Medical staffing decisions for oral immunotherapy

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for determining medical staffing requirements for administering OIT to patients. Specifically, the methods and systems disclosed herein can determine the amount of time medical staff at a given treatment location will need to devote to administering OIT to patients, as well as the number of patients receiving OIT over a selected period of time. The methods and systems disclosed herein can further provide the amount of time providers and clinical staff at a given treatment location will need to devote to administering OIT to patients.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 047216, filed July 1, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This application relates generally to medical staffing for oral immunotherapy ("OIT"), and more particularly to systems and methods for determining medical staff capacity and scheduling for administering oral immunotherapy to patients. [Background technology]

[0003] Oral immunotherapy ("OIT") is a medical treatment in which individuals allergic to certain foods are given increasing amounts of the same allergen that causes the allergic reaction in order to reduce the individual's hypersensitivity to the allergen. The goal of oral immunotherapy is to increase the threshold for eliciting an allergic response so that the individual has protection against accidental ingestion of the allergen. During oral immunotherapy, the immune system is retrained to tolerate the allergen through the consumption of small amounts of the allergen that increase over time.

[0004] Because OIT may require multiple visits to the treatment site for subsequent dose escalation or up-dosing in allergic individuals, the treatment site must be appropriately staffed to properly administer OIT to patients throughout the course of an OIT session. Typical OIT medical staff include at least one provider (i.e., physician, nurse practitioner, or physician's assistant) and at least one clinical staff member (i.e., registered nurse or medical assistant). As additional new patients begin OIT at the treatment site, staffing requirements become more complex. Furthermore, the treatment site may not have a designated examination room or area for administering OIT to patients, or may have only one examination room or area. Summary of the Invention

[0005] As described above, proper determination and management of medical staff at an OIT treatment site is important for providing appropriate, safe, and efficient OIT to patients. There are many factors that can affect the medical staff's throughput to efficiently administer OIT to multiple patients, including, but not limited to, (1) how many new patients are starting OIT at a given treatment site each week, (2) how much time the medical staff needs to prepare each new patient to start OIT, (3) how many rooms or areas are available at the treatment site designated for OIT and how many hours per week these rooms / areas are available, (4) how much time the medical staff needs to administer the OIT initial dose escalation ("IDE") to each new patient (what percentage of these patients can be monitored as a group), (5) how much time the medical staff needs to administer each subsequent dose (i.e., dose escalation or boost administration) ("DE") to each patient (what percentage of these patients can be monitored as a group), (6) how many visits to the treatment site are required for each patient to complete OIT, (7) how long the interval between visits to the treatment site for OIT is, and (8) the percentage of patients who complete OIT.

[0006] Applicants have discovered a system and method for determining medical staffing requirements for administering OIT to patients that considers at least all of the factors listed in the previous paragraph. Specifically, the method and system disclosed herein can determine the amount of time medical staff at a given treatment location will need to devote to administering OIT to patients, as well as the number of patients receiving OIT over a selected period of time. The method and system disclosed herein can further provide the amount of time providers and clinical staff at a given treatment location will need to devote to administering OIT to patients.

[0007] In some embodiments, a method for determining medical staffing requirements for administering medical treatment to patients at a treatment site includes receiving a number of patients to initiate medical treatment at the treatment site per predetermined time period; receiving a number of visits to the treatment site per patient to complete the medical treatment; receiving a time between visits to the treatment site per patient; determining a number of patients to receive medical treatment at the treatment site over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients to initiate medical treatment at the treatment site per week, the number of visits to the treatment site per patient to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits to the treatment site per patient; receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment site; determining the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient at the treatment site over the selected time period based on at least the number of patients to receive medical treatment at the treatment site per selected time period and the estimated time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient per visit at the treatment site; and displaying a graphical representation of the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient at the treatment site over the selected time period.

[0008] In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving the number of areas at a treatment location dedicated to medical treatment and the available treatment time for each area for a predetermined period of time, determining the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected period of time, and displaying a graphical representation of the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected period of time. In some embodiments, the method further includes determining when the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to a patient exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected period of time, and displaying a graphical representation that the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to a patient exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected period of time. In some embodiments, the method further includes displaying a graphical representation of the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over the selected period of time. In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving an estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment, and determining the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over the selected period of time is further based on the estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment.

[0009] In some embodiments, receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location includes at least one of receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to prepare the patient to begin the medical treatment, receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient, and receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of the medical treatment to each patient per visit. In some embodiments, receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient and receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of the medical treatment to the patient includes receiving an estimated percentage of patients being monitored as a group. In some embodiments, the method further includes determining when a steady state occurs, the steady state being when the rate of new patients equals the rate of patients completing the medical treatment. In some embodiments, the method further includes notifying the medical staff of the time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient at the treatment location over a selected period of time. In some embodiments, the medical staff includes at least one of a physician, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, or a registered nurse or medical assistant. In some embodiments, the medical treatment is oral immunotherapy.

[0010]

[0010] In some embodiments, a system for determining medical staffing requirements for providing medical treatment to patients at a treatment location is configured to: receive a number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location per predetermined time period; receive a number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment; receive a time between visits to the treatment location per patient; determine a number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location per week, the number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits to the treatment location per patient; receive an estimated time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location; determine the time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at the treatment location over the selected time period based on at least the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location for the selected time period and the estimated time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to each patient per visit at the treatment location; and display a graphical representation of the time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at the treatment location over the selected time period.

[0011]

[0011] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs includes instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the device to receive a number of patients initiating medical treatment at a treatment location per predetermined time period, receive a number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment, receive a time between visits to the treatment location per patient, determine a number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location per week, the number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits to the treatment location per patient, receive an estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location, determine a time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location per selected time period and the estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient per visit at the treatment location, and display a graphical representation of the time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient at the treatment location over a selected time period.

[0012]

[0012] In some embodiments, any one or more of the features of any one or more of the systems, methods, and / or computer-readable storage media described above may be combined, in whole or in part, with each other and / or with other features or features described elsewhere in this specification.

[0013] The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1A] 1 is a flowchart depicting an exemplary method for determining medical staffing requirements for providing medical treatment to a patient, according to some embodiments. [Figure 1B] 1B is a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 1A. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a first exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 illustrates a second exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 illustrates a third exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 illustrates a fourth exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 4D] FIG. 10 illustrates a fifth exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 illustrates a sixth exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 illustrates a seventh exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining various components of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 illustrates a first exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6B] FIG. 10 illustrates a second exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6C] FIG. 10 illustrates a third exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 6D]FIG. 10 illustrates a fourth exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 illustrates a computer according to some embodiments. [Figure 8A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8B] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8C] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8D] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8E] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 8F] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9A] FIG. 10 illustrates a fifth exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9B] FIG. 10 illustrates a sixth exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9C] FIG. 10 illustrates a seventh exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 9D] FIG. 13 illustrates an eighth exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system, according to some embodiments. [Figure 10]FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary graphical display of a medical staffing system according to an embodiment described herein. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining the time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at a treatment location during a peak week, according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining the time required for specialized medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at a treatment location during a peak week, according to embodiments described herein. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining available treatment times for all areas at a treatment location dedicated to medical treatment during peak weeks, according to examples described herein. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary spreadsheet for calculating / determining the number of patients receiving medical treatment at a treatment location during a peak week, according to examples described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015]

[0039] Described herein are exemplary embodiments of a system for determining staffing requirements for delivering medical treatments to patients that may address the problems and shortcomings described above. Such a system can assist medical staff and office managers in assessing and planning office capacity to prepare for a potential influx of patients being treated at a treatment location, including both the time required for medical staff to deliver the medical treatment and the designated territorial space (e.g., examination rooms) at the treatment location. In some embodiments, the medical treatment may be oral immunotherapy, although the present application is not limited to such treatments.

[0016]

[0040] The medical staffing system can ensure that medical treatment can be safely administered to patients by highlighting internal resources that may be needed during medical treatment. For example, the system can help a treatment location consider how much medical staff time is needed for each visit to the treatment location to properly prepare the patient for medical treatment and then safely administer the treatment. According to the treatment location's practice dynamics, medical staff time can be divided among physicians (e.g., allergists), clinical nurses / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants. Separately, the system can help the treatment location assess the area or space of the treatment location that is needed to safely administer medical treatment to evaluate potential future space / area constraint considerations based on estimated patient volume.

[0017]

[0041] A medical staffing system may be any device or system including one or more computer processors configured to receive data and / or inputs, evaluate and / or process the received data / inputs, and generate and transmit one or more output signals according to the results of the medical staffing system. In some embodiments, the medical staffing system may be provided, in whole or in part, as all or part of a desktop computing device, laptop, tablet, mobile electronic device, dedicated medical staffing processing device, computing module, processor, server, cloud computing system, distributed computing system, etc. In some embodiments, the medical staffing system may be provided locally with respect to the treatment location, while in some embodiments, the medical staffing system may be provided remotely from the treatment location (e.g., outside the treatment location, elsewhere within the hospital, at a remote server location, etc.). In some embodiments, the medical staffing system may be utilized by a field-based practice account manager (“PAM”) working on a wireless device with an HCP or office manager in providing inputs to the medical staffing system.

[0018]

[0042] In some embodiments, the staffing system may be configured to receive input data from a user of the system, process the input data, and determine medical staffing requirements for performing a medical treatment based on the received input data. In some embodiments, the staffing system may be configured to determine staffing requirements for performing a given medical treatment according to the techniques discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0019]

[0043] 1A-1B show a flowchart depicting an example method 100 for determining medical staffing requirements for administering medical treatment to patients at a treatment location, according to some embodiments. As described in detail below, method 100 may enable a medical staffing system to receive a number of patients initiating medical treatment at a treatment location per predetermined time period, receive a number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment, receive a time between visits to the treatment location per patient, determine a number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location per week, the number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits to the treatment location per patient, receive an estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment per patient per visit to the treatment location, determine the time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to patients at the treatment location over the selected time period based on at least the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location for the selected time period and the estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment per patient per visit at the treatment location, and display a graphical display of the time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to patients at the treatment location over the selected time period. In some embodiments, the medical staff can include at least one physician (eg, an allergist), at least one nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and / or at least one registered nurse or medical assistant.

[0020]

[0044] In some embodiments, method 100 may be performed, in whole or in part, by one or more components of a medical staffing system. In some embodiments, any one or more aspects of method 100 may be combined, in whole or in part, with any one or more of the systems, methods, devices, and / or techniques described elsewhere herein. The system may receive various inputs. These inputs may be derived from user input, another computer, and / or a data source (e.g., a document) sent to the staffing system.

[0021]

[0045] In block 102, in some embodiments, the system may receive a number of patients to initiate medical treatment at the treatment location per predetermined time period. In some embodiments, the system may receive a number of patients to initiate OIT at the treatment location per predetermined time period.

[0022]

[0046] The predetermined period of time may be, among other things, one day, one week, one month, one year, or may be daily, weekly, or monthly within a given quarter. In some embodiments, the system may only allow the same number of patients per week within a particular quarter (i.e., in the patient volume section input, one patient in quarter CQ-2 means one new patient per week for that quarter). For example, the number of patients initiating medical treatment at a treatment location per predetermined period of time (i.e., patient volume) may include the number of new patients initiating medical treatment per week within a particular quarter, as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving input to the medical staffing system. For example, a user may input an estimated number of patients initiating medical treatment per week for a given quarter within the provided space in the user interface. As shown in FIG. 2, the input may include estimates of the expected number of new patients per week for the two previous quarters (CQ-2, CQ-1), the current quarter, and the upcoming quarters (Q1-Q4). 8A is an exemplary graphical user interface for receiving new patients starting medical treatment each week as well as attrition percentages. In some embodiments, the system's output or display may provide a graphical display of the current and upcoming quarters, although these outputs / displays may take into account new starts from the previous quarter in the system's calculations.

[0023]

[0047] In some embodiments, receiving the number of patients who will initiate medical treatment at the treatment location per predetermined time period includes receiving an estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment. The estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment (i.e., attrition rate) may refer to the percentage of patients who will successfully complete the entire medical treatment process. In some embodiments, this percentage may refer to the percentage of patients who will successfully complete all escalation administration protocols of OIT (i.e., estimated percentage of patients who will complete OIT). As shown in FIG. 2, a user can input the attrition of patients who will complete the medical treatment in a provided space within the graphical user interface.

[0024]

[0048] At block 106, in some embodiments, the system may receive the number of visits to the treatment site per patient to complete the medical treatment, as well as the time between visits to the treatment site per patient during the medical treatment. The number of visits to complete the medical treatment and the time between visits may depend on the type of medical treatment. In some embodiments, the number of visits to the treatment site per patient to complete the medical treatment may be the number of visits after the initial dose of the medical treatment (i.e., subsequent booster dose steps and the first maintenance dose, if any). For example, the standard number of visits for a patient receiving Palforzia for peanut allergy is 12, plus 11 booster dose steps and the first therapeutic maintenance dose. A user of the system may have the option to input or adjust the visits and the time between visits based on the medical treatment and / or patient.

[0025]

[0049] The time between each patient's visits may be the estimated time (e.g., number of days) between each visit to a typical or standard patient care location. This input may be the number of days a typical patient at a given care location requires between visits. The purpose of receiving the number of visits for each patient, as well as the time between visits, may be to account for the "fluidity" of medical treatment; a typical patient in a healthcare setting may require more steps to complete an escalation dosing protocol, resulting in a longer treatment process for a standard every X days visit interval due to logistics, tolerance, or other issues. For example, FIGS. 2 and 8E show that a user can input the estimated number of patient visits to complete a medical treatment and the time between visits (i.e., capacity and scheduling).

[0026]

[0050] In block 108, in some embodiments, the system may determine the number of patients who will receive medical treatment at the treatment site over a selected period of time based on at least the number of patients who will begin medical treatment at the treatment site per predetermined period of time, the number of visits to the treatment site per patient to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits to the treatment site per patient. In some embodiments, determining the number of patients who will receive medical treatment at the treatment site over a selected period of time may be further based on an estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment, as shown in block 110.

[0027]

[0051] The following provides an example calculation for determining the number of patients receiving medical treatment at a treatment location over a selected period of time. As shown in FIG. 3, the estimated number of new patients per quarter per week received by the system can be stored in the system (shown in row 10). Calendar Week 1 in FIG. 3 may be the first week of the CQ-2 quarter (two quarters prior to the current quarter), where each quarter may have 13 weeks, and the same number of patients may begin medical treatment each week based on the input received by the system. FIG. 4A provides an example of various appointment times calculated based on the input received by the system in FIG. 2. FIG. 4A also shows the cumulative patient total, which is the total number of patients currently receiving medical treatment at the treatment location, regardless of whether the patient has come to the treatment location that particular week. FIG. 4B shows an example of one way the system can determine the number of patients receiving medical treatment at a treatment location. Specifically, the patient totals can be summed diagonally to determine the current number of patients being treated. The number of patients receiving medical treatment can also be subject to a decline curve (i.e., an estimated percentage of patients completing treatment). This decline curve can be applied to patient time rather than the number of patients per se. In some embodiments, the system can also determine when a steady state occurs. Steady state can refer to when the rate of new patients starting medical treatment equals the rate of patients completing medical treatment.

[0028]

[0052] At block 112, in some embodiments, the system may receive an estimated time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient per visit to a treatment location. In some embodiments, the estimated time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient per visit to a treatment location may include receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to prepare the patient to begin medical treatment, as shown in block 114. In some embodiments, this preparation or pre-work for a new patient includes the time required before the actual medical treatment begins (e.g., OIT escalation treatment begins). This preparation or pre-work for a new patient may include an initial consultation with a physician (e.g., an allergist), a clinical nurse or physician assistant, and / or a registered nurse or medical assistant, benefits investigation, and / or other preparations (e.g., insurance paperwork, scheduling, etc.). Thus, receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to prepare a patient to begin medical treatment can include receiving an estimated time required by at least one physician (e.g., an allergist or "ALG"), at least one nurse practitioner ("NP") or physician assistant ("PA"), and at least one registered nurse ("RN") or medical assistant ("MA") to prepare each new patient to begin medical treatment (e.g., OIT). In some embodiments, only one pre-work or preparation visit is required by the patient.

[0029]

[0053] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8B , the total estimated medical staff time for the preparation tasks required for a new patient can be entered into a graphical user interface (labeled “New Patient Preparation”). In some embodiments, the estimated physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, or registered nurse or medical assistant time for the preparation tasks required for a new patient can be entered into the user interface. In some embodiments, if three of the four estimated time inputs for medical staff (i.e., total, physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and registered nurse or medical assistant) have been entered into the system, the system can calculate the other estimated time inputs. For example, if a user enters the total estimated medical staff time, the estimated physician time, and the estimated nurse practitioner time for physician assistant for new patient preparation tasks, the staffing system can calculate the estimated registered nurse or medical assistant time by subtracting the estimated physician and nurse practitioner or physician assistant time from the total estimated medical staff time (i.e., RN / MA time = estimated total time - ALG time - NP / PA time). In some embodiments, the total estimated time for new patient preparation activities can be calculated from the aggregate of physician time, nurse practitioner or physician assistant time, and registered nurse or medical assistant time. For example, a user can input the time required for the physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and registered nurse or medical assistant, and the system can calculate the sum or aggregate of medical staff hours.

[0030]

[0054] In some embodiments, the estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location can also include receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient, as shown in block 116 of FIG. 1A. In some embodiments, the estimated time required by medical staff to administer the initial dose of the medical treatment can include the time required by medical staff to administer the OIT medication on the first treatment date. For example, for the medication Palforzia, this can be an initial dose of 0.5 mg to 6 mg on the first treatment date. In some embodiments, receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer the initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient can include receiving an estimated time required by an allergist, a clinical nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and a registered nurse or medical assistant to administer the initial dose of the medical treatment. In some embodiments, only one initial dose visit is required by the patient.

[0031]

[0055] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8C , the total estimated time required by medical staff to administer the initial dose of a medical treatment can be entered into the graphical user interface (labeled “Initial Dose Titration”). In some embodiments, the estimated initial dose escalation time required for each patient by physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, or registered nurse or medical assistant can be entered into the user interface. As with prep work, if three of the four estimated time inputs for medical staff (i.e., total, physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and registered nurse or medical assistant) have been entered into the system, the system can calculate the other estimated time input. For example, for administration of the initial dose, if the user enters the estimated total medical staff time, the estimated physician time, and the estimated nurse practitioner time for the physician assistant, the staffing system can calculate the estimated registered nurse or medical assistant time by subtracting the estimated physician and nurse practitioner or physician assistant times from the estimated total medical staff time (i.e., RN / MA time = estimated total time − ALG time − NP / PA time). In some embodiments, the total estimated time for administration of the initial dose can be calculated from the aggregate of the physician's time, the nurse practitioner or physician's assistant time, and the registered nurse or medical assistant time required. For example, a user can input the time required for the physician, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, and registered nurse or medical assistant, and the system can calculate the sum or aggregate of the medical staff hours.

[0032]

[0056] In some embodiments, the system can receive an estimated percentage of patients being monitored as a group during administration of an initial dose of a medical treatment in an area dedicated to the medical treatment. For example, some medical treatments allow for treatment to be administered to multiple patients simultaneously, thus reducing the time, manpower, and space requirements required to administer such treatment. In some embodiments, the staffing system can take this into account during the time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to each patient in an area dedicated to the medical treatment.

[0033]

[0057] In some embodiments, the estimated time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment for each patient per visit to the treatment site can include receiving an estimated time required to administer a subsequent dose escalation of the medical treatment for each patient per visit, as shown in block 118. In some embodiments, the estimated time required by medical staff to administer a subsequent dose escalation of the medical treatment can include the time required by medical staff to administer each of the dosing steps required for administration and / or observation at the treatment site (and in some embodiments, administering the first therapeutic maintenance dose). In some embodiments, receiving the estimated time required by medical staff to administer a subsequent dose escalation can include receiving an estimated time required by an allergist, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and a registered nurse or medical assistant to administer a subsequent dose of the medical treatment (i.e., the escalation dosing step) for each patient per visit.

[0034]

[0058] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 8D , the total estimated time required for medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of a medical treatment for each patient per visit can be entered into the user interface (labeled “Dose Escalation” or “Up-Dose Administration”). In some embodiments, the estimated physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, or registered nurse or medical assistant time for subsequent dose escalations for each patient per visit can be entered into the user interface. As with preparation tasks, if three of the four estimated time inputs for medical staff (i.e., total, physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant, and registered nurse or medical assistant) have been entered into the system, the system can calculate the other estimated time inputs. For example, if a user enters the estimated total medical staff time, the estimated physician time, and the estimated nurse practitioner time for the physician assistant for subsequent dose escalations, the staffing system can calculate the estimated registered nurse or medical assistant time by subtracting the estimated physician and nurse practitioner or physician assistant time from the estimated total medical staff time (i.e., RN / MA time = estimated total time − ALG time − NP / PA time). In some embodiments, the total estimated time for subsequent administrations can be calculated from the sum of the physician's time, the nurse practitioner or physician assistant's time, and the required time for the registered nurse or medical assistant.

[0035]

[0059] In some embodiments, the system can receive an estimated percentage of patients being monitored as a group during administration of subsequent dose escalations of a medical treatment. For example, some medical treatments allow for treatment to be administered to multiple patients simultaneously, thus reducing the time, manpower, and space requirements required to administer such treatment. In some embodiments, the staffing system can take this into account during the time required by medical staff to administer subsequent doses of a medical treatment per patient per visit. In some embodiments, the estimated percentage of patients being monitored as a group for administration of the initial dose and subsequent dose escalations can be the same or different.

[0036]

[0060] In block 120, in some embodiments, the system may determine the amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at the treatment location over the selected period of time based on at least the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over the selected period of time and the estimated amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location.

[0037]

[0061] The following provides an example calculation for determining the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients at a treatment location over a selected period of time. As shown in FIG. 3, the estimated number of new patients per quarter per week received by the system can be stored in the system. Calendar week 1 in FIG. 3 can be the first week of the CQ-2 quarter (two quarters prior to the current quarter), where each quarter can have 13 weeks and the same number of patients can begin medical treatment each week. The system can then calculate appointment times for each patient based on the input the system receives. For example, the preparation time required by medical staff to prepare each patient to begin medical treatment per week, the time required by medical staff to administer the initial dose of medical treatment per patient, and the time required by medical staff to perform subsequent dose escalations per patient per visit can be calculated.

[0038]

[0062] From the hypothetical example shown in Figure 4A, the actual total weekly appointments for week 1 may total 6 hours: 5 hours of supervised initial dose of medical treatment (with one patient in week 1) and 1 hour of supervised subsequent dose escalation (with one patient in week 1). In week 3, the time jumps to a total of 7 hours. These 7 hours include 5 hours of supervised initial dose escalation (with one patient in week 3), 1 hour of subsequent dose escalation (with one patient in week 3), and 1 hour of subsequent dose escalation (with the return visit of the patient in week 1). Figure 4A also shows cumulative new patients, which is the cumulative number of new patients a given treatment location has per week. Total Treated Patients - DE in Figure 4A refers to the total time of subsequent dose escalation of medical treatment by medical staff for patients per week. An example of this calculation is shown in Figure 4C. As shown in FIG. 4C, calendar weeks can be shown across the top and patient cohorts in the rows below (i.e., each row represents a new cohort initiating treatment). As an example, in week 1, there is one patient undergoing a subsequent dose escalation of medical treatment, so the number is 1. In week 2, the number is 0 because the same patient does not need to come to the treatment site for a dose escalation, as shown in FIG. 2, since the time between visits is 14 days. In week 3, the patient returns to the treatment site for the next dose, so they would again be counted as 1 in week 3, as shown in FIG. 4C. These patients can be summarized diagonally, as shown in FIG. 4D. Note that these times of subsequent dose escalation may be subject to a decay curve (i.e., the percentage of patients completing medical treatment). Accordingly, the weekly time required by the patient, and therefore the medical staff, to administer the medical treatment may decrease or decline according to the decay curve in some embodiments.

[0039]

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4A, to calculate the weekly preparation time required by the medical staff to prepare each new patient to start medical treatment, the system can multiply the received estimated time required by the medical staff to prepare each patient to start medical treatment by the received number of patients starting medical treatment in a given week. The following provides an example of calculating the preparation time (per week) required by the medical staff to prepare each new patient to start medical treatment. After the system receives the various inputs shown in FIG. 2, the preparation time required in one week for patients to start dose escalation (row 12) shown in FIG. 5A can be multiplied by the expected number of new patients in the next week (row 10) to calculate the current week's preparation time required by the medical staff to prepare each new patient to start medical treatment (row 25). Additionally, the preparation time required by the medical staff in the current week to prepare each new patient to begin medical treatment can be further broken down by the preparation time required by the physician (e.g., allergist), practice nurse / physician assistant, and registered nurse / medical assistant, based on the estimated input received by the system for each of the medical staff, as shown in rows 33, 36, and 39 of Figure 5B. Essentially, instead of using total hours, the individual specialist hours can be multiplied by the number of new patients beginning medical treatment in a given week.

[0040]

[0064] In some embodiments, the system can also calculate the amount of time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to patients each week using three separate received inputs: (1) the estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to patients, (2) the percentage of patients monitored in groups, and (3) the number of new patients starting the medical treatment. The system can first determine whether any of the patients are monitored as a group, and if so, treat the percentage of patients monitored together as one patient and the other patients separately. Thus, the system can calculate the weekly initial dose time required by medical staff by multiplying the number of distinct patients (patients grouped together are treated as one) by the received estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to patients. Furthermore, the time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to patients each week can be further broken down by the time required by physicians (e.g., allergists), clinical nurse practitioners / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants. Essentially, instead of using total hours, individual specialist hours can be multiplied by the number of new patients starting medical treatment in a given week.

[0041]

[0065] The following provides an example calculation of the initial dose time (per week) required by medical staff to administer a patient's initial dose of a medical treatment. After the system receives the various inputs shown in FIG. 2, the initial dose time for the current week (row 26) required by medical staff to administer a patient's initial dose of a medical treatment can be calculated by multiplying the weekly initial dose time (row 13) shown in FIG. 5A by the expected number of new patients for the next week (row 10). If three patients receive their first dose in a given week, but two of those patients are seen / monitored as a group, the system can treat it as if only two patients (strictly speaking, 1.5 patients) receive their initial dose in a given week. Furthermore, the time required by medical staff to administer a patient's initial dose of a medical treatment each week can be further broken down by the initial dose time required by physicians (e.g., allergists), nurse practitioners / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants, as shown in rows 31, 34, and 37 of FIG. 5B, based on the estimated inputs received by the system for each of the medical staff.

[0042]

[0066] In some embodiments, the system can also calculate the time required by medical staff to perform subsequent dose escalations of medical treatments for patients weekly by receiving three separate inputs: (1) the estimated time required by medical staff to perform subsequent dose escalations of medical treatments for each patient per visit, (2) the percentage of patients monitored in groups, and (3) the number of patients currently undergoing dose escalation. The system can first determine whether any of the patients are monitored as a group, and if so, treat the percentage of patients monitored together as one patient and the other patients separately. Thus, the system can calculate the time required by medical staff to perform weekly dose escalations by multiplying the number of different patients currently undergoing dose escalation (patients grouped together are treated as one) by the received estimated time required by medical staff to perform subsequent dose escalations of medical treatments for each patient per visit. Additionally, the time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of medical treatment to patients each week can be further broken down by the time required by physicians (e.g., allergists), nurse practitioners / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants. Essentially, instead of using total time, the individual specialist hours can be multiplied by the number of patients currently undergoing dose escalation in a given week.

[0043]

[0067] The following provides an example of calculating the subsequent dose escalation time (per week) required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of a patient's medical treatment. After the system receives the various inputs shown in Figure 2, the weekly subsequent dose escalation time (row 14) shown in Figure 5A can be multiplied by the total number of patients treated (row 23) to calculate the current week's subsequent dose escalation time (row 27) required by medical staff to administer subsequent doses of medical treatment to the patient. If three patients are receiving subsequent dose escalations in a given week, but two of the patients are seen / monitored as a group, the system will treat only two patients (strictly speaking, 1.5 patients) as receiving subsequent dose escalations in a given week. Additionally, the time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of medical treatment to patients each week can be further broken down by the subsequent dose times required by physicians (e.g., allergists), nurse practitioners / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants, based on the estimated input received by the system for each of the medical staff, as shown in rows 32, 35, and 38 of FIG. 5B.

[0044]

[0068] In some embodiments, the system can calculate the amount of time required by medical staff to administer a medical treatment to a patient per given period (e.g., week), taking into account the number of visits to complete the medical treatment and the time between visits. For example, the patient's total visit time at the treatment site in week 1 can be approximately 7 hours, including 5 hours to administer the initial dose of the medical treatment on day 1 and 2 hours for the subsequent dose escalation on day 2. In week 3, the patient can return for another subsequent dose escalation visit, which can take 2 hours. In this example, if the patient requires 12 visits to complete the medical treatment and the interval between visits is 14 days, it can take a total of 22 weeks ((12-1)*14 / 7=22) to complete the treatment (or 23 weeks if maintenance visits are required). If more days are required between visits, the system can account for that by rounding the number of days to the next week. For example, if 16 days are required between visits for a total of 12 visits, the total number of weeks to complete is 16 * (12 - 1) / 7 = 25.1 weeks, which can be rounded to 26 weeks. The system can also account for individual patient-based attenuation curves. Thus, if 80% of patients are assumed to remain at the end of the escalating dosing regimen (i.e., 80% of the time), and there is one patient and the dose escalation (DE) is 2, only 1.6 hours will be required at the end of treatment.

[0045]

[0069] In some embodiments, the system can then calculate the time (e.g., hours per week) for actual patient treatment (i.e., initial dose and subsequent dose escalations), as well as the time (e.g., hours per week) for actual patient treatment and patient preparation. The total time for actual patient treatment can be calculated by the sum of the time required by the medical staff to administer the initial dose and the time required by the medical staff to perform the dose escalation. The time for actual patient treatment and patient preparation can be calculated by the sum of the time required by the medical staff to administer the initial dose, the time required by the medical staff to perform subsequent dose escalations each week, and the preparation time required by the medical staff per week to prepare each new patient to begin medical treatment. The calculations in this paragraph can be further broken down by the time required by physicians (e.g., allergists), clinical nurses / physician assistants, and registered nurses / medical assistants, rather than the total medical staff.

[0046]

[0070] In some embodiments, the system can aggregate the weekly preparation time required by medical staff to prepare the patient to begin the medical treatment, the weekly time required by medical staff to administer the initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient, and the weekly time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of the medical treatment to the patient to calculate the total weekly time required by medical staff to administer the medical treatment to the patient, as shown in row 29 of Figure 5B.

[0047]

[0071] In block 122, in some embodiments, the system may receive the number of areas in a treatment location dedicated to medical treatments, as well as the available treatment times for each area per predetermined time period. An area dedicated to medical treatments may be any area in a treatment location (e.g., an examination room) that is dedicated to treating patients with a particular medical treatment. Such areas often require medical staff to administer medical treatments and monitor patients within the area without risking exposing the patient to other factors. In some embodiments, the system may receive the number of areas dedicated to OIT. As described above, these areas may be examination rooms dedicated to administering medical treatments to patients. For example, FIGS. 2 and 8F provide example inputs for the number of examination rooms dedicated to the medical treatment of peanut allergies, such as Palforzia.

[0048]

[0072] In some embodiments, the number of areas dedicated to medical treatment can also include the available time per area dedicated to medical treatment per predetermined period at a given treatment location. In some embodiments, the available time per area dedicated to medical treatment per week at a given treatment location is an estimate. As shown in FIG. 2, the total estimated available time per area dedicated to medical treatment can be entered into a user interface.

[0049]

[0073] In block 124, the system may determine the available treatment time for all areas in the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected time period. For example, the system may multiply the number of areas in the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment by the available treatment time per area to determine the available treatment time for all areas in the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over the selected time period. In some embodiments, the available treatment time for all areas in the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment may be the same for all time periods.

[0050]

[0074] In block 126, the system, in some embodiments, can determine when the time required by medical staff to administer a medical treatment to a patient exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over a selected period of time. In some embodiments, the time required by medical staff to administer a medical treatment to a patient can be simply the actual patient treatment (i.e., the time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose to the patient and the time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations to the patient). In some embodiments, the system can determine when the time required by medical staff to administer an actual patient treatment exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location.

[0051]

[0075] In block 128, the system, in some embodiments, may display a graphical representation of the amount of time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients at a treatment location over a selected period of time. In some embodiments, the graphical representation may be a graph of medical staff time required for each predetermined period of time versus the selected period of time. Examples of graphical representations of the amount of time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients at a treatment location over a selected period of time are shown in FIGS. 6A and 9A. The display may be further subdivided by specialty (i.e., physician / allergist, RN / medical assistant, and NP / PA). FIGS. 6B and 9B show examples of graphical representations of the amount of time required by specialized medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients at a treatment location over a selected period of time (e.g., administer Palforzia). These figures may provide medical staff with the amount of time they need to be staffed to handle the volume of patients receiving medical treatment for a given treatment location. 6A-6B and 9A-9B also show the hours per week required for set-up work for new patients, as well as the time required for actual patient treatment (i.e., initial dose administration and subsequent dose escalation), and the total time.

[0052]

[0076] In some embodiments, the system may also notify medical staff of the time needed by the medical staff to provide medical treatment to patients at the treatment location for a selected period of time. For example, the staffing system may include contact information for medical staff at the treatment location and may notify members of the medical staff when they need to be at the treatment location to meet the time requirements for providing medical treatment to patients at the treatment location for a selected period of time. In some embodiments, the staffing system may create work schedules for medical staff at the treatment location to meet the time requirements for providing medical treatment to patients at the treatment location for a selected period of time.

[0053]

[0077] In some embodiments, the system can display the total hours per week that medical staff provide medical treatment to patients, as well as the hours by individual medical staff specialists at peak times. The system can determine the peak by finding the highest point (most hours per week) along the preparation work curve. The week with the highest point along the preparation work curve can be used to find the peak week for the total time curve, the actual patient treatment curve, and the individual specialist hours per week curve. In some embodiments, the "peak" can only be calculated within a 52-week time frame.

[0054]

[0078] In block 130, the system may, in some embodiments, display a graphical representation of available treatment times for all areas at a treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over a selected time period. Examples of graphical representations of available treatment times for all areas at a treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over a selected time period are shown in Figures 6C and 9C.

[0055]

[0079] In block 132, the system, in some embodiments, can display a graphical indication that the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to medical treatment over a selected period of time. In some embodiments, the graphical indication can provide a warning to a user of the system that a given treatment location does not have enough area dedicated to medical treatment during a particular period to process all patients, as shown in FIGS. 6C and 9C. Thus, the system can inform a user when there is not enough area dedicated to medical treatment to accommodate actual patient treatment (i.e., initial dose administration and dose escalation). In this way, the medical staff or treatment location can take steps to prevent this problem by either dedicating more area to medical treatment and / or reducing the number of patients.

[0056]

[0080] In some embodiments, the system can calculate when (i.e., in what week) the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment site dedicated to medical treatment by determining when the curve for the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to patients at the treatment site, shown in Figures 6C and 9C, intersects with the curve for the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment site. In block 134, in some embodiments, the system can display a graphical representation of the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment site over a selected period of time, as shown in Figures 6D and 9D. In some embodiments, the system can display a graphical representation of the number of patients receiving medical treatment at a steady state, as described above. [Example]

[0057]

[0082] Below is a step-by-step example of the determination / calculation of peak weeks as described herein. The example below considers various inputs shown in Figure 2 and calculates various outputs for subsequent weeks. Using these inputs, the outputs are shown in Figure 10.

[0058]

[0083] First, we can calculate the amount of time medical staff will need to administer medical treatment (e.g., administer Palforzia) to patients at the treatment site during the peak week (i.e., week 78). Because the medical staffing system can look back two quarters, the peak week (in our example) would be the last calendar week 78 (26 weeks in the previous quarter + 52 weeks in the current year). This calculation can be shown in Figure 11. Specifically, row 29 shows 127 hours during the peak, which is the sum of "Hours / week: Preparation Work" (row 25, 30 hours) and "Hours / week: Active Patient Treatment" (row 28, 97 hours). "Hours / week: Active Patient Treatment" is the sum of "Total IDE (Supervised Time) per Week" (30 hours) and "Total DE (Supervised Time) per Week" (67 hours). Because there were six new patients per week in Q4, each requiring 5 hours of initial dose escalation, we can calculate "Total IDE per Week" (i.e., 6 * 5 = 30 hours). The "Total DE per week" can be calculated by first determining if any patients are monitored as a group and multiplying the DE hours required by the number of groups. In this example, 0% of patients are monitored as groups, so for this week, there are 67 total patients (row 23) multiplied by 1 hour of DE per patient, which equals 67 total hours.

[0059]

[0084] Second, the time required by the specialized medical staff (i.e., physicians / allergists, RNs / Med Assistants, and NPs / PAs) to provide medical treatment to patients at the treatment site during the peak week (e.g., administering Palforzia) can be calculated. This calculation is shown in Figure 12. Specifically, row 40 shows the total allergist / physician hours, which is the sum of the allergist / physician's IDE hours / week, DE hours / week, and preparation hours / week (rows 31-33). The allergist IDE hours / week (row 31) can be calculated by multiplying the total IDE per week (30 hours in week 78) by the percentage of IDE hours the allergist / physician worked on (1.25 ALG hours / 5 total hours = 25%), which equates to 7.5 hours of IDE time performed by the allergist / physician. Allergist / Physician DE Hours / Week (Row 32) can be calculated by multiplying the total DE hours per week (67 hours in Week 78) by the percentage of DE time the allergist / physician worked on (0.3 ALG hours / 1 hour total = 30%), which equals 20.1 hours of DE work done by the allergist / physician. Finally, allergist / physician Preparation Hours / Week (Row 33) can be calculated by multiplying the total preparation hours per week (30 hours in Week 78) by the percentage of DE time the allergist / physician worked on (0.25 ALG hours / 5 hours total = 5%), which equals 1.5 hours of preparation work done by the allergist / physician. The same calculation can be performed for NP / PA hours and RN / MA hours.

[0060]

[0085] Third, available treatment time for all areas of treatment locations dedicated to medical treatment during peak weeks can be calculated. This calculation is shown in Figure 13. This can be calculated by measuring the "Dedicated Exam Rooms Needed: Hours / Week," as shown in cell CA7 of Figure 13. The exam room hours / week required is the same calculation as the hours / week: Actual Patient Treatment in row 28, as explained above. However, there is a constraint to look at weeks when the required patient hours exceed the available exam room hours each week, allowing operations managers or treatment location directors to plan accordingly if capacity cannot meet demand. For example, a staffing system could look at a flag, as shown in row 8, to evaluate the following scenarios: (1) If capacity was already exceeded in the previous quarter, the cell could display "Week 1" as a warning. (2) If capacity will not be exceeded throughout the planning period, the cell could display "No." (3) If capacity will be exceeded in the current planning period, the week in which capacity will be exceeded can be displayed (in this example, the IDE+DE hours in week 6 exceed the total capacity of 40 hours, so the cell would display the message "Week 6").

[0061]

[0086] Finally, the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location during the peak week can be calculated. This calculation is shown in Figure 14. This can be calculated by summing the number of patients starting at week 78 (i.e., the peak week) and working backwards every two weeks to the past patients who are still in the bolus phase. This takes into account that (according to the input) six patients will begin arriving in Q4, but five patients are expected each week in Q3. That is, starting at week 78, the staffing system can work backwards and sum diagonally the six patients from week 78, the six patients from week 76, the six patients from week 74, to the six patients from week 66, the five patients from week 64, to the five patients from week 56, who are the last patients still in the bolus phase. Adding these together gives a total of 67 patients.

[0062]

[0087] 7 illustrates a computer, according to some embodiments. Computer 700 may be a component of a system for determining medical staffing requirements for performing a medical treatment. In some embodiments, computer 700 may be configured to perform a method for determining medical staffing requirements for performing a medical treatment, such as all or part of method 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0063]

[0088] The computer 700 may be a host computer connected to a network. The computer 700 may be a client computer or a server. As shown in Figure 7, the computer 700 may be any suitable type of microprocessor-based device, such as a personal computer, a workstation, a server, or a handheld computing device such as a phone or tablet. The computer may include, for example, one or more of a processor 710, an input device 720, an output device 730, a storage device 740, and a communication device 760.

[0064]

[0089] Input device(s) 720 may be any suitable device that provides input, such as a touchscreen or monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, or a voice recognition device. Output device(s) 730 may be any suitable device that provides output, such as a touchscreen, a monitor, a printer, a disk drive, or a speaker. In some embodiments, the output may be a document, such as a Microsoft Word document or a pdf document.

[0065]

[0090] The storage device 740 may be any suitable device providing storage, such as electrical, magnetic, or optical memory, including RAM, cache, a hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, a tape drive, or a removable storage disk. The communication device 760 may include any suitable device capable of sending and receiving signals over a network, such as a network interface chip or card. The components of a computer may be connected in any suitable manner, such as by a physical bus or wirelessly. The storage device 740 may be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing one or more programs that, when executed by one or more processors, such as the processor 710, cause the one or more processors to perform the methods described herein, such as all or a portion of the method 100 described above with respect to FIGS. 1A-1B.

[0066]

[0091] Software 750, which may be stored on storage 740 and executed by processor 710, may include, for example, programming (e.g., as embodied in systems, computers, servers, and / or devices such as those described above) that embodies functionality of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, software 750 may be implemented and executed on a combination of servers, such as an application server and a database server.

[0067]

[0092] The software 750 may also be stored on and / or transmitted to any computer-readable storage medium used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as those described above, that can fetch and execute instructions associated with the software. In the context of the present disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium may be any medium, such as storage device 740, that contains or can store programming used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

[0068]

[0093] The software 750 may also be propagated on any transmission medium used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as those described above, that can fetch and execute instructions associated with the software. In the context of this disclosure, a transmission medium may be any medium that can communicate, propagate, or transmit programming used by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Transmission-readable media may include, but are not limited to, electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or infrared wired or wireless propagation media.

[0069]

[0094] Computer 700 may be connected to a network, which may be any suitable type of interconnected communications system. The network may implement any suitable communications protocol and may be protected by any suitable security protocol. The network may include any suitable arrangement of network links capable of implementing the transmission and reception of network signals, such as wireless network connections, T1 or T3 lines, cable networks, DSL, or telephone lines.

[0070]

[0095] Computer 700 may implement any operating system suitable for operation over a network. Software 750 may be written in any suitable programming language, such as C, C++, Java, or Python. In various embodiments, application software embodying functionality of the present disclosure may be deployed in different configurations, such as, for example, in a client / server arrangement or via a web browser as a web-based application or web service.

[0071]

[0096] For purposes of explanation, the foregoing description has been described with reference to specific embodiments. However, the illustrative discussion above is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the technology and their practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to best utilize the technology and various embodiments, with various modifications suited to the particular use contemplated.

[0072]

[0097] Although the present disclosure and examples have been fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it should be noted that various changes and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as being included within the scope of the present disclosure and examples, as defined by the claims. Finally, the entire disclosures of the patents and publications referenced herein are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. 1. A system for determining medical staffing requirements for providing medical treatment to a patient at a treatment location, the system comprising: receiving a number of patients initiating medical treatment per predetermined time period at a treatment location; receiving a number of visits to the treatment location for each patient to complete the medical treatment; receiving a time between visits to the treatment location for each patient; determining a number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location each week, the number of visits per patient to the treatment location to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits per patient to the treatment location; receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to perform medical treatment for each patient per visit to said treatment location; determining the amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to the patients at the treatment location over the selected period of time based at least on the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location during the selected period of time and the estimated amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to each patient per visit at the treatment location; displaying a graphical representation of the time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to the patient at the treatment location over the selected time period; The system is configured as follows:

2. The system further comprises: receiving a number of areas at the treatment location dedicated to the medical treatment and available treatment time per area for the predetermined time period; determining available treatment times for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to the medical treatment over the selected time period; displaying a graphical representation of the available treatment times for all areas in the treatment location dedicated to the medical treatment over the selected time period; The system of claim 1 , configured to:

3. The system further comprises: determining when the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to the patient exceeds the available treatment time for all areas at the treatment location dedicated to the medical treatment over the selected period of time; displaying a graphical indication that the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to the patient exceeds the available treatment time for all areas in the treatment location dedicated to the medical treatment over the selected time period. The system of claim 2 , configured to:

4. The system further comprises: displaying a graphical representation of the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over the selected time period; The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured as follows:

5. The system described in any one of claims 1 to 3, further configured to receive an estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment, and wherein the process of determining the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over the selected period is further based on the estimated percentage of patients who will complete the medical treatment.

6. The system further configured to estimate the time required by medical staff to administer medical treatment to each patient per visit to the treatment location; The system comprises: receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to prepare the patient to begin said medical treatment; receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of a medical treatment to the patient; and receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of medical treatment to each patient per visit; The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, configured to perform at least one of the following:

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the system is configured to process receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to administer an initial dose of the medical treatment to the patient and an estimated time required by medical staff to administer subsequent dose escalations of the medical treatment, and further configured to process receiving an estimated percentage of patients being monitored as a group.

8. The system configured to determine when a steady state occurs; The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steady state is when the rate of new patients equals the rate of patients completing said medical treatment.

9. A system as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the system is configured to notify medical staff of the time required by the medical staff to provide medical treatment to the patient at the treatment location for the selected period.

10. The system of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the medical staff includes at least one of a physician, a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, or a registered nurse or medical assistant.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the medical treatment is oral immunotherapy.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs including instructions that, when executed by an electronic device, cause the device to: receiving a number of patients initiating medical treatment at a treatment location per predetermined time period; receiving a number of visits to the treatment location per patient to complete the medical treatment; receiving a time between visits to the treatment location for each patient; determining a number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location over a selected time period based on at least the number of patients initiating medical treatment at the treatment location each week, the number of visits per patient to the treatment location to complete the medical treatment, and the time between visits per patient to the treatment location; receiving an estimated time required by medical staff to perform medical treatment for each patient per visit to said treatment location; determining an amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to the patients at the treatment location over the selected period of time based at least on the number of patients receiving medical treatment at the treatment location during the selected period of time and the estimated amount of time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to each patient per visit at the treatment location; displaying a graphical representation of the time required by medical staff to provide medical treatment to the patient at the treatment location for the selected time period; A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

Images