.g., green). Alarms can be indicated in the status summary by flashing text or otherwise.

[0286] Return to the main algorithm 226 of the nursing staff support system 106 ( Figure 5The main algorithm 226 proceeds from step 154 ​​to step 155. In step 155 of the main algorithm 226, the caregiver assistance application 124 determines whether the caregiver has manually selected a specific room from the rooms listed on the room list screen 156. If the caregiver has not manually selected a specific room, algorithm 226 returns to step 173 and re-executes algorithm 139 to determine whether to change the currently displayed screen. The result of re-executing algorithm 139 is that the caregiver assistance application 124 will continue to display the room list screen 156 (by returning to step 154 ​​after re-executing algorithm 139 in step 173), or it will automatically begin displaying the room overview screen in step 157. The trigger for this automatic display of the room overview screen is further described below in conjunction with algorithm 139.

[0287] Regardless of whether the caregiver assistance application 124 reaches step 157 from step 155 or step 173, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays a room overview screen 162 on the screen of the electronic device 104, for example... Figure 9 Room overview screen 162 (or Figure 58 The room overview screen 162a). Thus, if the user manually navigates to (or is automatically taken to) the room list screen 156 at any point while using the caregiver assistance application 124, he or she can press (or select) a specific room listed on the room list screen 156. The caregiver assistance application 124 responds to this selection by displaying the room overview screen 162 corresponding to the specific room 92 selected by the user. Figure 9 The specific room overview screen 162 shown is therefore displayed by the caregiver assistance application 124 when the user specifically selects room 7093 from the room list screen 156. The caregiver assistance application 124 may also include other tools to enable the user to navigate to the room overview screen 162, such as, but not limited to, a search function where room numbers can be entered / searched.

[0288] Room overview screen 162 ( Figure 9 The room overview screen 162 displays information about a specific room 92 within the healthcare facility and the patient associated with that room 92. It should be understood that the room overview screen 162 may be changed to a cubicle overview screen or other types of overview screen if the specific room selected by the caregiver is a semi-privacy room containing more than one patient support device 20 or a patient. In such an embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays a cubicle overview screen (not shown) similar to the room overview screen 162, targeting a specific cubicle selected by the caregiver within a semi-privacy room (or displays an overview screen listing combinations of rooms and cubicles).

[0289] The room overview screen 162 (or a similar cubicle overview screen) includes a bed icon 164, an exit detection system status indicator 166, a bed monitoring status indicator 168, a bed status bar 170, a summary area 172, and a task menu 174. Figure 9 The bed icon 164 includes a plurality of railing icons 176 positioned along the edge of the bed icon 164. Within each railing icon 176 is an indicator (unmarked) including the word "up" or "down". The caregiver assistance application 124 selectively displays an "up" or "down" indication within the railing icons 176 based on the current state of the railings 36 of the patient support equipment 20 within room 7093. The caregiver assistance application 124 receives the up / down status of each railing 36 from the patient support equipment server 86 and displays "up" or "down" to match the current railing status of the patient support equipment 20. In at least some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is also configured to display the railing icons 176 in a different color, such as, but not limited to, amber, when the railings are in the down position. This distinguishes these railing icons 176 from those corresponding to railing icons in the up position (which may be displayed in green or some other color).

[0290] Departure from detection system status indicator 166 ( Figure 9 The status indicator 166 indicates the current status of the scale / departure detection system 46 for the corresponding patient support device 20 (e.g., patient support device 20 located in room 7093). That is, the status indicator 166 indicates whether the departure detection system 46 is currently in standby mode. It also indicates which area of ​​the departure detection system the user has selected, if the departure detection system is in standby mode and includes multiple areas. Many departure detection systems are configured to allow users to select different permitted movement areas. Different areas allow the patient to move different amounts of time before the departure detection system issues an alarm. Figure 9 In this example, the patient support device 20 includes a departure detection system 46 with three zones, the second zone being highlighted. The departure detection system 46... Figure 9 The selected area is marked as off. The caregiver assistance application 124 displays a "standby" or "on" indicator and highlights the selected area (1, 2, or 3) when the patient leaves the detection system 46. Further information regarding the operation of the area and / or the exit detection system, which may be included in the patient support device 20 and used in the caregiver assistance system 106, can be found in U.S. Patent Application 14 / 918,003, filed October 20, 2015, entitled "EXIT DETECTION SYSTEMWITH COMPENSATION" by inventors Marko Kostic et al., the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0291] Bed monitoring status indicator 168 ( Figure 9This indicates whether the bed monitoring system of the patient support device 20 is on or off. The bed monitoring system is a monitoring feature included in some embodiments of the patient support device 20, but may be omitted in other embodiments. Generally, when enabled, the bed monitoring system causes the controller 48 to monitor the status of multiple components of the patient support device 20 to issue an alarm when any of these components changes from a desired state to an undesirable state. In several embodiments, the specific features monitored by the bed monitoring system are defined by the patient fall risk reduction protocol 93. Figure 2 The Patient Fall Risk Reduction Protocol 93 also defines the required status for each specific component monitored by the bed monitoring system.

[0292] For example, if the bed monitoring system is enabled and includes monitoring of the guardrails 36 of the patient support device 20, the controller 48 of the patient support device 20 will issue an alarm when one or more guardrails are lowered or moved to an undesirable state. Generally, when the bed monitoring system is included within a specific patient support device 20, the bed monitoring system will monitor and issue an alarm when it detects any of the following changes in the patient support device 20: the departure detection system 46 is deactivated; the guardrails 36 are lowered; the patient leaves the patient support device 20; the brakes are deactivated; the bed height is raised beyond a specified level; the A / C power cord 102 is unplugged; and / or the nurse call cable 78 is unplugged. The specific component of the patient support device 20 monitored by the bed monitoring system and triggering an alarm upon change can be selected by an authorized user, such as an authorized individual 136. This selection can be made via one of the control panels 42 of the patient support device 20, one of the electronic devices 104, and / or a computer communicating with the caregiver assistance server 90. Alarms issued by the patient support device 20 in response to an undesirable condition detected by the bed monitoring system can be local alarms (at the patient support device 20), remote alarms (e.g., sent to the patient support device server 86 and / or the caregiver assistance application 124), or a combination of local and remote alarms. Users can select from these different types of alarms via the patient support device 20, electronic device 104, and / or a computer communicating with the server 90.

[0293] The bed status bar 170 provides additional information about the current status of the patient support equipment 20. Figure 9This includes: an indication of whether the brakes on the patient support device 20 are activated; information indicating whether the pad 28 is at its lowest height; information indicating whether the nurse call cable 78 is inserted into the nurse call jack 82; and information indicating whether the A / C power cord 102 is inserted into the A / C jack. All information shown in the status bar 170 (as well as all patient support device 20 data displayed by the caregiver assistance application 124) is sent by the patient support device 20 (via transceiver 60) to the patient support device server 86, which then forwards this information to the caregiver assistance server 90 and the caregiver assistance application 124. However, in some modified embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 and the caregiver assistance server 90 are configured to receive information directly from the patient support device 20, thereby avoiding the need for a separate patient support device server 86.

[0294] Bed status bar 170 ( Figure 9 The data displayed in the patient support device 20 is updated in real time or almost real time. In most embodiments of the patient support device 20, the patient support device 20 is configured to automatically (and almost immediately) transmit its status to the patient support device server 86 when its status changes. Thus, for example, if the nurse call cable 78 is unplugged from the nurse call jack 82, the patient support device 20 automatically and almost immediately sends a message to the patient support device server 86. The patient support device server 86 automatically and immediately or almost immediately forwards this status update to the caregiver assistance application 124. The caregiver assistance application 124 then updates the information displayed in the bed status bar 170 to indicate that the nurse call cable has been unplugged. Caregivers who may be far from a particular room 92 and / or a particular patient support device 20 thus receive real-time or almost real-time updates on the status of the patient support device 20 when using the caregiver assistance application 124.

[0295] Overview area 172 of the room overview screen 162 Figure 9 This lists one or more pieces of information about the patient, the patient support equipment 20, the room assigned to that particular patient, and / or any data generated from the alert algorithm 145. Figure 9 In the example shown, summary area 172 includes a reminder to set the system to leave detection system 46 or to put it on standby, more specifically, a reminder to select area 2 when putting it on standby. This data comes from task list 886, which is input via any one or more of algorithms 140, 141, and 143 and / or by manual task list modification algorithm 151, as described below. Figure 57The manual task list modification algorithm 151 enables caregivers to select one or more tasks associated with the patient and / or patient support equipment 20, schedule those tasks, issue reminders via the caregiver assistance application 124, and display data about those reminders in the summary area 172.

[0296] Summary area 172 also includes an item reiterating the fact that nurse call cable 78 has been disconnected. Additionally, summary area 172 includes items reminding caregivers of any upcoming tasks scheduled for that particular patient, room, and / or patient support equipment 20. Figure 7 In a specific example, the summary area 172 of the room overview screen 162 includes a reminder for the patient in room 7093 to be turned over in 33 minutes. This task data is manually entered into the caregiver assistance application 124 by a caregiver and / or an authorized individual 136 using a manual task list modification algorithm 151 and / or automatically entered through one or more of a plurality of different algorithms 140, 141 and / or 143. The automatically entered reminders include, but are not limited to, reminders for performing fall risk assessments, performing pressure ulcer risk assessments, performing rounds, performing one or more treatments, configuring the patient support equipment 20 and / or its plurality of different components to the required state, etc. In some embodiments, the reminder itself includes an indication of the amount of time until the task is assumed to be completed (e.g., the time until the next patient turn or the next round of duties) and / or the amount of time elapsed since the task was last completed (e.g., the amount of time since the last patient turn or the last round of duties).

[0297] Room overview screen 162, task menu 174 ( Figure 9 This identifies several different tasks that can be undertaken by caregivers using the caregiver assistance app 124. Figure 9 and elsewhere (such as) Figure 10-17 In the example shown, task menu 174 includes four separate task icons: fall risk icon 178, patrol task icon 180, skin task icon 182, and reminder task icon 184. If the caregiver selects one of these task icons 178-184 in step 159, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the corresponding algorithms 140, 141, 143, and 151 in step 161. Figure 5 More specifically, if the caregiver selects the fall risk icon 178 in step 159, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 in step 161. If the caregiver selects the rounds task icon 180 in step 159, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the rounds algorithm 140 in step 161. Figure 6If the caregiver selects the skin task icon 182 in step 159, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the skin care algorithm 141 (also referred to herein as the pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm) in step 161. Finally, if the caregiver selects the reminder task icon 184 in step 159, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the manual task list modification algorithm 151 in step 161.

[0298] The selection of these multiple different icons and their associated algorithms results in the caregiver assistance application 124 presenting different screens corresponding to the selected task. These different screens enable the user to perform one or more tasks related to that specific patient. If the user selects the fall risk icon 178, the caregiver assistance application 124 begins executing the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 and causes the display of the electronic device 104 to display one or more screens that enable the caregiver to perform one or more fall risk reduction steps associated with reducing the likelihood of the patient falling, such as, but not limited to, these screens. Figure 19-27 The screen shown. These steps include, but are not limited to, performing a fall risk assessment and configuring the patient support device 20 according to a fall risk reduction protocol (e.g., in a manner that helps reduce or minimize the patient's fall risk). A specific screen displayed by the caregiver assistance application 124 in response to a user selecting the fall risk icon 178 (or any other task icon in the task menu 174) may be an initial screen, which is part of a larger set of screens that can be displayed by the caregiver assistance application 124 to assist the caregiver in performing the selected task. In some embodiments, this initial screen is... Figure 19 The type shown is as indicated, but other screens may also be shown initially.

[0299] If the caregiver is in step 159 ( Figure 5 Select skin task 182 ( Figure 9 Upon execution of the skin care algorithm 141, the caregiver-assisted application 124 displays an initial skin care screen (not shown), which assists the caregiver in performing pressure ulcer risk assessments, recording one or more existing skin conditions, and / or setting one or more alerts or configurations on the patient support device 20 to help prevent the patient from developing pressure ulcers and / or worsening existing pressure ulcers. Similar to the fall risk icon 178, the selection of the skin task icon 182 causes the caregiver-assisted application 124 to display an initial screen associated with the patient's skin care, which is part of a larger set of screens suitable for assisting the caregiver in caring for the patient's skin. Additional screens within this larger set can be accessed through the initial screen, or through one or more other screens accessible from the initial screen.

[0300] If the caregiver is in step 159 ( Figure 5Selecting the reminder task icon 184, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to the task list modification algorithm 151 and displays the initial screen showing existing reminders, such as the room overview screen 162. Figure 9 ) or room list screen 156 ( Figure 8 Algorithm 151 then enables caregivers to set, edit, and / or cancel reminders associated with the care of a specific patient or room. Such reminders include, but are not limited to: reminders to turn a patient; reminders to perform one or more treatments on a patient (e.g., percussion therapy or maximal inflation therapy using mattress 38); reminders to perform caregiver rounds; and other reminders. Regardless of the specific reminder, caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to display the reminder in the summary area 172 of the room overview screen 162, the status indicator 160 of the room list screen 156, and / or on other screens of caregiver assistance application 124. The display may include not only an indication of the reminder but also the remaining time until the reminder period is met (or, if the reminder period has expired, the amount of time that has elapsed since the reminder period expired). Furthermore, in some embodiments of caregiver assistance system 106, caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to send a notification to the caregiver when the reminder period is met (or one or more configurable times before the reminder period and / or one or more configurable times after the reminder period if the task remains incomplete). In some embodiments, the notification may include email, text, telephone call, or some other type of notification, as will be described in more detail below.

[0301] During the execution of any task defined in task menu 174, caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to continue displaying task menu 174 on the screen specifically associated with those tasks. If the user selects a task icon corresponding to a task different from the currently executed task, caregiver assistance application 124 switches to executing the algorithm associated with that specific task. In the specific case of patrol algorithm 140, if the caregiver selects patrol task icon 180 from one of the screens associated with task icons 178, 182, or 184, the caregiver assistance application switches to step 192 of patrol algorithm 140. Figure 6 (This will be described in more detail below.)

[0302] If the caregiver does not select any task from task menu 174, the main algorithm 226 of the caregiver assistance application 124 is executed. Figure 5Proceeding to step 163, it determines whether the caregiver has entered a command to control one or more aspects of the patient support device 20. If the caregiver has entered such a command, algorithm 226 proceeds to step 165, sending the command to the patient support device 20. In at least one embodiment, the command is routed through a caregiver assistance server 90. That is, a command to control one or more aspects of the patient support device 20 is sent from electronic device 104 (via one or more wireless access points 76) to caregiver assistance application 124. Upon receipt, caregiver assistance application 124 either forwards the command directly to the corresponding patient support device 20 using wireless access point 76, or forwards the command to patient support device server 86, which then forwards the command to patient support device 20 using one or more wireless access points 76. When a command is received at patient support device 20, controller 48 checks whether the command is authorized; if so, the command is executed.

[0303] In the main algorithm 226 ( Figure 5 After steps 163 and 165, the nursing staff assistance application 124 proceeds to step 167 to check whether the nursing staff has manually entered a command to change the currently displayed room overview screen 162 back to its previous state. Figure 8 The room list screen is displayed at step 156. If so, algorithm 226 returns to step 154 ​​and proceeds as previously described. If not, the algorithm returns to step 173, either continuing to display the room list screen or automatically changing the screen to a room overview screen.

[0304] It should be noted that the display of different screens within the caregiver assistance application 124 is controlled not only by the area pressed / selected by the user on a specific screen, but also by the traditional "back" and "forward" functions of the web browser used by the caregiver to access the caregiver assistance application 124. Thus, for example, if the user is viewing... Figure 9 Room overview screen 162 and wish to return to view Figure 8 On the room list screen 156, he or she can simply press or activate the "back" function of the web browser used by caregivers. These and other navigation features (such as the "home" icon, menu icon, etc.) are not in Figure 5 As shown, but included in at least some embodiments of the caregiver assistance application 124.

[0305] It should also be noted that the main algorithm 226 can be obtained from Figure 5 The diagram shown and described above have undergone extensive modifications. These modifications include: adding uncombined... Figure 5The description includes one or more steps or screens, and the removal of one or more steps and / or changing the order of one or more steps. In one specific embodiment, the main algorithm 226 omits the automatic screen selection feature of step 173. In another embodiment, the main algorithm 226 includes enabling the user to perform the following combination on one or more displayed screens. Figures 64-67 The description includes one or more icons representing the shared and non-shared functions. Other modifications are also possible.

[0306] If the caregiver is at step 159 of main algorithm 226 ( Figure 5 Select the patrol task icon 180 ( Figure 9 The nursing staff assistance application 124 has begun implementation. Figure 6 The patrol algorithm 140 begins at step 192, where the caregiver assistance application 124 receives and / or verifies a room selection or bed selection. In response to the aforementioned room selection or bed selection, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to displaying the first patrol screen 190, for example... Figure 10 The first rounds screen 190 is shown. The caregiver's selection of a specific room or patient support equipment is used by the caregiver assistance application 124 to inform the application what patient and / or room rounds information should be displayed on screen 190 (and subsequent rounds screens). If the caregiver selects from a screen, for example... Figure 9 The user navigates from screen 162 to screen 190, where the caregiver assistance application displays information corresponding to the bed and / or room selected on screen 190. Therefore, due to... Figure 9 The middle screen 162 displays information about room 7093. If the user presses... Figure 9 The patrol task icon 180 and navigation to Figure 10 On screen 190, the nursing assistant application will automatically display the same patrol information corresponding to room 7093.

[0307] However, there may be situations where the first rounds screen 190 is invoked by a caregiver without a specific room and / or patient being selected previously, or where a caregiver may want to use the first rounds screen 190 for a different room or patient than selected on a previously displayed screen. In those cases, the first rounds screen 190 may be modified and / or supplemented with a screen or input field, allowing the caregiver to select a specific room and / or patient to complete the rounds associated with the first rounds screen 190. In some embodiments, a specific patient support device 20 may be selected in step 192 by having the user manually enter the room number of the patient for whom he or she intends to collect rounds information. In other embodiments, the patient support device 20 may have a short-range wireless transmitter (e.g., one or more near-field transmitters and / or Bluetooth transmitters) that automatically communicates with the mobile electronic device 104a and tells the device 104a which patient support device 20 it is. In response, the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically associates the first rounds screen 190 with the patient support device 20 identified from the wireless communications received from the patient support device 20. In other embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be configured to automatically associate the first inspection screen 190 with a specific room or patient based on the current location of the mobile electronic device 104a when the first inspection screen 190 is first accessed. Such current location information may be received from the RTLS server 100.

[0308] Regardless of the specific method used to select a room on the first inspection screen 190, the caregiver assistance application 124 identifies the room at location 198. Figure 10 The selected room is displayed. The caregiver assistance application 124 can also display the same content as the status indicator 160 (of the room list screen 156) at the status location 200 adjacent to the room identifier location 198. The first inspection screen 190 also includes a top 202 and a bottom 204. The top 202 is included in the room overview screen 162 (… Figure 9 The upper half of the room overview screen 162 displays the same information. Specifically, it includes a bed icon 164, an exit detection system status indicator 166, a bed monitoring status indicator 168, and a bed status bar 170. However, the bottom 204 does not include the summary area 172 of the room overview screen 162, but instead includes a first round question 206. The first round question is equivalent to the question that the caregiver is scheduled to ask while the patient's caregiver is performing his or her rounds. The caregiver assistance application 124 displays this first question 206 in step 208 of algorithm 140. Figure 6 ).

[0309] The specific first inspection problem 206 is shown in step 208 of algorithm 140 (in... Figure 10(As shown in the image) is a question about the patient's pain level. Specifically, it is a question about the patient's current pain level ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 is the lowest pain level and 10 is the highest pain level. It should be understood that although the first question 206 is described here as the "first" question displayed after the rounds task icon 180 is selected, the specific order of the questions displayed by the nursing staff assistance application 124 may change, and the term "first" in the phrase "first rounds question" is used only to distinguish that question from other rounds questions and not to represent any particular importance in their order.

[0310] First inspection problem screen 190 ( Figure 10 This includes a plus icon 210, a minus icon 212, a next icon 214, and a current pain level indicator 216. The plus and minus icons 210 and 212 are pressed by the caregiver to increase or decrease the patient's pain level, as indicated by the current pain level indicator 216, until the corresponding pain level indicated by the indicator 216 matches the pain level expressed by the patient. For example, if the user indicates their pain level is 6, the caregiver presses the plus icon 212 six times until the current pain level indicator reading is 6. The caregiver then presses the next icon 214, and the caregiver-assisted application 124 saves the pain level data and proceeds to the screen displaying the second round of questions, for example... Figure 11 The second inspection problem screen 220 is shown.

[0311] In other embodiments, the first inspection problem screen 190 ( Figure 10 The settings have been modified to allow users to input the patient's current level of pain in one or more alternative and / or other ways. For example, in another embodiment, the plus and minus signs 210 and 212 are replaced by numeric keypad icons, allowing the user to directly input the patient's level of pain by simply pressing the numbers on the keypad. In yet another embodiment, a slider icon is displayed on screen 190, which the user touches while moving the slider portion to the position corresponding to the numerical value of the patient's level of pain. Other methods for allowing users to input the patient's level of pain are also possible.

[0312] The second round question screen 220 includes all the same elements as the first round question screen 190, except for the specific round question displayed at the bottom 204. That is, the second round question screen 220 displays the room identifier at room identifier location 298, the room status at room status location 200, and all the same icons found at the top 202 of the first round screen 190. However, the bottom 204 differs from the bottom 204 of screen 190 because it leads to a different round question. Specifically, the bottom 204 of the second round question screen 220 includes a round question 222 asking whether the patient is currently in a comfortable position. If not, the caregiver helps the patient to a more comfortable position and records the patient's movement or turning by pressing the "Patient Turning Over" icon 224 displayed on screen 220. In response to pressing the turning over icon 224, the caregiver assistance application 124 records the fact that the patient has been turned over, along with the identity of the specific caregiver associated with the mobile electronic device 104a from which the turning instruction was received. The nursing staff assistance application 124 also timestamps the record, as further described below, and includes it together with other rounds information transmitted to the EMR server 98.

[0313] If the patient does not need to be turned over or repositioned, the caregiver presses the next icon 214 on screen 220. Figure 11 Pressing the next icon 214 on screen 220 causes the caregiver assistance application 124 to display the third round problem screen 230, an example of which is shown in... Figure 12 As shown in the diagram. The third round-trip question screen 230 includes a top 202 and a bottom 204. The top 202 includes all the same information as the top 202 of the first and second round-trip question screens 190 and 220. The bottom 204 differs from these screens in that it includes a third round-trip question 232, which in this example asks the patient if they need to use the restroom. If the patient needs to use the restroom, the caregiver assists the patient or enables the patient to use the restroom. In some embodiments, the third round-trip question screen 230 may include an input button that, when pressed by a caregiver, sends a message to a caregiver assistance application 124 indicating that the patient has used the restroom, and the caregiver assistance application 124 saves this information for input into the specific patient's electronic medical record. If the patient does not need to use the restroom or has finished using the restroom, the caregiver presses the next icon 214.

[0314] In response to pressing the next icon 214 on the third round question screen 230, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays the fourth round question screen 240, one example of which is... Figure 13As shown in the diagram. The fourth round question screen 240 includes a top 202 and a bottom 204. The top 202 contains all the same information as the top 202 of the first, second, and third round question screens 190, 220, and 230. The bottom 204 differs from these screens in that it includes a fourth round question 242, which in this example is asking the patient if they need any belongings. If the patient needs belongings, the caregiver retrieves them for the patient or moves them to a location within room 92 that the patient can access without leaving the patient support equipment 20. After ensuring that the patient has access to any of their belongings, the caregiver presses the next icon 214 again.

[0315] from Figure 6 It can be seen that using inspection screens 190, 220, 230, and 240 to input inspection information corresponds to steps 246, 248, and 250 of algorithm 140. That is, in step 208 ( Figure 4 The nursing assistant application 124 displays the first round question. This step is accomplished by displaying the first round question screen 190 and its associated first round question 206. After displaying this information, the nursing assistant application 124 waits for a response from the nursing staff in step 248. After waiting for a response, the algorithm 140 receives data from the nursing staff in step 148. This data input may correspond, for example, to the nursing staff inputting the patient's pain level via screen 190, or to repositioning the patient using the patient turning icon 224 on screen 220 and recording the repositioning steps. For some screens, such as screens 230 and 240, the data input includes pressing the next icon 214, which indicates that the corresponding question has been asked by the nursing staff.

[0316] After receiving nursing staff assistance data in step 248 ( Figure 6 The nursing assistant application 124 moves to step 250 to determine if there are any further nursing assistant questions to ask. Therefore, after displaying the first, second, and third round-trip question screens 190, 220, and 230 respectively, the nursing assistant application 124 returns to step 208 and displays another round-trip question screen. However, before displaying the fourth round-trip question screen 240... Figure 13 After that, the nursing staff assistance application 124 moves from step 250 to step 252, waiting for the verification data to be entered by the nursing staff to verify the completion of the rounds task, as will be described in more detail below.

[0317] Before describing step 252, it is worth noting that the specific number and content of the caregiver assistance questions displayed on the electronic device 104 by the caregiver assistance application 124 can be obtained from... Figure 10-13The four variations are shown. The caregiver assistance application 124 includes an administrative portal accessible by an authorized individual 136 to change the number of questions asked, the content of the questions, the order of the questions, and the data content that will be entered into the application 124 in response to receiving a patient's answer.

[0318] In step 252 of patrol algorithm 140 Figure 6 The nursing staff assistance application 124 displays the completed rounds screen 260 ( Figure 14 The rounds completion screen 260 includes a rounds record window 262, which indicates the time (and date) when the caregiver completed his or her rounds task associated with the specific room (or more specifically, the patient in that room) shown in room identifier location 198, and verification that information entered by the caregiver (e.g., pain level) has been sent to the caregiver assistance server 90 and recorded by the caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments, as will be described in more detail below, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to automatically forwarding the rounds information to the EMR server 98 for storage in the patient's electronic medical record. In embodiments following algorithm 140, as Figure 6 As shown, the caregiver assistance application 124 does not send the rounds data to the EMR server 98 until it receives verification data confirming that the caregiver was actually present at the patient's bedside when accessing and using the rounds screens 190, 220, 230, and 240.

[0319] More specifically, in Figure 6 In the embodiment of algorithm 140 shown, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds from step 250 (if there are no further rounds) to step 252, seeking to capture validation data. As already mentioned, validation data refers to data used to verify that the caregiver actually enters the patient's room and performs his or her rounds duties in that room. The specific validation data captured in step 252 can vary considerably between embodiments. Figure 15 , 16 Figures 1 and 17 illustrate three different verification screens that can be used by the caregiver assistance application 124 to collect verification data. Each of these three screens is used to collect different verification data. In practice, the caregiver assistance application 124 will typically only use... Figure 15-17 A single screen in the display shown. (Including) Figure 15-17 Multiple screens within the app are used to illustrate variations in different types of verification data that can be collected by the caregiver-assisted application 124. Of course, it should also be understood that, in addition to... Figure 15-17 In addition to the three examples shown, the caregiver assistance app 124 can collect other types of validation data.

[0320] Verification screen 270 ( Figure 15The device includes a bottom 204 with an image window 272 and a capture icon 274. The image window 272 displays the image currently sensed by the camera built into the mobile electronic device 104a. The capture icon 274 is touched by a caregiver when ready to take a picture. Figure 15 Image window 272 specifically illustrates a Quick Response (QR) code because, in the embodiment shown here, each patient support device 20 is configured to display a QR code on its display 70 in response to a caregiver pressing a specific control or a series of controls. The controller 48 of the patient support device 20 generates the QR code in a manner that embeds at least two pieces of information: a unique identifier corresponding to that particular patient support device 20 (e.g., identifier 186) and the current time (and day).

[0321] The caregiver assistance application 124 is adapted to analyze the QR code to determine the specific patient support device 20 identified in the code and the time when the image was captured by the mobile electronic device 104a. The caregiver assistance application 124 compares the specific patient support device 20 identified in the QR code with the identity of the patient support device 20 located in the room identified at room identifier location 198 to ensure they match. If they do not match, the image captured by the caregiver using capture icon 274 is not an image of the patient support device 20 associated with the patient the caregiver just asked a round-the-clock question about. In this case, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays an error message and does not proceed to step 254 of algorithm 140. Figure 6 If the patient support device 20 identifier matches, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 254.

[0322] The nursing staff assistance application 124 receives a patient support device identifier 186 from the patient support device server 86, which uniquely identifies each patient support device 20. Figure 4 When each patient support device 20 sends these identifiers 186 to the patient support device server 86, the patient support device 20 also sends a location identifier 138 that uniquely identifies the location beacon 84 within that room. This information is shared with the caregiver assistance application 124. Therefore, the caregiver assistance application 124 receives not only the unique ID corresponding to each patient support device 20, but also the location of those patient support devices 20. Alternatively, it receives the unique ID of the patient support device 20 and the bed location table 88. In either case, the caregiver assistance application 124 receives enough information to know the specific patient support device ID of each patient support device 20 and the specific room in which each patient support device is located. This is the information that the caregiver assistance application 124 uses to compare with the patient support device identifier contained in the QR code.

[0323] For example, if a caregiver uses verification screen 270 and capture icon 274 to obtain an image of a QR code and that image is retrieved in room 7093 ( Figure 15 The caregiver assistance application 124 compares the patient support device 20 ID contained in the QR code with its location record maintained for that specific patient support device 20. If the record also indicates that the specific patient support device 20 is located in room 7093, the caregiver assistance application 124 accepts the QR code as verification that the caregiver was actually present in that room during a rounds. If the records do not match, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays an error message and does not accept the image of the QR code as verification of the caregiver's physical presence during a rounds.

[0324] Suitable for Figure 15 The verification screen 270 uses a verification method that is also used with the patient support device 20, which includes a clock that tracks the current time and a controller 48 configured to embed the current time and a unique ID of the patient support device 20 within a QR code. This includes an internal clock and an algorithm 140. Figure 15 Some examples of patient support devices 20 used in the validation process are disclosed in U.S. Patent Application 15 / 642,621, filed July 6, 2017, by inventors Anuj Sidhu et al., entitled “PATIENT SUPPORT APPARATUSES WITH CLOCKS”, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Of course, other types of patient support devices 20 may also be used as alternatives.

[0325] and Figure 15 The patient support devices 20 used in the verification process are configured to display a QR code somewhere on their display screen 70. The display of the QR code can be constant, but can be repeatedly updated to include the current time (e.g., per minute); or the display can be intermittent in response to a caregiver pressing or activating one or more controls on the patient support device 20. In the latter case, one of the controls 72 can be dedicated to causing the patient support device 20 to display the QR code, or the code can be displayed in response to a caregiver navigating to a specific screen on which the QR code is displayed. Other methods of causing the patient support device 20 to display the QR code may also be used.

[0326] It should also be noted that there is no specific requirement for the patient support device 20 to use a QR code. That is, other codes, such as, but not limited to, barcodes, can also be used. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the patient support device 20 is configured not to encode information at all. In such embodiments, the patient support device 20 displays, or can be operated by a caregiver (e.g., using control 72), the current time and a unique identifier of the patient support device 20 are both displayed on its screen. The caregiver uses the camera function of a mobile electronic device (e.g., a smartphone, tablet, etc.) to capture an image of the display and forwards the image to the caregiver assistance application 124. The caregiver assistance application 124 processes the image to extract the patient support device ID and time from the captured image. The extracted patient support device ID is then matched against the record data for that particular room, as described above. If the captured patient support device ID data matches the data contained in the records (data store 128) of the caregiver assistance application 124, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 254, which will now be described.

[0327] In step 254 of patrol algorithm 140 Figure 6 The caregiver assistance application 124 determines whether the patient support device 20 is compliant or non-compliant. The definition of compliance status may be determined during the installation of the caregiver assistance application 124 based on the specific requirements of the healthcare facility where it is installed (or subsequently modified), or may be predefined by the seller of the caregiver assistance application 124. Alternatively, compliance status may be defined based on whether a fall risk reduction agreement is currently being implemented for the patient assigned to that particular patient support device 20, as will be discussed below. Figure 18-27 More detailed description. In any embodiment, the definition of compliance status may also be defined by the authorized individual 136 after the installation of system 106 or modified as an alternative. In many embodiments, compliance status includes the same criteria as those monitored by the bed monitoring system described above. That is, in many cases, a healthcare facility will define the compliance status of a patient support device as a state in which all of the following conditions are true: the brake is activated, the pad 28 is at its lowest height, the departure detection system 46 is ready, the monitoring feature is ready, at least three of the guardrails 36 are erected (and / or a specific guardrail is erected), the A / C power cord 102 is inserted into the wall socket, and the nurse call cable 78 is inserted into the nurse call jack 82. Of course, other definitions of compliance status may also be used.

[0328] In step 254, the nursing staff assistance application 124 checks whether the patient support device 20 is in a compliant state. The nursing staff assistance application 124 performs this step by querying the patient support device server 86 for the current status data of the patient support device 20 when the user reaches step 254. The current status data of each patient support device 20 is maintained by the patient support device server 86 in Table 88 (…). Figure 4 As already mentioned, patient support devices 20 send their status data to patient support device server 86 whenever they sense a change in their status (or based on a specific request from patient support device server 86). After caregiver assistance application 124 receives the current status data of patient support devices 20 from patient support device server 86, it checks whether the current status data matches the compliance status criteria described above. If caregiver assistance application 124 determines that patient support devices 20 are currently in a compliant state, it proceeds to step 256 of inspection algorithm 140. Figure 6 If the caregiver assistance application 124 determines that the patient support device 20 is not currently in compliance, it proceeds (in one embodiment) to comply with the first control path 280 or (in another embodiment) to comply with the second control path 282.

[0329] In step 256 ( Figure 6 The caregiver assistance application 124 sends multiple different data to the EMR server 98 for recording in the electronic medical record of the patient from whom the caregiver has just completed their rounds. This transmission occurs without the caregiver having to perform any additional steps beyond those previously described. The specific data sent to the EMR server 98 includes: (a) rounds data entered by the caregiver into the mobile electronic device 104a during the rounds (e.g., pain level, whether the patient used the restroom, etc.); (b) verification data captured during step 252 (or data indicating that the rounds have been verified); (c) whether the patient support device 20 is in a compliant state (or, alternatively, the current state of the patient support device 20 regarding its brakes, guardrails, pad height, exit detection system, nurse call cable, and / or power cord); (d) time and date stamps; and (e) data sufficient to identify the caregiver currently logged into the caregiver assistance application 124 from whom they are receiving rounds data.

[0330] The time and date stamp may include the time and date when the caregiver assistance application 124 receives data from the corresponding mobile electronic device 104a, and the time and data encoded in the verification data presented on the display 70 of the patient support device 20 and captured by the caregiver in the communication window 272. Alternatively or additionally, the time and data stamp may indicate the time when the data is sent by the caregiver assistance application 124 to the EMR server 98. Upon receiving the data, the EMR server 98 updates the patient's electronic medical record with the new data, and the caregiver assistance application 124 returns to step 154, thereby enabling the caregiver to complete another round of tasks and / or another task associated with the task menu 174.

[0331] After completing step 256 ( Figure 6 In at least some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to update any timers associated with a recently completed rounds task. In other words, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be configured to update task list 886 to reflect one of the rounds tasks just listed by the caregiver. Therefore, the reminder algorithm 145 resets the reminder timer for that particular rounds task according to a prescribed rhythm for resuming rounds. Thus, for example, if it is assumed that the caregiver performs rounds every two hours and the caregiver has just completed a round of room 1703, the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically resets the timer for room 1703 to two hours after step 256 is completed. Consequently, the corresponding time information displayed on the screen of the mobile electronic device 104a is also automatically reset, providing the caregiver with an updated indication of how much time remains until the next rounds task is performed. The reminder algorithm 145 of the caregiver assistance application 124 maintains and updates timers for rounds tasks associated with each room and / or patient, as well as timers for other tasks.

[0332] Return to step 254 of algorithm 140. Figure 6 If, at this step, the nurse assistant application 124 determines that the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state, the process proceeds to either the first control path 280 or the second control path 282, depending on the specific embodiment of the nurse assistant application 124. First, the nurse assistant application 124 proceeds to the first control path 280 embodiment, where it implements the status / command algorithm 147. That is, the nurse assistant application 124 proceeds to step 258 and waits to receive a command from the nurse to remotely change the patient support device 20 to a compliant state. As previously mentioned, the status / command algorithm 147 enables the nurse assistant application 124 to receive patient support device commands from the nurse and relay those commands to the corresponding patient support device 20. This allows the nurse to remotely change the status of the patient support device 20 to a compliant state.

[0333] For example, if the caregiver assistance application 124 determines in step 254 that the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state because the departure detection system 46 is currently not on standby, the caregiver assistance application 124 will display an indication notifying the caregiver of the reason for this non-compliant state. It will also display a control that allows the caregiver to use the mobile electronic device 104a to put the departure detection system on standby. In some embodiments, this control is simply the display of a departure detection system status indicator 166, which is tapped to toggle between putting the departure detection system 46 on standby and deactivating it. Other types of controls may also be displayed. In response to the user tapping the control to put the departure detection system 46 on standby, the mobile electronic device 104a sends a message to the caregiver assistance server 90 instructing the caregiver assistance application 124 to send a command to the patient support device 20 to put it on standby in the departure detection system 46. This message is sent at step 266 of algorithm 140.

[0334] In response to this message, the nursing staff assistance application 124 proceeds to step 268. Figure 6 The controller 48 may send a command directly to the corresponding patient support device 20 to put the departure detection system 46 into standby mode, or it may send a command to the patient support device server 86, which in turn forwards the command to the appropriate patient support device 20. In either case, the command is received by the patient support device 20, and the controller 48 responds by putting the departure detection system into standby mode.

[0335] Upon leaving the detection system 46, the controller 48, instructs the device to be on standby and also prompts the controller 48 to send a new status message to the patient support device server 86, updating the current status of the patient support device 20. This updated status includes the fact that the leaving detection system 46 is now on standby. The patient support device server 86 forwards this updated status to the caregiver assistance application 124, which receives the updated status in step 276. Figure 6 Using the updated status data, the caregiver assistance application 124 returns to step 254, which again checks whether the patient support device 20 is in a compliant state. If so, proceed to step 256 and take the action previously described associated with step 256. If the patient support device 20 is still non-compliant, the caregiver assistance application 124 returns to the first control path 280 and step 258, awaiting another command from the caregiver to change the status of the patient support device 20.

[0336] In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to allow caregivers to remotely change only those states of the patient support device 20 that do not involve any movement. That is, caregivers are only permitted to send non-movement commands to the patient support device 20 using his or her mobile electronic device 104a in step 266. This is to avoid situations where the patient support device 20 moves when the caregiver may not be in the room, such movement could startle the patient and / or be obstructed by obstacles, such as, but not limited to, the patient themselves. Therefore, such unattended movement could lead to injury. Thus, in some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 only forwards non-movement commands, such as, but not limited to, commands to put the leave detection system 46 on / off standby, commands to put the bed monitoring system on / off standby, and commands to turn the brakes on / off.

[0337] In nursing staff assistance application 124, follow the second control pathway 282 ( Figure 6 In those embodiments, after the caregiver assistance application determines in step 254 that the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state, it proceeds to step 264. In step 264, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays a screen (not shown) on the mobile electronic device 104a that includes a confirmation input. The confirmation input is an input that the caregiver must actively touch or activate and includes a message indicating that the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state. After the caregiver confirms the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state in step 264, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 256 and takes the actions previously described in connection with step 256. In addition to those actions, the caregiver assistance application 124 also sends data to the EMR server 98 indicating that the non-compliant state of the patient support device 20 has been actively confirmed (in some embodiments, the confirmation time and date). The caregiver assistance application 124 may also send the identity of the caregiver performing the confirmation to the EMR server 98.

[0338] From the first and second control paths 280 and 282 ( Figure 6 A comparison shows that the nursing staff assistance application 124 can be configured to either prevent nursing staff from uploading rounds data to the EMR server 98 when the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state (first path 280), or allow nursing staff to upload rounds data of the non-compliant patient support device 20 to the EMR server 98 if the nursing staff actively confirms (in step 264) that the patient support device 20 is not in a compliant state (second path 282). Therefore, both control paths 280 and 282 encourage nursing staff to ensure that the patient support device 20 is in a compliant state, thereby helping healthcare institutions achieve a higher patient support device compliance rate.

[0339] It should be understood that in other embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be modified to include alternative paths to control paths 280 and 282, and / or include modifications to these control paths. For example, in at least one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 follows a third alternative path (not shown), wherein the caregiver has access to an "Update Status" control on mobile electronic device 104a. When activated by the caregiver, the "Update Status" control causes mobile electronic device 104a to send a message to the caregiver assistance application 124 instructing the caregiver assistance application 124 to request an update status for patient support device 20 from patient support device server 86. Including the "Update Status" control allows a caregiver located next to patient support device 20 to directly use control 72 on patient support device 20 to change patient support device 20 to a compliant state. Once in a compliant state, pressing the "Update Status" control causes the current compliant state of patient support device 20 to be transmitted to the caregiver assistance application 124, which then proceeds to step 256 of the inspection algorithm 140, thereby enabling inspection data to be uploaded to EMR server 98.

[0340] One possible modification to this alternative third control path is to configure the caregiver assistance application 124 to repeatedly and / or automatically request status updates from the patient support device 20. In this modified embodiment, the caregiver does not need to press or activate the "Update Status" control. Instead, the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically receives status updates from the patient support device 20. Thus, in this embodiment, once the caregiver assistance application 124 receives a status update from the patient support device 20 indicating that the patient support device 20 is in a compliant state, it automatically proceeds to step 256 without requiring the caregiver to manually operate any controls on the mobile electronic device 104a.

[0341] In other embodiments, any features of the control paths 280, 282, or the third alternative control path described above may be combined. For example, in some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be configured to display three options to a caregiver after determining in step 254 that the patient support device 20 is non-compliant: (a) a patient support device command input; (b) a confirmation input; and (c) an "update status" input. The caregiver can then decide whether to use the mobile electronic device 104a to change the patient support device status (option a), confirm the non-compliant status of the patient support device 20 without correcting it (option b), or use the control 72 on the patient support device 20 itself to change the status of the patient support device 20 and request an updated status to be sent to the caregiver assistance application 124 (option c). Other variations may also be implemented.

[0342] Now return to step 252 of the nursing staff rounds algorithm 140. Figure 6The nursing staff assistance system 106 can be modified to operate in step 252 differently from the previous combination of step 252 and... Figure 15 The method described varies in capturing verification data. Two of these different methods... Figure 16 and 17 As shown in the image. After the nursing staff has completed... Figure 10-13 Following the nurse assisting issue and steps 208, 246, 248, and 250, in some embodiments, the nurse assisting application may be configured to perform step 252 by enabling the nurse to obtain a photograph of the patient support device 20 itself, rather than the QR code or other code on the display 70 of the patient support device 20. Examples of this type of verification are... Figure 16 As shown in the image, a first alternative verification screen 290 is displayed.

[0343] and Figure 15 Similar to the verification screen 270, the first alternative verification screen 290 includes a camera image window 272, which displays the image currently detected by the camera built into the mobile electronic device 104a. To enable the caregiver to properly verify that he or she has completed a rounds task associated with a specific patient, he or she aims the camera of the mobile electronic device 104a so that the camera is pointed at a designated portion of the patient support device 20. Figure 16 In the example shown, the designated portion includes the foot of the patient support device 20. Depending on the specific patient support device 20, the designated portion may vary, but should include a portion of the patient support device 20 containing information sufficient to uniquely identify the patient support device 20 and distinguish it from other patient support devices 20 within the healthcare facility. This identification information may include a serial number on an adhesive label with a serial number on its back, an engraved serial number, a label or other structure attached to the patient support device 20, and / or any other type of image information identifying a particular patient support device 20. Once this portion of the patient support device 20 is within the field of view of the camera of the mobile electronic device 104a, the caregiver presses the image capture icon 274, and the mobile electronic device 104a acquires an image of that portion of the patient support device 20. The mobile electronic device 104a also sends the captured image to the caregiver assistance application 124, where the image is analyzed to verify that the patient support device 20 in the image matches the patient support device assigned to the patient after the caregiver has completed their rounds, as previously described. If a match is found, the nursing staff assistance application 124 proceeds to step 256, uploading the patrol data and other data (including captured images) to the EMR server 98.

[0344] In an alternative embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 is configured to enable a caregiver to capture an image of the patient support device 20 using a camera on the mobile electronic device 104a, regardless of the specific portion of the patient support device 20 being captured. In this modified embodiment, the caregiver activates the location features (GPS, WiFi triangulation, etc.) of the mobile electronic device 104a and causes the mobile electronic device to automatically attach the geographic location to the photograph captured using image window 272. The mobile electronic device 104a forwards this image data (i.e., the photograph) to the caregiver assistance application 124, along with location data, and in some cases, the time and date the photograph was acquired. The caregiver assistance application 124 uses knowledge of the geographic location of each room within the healthcare facility (stored in database 128 or elsewhere) to determine whether the location of the photograph matches the room where the corresponding patient is located. If yes, proceed to step 256 of algorithm 140. If no, an error message is displayed.

[0345] After the nursing staff has completed Figure 10-13 Following the nursing staff assistance issues and steps 208, 246, 248, and 250, in some embodiments, the nursing staff assistance application 124 is configured to display... Figure 17 The second alternative verification screen 300, instead of Figure 16 First alternative verification screen 290 (or Figure 15 The verification screen 270). In such an embodiment, the caregiver is instructed not only to use the camera function of the mobile electronic device 104a to capture images (take photos), but also to use the selfie feature built into the camera of the mobile electronic device 104a, which enables the mobile electronic device to simultaneously capture both forward-looking and backward-looking photos of the caregiver. In other words, the caregiver assistance application 124 instructs the caregiver to take photos using both the forward-facing camera and the backward-facing camera of the mobile electronic device 104a. The backward-facing camera is used to capture images of the caregiver, and the forward-facing camera is used to capture images of all or part of the patient support device 20. An example is in Figure 17 As shown, it includes a forward-facing image 304 and a backward-facing image 306. The forward-facing image 304 captures a portion of the patient support equipment, and the backward-facing image 306 captures an image of the caregiver.

[0346] The purpose of the rear-facing camera image of the caregiver is to record the actual presence of the caregiver at the patient's bedside after completing a patient-associated round. Similar to other verification processes, the caregiver assistance application 124 processes image data from both the forward and rear-facing cameras to identify the patient support device 20 within the forward image 304. This image may be the patient support device 20, a QR or other code, or an identifier for any part of the patient support device 20. In at least one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 also uses conventional facial recognition techniques to process the rear-facing image 306 to determine the identity of the caregiver captured therein. In other embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 does not process the caregiver image data but forwards it to the EMR server 98 without analysis in step 256.

[0347] In another embodiment, the mobile electronic device 104a includes onboard native software that performs facial recognition. In this embodiment, the controller of the mobile electronic device 104a is configured to compare an image of a caregiver (e.g., acquired using the digital camera function of the mobile electronic device) with a previously photographed reference image of the caregiver and determine if a match exists. In other words, in this embodiment, the mobile electronic device 104a is programmed to perform facial recognition on a selfie captured by the mobile electronic device 104a, and if the selfie is determined to match an authorized caregiver, forward the captured data to the caregiver assistance application 124. However, in this embodiment, the data forwarded to the caregiver assistance application 124 may omit the actual image data of the caregiver, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption and avoiding duplicate storage of the caregiver's face. Instead of this image data, the mobile electronic device 104a is programmed to send a message confirming that the selfie captured by the mobile electronic device 104a belongs to an authorized caregiver (and, in some embodiments, the identity of the authorized caregiver). The caregiver assistance application 124 may be configured in this embodiment (and other embodiments) to omit any facial recognition software.

[0348] Those skilled in the art will recognize that other methods of verifying a caregiver's presence at a patient's bedside during rounds can be used by the caregiver assistance application 124, including verification techniques that do not use cameras. For example, in some embodiments, the patient support device 20 includes a near-field transceiver and / or a short-range RF transceiver (e.g., Bluetooth or infrared) that can be detected by the mobile electronic device 104a. By bringing the mobile electronic device 104a sufficiently close to the transceiver, the mobile electronic device 104a can wirelessly receive a signal from the patient support device 20 that identifies the specific patient support device 20 and, in some embodiments, also indicates the time. The caregiver assistance application 124 uses the reception of this signal as verification of the caregiver's physical presence at the patient's bedside during rounds. The detected signal and / or the fact that the detected signal has been received can be forwarded to the EMR server 98 in step 256. Figure 6 ).

[0349] Those skilled in the art will also recognize that several other modifications can be made to the inspection algorithm 140. These modifications include, but are not limited to: completely skipping compliance step 254 (along with control paths 280 and / or 282); skipping the capture verification data step 252, instead proceeding directly from step 250 to step 254; changing the order of one or more steps (e.g., step 192 is moved before steps 188 or 154); and / or combinations of one or more of these modifications.

[0350] Now we move to the patient fall risk reduction algorithm 143 of the caregiver assistance system 106, if the caregiver is in step 159 of the main algorithm 226 ( Figure 5 Select the fall risk icon 178 ( Figure 9-17 The nursing staff assistance application 124 begins implementing the fall risk reduction algorithm 143. An example of the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 is... Figure 18As shown in the diagram. The fall risk reduction algorithm 143 begins at step 340, where the caregiver assistance application 124 receives or verifies a room selection or bed selection. In response to such a room selection or bed selection, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 342, determining whether a specific patient assigned to the selected room and / or bed has undergone a fall risk assessment. Step 342 can be performed in several ways. In one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application sends a request to the EMR server 98 requesting a fall risk assessment for the patient assigned to the room or bed determined in step 340. If the EMR server 98 responds that no such fall risk assessment is currently in the patient's file, the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 checks whether the fall risk assessment is stored elsewhere, such as, but not limited to, data storage 128. If the aforementioned fall risk assessment is not stored there, the caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured by the healthcare facility administrator to search other locations. If no location contains a fall risk assessment for the specific patient, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 346. If a fall risk assessment is located for that specific patient, the caregiver assists in step 344 using application 124.

[0351] Before a fall risk assessment has been performed on the patient, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds from step 342 to step 346. In step 346, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays a first fall risk assessment screen 400, which is used to perform a fall risk assessment on the patient assigned to the room or bed determined in step 340. An example of such an initial fall risk assessment screen 400 is shown in... Figure 19 As shown in the image. Figure 19 For one embodiment of the caregiver assistance application 124, six fall risk assessment question screens are used. Figure 19-24 The first screen in the application is the Morse Fall Risk Assessment, sometimes also called the Morse Fall Scale. The Morse Fall Risk Assessment is a numerically scored fall risk assessment that categorizes patients into several distinct classes (e.g., no risk of falling, low risk of falling, and high risk of falling). It should be understood that the caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured to implement other fall risk assessments, including the Morse Fall Risk Assessment (e.g., the Hendrich Fall Risk Assessment, the Johns Hopkins Fall Risk Assessment, etc.), and / or can be supplemented and / or partially modified with other questions. Authorized personnel 136 within the healthcare facility can also make further changes to the fall risk assessment, for example, by accessing and reconfiguring the settings of the caregiver assistance application 124 using computer 134.

[0352] Screen 400 includes many of the same elements found in other screens discussed herein, such as, but not limited to, room identifier location 198, top 202, bottom 204, task menu 174, bed status bar 170, departure detection system status indicator 166, bed monitoring system status indicator 168, and bed icon 164. Bottom 204 differs from the previously described bottom in that it includes a first fall risk assessment question 402. The first fall risk question is a question planned to be asked by the patient's caregiver when determining the patient's fall risk level. Caregiver assistance application 124 displays this first question 402 at step 346 of algorithm 143. Figure 18 ).

[0353] The specific first fall risk question 402 displayed in step 346 of algorithm 143 is a question about the patient's fall history. Specifically, it is a question about whether the patient has recently (e.g., within the past three months, although other time periods may also be used) fallen. If the patient answers yes, the user touches the "Yes" icon 404. If the patient answers no, the user touches the "No" icon. Additionally, the caregiver-assisted application 124 assigns a total score to each answer. If the patient answers "Yes," application 124 assigns the patient a score of 25. If the patient answers no, application 124 assigns the patient a score of 0. As the caregiver continues with all fall risk assessment screens associated with the Morse fall assessment (e.g., ... Figure 19-24 The nurse-assistant application 124 sums these scores. The total score after completing all questions is used by the nurse-assistant application 124 to determine the patient's qualitative fall risk, as further described below.

[0354] It should be understood that although the first question 402 is described herein as the “first” question displayed after the fall task icon 178 is selected, the specific order of the questions displayed by the caregiver assistance application 124 may change, and the term “first” in the phrase “first fall risk assessment question” is used only to distinguish that question from other fall risk assessment questions, and not to represent any particular importance in their order.

[0355] Return to Figure 18After the fall risk reduction algorithm 143 displays the first fall risk assessment screen 400 in step 346, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 348, awaiting the caregiver's answer to the first fall risk question (e.g., question 402). Touching the "yes" icon 404 or the "no" icon 406 corresponds to step 350 of algorithm 143 when the user answers "yes" or "no." That is, touching icon 404 or 406 inputs the fall risk answer into electronic device 104, which forwards the data to the caregiver assistance application 124. After completing step 350 of algorithm 143, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 352, determining if any further fall risk assessment questions need to be completed as part of the fall risk assessment. Since the example described here uses the Morse fall risk assessment, which includes six questions, the caregiver assistance application 124 returns to step 346 in step 352 and displays the next fall risk question (and repeats it four more times).

[0356] Figure 20 The second fall risk assessment question screen 410 is shown. The second fall risk assessment question screen 410 includes a second fall risk assessment question 412 to be answered by a caregiver. The second fall risk assessment question 412 asks whether the patient has received more than one medical diagnosis. This can be determined by the caregiver by reviewing the patient's charts or other medical records. If the patient has been given more than two medical diagnoses, the caregiver presses the "Yes" icon 404. If the patient has only been given a single medical diagnosis, the caregiver presses the "No" icon 406. The caregiver-assisted application assigns a score of 15 to the "Yes" answer and 0 to the "No" answer. After answering the second fall risk assessment question 412, the caregiver presses the "Next" icon 214, which triggers the third fall risk assessment screen 416. Figure 21 The input of the answer to the second fall risk assessment question 412 corresponds to step 350 of algorithm 143; pressing the next icon 214 corresponds to selecting the "Yes" option in step 352 of algorithm 143, and the display of the third fall risk assessment screen 416 after pressing the next icon 214 corresponds to step 346 of algorithm 143.

[0357] Third fall risk assessment question 418 Figure 21 This includes three separate sub-questions, all part of the Morse fall risk assessment. In the first sub-question, the caregiver determines whether the patient has been designated to be bedridden or whether the patient is able to walk (even with nurse assistance). If either of these conditions is true, the caregiver presses... Figure 21The upper icon 420 shown is labeled “Bedside / Nurse Assistance”. In response to pressing the upper icon 420, the caregiver assistance app 124 adds a zero value to the patient’s fall risk score (which is the sum of the scores previously assigned to the answers to the first and second fall risk questions 402 and 412). If none of these conditions are true, the caregiver determines whether the patient needs a cane, walking stick, or assistive device for walking. If the patient needs any of these devices, the caregiver presses the middle icon 422 on screen 416. The middle icon 422 is... Figure 21 The label is "cane / walking aid". In response to pressing the middle icon 422, the caregiver assistance app 124 adds a value of 15 to the patient's fall risk score. If the patient does not require a cane, walking aid, or walking aid to walk, the caregiver determines whether the patient is holding onto furniture or other stable objects while walking. If so, the caregiver presses the bottom icon 424 on the screen 416, which... Figure 21 The label is "Furniture". In response to pressing the bottom icon 424, the caregiver assistance app 124 adds a value of 30 to the patient's fall risk score. After selecting one of the top, middle, or bottom icons 420, 422, or 424, the caregiver presses the next icon 214, which causes the caregiver assistance app 124 to display a fourth fall risk assessment question screen 430, an example of which is... Figure 22 As shown in the image.

[0358] The fourth fall risk assessment question screen 430 includes a fourth fall risk question 432 displayed at the bottom 204. The fourth fall risk question 432 asks the patient if an intravenous (IV) device or heparin lock has been inserted. If yes, the caregiver presses the "Yes" icon 404. If no, the caregiver presses the "No" icon 406. If the caregiver answers "Yes," the caregiver assistance app 124 adds a value 20 to the patient's fall risk score (if the caregiver answers "No," a value 0 is added). When the caregiver presses the next icon 214 on screen 430, the caregiver assistance app 124 displays the fifth fall risk assessment question screen 440, an example of which is... Figure 23 As shown in the image.

[0359] The fifth fall risk assessment question screen 440 includes a fifth fall risk question 442 displayed at the bottom 204. The fifth fall risk question 442 instructs caregivers to assess the patient's gait while the patient is walking. More specifically, the fifth fall risk question 442 instructs caregivers to characterize the patient's gait as "normal," "weak," or "disabled." If the patient walks with their head upright, arms swinging freely, and taking large strides without pausing, the caregiver describes the patient's gait as normal. If the patient bends over while walking but is able to lift their head without losing balance, the caregiver describes the patient's gait as "weak." If the patient has difficulty standing up from a chair, is head down, and / or looks at the ground while walking, the caregiver describes the patient's gait as "disabled." A "disabled" assessment may also be given if the patient has poor balance, is gripping furniture, another person, or a type of walking aid. Once the caregiver has determined the appropriate description, the caregiver presses the corresponding upper icon 444, middle icon 446, or bottom icon 448. If the caregiver selects "Normal" (top icon 444), the caregiver assistance app adds a value of 0 to the patient's fall risk score; if the caregiver selects "Helpless" (middle icon 446), it adds a value of 10; and if the caregiver selects "Disabled" (bottom icon 448), it adds a value of 20. When the caregiver subsequently presses the next icon 214, the caregiver assistance app displays the sixth fall risk assessment question screen 450, one example of which is... Figure 24 As shown in the image.

[0360] The sixth fall risk assessment question screen 450 includes the sixth fall risk question 452. The sixth fall risk question 452 asks the patient to assess his or her own walking ability (e.g., "Do you need help getting to the bathroom?"). If the patient's answer does not match what the caregiver has observed and determined from previous questions, the caregiver selects the bottom icon 456 (in...). Figure 24 (This is denoted as "Ignore Limitations"). If the patient's answer is consistent with what the caregiver has observed and determined from previous questions, the caregiver selects the upper icon 454 (denoted as "Oriented Towards Self-Capacity"). If he or she selects the upper icon 454, the caregiver assists by adding a value of 0 to the patient's fall risk score; if he or she selects the bottom icon 456, they add a value of 15.

[0361] After the answer to the sixth fall risk assessment question 452 has been provided by the caregiver to the caregiver-assisted application 124, the caregiver-assisted application 124 proceeds to step 354 of algorithm 143, analyzing the results of the six questions to determine the patient's fall risk level. The application 124 performs this determination by summing all values ​​from the six questions from screens 400, 410, 416, 430, 440, and 450, resulting in the patient's numerical fall risk score. While different scoring methods may be used (and / or may be customized by a specific healthcare facility), in some embodiments, the caregiver-assisted application 124 converts this numerical fall risk score into a qualitative level, such as zero risk, low risk, moderate risk, and high risk. In one such embodiment, the caregiver-assisted application assigns a zero-risk level when the numerical fall risk score is zero; a low-risk level when the numerical fall risk score is greater than zero but less than 25; a moderate-risk level when the numerical fall risk score is greater than 25 but less than 45; and a high-risk level when the numerical fall risk score is greater than 45. In an alternative embodiment, when the numerical score is between 0 and 25, the caregiver-assisted application 124 assigns a no-risk rating; when the numerical score is between 25 and 50, a low-risk rating is assigned; and when the numerical score is greater than 50, a high-risk rating is assigned. Other qualitative ratings and / or other score ranges may also be used for matching quantitative scores with qualitative ratings. Furthermore, the score assigned to each individual question may also be varied as described above.

[0362] After determining the patient's qualitative fall risk level, the caregiver assistance application sends either or both of the qualitative and quantitative fall risk levels to the EMR server 98. The fall risk level is sent by the caregiver assistance application 124 along with one or more identifiers that identify which specific patient the newly assigned fall risk rating corresponds to. The specific patient to whom the fall risk level is assigned can be determined in any of the previously described ways, such as by associating the patient's room number with the patient's ID, associating the patient's support device identifier 186 with the room and / or patient ID, and / or by other associations. Thus, it should be noted that the caregiver assistance application 124 in Figure 19-24The screen displays show the room number (and, if the room is a shared room, the specific bed compartment identifier) ​​of the patient to whom the fall risk level applies. In the specific example shown, the room number is "7093," and all answers to the fall risk questions shown on these screens belong to the patient assigned to room 7093. Therefore, caregivers are provided with a reminder during the fall risk assessment process for the room to which the fall risk assessment can be applied (and thus ultimately, the specific patient). In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 may be configured to retrieve the actual patient name from the ADT server 94 and display it during the fall risk assessment process, thus informing caregivers which specific patient's fall risk is being assessed. Whether displaying the specific patient name or the specific room number, caregivers ensure that the fall risk assessment is assigned to the correct individual by ensuring that the room number or patient name displayed on screens 400, 410, 416, 430, 440, and 450 corresponds to the patient (or patient room) to whom the caregiver is conducting the fall risk assessment.

[0363] After sending the fall risk assessment and corresponding patient name to the EMR server 98 in step 354, the nursing staff assistance application 124 displays the qualitative risk level in step 344. Figure 18 An example of how to display a qualitative fall risk level is in Figure 25 The fall risk screen 460 is shown. The fall risk screen 460 includes a fall risk alert added to status position 200. The fall risk screen 460 also includes a summary window 466, which displays multiple pieces of information as the result of a recently completed fall risk assessment. More specifically, the summary window 466 includes a qualitative fall risk level identifier 468 and a patient fall risk reduction protocol summary 470. The qualitative fall risk level identifier 468 corresponds to the information received regarding the fall risk assessment. Figure 19-24 The qualitative fall risk level is determined after answering the six questions shown. Figure 25 In the specific example shown, the qualitative fall risk level identifier 468 is "high", indicating that the patient has a high risk of falling.

[0364] Fall Risk Reduction Protocol Summary 470 outlines the steps to be taken to reduce a patient's risk of falling. In other words, Fall Risk Reduction Protocol Summary 470 briefly summarizes the fall risk reduction steps included in Fall Risk Reduction Protocol 93. Figure 2In some embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 is initially set by the manufacturer of the caregiver assistance system 106, but can be modified by an authorized person 136 of the healthcare facility to meet the needs of healthcare workers in the specific healthcare facility where the system 106 is installed. In other embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may be set by the manufacturer and not customizable, while in still other embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may not be defined until its content is determined by the healthcare facility administrator.

[0365] Generally, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 defines the steps that caregivers will take with respect to the patient support equipment 20 to reduce the risk of patient falls. These steps typically include one or more of the following: ensuring that brakes on the patient support equipment 20 are engaged; placing at least three guardrails 36 of the patient support equipment 20 in the upright position; activating the exit detection system 46 of the patient support equipment 20 (including activating specific areas of the exit detection system 46); lowering the height of the pad 28 to its minimum height or no higher than a specified threshold; and, in some cases, activating the monitoring system (e.g., the bed monitoring system identified in the bed monitoring status indicator 168), which alerts if any condition of the fall risk reduction protocol 93 changes to an undesirable state. All these steps are taken for fall-risk components of the patient support equipment 20. Fall-risk components are those components of the patient support equipment 20 that have two distinct states, where at least one state is more likely to reduce the risk of falls. Therefore, fall risk components include at least the following components of patient support equipment 20: guardrails 36, brakes, cushions 28, exit detection system 46, and bed monitoring system. Fall risk reduction protocol 93 specifies the required states of these fall risk components when the patient has a non-zero fall risk. In most cases, the required states are those specified above (e.g., brakes activated, at least three guardrails erected, cushions lowered, exit detection system ready, and bed monitoring system (if included) also ready).

[0366] In embodiments where the qualitative fall risk level has two or more categories (e.g., more than high risk and low risk), the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may include different definitions, one for each different fall risk level category. For example, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may specify that for patients at high fall risk, a first set of fall risk components must be in a required state; for patients at moderate fall risk, a second set of fall risk components must be in a required state, wherein the second set may be a subset of the first set, or have some other variation relative to the first set. In other embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may be the same for all patients without a zero fall risk level (e.g., protocol 93 may be the same for patients at high and moderate fall risk).

[0367] The Fall Risk Reduction Protocol Summary 470 outlines the required status of the fall risk components in the Fall Risk Reduction Protocol 93. (As...) Figure 25 As shown, the fall risk reduction protocol summary 470 specifies "low bed height," "3 guardrails erected," "bed out: Zone 2," and "brakes in place." This means that the specific fall risk reduction protocol 93 shown in this example has identified the support frame 28, guardrails 36, exit detection system 46, and brakes as fall risk components, and their required states are: for the support frame 28, lowered height or minimum height; for at least three guardrails 36, erected position; for the exit detection system 46 set to Zone 2, ready state; and brakes activated. Therefore, the fall risk reduction protocol summary 470 serves as a reminder to caregivers to ensure that all these fall risk components are set to their required states before leaving the patient support equipment 20 and the room in which the associated patient resides.

[0368] To enable nursing staff to assist in the use of 124 Figure 25 The summary window 466 displays the fall risk reduction protocol summary 470, and application 124 first retrieves the fall risk reduction protocol 93. This is executed in step 356 of algorithm 143. Figure 2 As specified, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may be stored in memory 91. In other embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may be stored elsewhere. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment, the patient support device 20 is configured to allow a user to modify the fall risk reduction protocol 93 using one of the control panels 42. As already mentioned, one or more authorized individuals 136 may modify or store the fall risk reduction protocol 93 using a computer (such as 134) communicating with network 74 and caregiver assistance server 90.

[0369] Return to Figure 18Once the caregiver assistance application 124 retrieves the fall risk reduction protocol 93, it determines the required state for each fall risk component. This is done in step 358 of algorithm 143. As already mentioned, the required states are defined in the fall risk reduction protocol 93. After determining these required states in step 358, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 360, determining that any current state is not their corresponding required state. The caregiver assistance application 124 continuously monitors the state of the fall risk components of the patient support equipment 20 within the healthcare facility and uses this repeatedly updated state data in step 360 to determine whether any fall risk component is not in or has been removed from its corresponding required state. Updated state data is received from the patient support equipment 20, which sends its state data to the caregiver assistance application 124, either directly or indirectly via the patient support equipment server 86 as previously mentioned. Alternatively, this state data is referred to herein as condition data and includes, for example, the current state of guardrails, brakes, pads, exit detection systems, bed monitoring systems, etc.

[0370] If, in step 360, the caregiver assistance application 124 determines, according to the patient fall risk reduction protocol 93, that any fall-risk component of the patient support equipment 20 is not in its required state, it proceeds to step 364 and issues an alarm, as will be described in more detail below. If, in step 360, it is determined that all fall-risk components of the patient support equipment 20 are in their required state, it proceeds to step 362, continuing to monitor the fall-risk components and check whether they remain in their required state. From step 362, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 380, returning to the main algorithm 226. Figure 5 This allows caregivers to use other functions of the caregiver assistance application 124 and / or display other screens not directly related to the patient's fall risk. It should be noted that returning to the main algorithm 226 does not terminate the continued monitoring of the fall risk components of the patient support device, but rather allows the monitoring process to continue in the background. Therefore, for example, if a caregiver switches to using the patient rounds function of the caregiver assistance application 124 (e.g., by pressing the rounds task icon 180) and one of the fall risk components of the patient support device 20 for a patient with a high fall risk becomes undesirable, the caregiver assistance application 124 will still provide the caregiver with an alert for step 364, even if the application 124 may be executing a different algorithm at that particular time.

[0371] The alarm issued in step 364 follows alarm algorithm 149. Alarm algorithm 149 is described below. Figure 61To describe in more detail. Typically, it sends an alarm to those electronic devices 104 that are configured to notify when a fall-risk component of a particular patient support device 20 changes to an undesirable state (as defined in Local Rule 126). This alarm is sent to the caregiver's mobile device 104a (and / or stationary device 104b), regardless of whether the caregiver is in the same room or ward as the patient support device 20 that generated the alarm. That is, the alarm algorithm 149 provides an alarm to the caregiver when one or more fall-risk components of any patient support device 20 assigned to a patient change from the corresponding desired state. Thus, for example, if the caregiver is currently in room 7030 and the caregiver is assigned to patients in rooms 7031, 7032, and 7033 who are all at high fall risk, while the caregiver is in room 7030, if one or more fall-risk components of any patient support device 20 in rooms 7031, 7032, or 7033 change to a state that is not their corresponding desired state, the caregiver will receive an alarm on their mobile electronic device 104a. Furthermore, the caregiver assistance application 124 performs the aforementioned actions on each caregiver with mobile electronic devices 104a (and on all stationary electronic devices 104b). Therefore, changes in the fall risk components of the patient support equipment 20 used by the specific patient being cared for by that caregiver are communicated to each caregiver.

[0372] Returning to step 364 of algorithm 143, alarm algorithm 149 issues an alarm in one or more different ways depending on how the caregiver assistance application 124 is customized by the authorized administrators of the healthcare facility and according to a specific embodiment of the caregiver assistance application 124. In some embodiments of application 124, caregivers access the caregiver assistance application 124 on their mobile electronic device 104a by accessing a specific URL using a conventional web browser. In these embodiments of application 124, alarm algorithm 149 may not always provide alarms to caregivers via a web browser because caregivers may have closed their web browsers, may be viewing different web pages, and / or may not currently be logged into application 124 via a web browser. Furthermore, even if a caregiver is currently logged into the caregiver assistance application 124 via a web browser, it may be difficult to guarantee that the caregiver receives the alarm because he or she may have turned down the volume of the mobile electronic device 104a and / or he or she may not be looking at the screen when the alarm is issued.

[0373] To account for these and other possibilities, in some embodiments, the alarm algorithm 149 may be configured to issue an alarm by sending a text, email, or telephone message to the mobile electronic device 104a to which the alarm is directed. Since the mobile electronic device 104a is typically a smartphone or tablet, the text, email, or telephone message is sent to another application (e.g., a text app, email app, or phone app) running on the device 104a. Furthermore, the mobile electronic device 104a can be easily configured to emit specific noise, sound, and / or vibration in response to incoming text, telephone calls, and / or emails. Moreover, the aforementioned specific noise, sound, and / or vibration may still occur even if the web browser on the mobile electronic device 104a is closed, or the caregiver is not logged into application 124, or the volume of sound from a website played by the device 104a (e.g., media volume on a smartphone) is turned off or set to low. Therefore, alarm algorithm 149 can issue alarms using a separate mobile app on device 104, independent of the web browsing app on device 104, to ensure that alarms are sent to caregivers even if the web browsing app used to access application 124 is closed on device 104 or not logged into application 124.

[0374] As previously mentioned, in some alternative embodiments, the caregiver assistance application 124 is divided into two specific applications: a server application and a mobile device application. In such embodiments, caregivers access the caregiver assistance application 124 not through a web browser installed on their mobile electronic device 104a, but by opening the mobile device application of the caregiver assistance application 124. The mobile device application is a dedicated app downloaded to the mobile electronic device 104a and specifically designed to work in conjunction with the server application. In this embodiment, the mobile device application is customized to run on the specific operating system of the mobile electronic device 104a; therefore, there may be different versions of the mobile device application written for different operating systems (e.g., Android version, iOS version, etc.). Such a native application provides the advantage of being able to run in the background and allows the mobile electronic device 104a to respond to incoming alarms by emitting sounds, vibrating, illuminating one or more lights, etc., even if the user has not manually opened the native application.

[0375] Regardless of the specific method by which the nursing staff assistance application 124 issues an alarm in step 364 ( Figure 18After step 365, algorithm 143 branches into different pathways: a first pathway 366 and a second pathway 368. The first pathway 366 allows the user to remotely or locally change the state of the fall risk component on the patient support device 20 that triggers the alarm. The second pathway 368 allows the user to acknowledge the alarm without changing the state of the fall risk component. If the caregiver selects the second pathway 368, the caregiver assistance application 124 proceeds to step 378, waiting for the caregiver to acknowledge the alarm without making any changes to the fall risk component that is not in its desired state. The caregiver assistance application 124 can be configured to accept this acknowledgment in several different ways, such as, but not limited to, displaying an "acknowledge" or "ignore" icon that must be touched by the caregiver to acknowledge the alarm, or requiring the caregiver to take some active action with the mobile electronic device 104a that indicates the caregiver has received and is aware of the alarm. Once the alarm is received by the caregiver assistance application 124, algorithm 143 proceeds to step 362 and operates in the manner previously discussed.

[0376] If a caregiver wishes to change the status of a fall-risk component that is no longer in the desired state, the caregiver may choose to follow the first pathway 366 (…). Figure 18 The first pathway 366 enables caregivers to locally or, in some cases, remotely change the state of a fall-risk component to the desired state. For a local change, the caregiver must be present in the room where the patient support device 20 corresponding to the alarm is located. The caregiver makes the local change using one or more control panels 42 of the patient support device 20. For a remote change, the caregiver uses a mobile electronic device 104a to send a command to the patient support device 20 to return the fall-risk component to the desired state. In many embodiments, only commands not involving physical movement on the patient support device 20 are allowed to be executed remotely, such as putting an exit detection system on standby, putting a bed monitoring system on standby, etc.

[0377] To remotely change the state of the fall risk component using mobile electronic device 104a (or stationary electronic device 104b), caregiver assistance application 124 waits in step 370 for a command to be received for the patient support device. Figure 18Once the command is received, it is sent by electronic device 104a to caregiver assistance server 90 in step 372. When received by caregiver assistance application 124 running on server 90, application 124 forwards the command to the appropriate patient support device 20 in step 374. The patient support device 20 then executes the command and sends an updated dataset of its fall-risk components, which is received by caregiver assistance application 124 in step 376. Using the updated dataset, caregiver assistance application 124 returns to step 360 to check if all fall-risk components of patient support device 20 are in their required state. From step 360, caregiver assistance application 124 continues in the manner previously described.

[0378] When the mobile electronic device 104a sends a command to change the status of the fall risk component of the patient support device 20, it knows which specific patient support device 20 to send the command to based on the room number (and / or patient name) displayed at the status location 200. That is, the room number, bed compartment identifier, and / or patient identifier displayed at the status location 200 when sending the command determine where the command will be sent. When the caregiver assistance application 124 receives the command at the server 90, it knows which patient support device 20 to send the command to based on its knowledge of which patient support devices 20 are assigned to which rooms, bed compartments, and / or patients.

[0379] It should be noted that the monitoring of the state of the fall-risk components of the patient support equipment 20, occurring in steps 360 and 362 of algorithm 143, may include more monitoring than that performed by the bed monitoring system. That is, in at least one embodiment, the patient fall risk reduction protocol 93 may specify that the bed monitoring system be turned on for patients at high fall risk. In this case, for those patient support equipment 20s assigned to high-risk patients, algorithm 143 automatically monitors whether the bed monitoring system is on or off, and if off, algorithm 143 issues an alarm. Thus, in addition to what the bed monitoring system provides, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 may provide an additional layer of monitoring: it may monitor the bed monitoring system itself (the bed monitoring system does not monitor itself).

[0380] It should also be noted that the caregiver assistance application 124 passively monitors the status of all different components of the patient support device 20, regardless of whether the patient is at high risk of falling or whether a fall risk assessment has been performed (and similarly regardless of whether the bed monitoring system is on standby or off). The results of this passive monitoring are displayed at the top 202 of the screen shown here (e.g., Figure 19-26This monitoring provides caregivers with information on the current status of the patient support equipment 20, enabling them to remotely monitor the status of all patient support equipment 20s used by their assigned patients. Furthermore, this passive monitoring may include a set of components that monitor fall risk components other than those described above, such as, but not limited to, whether the patient support equipment 20 is currently plugged into an electrical outlet, and whether the nurse call system cable between the patient support equipment 20 and the nurse call system is connected or disconnected.

[0381] In some embodiments, when the caregiver assistance application 124 issues an alarm because a fall risk component of the patient support device 20 has become undesirable, the alarm may include an illustration of the fall risk component that has become undesirable. For example, in Figure 19-27 In all the screens shown, the caregiver assistance application 124 includes a bed icon 164. If any guardrail changes to an undesirable state, the caregiver assistance application 124 can illustrate the change by altering the color of the guardrail icon 176 corresponding to the guardrail 36 that has changed to an undesirable state, or by changing its visual appearance. Additionally, if the height of the mattress 28 changes to a height higher than required, the caregiver assistance application 124 can change the color or appearance of the top of the mattress shown in the bed icon 164 (e.g., the top of the bed icon 164 surrounding the patient icon). If the departure detection system 46 or the bed monitoring system changes to an undesirable state, the caregiver assistance application 124 can illustrate the change by highlighting the departure detection system status indicator 166 or the bed monitoring status indicator 168, or by changing its appearance. If the brake moves out of its required state, the portion of the bed status bar 170 indicating the brake status can be highlighted and / or visually altered. Other graphical changes can be made for alarms involving fall risk components that have moved out of their required states.

[0382] In at least one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 enables the user to make changes to the patient fall risk reduction protocol 93 regarding the exit detection system for a specific patient. More specifically, in at least one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 enables the caregiver to leave the detection system area specified by the fall risk reduction protocol 93. For example, in many embodiments, the fall risk reduction protocol 93 designates the exit detection system 46 to be on standby for patients at high fall risk, and selects area 2 (the intermediate sensitive area). However, if the caregiver wishes to have a different area on standby, the caregiver assistance application 124 enables the caregiver to handle this without triggering an alarm if the application 124 detects an incorrect area being made on standby in step 360 of algorithm 143.

[0383] Two examples of this customized region selection are in Figure 26 and 27 As shown in [the image]. Figure 26In screenshot 480, the caregiver has selected area 1 of the exit detection system 46, and the caregiver assistance application 124 displays an alert window 482 on it. The alert window 482 informs the caregiver that area 2 is the area designated by the patient fall risk reduction protocol 93, not area 1. However, if the user wishes to select area 1 instead of area 2, the user is free to make such a selection by pressing the confirmation icon 484. If the user presses the confirmation icon 484, in at least one embodiment, the caregiver assistance application 124 updates the fall risk reduction protocol 93 only for that specific patient, so that no alert is issued in step 364 because area 1 is set to standby instead of area 2. In this embodiment, if a new patient is assigned to that specific patient support device 20, or if the user subsequently switches the exit detection system 46 from area 1 back to area 2 for that specific patient support device 20, the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically changes the fall risk reduction protocol 93 back to area 2.

[0384] Figure 27 A similar scenario is illustrated, where caregivers wish to keep area 3, which is outside the testing system 46, on standby instead of area 2. (Compared to...) Figure 26 As shown in the diagram, the caregiver assistance application 124 displays an alert window 492 on screen 490, notifying the caregiver that Zone 2 is the zone designated by the fall risk reduction protocol 93. However, if the user wishes to ignore this zone selection, they can freely press the confirmation icon 494. In this case, the caregiver assistance application 124 updates the fall risk reduction protocol 93 for that specific patient and no longer issues an alert because Zone 3 instead of Zone 2 was selected. If a new patient is assigned to that specific patient support device 20, or if a caregiver switches from Zone 3 back to Zone 2 on that specific patient support device 20 via exit detection system 46, the caregiver assistance application 124 automatically switches protocol 93 back to Zone 2 for that specific patient support device 20.

[0385] In addition to the alarms discussed above in conjunction with patrol algorithm 140 and fall risk reduction algorithm 143, alarm algorithm 149 is also configured to alert caregivers when the status of any patient support device 20 assigned to a caregiver changes and the bed monitoring system is on standby. Caregiver assistance application 124 can also be configured to alert the corresponding caregiver when any patient support device 20 alarm is issued by any patient support device 20 assigned to a caregiver (e.g., patient leave alarm, cable unplugging alarm, etc.). Such alarms may occur when a caregiver is using caregiver assistance application 124 for other purposes, such as one of the other tasks identified in task menu 174, or when a caregiver is engaged in other tasks not involving the use of electronic device 104. As already mentioned, such alarms are transmitted to caregivers, in at least one embodiment, by sending text, email, and / or automated telephone calls to the specific caregiver associated with the patient support device 20 that issued the alarm. Furthermore, in at least some embodiments, alarm algorithm 149 is configured to allow the user to select how these alarms are issued. Therefore, for example, if the patient support device 20's departure detection system 46 detects a patient leaving, or if the nurse call cable is unplugged, or any other status change that serves as the basis for an alarm, the caregiver may receive text sent to their mobile electronic device 104a (or another telephone capable of receiving text). The mobile electronic device 104a responds to the received text (or email or telephone call) with a beep, the illumination of one or more lights, or any other manner requested by the specific caregiver's preference.

[0386] Those skilled in the art will also recognize that a variety of other modifications can be made to the fall risk reduction algorithm 143. These modifications include, but are not limited to: skipping fall risk assessment steps 346-354; skipping the issuance of bed commands in steps 370-376; requiring caregivers to set the patient support equipment 20 to a compliant state (thus omitting confirmation step 378); taking additional steps to ensure or encourage compliance with the fall risk reduction protocol 93; changing the order of one or more steps; and / or combinations of one or more of these modifications.

[0387] Now we move to the pressure ulcer risk reduction algorithm 141 of the caregiver assistance system 106, if the caregiver is in step 159 of the main algorithm 226 ( Figure 5 Select skin task icon 182 ( Figure 9 The nursing staff-assisted application 124 begins executing skin care algorithm 141. An example of skin care algorithm 141 is shown in... Figure 28As shown in the diagram. Skin care algorithm 141 begins at step 500, where caregiver assistance application 124 receives or verifies a room selection or bed selection. In response to such a room selection or bed selection, the caregiver assistance application displays a skin care overview screen, for example... Figure 29 The skin care overview screen 502. The skin care overview screen 502 (and, if not all, most of the other skin care screens associated with the skin care algorithm 141, such as...) Figure 29-41 The screens shown in 43-49, 51-56, and 58-59 include many of the same elements as the screens previously discussed, such as, but not limited to, room identifier location 198, top 202, bottom 204, task menu 174, bed status bar 170, departure detection system status indicator 166, bed monitoring system status indicator 168, and bed icon 164. The bottom 204 differs from the previously described bottom in that it includes a menu 504 with skin care options.

[0388] Menu 504 ( Figure 29 This includes a skin assessment icon 506, a patient turning icon 508, a skin recording icon 510, a maximum inflation icon 512, and a lo...

Claims

1. A nursing staff assistance system for assisting nursing staff in performing patient care tasks, the nursing staff assistance system comprising: (a) a plurality of beds, each of the plurality of beds comprising: Pad; A support plate supported on a pad and adapted to support the corresponding patient thereon; A memory containing a unique identifier for the corresponding bed; A nurse call cable port suitable for connection to the first end of the nurse call cable, and a nurse call cable second end suitable for connection to the nurse call jack, so that the corresponding bed can communicate with the nurse call system; Sensors suitable for detecting the status of the corresponding bed; Network transceivers; and A controller that communicates with a memory, a network transceiver, and sensors, the controller being adapted to activate an alarm when the corresponding sensor detects that the corresponding bed is in an undesirable state and to deactivate the alarm when a caregiver responds to the alarm. The controller is further adapted to transmit an identifier, a first alarm message, and a second alarm message from the respective bed via a network transceiver, the first alarm message being sent in response to an alarm being activated and the second alarm message being sent in response to an alarm being deactivated; (b) A caregiver assistance application suitable for running on a server, the caregiver assistance application being adapted to receive an identifier, a first alarm message, and a second alarm message from a bed, the caregiver assistance application being further adapted to perform the following steps: (i) For each bed, record the time interval between the reception of a first alarm message and a second alarm message by the caregiver's assistive application, the time interval corresponding to the amount of time between the reception of the first alarm message and the reception of the second alarm message; (ii) forwarding the time interval to the electronic device; and (iii) Display the time interval on the display of the electronic device.

2. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Nursing staff assistance applications are also suitable for averaging multiple time intervals and displaying the average value on the display of electronic devices.

3. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Nursing staff assistive applications are also suitable for performing the following steps: (i) Determine the first average value of the first group of multiple time intervals collected across the first time period; (ii) Determine the second average value of the second set of multiple time intervals collected across the second time period; and (iii) Display both the first and second average values.

4. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 3, wherein, The first time period is one day, one week, one month, or one year, and the second time period is one day, one week, one month, or one year.

5. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor is an exit detection system, and the undesirable state is the state in which the corresponding patient leaves the corresponding bed.

6. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor is a member of a group of sensors monitored by the bed monitoring system. Undesirable states include any one or more of the following: the brake on the corresponding bed is not activated; a set of guardrails on the corresponding bed is not erected; the height of the mattress on the corresponding bed is not at the minimum height; or the bed departure detection system is not activated.

7. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Each of the multiple beds includes a timer and a controller adapted to use the timer to determine the time interval and send the time interval to a caregiver-assisted application.

8. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 7, wherein, The nursing staff assistance application includes a timer and is adapted to use the timer to determine the time interval.

9. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Nursing staff assistive applications are suitable for recording multiple time intervals and categorizing each of the multiple time intervals according to at least one of the following: nurse, location, time of day, and patient type.

10. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Nursing staff assistive applications are also suitable for performing at least two of the following: (a) Receive pressure ulcer risk data from nursing staff regarding the risk of developing pressure ulcers in each patient and determine a pressure ulcer risk assessment score from the pressure ulcer risk data; (b) Receive fall risk data from nursing staff regarding the fall risk of each patient and determine a fall risk assessment score from the fall risk data; (c) Receive completion data from nursing staff indicating when each patient round has been completed; (d) Display a pressure ulcer risk assessment indicator on the display of an electronic device, which indicates the risk of each patient developing pressure ulcers; (e) Display a fall risk assessment indicator on the screen of an electronic device, which indicates the fall risk for each patient; (f) Shows the time until the next round of each patient will be completed; (g) Display reminders for performing rounds for each patient; (h) Displays a reminder to perform a pressure ulcer risk assessment for each patient; (i) Display reminders for performing fall risk assessments for each patient; (j) Using electronic devices to activate the integrated departure detection system for each bed; and (k) Receive an exit alarm when each patient leaves his or her corresponding bed.

11. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Nursing staff assistance applications are also suitable for displaying on electronic devices the times when nurses should perform rounds for each patient.

12. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 11, wherein, The nursing staff assistance application is also adapted to receive completion data from the nursing staff indicating that the nursing staff has completed the rounds, and to forward the completion data to the electronic medical record server for input into the patient record corresponding to the relevant patient.

13. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Each bed also includes a battery and a battery sensor adapted to detect the status of the battery, wherein the controller is adapted to send the status of the corresponding battery to a caregiver assistance application, and the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a battery status indicator on the display of an electronic device, the battery status indicator indicating the status of the corresponding battery.

14. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Each bed also includes a short-range transceiver adapted to communicate with an end-wall mounted short-range transmitter of a location beacon, the short-range transmitter being adapted to forward location data and beacon battery status data to adjacent beds among a plurality of beds, the location data indicating the location of the adjacent beds and the beacon battery status data indicating the status of the location beacon's battery, wherein the adjacent beds are adapted to forward the beacon battery status data to a caregiver assistance application, and the caregiver assistance application is also adapted to display a beacon status indicator on a display of an electronic device, the beacon status indicator indicating the current status of the location beacon's battery.

15. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Each controller is also adapted to forward signal strength data to a caregiver-assisted application, the signal strength data indicating the signal strength between the corresponding transceiver of the medical facility and the wireless access point, wherein the caregiver-assisted application is also adapted to display a signal strength indicator on a display of an electronic device, the signal strength indicator indicating the signal strength between the corresponding transceiver of the medical facility and the wireless access point.

16. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The alarm indicates that the nurse call cable port is not communicating with the nurse call system.

17. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The sensor is adapted to determine whether the corresponding bed is currently operating based on power from the battery or from the electrical outlet, and an alarm indicates that the corresponding bed is currently operating based on battery power.

18. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The electronic device is a smartphone or tablet computer.

19. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 18, wherein, The electronic device includes a browser app that communicates with a caregiver assistance application by accessing at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) associated with the server through the browser app.

20. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 19, wherein, The caregiver assistance application is also suitable for sending a message to the electronic device to notify the user of the alarm, wherein the message is processed by an app executed by the electronic device, which is different from the browser app.

21. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, Each controller is also adapted to determine whether the corresponding bed should be inspected and, when the corresponding bed should be inspected, to forward the inspection data to the nursing assistant application, which is also adapted to display a bed inspection indicator on the display of the electronic device.

22. The nursing staff assistance system according to claim 11, wherein, Nursing staff assistance applications are also suitable for displaying operating instructions on electronic devices that feature the use of at least one bed.

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