Consolidation and prioritization of critical patient notification

Abstract

To provide a computing-implemented method for integrating critical patent information in an inspection room, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and an inspection room system.SOLUTION: In an inspection room system, a method comprises: selecting a patient be to monitored from a population of patients associated with an inspection room; extracting information about the patient from a plurality of inspection room sources 15 within the inspection room; determining whether the extracted patient information is critical to the care of the patient; and outputting the extracted critical patient information to a single display dashboard 30 for display to an inspection room operator.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to the integration and prioritization of patient critical notifications in a laboratory environment on a single dashboard display.

Background Art

[0002] Current laboratory dashboard display solutions are typically overwhelmed with data due to the large number of data generation events that occur in a typical laboratory. This situation can cause problems regarding the prioritization of important information such as patient critical information. Important patient critical information can be lost to laboratory operators among the large amount of data created and displayed in a typical laboratory.

[0003] For example, typically, patient critical alerts for a particular patient may need to be viewed on several different displays within the laboratory. Typically, a laboratory operator may look at two to four or more laboratory displays to track patient critical information about a particular patient. Further, if a laboratory operator needs to track a patient critical alert, the laboratory operator may need to look at three to four or more additional laboratory displays to detect the source of the patient critical alert, receive details regarding the patient's critical alert, and troubleshoot the patient critical alert. Having to view all of these different laboratory displays to find and resolve patient critical information can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

[0004] European Patent Application Publication No. 2416267 discloses a task aggregation system in a laboratory that may have tasks aggregated according to type and ordered according to urgency. However, the tasks in this system relate to test samples, not patient-specific notifications.

[0005] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011 / 0106565 discloses providing a proximity-based task list to a clinician based on the location and task criteria of the clinician having the authority and availability to complete a task.

[0006] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013 / 0110535 discloses providing clinical information to a clinician based on the location of the clinician and the location of a patient experiencing a healthcare code, such that the clinician closest to the patient can respond quickly to the coded patient. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to integrate and prioritize laboratory data according to patient severity and patient impact, and to present the laboratory data to a laboratory operator quickly, clearly, and efficiently.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method for integrating critical information about a patient in a laboratory is presented.

[0009] The method includes selecting a patient to monitor from a population of patients associated with a laboratory, wherein at least one sample from the patient is required to be processed by a laboratory source included in the laboratory. Information about the patient from a plurality of laboratory sources within the laboratory is extracted by a laboratory control unit. The laboratory control unit is communicatively connected to the plurality of laboratory sources. The information about the patient includes test results obtained from the processing of the sample.

[0010] The examination room control unit determines whether the extracted patient information is important for the patient's care. Making the determination includes determining whether the test result indicates that the sample, examination room source, or test contained an error, or whether the test result was within or outside the range of normal test results, or determining from additional information regarding critical care that the extracted patient information is critical for the patient's care. The extracted patient critical information is critical for care when the test result is urgently needed for the patient's life-saving treatment. The extracted patient critical information is then output by the examination room control unit to a single display dashboard for display to the examination room operator or physician.

[0011] Information that may be critical to the patient can include, for example, problems with any step of the examination room workflow that may prevent timely receipt of the patient's test results, or patient test results that may affect the patient's diagnosis or health.

[0012] Additional information regarding critical care can be data regarding the patient indicating that the results are urgently needed. Such data can include, for example, information that the patient is in the intensive care unit, or previous test results indicating that the patient may be suffering from a severe condition such as heart symptoms, or in the case of a pregnant woman, high blood pressure as a sign of preeclampsia, or symptoms that may indicate sepsis.

[0013] Such additional information can be obtained from any one or more examination room sources.

[0014] In one embodiment, the control unit is configured to determine whether the test result indicates that the patient is in a critical situation, or whether the additional information indicates that the test result is urgently needed.

[0015] In certain embodiments, the laboratory control unit determines that test results are urgently needed if the test results indicate that the patient is in a critical condition, or if information received by the laboratory control unit regarding the patient indicates that the patient is in a critical condition. As further described herein, the test results may indicate that the patient is in a critical condition if the test results exceed or fall below a certain threshold. The information regarding the patient may be information as further described herein, and by way of example, may be information for identifying the patient's location (e.g., ICU).

[0016] In one embodiment, when the control unit determines that test results are urgently needed, the control unit is configured to create a warning that is sent to the display of the device on which the laboratory operator is logged in, and the warning has priority over any other message on the display.

[0017] Information that may be critical to the patient can include, for example, problems with any laboratory workflow step that may prevent the patient from receiving their test results in a timely manner, as well as any patient test results that may affect the patient's diagnosis or health. If such a problem is determined, the control unit may automatically reorder the tests or determine a laboratory source that may be operable to process the sample from information obtained from different connected laboratory sources and send the sample to the laboratory source for processing and generating test results.

[0018] The plurality of laboratory sources can include, for example, an HCA (Host Connectivity Agent), a laboratory database, a monitoring and verification process, and / or an ICA (Instrument Connectivity Agent).

[0019] The population of patients associated with the examination room can be stored in an examination room database communicably connected to an examination room control unit. In one embodiment, the population of patients can be extracted from the examination room database by the examination room control unit and displayed to an examination room operator. In one embodiment, the examination room operator can select a patient from the displayed population of patients by using an input device connected to the examination room control unit. The input device can be a keyboard, a mouse, a touch pad, a touch screen, etc.

[0020] In one embodiment, patient critical information can be stored in an examination room database communicably connected to an examination room control unit. This patient critical information can then be extracted from the examination room database by the examination room control unit. The examination room control unit can also be communicably connected to a plurality of examination room sources to receive patient critical information from the plurality of examination room sources when it occurs.

[0021] The computer-implemented method further includes receiving, from the examination room control unit, examination room workflow event information when the patient critical information is a result of a problem related to the examination room workflow. In this embodiment, the event information of the examination room workflow can also be displayed on a single display dashboard together with the patient critical information.

[0022] In one embodiment, the examination room workflow event can be an error occurring in an examination room source such as a pre-analysis device, a sample transport device (e.g., a conveyor connected to another physical examination room source), or an analysis device. In this embodiment, the control unit is configured to receive error information from such an examination room source, connect the error information to the patients in the database, infer the actions to be taken based on the patient critical information, and display the patient critical information and the actions on the operator's screen.

[0023] Examples of such actions can include automatically instructing new tests to process samples based on current critical alerts, repeating tests to obtain confirmation of results, or warning a physician that a patient should be taken to the intensive care unit.

[0024] The computer-implemented method further includes receiving, from a laboratory control unit, laboratory workflow event information when the laboratory workflow event includes patient critical information, such as a patient's critical test result. In this embodiment, the laboratory workflow event information can be displayed on a display dashboard along with the patient critical information.

[0025] A patient critical test result can be a test result that is outside a defined threshold of normal test results. For a given test, the threshold of normal test results is known and is communicated to the user, for example, in the package insert of the test reagent. For example, a control unit of a laboratory source that can perform a given test, or a laboratory control unit, comprises a database having the threshold for the test. The laboratory control unit can determine whether a test result is outside the threshold of normal test results by comparing the test result with the stored threshold of the given test.

[0026] If a test result is outside the threshold of normal test results, the test result can be flagged as patient critical information. If the test result is time-sensitive information or information that can have an immediate impact on the patient's health and well-being, the test result is flagged as urgent by the control unit and displayed to the laboratory operator with the highest priority. The test result can be automatically transferred to the clinician via the LIS, displayed as an urgent test result, and recommend taking immediate action.

[0027] In one embodiment, the laboratory control unit may receive from a physician information specifying certain patient critical results that are immediately required regardless of a predetermined threshold. The control unit stores the information specifying the certain patient critical results obtained from the physician and maps all the results obtained for the selected patient to the information specifying the certain patient critical results. When a result is mapped to the stored information specifying a certain patient critical result, the result is flagged and immediately displayed to the physician.

[0028] The computer-implemented method may further include prioritizing the display of patient critical information based on the urgency of the patient critical information. The urgency can be based on how quickly a laboratory operator should recognize patient critical information, e.g., time-sensitive information, and / or how important the patient critical information is to the health and well-being of the patient. In one embodiment, the display can be prioritized by displaying patient critical information in order of urgency. For example, the most urgent patient critical information can be displayed at the top of the list of patient critical information, and the least urgent patient critical information can be displayed at the bottom of the list.

[0029] The determination of whether one patient critical information is more critical than another can be based on information stored in the laboratory control unit, e.g., information regarding the location of the patient (whether in the ICU or not), or information regarding existing test results that already indicate an impending risk. Additionally, the system may obtain such background information that can be used in the interpretation and determination of the level of criticality. Another example of flagging criticality is, for example, when the patient is pregnant. For example, if a patient has severe heart symptoms, some markers are considered more critical compared to a "normal" patient. Another example is that a pregnant patient with high blood pressure will likely have some critical data that will be classified first, perhaps due to the issue of the possibility of preeclampsia.

[0030] In some embodiments, the urgency of patient critical information can be determined / prioritized by the type of laboratory, the type of patient test sample, the type of patient background, and / or combinations thereof.

[0031] The extracted patient critical information presented to the laboratory operator can include both patient critical notifications and patient critical errors.

[0032] Patient critical notifications can include patient notifications regarding the expiration of a patient test sample over time (i.e., the patient test sample has expired before being tested), system alerts, inspection equipment alerts, inspection equipment masking, i.e., cancellation or suspension of the acceptance of test samples to / from a specific inspection equipment, and combinations thereof.

[0033] If a test sample has expired before being tested, the patient critical notification instructs the laboratory operator to obtain a new sample to be processed by an appropriate laboratory source to obtain the required test results.

[0034] Another patient critical information can be an alert of a laboratory source that requires calibration or quality control to be performed before the test can be processed. Optionally, the laboratory control unit repeats the processing of the sample to obtain the required test results.

[0035] Patient critical errors can include patient notifications regarding patient test sample errors, quality control errors, inspection equipment alerts, inspection hardware alerts, and combinations thereof.

[0036] The computer-implemented method can further include performing laboratory actions remotely by a laboratory operator, i.e., when the laboratory operator is not physically present in the laboratory. Such laboratory actions can be, for example, resolving a patient critical error that causes the display of patient critical information input on a display dashboard.

[0037] In one embodiment, the laboratory control unit requests login information from a memory that holds the login information updated from the laboratory or hospital login, authentication, and certification process. Thus, the laboratory control unit is connected to such a memory. The login information designates the device on which the laboratory operator or doctor is logged in. The test control unit may also receive a pre-registered valid time frame for the laboratory operator or doctor. Based on this information, the laboratory control unit identifies the device dashboard to which the warning is sent.

[0038] This enables the laboratory operator or doctor to receive warnings regarding critical patient information and take the necessary actions.

[0039] In one specific embodiment, the laboratory control unit monitors whether the warning has been resolved. The warning can be resolved by a laboratory operator or doctor who confirms on the dashboard that the action required by the warning has been taken. If the laboratory control unit does not detect a resolution to the warning, it sends the warning to additional laboratory operators or doctors who have been determined to be logged in with the same permissions as the first laboratory operator or doctor.

[0040] In one embodiment, the display dashboard that displays critical patient information to the laboratory operator can be on an output display, such as a monitor of a laboratory device physically located within the laboratory or a monitor of a dedicated laboratory system computer.

[0041] In one embodiment, the display dashboard that displays critical patient information to the laboratory operator can be on an output display that is located outside the laboratory, i.e., not physically located within the laboratory, such as a portable computing device of the laboratory operator or a personal computer of the laboratory operator located outside the laboratory.

[0042] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, a laboratory system is presented for integrating and prioritizing critical information about a patient in a laboratory. The laboratory system can comprise a plurality of laboratory sources within the laboratory and a laboratory database, both of which include patient critical information about a particular patient from a population of patients related to the laboratory. The laboratory system can also comprise a laboratory control unit communicatively connected to the plurality of laboratory sources and the laboratory database and configured to extract patient critical information about a particular patient from the plurality of laboratory sources and the laboratory database. The laboratory system can also comprise a dashboard display communicatively connected to the laboratory control unit, configured to receive the extracted patient critical information about a particular patient from the laboratory control unit, and configured to display the extracted patient critical information about a particular patient to a laboratory operator on a single dashboard display in order of the urgency of the patient critical information.

[0043] A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer processor, control a computer system to perform the steps of the above method is also presented.

[0044] An advantage of the present disclosure is that a computer-implemented method and a laboratory system enable the integration and prioritization of existing patient result-related notifications from many different laboratory sources and databases to a single display dashboard in order to quickly and efficiently notify a laboratory operator of patient workflow blockages / errors and / or critical patient workflow results. Accordingly, a patient-centered system is presented to the laboratory operator that is designed to gather all data focused on a particular patient on one display dashboard, such that the laboratory operator is notified of, and can address (or flag), only the situations affecting that particular patient.

[0045] The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present disclosure may be best understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings in which like structures are indicated by like reference numerals.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0046]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0047] In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which are shown specific embodiments by way of illustration and not limitation. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and logical, mechanical and electrical changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0048] When used hereinafter, the terms "have", "comprise", "include" or any grammatical variations thereof are used in a non-exclusive manner. Thus, these terms may refer to both situations where there are no additional features in the entity being described in this context in addition to the features introduced by these terms, and situations where one or more additional features are present. By way of example, the expressions "A has B", "A comprises B" and "A includes B" may all refer to situations where, in addition to B, there are no other elements in A (i.e., the situation where A consists solely and exclusively of B), and situations where, in addition to B, there are one or more additional elements in entity A, such as element C, elements C and D, and even further elements.

[0049] Furthermore, it should be noted that terms such as "at least one", "one or more" or similar expressions indicating that a feature or element may be present one or more times are typically only used once when introducing each respective feature or element. In the following, in most cases, when referring to each respective feature or element, the expressions "at least one" or "one or more" are not repeated, despite the fact that each respective feature or element may be present one or more times.

[0050] The use of "a" or "an" may be used to describe elements and components of the embodiments of this specification. This is done merely for convenience and to give a general sense of the concepts of the present invention. This description should be read to include one or at least one and the singular form.

[0051] As used herein, the term "laboratory middleware" can refer to any physical or virtual processing device that can be configured to control a laboratory device / apparatus or a system comprising one or more laboratory devices / apparatuses such that workflows and workflow steps can be executed by the laboratory devices / systems. The laboratory middleware can, for example, instruct the laboratory devices / systems to execute pre-analytical, post-analytical, and analytical workflows / workflow steps. The laboratory middleware can receive information from a data management unit regarding which steps need to be executed for a particular test sample. In some embodiments, the laboratory middleware can be integrated with the data management unit, can be configured by a server computer, and / or can be part of one laboratory device / apparatus or can be distributed across multiple devices / apparatuses of a laboratory automation system. The laboratory middleware may be embodied, for example, as a programmable logic controller that executes a computer-readable program with instructions for performing operations.

[0052] As used herein, the terms "control unit" or "workflow control unit" are broad terms and should be given their ordinary and customary meaning to those skilled in the art and should not be limited to a special or customized meaning. Specifically, but not limited thereto, this term can refer to an electronic device configured by hardware and / or software programming, in particular, to control the functions of a sample processing system within a laboratory middleware. The workflow control unit may be further configured for data exchange with at least one monitoring system and / or at least one cloud server. Specifically, the workflow control unit may be a computing device within a laboratory middleware, such as at least one processor, configured to receive electronic signals, such as at least one information item, from at least one monitoring system and / or at least one cloud server and further evaluate the received signals, or may comprise a computing device. Further, the workflow control unit may be configured to control its functions based on the received and evaluated signals, for example, based on at least one piece of information.

[0053] The "data storage unit" or "database" can be a computing unit for storing and managing data such as memory, hard disk, or cloud storage. This may include data related to biological / medical test samples processed by an automated system. The data management unit may be connected to a LIS (Laboratory Information System) and / or HIS (Hospital Information System). The data management unit can be a unit within a laboratory device / apparatus or can be located in the same place as the laboratory device / apparatus. It may be part of the laboratory middleware. Alternatively, the database may be a remotely located unit. For example, the database may be implemented by a computer connected via a communication network.

[0054] The present disclosure provides a system and methodology for efficiently integrating and prioritizing hierarchical patient information such that critical patient information always first appears to a laboratory operator.

[0055] Referring first to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 shows a laboratory system for integrating and prioritizing critical information about a patient. The laboratory system 10 includes a plurality of laboratory sources 15 within the laboratory and a laboratory database 20. Both the plurality of laboratory sources 15 and the laboratory database 20 include patient critical information regarding a particular patient from a population of patients related to the laboratory. In one embodiment, the plurality of laboratory sources 15 may include, for example, HCA, laboratory databases, monitoring and verification processes, and / or ICA. In another embodiment, the plurality of laboratory sources may be, for example, laboratory devices or equipment such as pre-analytical devices, analytical devices, and / or post-analytical devices, laboratory middleware, and / or laboratory information systems (LIS) / hospital information systems (HIS). The laboratory database 20 can include patient data that may or may not be displayed to the laboratory operator.

[0056] The laboratory system 10 also includes a laboratory control unit 25 communicatively connected to the plurality of laboratory sources 15 and the laboratory database 20 and configured to extract patient critical information regarding a particular patient from the plurality of laboratory sources 15 and the laboratory database 20.

[0057] The examination room system 10 also includes a dashboard display 30 communicably connected to an examination room control unit 25 configured to receive the extracted patient critical information regarding a specific patient from the examination room control unit 25. The dashboard display 30 is configured to display to the examination operator, on a single dashboard display 30, the patient critical information regarding a specific patient extracted from a plurality of examination room sources 15 and the examination room database 20, in order of the urgency of the patient critical information. In one embodiment, the dashboard display 30 can be a graphical user interface (GUI) displayed on an examination room monitor within the examination room, or in another embodiment, the dashboard display 30 can be displayed on a personal computing device of the examination operator, such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop computer, and / or a desktop computer of the examination operator.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of a computer-implemented method for integrating and prioritizing critical information about a patient on a display dashboard. In a first step of method 105, a patient is selected from a population of patients associated with an examination room to be monitored for important information regarding that patient, and an input 110 regarding that patient is received. In one embodiment, the received input can be a patient order 115 from the HIS / LIS via the examination room control unit. Further, in step 105, the computer-implemented method can determine whether to initiate a process for integrating and prioritizing critical information about a patient for the examination operator (105).

[0059] If it is determined in step 105 that the process should be started, process 120 begins to extract information about the patient from a plurality of laboratory sources within the examination room. The plurality of laboratory sources can include, for example, HCA, laboratory databases, monitoring and verification processes, and / or ICA. The patient information can include, for example, laboratory workflow event information 125 that may compromise the patient's test results, such as when patient critical information interferes with the laboratory workflow or patient critical test results.

[0060] Patient critical information can also include determining whether a preset time for the examination of the patient's test sample has elapsed (135). In one embodiment, the preset time can be the time elapsed after the patient test sample is placed in the examination room and the timer is started (130). For example, the preset time can represent an acceptable amount of time that the patient's test sample can be used for testing before it expires and cannot be used.

[0061] Next, in step 140, the extracted patient information can be classified into notification information and error information. Once the patient information is classified, in step 145, it can be determined by the control unit whether the patient information is normal (150) or whether the patient information is patient critical (155).

[0062] Patient critical errors can include, for example, notifications regarding patient test sample errors, quality control errors, equipment alarms, laboratory hardware alarms, and combinations thereof. Patient critical notifications can include, for example, notifications, alarms, equipment alarms, equipment masking, and combinations thereof regarding the passage of time of the patient test sample.

[0063] If it is determined that the patient information is normal (150) or is determined to be important to the patient (155), the patient information can be sent to be output / displayed (160) on the dashboard display. In one embodiment, the control unit can also classify the extracted patient critical information based on the urgency of the extracted patient critical information. For example, the most urgent patient critical information can be displayed to the laboratory operator first.

[0064] Next, in step 165, all of the patient critical information 155 can be displayed to the laboratory operator on a single display dashboard. In one embodiment, the output display dashboard can be displayed to the laboratory operator, for example, on the monitor of the laboratory and / or the personal computing device of the laboratory operator. In another embodiment, the output display dashboard can be remotely displayed to the laboratory operator outside the laboratory on a personal computing device such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop, and / or desktop computer.

[0065] Finally, referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 3 shows an exemplary laboratory display dashboard of integrated and prioritized critical information about a patient. In one embodiment, the laboratory display dashboard 200 provides patient critical information in a series of columns on one display dashboard. For example, in column 210, the steps of the laboratory workflow in which significant events for the patient occurred are listed. In one embodiment, in column 210, the steps can be prioritized or ranked, for example, in order of urgency for the patient. The ranking of the steps can be based on, for example, the type of laboratory, the type of test sample in the laboratory, patient demographics, and / or combinations thereof. In column 215, the types of patient critical information associated with the workflow step are provided.

[0066] In column 220, patient critical information is prioritized / categorized as either normal or important / STAT. The categorization column 220 can be further divided into the types of patient critical information being displayed. The types of information can be notifications (column 225) or errors (column 227). As described above, patient critical errors can include, for example, notifications regarding errors in a patient's test sample, quality control errors, equipment alarms, laboratory hardware alarms, and combinations thereof, and patient critical notifications can include, for example, notifications regarding the passage of time of a patient's test sample, alarms, equipment alarms, equipment masking, and combinations thereof. Finally, in column 230, an explanation of the patient critical information is provided to the laboratory operator.

[0067] In one embodiment, the testing operator can directly execute procedures on the display dashboard 200 to act on / resolve the integrated and prioritized patient critical information using a user input device such as, for example, a stylus, mouse, keyboard, touch screen, etc. The laboratory operator can execute the procedures when physically in the laboratory or in an environment remote from the laboratory.

[0068] For example, if there is some type of degradation of the sample integrity for an urgent sample, data regarding the sample integrity is received by the laboratory control unit during pre - analysis, and a critical notification is sent to perform an additional venipuncture.

[0069] Another example is when the analytical instrument goes offline or has a processing error. If a patient critical test is to be performed on the said instrument, the test technician is notified to take appropriate actions such as basic troubleshooting, processing on another instrument, sending the sample to another laboratory, or contacting an engineer to repair the said instrument.

[0070] When the program is executed on a computer or a computer network, a computer program product including computer-executable instructions for performing the methods disclosed in one or more of the embodiments encompassed herein is further disclosed and proposed. Specifically, the computer program may be stored on a computer-readable data carrier or a server computer. Thus, specifically, one, two or more, or all of the method steps as described above may be performed using a computer or a computer network, preferably using a computer program.

[0071] As used herein, a computer program product refers to a program as a tradable product. The product may generally exist in any form such as paper format or on a computer-readable data carrier located on-premises or remotely. Specifically, the computer program product may be distributed via a data network (such as a cloud environment). Furthermore, not only the computer program product but also the execution hardware may be located on-premises or in a cloud environment.

[0072] Further disclosed and proposed is a computer-readable medium including instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the laboratory automation system to perform the method according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0073] Further disclosed and proposed is a modulated data signal including instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the laboratory automation system to perform the method according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein.

[0074] Referring to the computer-implemented aspects of the disclosed methods, one or more or all of the method steps of the methods according to one or more of the embodiments disclosed herein can be performed by using a computer or a computer network. Thus, generally, any of the method steps, including the provision and / or manipulation of data, can be performed by using a computer or a computer network. Generally, these method steps can include any method steps, usually excluding method steps that require manual work, such as specific ways of providing samples and / or performing actual measurements.

[0075] Note that terms such as "preferably", "generally", and "typically" are not used herein to limit the scope of the claimed embodiments or to imply that a particular feature is important, essential, or even more important to the structure or function of the claimed embodiments. Rather, these terms are merely intended to emphasize alternative or additional features that may or may not be utilized in particular embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0076] It will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims by describing the present disclosure in detail and referring to its specific embodiments. More specifically, although some aspects of the present disclosure are identified herein as preferred or particularly advantageous, it is contemplated that the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to these preferred aspects of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. A computer-implemented method for synthesizing and prioritizing critical information about patients in an examination room (10), comprising: selecting a patient to be monitored from a population of patients associated with the laboratory (10), wherein at least one sample from the patient is requested to be processed by a laboratory source included in the laboratory; extracting, by a laboratory control unit (25), information about the patient from a plurality of laboratory sources (15) in the laboratory (10), the laboratory control unit (25) being communicatively connected to the plurality of laboratory sources (15), the information about the patient including additional information related to critical care; determining by the laboratory control unit (25) whether the extracted patient information is critical to the care of the patient, said determining including determining from additional information related to critical care that the extracted patient information is critical to the care of the patient, the extracted patient critical information determined to be critical being data relating to a patient that indicates that test results are urgently needed for life-saving treatment of the patient; outputting the extracted patient-critical information by the laboratory control unit (25) to a single display dashboard (30) for display to a laboratory operator or physician; 4. A computer-implemented method comprising:

2. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein if information about the patient received by the laboratory control unit indicates that the patient is in a critical condition, the laboratory control unit determines that the test results are needed urgently.

3. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the patient-critical information is extracted from a laboratory database by the laboratory control unit, the laboratory control unit being communicatively connected to the laboratory database.

4. receiving laboratory workflow event information from the laboratory control unit (25) when the patient critical information impedes laboratory workflow; Displaying the laboratory workflow event information along with the extracted patient critical information on the display dashboard (30). The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

5. receiving laboratory workflow event information from said laboratory control unit (25) if the laboratory workflow event is a patient-critical result; displaying the laboratory workflow event information along with the extracted patient critical information on the display dashboard; The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising prioritizing display of the patient-critical information based on an urgency of the patient-critical information.

7. 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the urgency of the patient-critical information is based on laboratory type, sample type, patient demographic type, and / or combinations thereof.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the extracted patient significant information includes patient significant notices and patient significant errors.

9. 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the patient significant error comprises notification of a sample error, a quality control error, an equipment alarm, a laboratory hardware alarm, and combinations thereof.

10. 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising remotely performing an action to resolve a patient-critical error that is a source of the display of a patient-critical information entry on the display dashboard.

11. 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the patient critical notifications include notifications regarding time lapse, alarms, device alarms, device masking, and combinations thereof.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the output display dashboard (30) is displayed to the lab operator within the lab (10).

13. 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the output display dashboard (30) is displayed remotely to the laboratory operator outside of the laboratory (10).

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computer processor, control a computer system to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. 1. A laboratory system for integrating and prioritizing critical information about patients in a laboratory (10), comprising: a plurality of laboratory sources (15) containing patient-critical information relating to particular patients from a patient population associated with said laboratory (10); a laboratory database (20) containing patient-critical information relating to a particular patient from a patient population associated with said laboratory (10); a laboratory control unit (25) communicatively connected to the plurality of laboratory sources (15) and the laboratory database (20) and configured to extract the patient-critical information relating to the particular patient from the plurality of laboratory sources (15) and the laboratory database (20); a dashboard display (30) communicatively connected to the lab control unit (25) and configured to receive the extracted patient-critical information for the particular patient from the lab control unit (25) and display the extracted patient-critical information for the particular patient to a lab operator on a single dashboard display (30) in order of urgency of the patient-critical information; Equipped with the patient-critical information is determined by the laboratory control unit (25) to be critical to the care of the patient from additional information related to critical care extracted from the laboratory sources (15); The extracted patient-critical information determined to be critical is data about a patient that indicates an urgent need for test results for life-saving treatment of the patient.

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