Medical Imaging Upgrades Offer Improved Data Quality and Accessibility

Abstract

A platform, system, and method are described for efficient collection and processing of patient medical data, including medical images, videos, or multi-frames, and patient biometric information. The provision of a mobile device application including a scanning module configured to acquire patient biometric information and a direct or indirect interface with a network node comprising medical images obtained from a medical imaging system can, in various embodiments, reduce data loss in a clinical setting. Retrofitting an existing medical imaging system using the mobile device application and / or system configuration described herein can, in various embodiments, significantly increase the efficiency of data entry and analysis.

Description

[Background technology]

[0001]

[0001] Maintaining fidelity between clinical diagnostic data and patient biographical information is crucial to high-quality patient care. Should clinical diagnostic data become unrelated to the appropriate patient profile, for example, through a failure to associate all or a portion of the clinical diagnostic data with a patient profile or through incorrect association of the clinical diagnostic data with an inaccurate patient profile, the need to reacquire all or a portion of the clinical data and / or the possibility of an inaccurate diagnosis and / or prescribed treatment become of great concern.

[0002]

[0002] Traditionally, clinical diagnostic data (e.g., diagnostic medical imaging data) have been acquired using dedicated medical imaging devices and manually associated with a given patient's clinical profile. Even systems that may be connected to local electronic databases often require manual entry of patient information to efficiently label the clinical data and / or manual transfer of the clinical diagnostic data to specific target data repositories. Each time data is collected, failure to successfully perform either of these tasks can lead to data loss and / or data corruption, which can require expensive and unnecessary troubleshooting or data replacement and can adversely affect the quality of patient care. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0003] Many existing models of medical equipment used for clinical data acquisition (e.g., medical imaging devices such as ultrasound imaging devices, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, radiographic imagers (e.g., X-ray machines), positron emission tomography scanners, and computed tomography (CT) scanners) lack means for automated modification of clinical diagnostic data files to include a patient's clinical data profile (e.g., medical history records) and / or automated integration with a healthcare provider's clinical workflow systems. In many cases, patient identifying information must be manually entered into the clinical data acquisition system (e.g., medical imaging system) during or after the data acquisition session. Modifying stored clinical diagnostic data to include a patient's medical history records and / or integrating acquired clinical diagnostic data with a healthcare provider's workflow systems represents a second set of logistical bottlenecks that existing clinical data acquisition systems are often ill-equipped to handle. In each of these cases, the substitution, omission, or incorrect entry of a single numeric or alphanumeric character in a patient identifier (e.g., patient name, patient date of birth, patient sex, patient address, medical history number, medical record number, or health insurance number) or medical code (such as a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code or a Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) code) can severely impair a healthcare provider's ability to access or use the captured clinical data. Entering the patient identifier(s) and / or matching the patient identifier(s) to clinical data can be particularly prone to error when patient identifier information may be difficult to locate, difficult to read, or difficult to enter at the time of data capture (e.g., during time-critical situations such as medical emergencies or situations in which data capture occurs before the patient is admitted to a medical facility).

[0004]

[0004] Furthermore, medical equipment used for data acquisition is often very expensive to replace or upgrade, which can present logistical challenges for integration with newer, possibly incompatible, data management systems and / or peripherals associated with existing medical data acquisition systems at a medical care facility. In many cases, existing medical data acquisition systems (e.g., existing models of medical imaging systems) do not include integration means that facilitate the recording of patient identification information (e.g., patient identifier(s)), which can result in costly and possibly dangerous outages in clinical workflow resulting from the continued use of such data acquisition systems or the integration of such data acquisition systems with newer systems implemented in the same clinical setting. For example, a medical care facility that adds a new MRI scanner with specific patient information entry mechanisms may experience significant and persistent difficulties in the continued use of older models of MRI scanners at the facility, and manual and possibly customized systems and protocols may be required to coordinate the continued use of both machines (e.g., when data acquisition is performed on the same patient using each scanner during the same visit to the medical care facility).

[0005] Employing the platforms, systems, and methods described herein, which may include the use of a healthcare provider application having a module for acquiring patient identifier(s), when installed on, for example, a mobile device, may avoid many of the problems described herein that are inherent in or may arise from the use of a medical data acquisition system (e.g., a medical imaging system). In some cases, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein may be used, for example, to upgrade a medical imaging system to include a scanner capable of patient identifier acquisition. In some cases, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein may be used to create a combined patient data record, which may include, for example, patient identifier(s), diagnostic data (e.g., including medical imaging data), and / or existing medical record information. The platforms, systems, and methods described herein may improve data quality (e.g., by reducing data loss and increasing capacity for data recording) and / or the efficiency of the data acquisition process.

[0006] In one aspect, disclosed herein is a platform for providing an upgraded medical imaging system, the platform comprising: a plurality of patient electronic medical records (EMRs); The system includes: an electronic medical record system having a data store containing a unique patient identifier associated with a patient; an existing medical imaging system; a mobile device having a healthcare provider application, the healthcare provider application comprising: a scanning module configured to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with a patient; an accessibility module configured to provide a healthcare provider accessibility display on a screen of the mobile device including the unique patient identifier; and a front-end data quality module configured to transmit the unique patient identifier over a network; and a server having an interface application, the interface application comprising: a back-end data quality module configured to receive the unique patient identifier over the network; an imaging session module configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations including creating an imaging session record using the unique patient identifier, receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system, and creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image; and an EMR module configured to persist the medical imaging record to an electronic medical record for the patient in a data store of the electronic medical record system. In some embodiments, the data store comprises a database server. In other embodiments, the data store comprises a cloud data store. In various embodiments, the existing medical imaging system comprises an ultrasound device, an x-ray device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an endoscopy device, a thermography device, a photography device, an x-ray computed tomography (CT) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, an optoacoustic imaging device, or a combination thereof.In further embodiments, the existing medical imaging system is DICOM compliant. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application includes a front-end medical imaging workflow application. In further embodiments, the healthcare provider application is implemented as a native mobile application. In various embodiments, the unique patient identifier includes a text string, a number, a patient biometric feature, a linear barcode, a 2D barcode, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application acquires the unique patient identifier using a camera on the mobile device. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application further includes a healthcare provider sign-in module configured to verify the identity of the healthcare provider operating the healthcare provider application. In further embodiments, the interface application module is configured to transmit the medical imaging record to the healthcare provider. In still further embodiments, the interface application module is configured to transmit the medical imaging record to a dedicated communication server. In some embodiments, the interface application module is configured to use the unique patient identifier to retrieve patient information from an electronic medical record system. In some embodiments, the platform further includes a back-end medical imaging workflow application. In further embodiments, the back-end medical imaging workflow application is implemented as a cloud application. In some embodiments, the existing medical imaging system does not have access to the unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, neither the mobile device nor the healthcare provider application communicates directly with the existing medical imaging system. In some embodiments, the platform is configured to provide an upgraded medical imaging system without modifying the existing medical imaging system. In some embodiments, the front-end data quality module is further configured to initiate EMR queries.In a further embodiment, initiating the EMR query includes sending an EMR query initiation signal to the server. In a further embodiment, the interface application is configured to compare a timestamp of the unique patient identifier and a timestamp of the at least one medical image.

[0007]

[0007] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a computer-implemented method for improved data quality of an existing medical imaging device, the method including: utilizing a healthcare provider application on a mobile device to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with a patient; transmitting, by the healthcare provider application, the unique patient identifier over a network to an interface application on a server; receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system at the interface application over the network; creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image; and persisting the medical imaging record to a data store of an electronic medical record for the patient. In some embodiments, the method further includes creating an imaging session record using the unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, the data store comprises a database server. In other embodiments, the data store comprises a cloud data store. In some embodiments, the method further includes providing a healthcare provider accessibility display on a screen of the mobile device that includes the unique patient identifier. In various embodiments, the existing medical imaging system comprises an ultrasound device, a radiography device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an endoscopy device, a thermography device, a photography device, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, a photoacoustic imaging device, or a combination thereof. In further embodiments, the existing medical imaging system is DICOM compliant. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application is implemented as a native mobile application on a mobile device. In various embodiments, the unique patient identifier comprises a text string, a number, a patient biometric feature, a linear barcode, a 2D barcode, or a combination thereof.In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application obtains the unique patient identifier using a camera of the mobile device. In some embodiments, the method further includes verifying the identity of the healthcare provider operating the healthcare provider application. In some embodiments, the existing medical imaging system does not have access to the unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, neither the mobile device nor the healthcare provider application communicates directly with the existing medical imaging system. In some embodiments, the method further includes transmitting the medical imaging record to the healthcare provider. In further embodiments, the medical imaging record is transmitted from the interface application to a communication server. In some embodiments, the method further includes retrieving patient information from an electronic medical record system using the unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, the method provides an upgraded medical imaging system without modifying the existing medical imaging system. In some embodiments, the method further includes generating an EMR query initiation signal in the healthcare provider application. In further embodiments, the method further includes transmitting the EMR query to the electronic medical record system via the server.

[0008]

[0008] In another aspect, disclosed herein is a mobile computing device comprising at least one processor, memory, a display, a network interface, and instructions executable by the at least one processor for providing a healthcare provider application, the healthcare provider application including: a scanning module configured to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with a patient; an accessibility module configured to provide a healthcare provider accessibility interface on a display including the unique patient identifier; and a data quality module configured to transmit the unique patient identifier over a network, utilizing the network interface, to a server including an interface application for integration with at least one medical image generated by a medical imaging system to create a medical imaging record, the transmitted unique patient identifier and the medical imaging record being persisted to an electronic medical record for the patient in a data store of an electronic medical record system. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application is implemented as a mobile native application. In other embodiments, the healthcare provider application is implemented as a mobile web application. In some embodiments, the mobile computing device further comprises a camera. In a further embodiment, the scanning module of the healthcare provider application obtains the unique patient identifier utilizing the camera of the mobile computing device. In various embodiments, the unique patient identifier comprises a text string, a number, a patient biometric characteristic, a linear barcode, a 2D barcode, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider accessibility interface comprises an audio representation of the unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider accessibility interface comprises an enlarged, high-contrast representation of the unique patient identifier.In some embodiments, the network interface comprises a wireless network interface controller, and the network comprises a wireless network. In some embodiments, the electronic medical record system includes a plurality of patient electronic medical records (EMRs). In various embodiments, the medical imaging system comprises an ultrasound device, a radiography device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an endoscopy device, a thermography device, a photography device, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, a photoacoustic imaging device, or a combination thereof. In further embodiments, the medical imaging system is DICOM compliant. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application further includes a healthcare provider sign-in module configured to verify the identity of a healthcare provider operating the healthcare provider application. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application further includes a medical imaging workflow interface. In some embodiments, the healthcare provider application further includes an EMR query module configured to initiate an EMR query for the patient. In further embodiments, initiating the EMR query includes sending an EMR query initiation signal to a server. In some embodiments, the medical imaging system does not have access to a unique patient identifier. In some embodiments, neither the mobile device nor the healthcare provider application communicates directly with the medical imaging system.

[0009] A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present subject matter will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description, which sets forth illustrative embodiments and the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1]

[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting example of a computing device; where the device has one or more processors, memory, storage, and a network interface. [Figure 2]

[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a non-limiting example of an overall platform architecture; in this case, the architecture illustrates direct and indirect integration of mobile devices containing healthcare provider applications with a server-based medical data acquisition system. [Figure 3]

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a first example of a process flowchart, according to an embodiment; in this case, the process flowchart illustrates a first method for improved data quality in a medical imaging device. [Figure 4]

[0013] FIG. 10 illustrates a second example of a process flowchart, according to an embodiment; in this case, the process flowchart illustrates a second method for improved data quality in a medical imaging device. [Figure 5]

[0014] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an architecture diagram, according to an embodiment; in this case, the architecture diagram includes a healthcare provider application, a medical imaging device, a server, and a medical record database. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011]

[0015] Described herein, in certain embodiments, is a platform for providing an upgraded medical imaging system, the platform comprising: an electronic medical record system comprising a data store including a plurality of patient electronic medical records (EMR); an existing medical imaging system; a mobile device comprising a healthcare provider application, the healthcare provider application comprising: a scanning module configured to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with the patient, an accessibility module configured to provide a healthcare provider accessibility display on a screen of the mobile device including the unique patient identifier, and a front-end data quality module configured to transmit the unique patient identifier over a network; a server comprising an interface application, the interface application comprising: a back-end data quality module configured to receive the unique patient identifier over the network; an imaging session module configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations including creating an imaging session record using the unique patient identifier, receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system, and creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image; and a server comprising an EMR module configured to persist the medical imaging record to an electronic medical record for the patient in the data store of the electronic medical record system.

[0012]

[0016] Also described herein, in certain embodiments, is a computer-implemented method for improved data quality of existing medical imaging devices, the method including utilizing a healthcare provider application on a mobile device to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with a patient, transmitting, by the healthcare provider application, the unique patient identifier over a network to an interface application on a server, receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system over the network at the interface application, creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image, and persisting the medical imaging record to an electronic medical record data store for the patient.

[0013]

[0017] Also described herein, in certain embodiments, is a mobile computing device comprising at least one processor, memory, a display, a network interface, and instructions executable by the at least one processor for providing a healthcare provider application, the healthcare provider application including: a scanning module configured to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with a patient; an accessibility module configured to provide a healthcare provider accessibility interface including the unique patient identifier on a display; and a data quality module configured to transmit the unique patient identifier over a network utilizing the network interface to a server including an interface application for integration with at least one medical image generated by a medical imaging system to create a medical imaging record, wherein the transmitted unique patient identifier and medical imaging record are persisted to an electronic medical record for the patient in a data store of the electronic medical record system. overview

[0018] 2 shows a schematic diagram of devices, platforms 200, and systems 200 that may be useful in acquiring medical diagnostic data, acquiring patient identifier data, creating or modifying patient medical records, and / or upgrading existing medical equipment, such as medical imaging systems, for example, as described herein. A mobile device 204 including a mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application) may be used to acquire one or more patient identifiers 202 (e.g., including patient barcodes), for example, using the camera or scanner of the mobile device 204. The one or more patient identifiers 202 may optionally be converted from a first format to a second format (e.g., from an image file to a text string or file) using the mobile device application. The one or more patient identifiers 202 (e.g., in a format specific to the acquisition method or in a format modified to the second format) may be transmitted by the mobile device application to a virtual (e.g., cloud-based) server 208 via a wired or wireless network connection, which may comprise a telecommunications network. The virtual server 208 can send one or more patient identifiers to an interface application instantiated on the virtual or physical server 214 (e.g., see 210 in FIG. 2 ). In some cases, the virtual or physical server 214 can send information (e.g., including status and / or connection information) to the virtual server 208 (e.g., see 212 in FIG. 2 ). In some cases, the one or more patient identifiers 202 can be sent directly by a mobile device application to an interface application instantiated directly on the virtual or physical server 214 (e.g., see 216 in FIG. 2 ). The interface application instantiated on the virtual or physical server 214 can be configured to receive medical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) from a medical imaging system 218 (e.g., an existing medical imaging system).In some cases, the interface application instantiated on the server 214 can combine one or more patient identifiers and medical diagnosis data into a medical imaging record. In some cases, the interface application of the server 214 can be configured to transmit the medical imaging record to a data store of an electronic medical record system 224 (EMR system) (e.g., see 222 in FIG. 2 ). In some cases, the interface application instantiated on the server 214 can be configured to receive an electronic medical record (EMR) (e.g., associated with one or more patient identifiers) from the EMR system 224, for example, following relay of an EMR query from the interface application to the EMR system 224 (e.g., as a result of an EMR query initiation signal sent by a mobile device application to the interface application), as described herein. In some cases, the interface application instantiated on the server 214 can be configured to transmit all or a portion of the information including the EMR to the virtual server 208 (e.g., see 212 in FIG. 2 ) and / or to a mobile device application instantiated on the mobile device 204.

[0014]

[0019] 3 and 4 show flowcharts of embodiments of methods 3000 and 4000, respectively, that may be useful, for example, in obtaining medical diagnostic data, obtaining patient identifier data, creating or modifying patient medical records, and / or upgrading existing medical equipment such as medical imaging systems, as described herein. In some cases, a mobile device application (e.g., a Healthcare Provider Application (HPA)) may present a login prompt to a user (e.g., a healthcare provider), for example, on the screen of a mobile device on which the mobile device application is instantiated, as shown in optional steps 3010 and 4010. The login challenge to the user may increase data security by verifying the identity of the user (e.g., an authorized user such as a particular authorized healthcare provider). In some embodiments, successful validation of the user's login information after the login challenge (e.g., as in steps 3020 and 3010 and as shown in steps 4020 and 4010) may also connect a subsequent mobile device application usage session with a particular user profile, which may be used to (e.g., automatically) access a particular set of patient data (e.g., from one or more electronic medical records and / or one or more past medical imaging records) and / or connect to or interact with a particular set of medical imaging systems and / or a particular interface application (IA). In some cases, the user login challenge and validation may be used to apply preferred settings associated with the methods, platforms, or systems described herein.For example, a method, platform, or system described herein may be configured to access or interface with a wireless or telecommunications network to (e.g., automatically) send a message (e.g., a patient identifier, medical diagnostic data, electronic medical record, medical imaging record, a confirmation message, a session summary message, or a combination thereof) to a telecommunications destination (e.g., an email account or voicemail), either automatically or upon input from a user during or after a usage session. In some cases, the method may include presenting a user interface (e.g., in step 3030 or step 4030), e.g., via a screen of a mobile device, as a result of successful validation (e.g., in step 3020 or step 4020) of login information provided by the user via a challenge (e.g., in step 3010 or step 4010). In some cases, presenting the user interface may include applying user accessibility settings and preferences (e.g., adjusting display font, color, contrast, and / or applying speech-to-text functionality), as described herein. In some cases, presenting a user interface may include presenting options for the functionality of the platform, system, or method to the user. For example, presenting a user interface (e.g., as in step 3030) may include presenting a user interface including a scan option (e.g., to initiate acquisition of patient identifier data, e.g., through operation of a camera or scanner of a mobile device), a settings option (e.g., to adjust or implement accessibility functionality), and / or an EMR query option (e.g., to allow a user to define and / or submit an EMR query, e.g., by sending an EMR query initiation signal, as described herein).Methods 3000 and 4000 may include obtaining patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more unique patient identifiers (UPIs)), for example, by operating a camera or scanner of a mobile device in response to a command input by a user (e.g., as shown in step 3040 or step 4040).

[0015]

[0020] Methods 3000 and 4000 may include displaying the acquired patient identifier data on a mobile device display, which may comprise a screen (e.g., as shown in step 3050 or step 4050). Displaying the acquired patient identifier data to a user may improve data quality, e.g., by allowing a user to research the acquired patient identifier data against the original source of the patient identifier data, e.g., by presenting the user with an opportunity to re-acquire the patient identifier data while the opportunity to do so is still at hand. Additionally, displaying the acquired patient identifier data to a user (e.g., as shown in step 3050 or step 4050) may improve the accessibility of existing medical imaging systems, which may lack a means for displaying the acquired patient identifier data or may comprise a display that lacks adequate display accessibility (e.g., the display lacks sufficient capabilities for adjusting font type, font size, color, contrast, and / or for implementing other accessibility features, such as speech-to-text functionality). In some cases, patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more unique patient identifiers) may be manually entered (e.g., by a user) into the mobile device, for example, via a display of the mobile device. In some cases, the display may be used to confirm patient identifier data manually entered (e.g., by a user) into the mobile device.

[0016]

[0021] Method 3000 may include, for example, transmitting patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more UPIs) directly from a mobile device application (e.g., mobile device HPA) or a module thereof to an interface application (IA), which may be instantiated on a virtual or physical server, as described herein, as shown in step 3060. In some cases, the interface application (IA) instantiated on the virtual or physical server may include a module (e.g., a back-end data quality module) configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more unique patient identifiers) from the mobile device application instantiated on the mobile device (e.g., as shown in step 3070).

[0017]

[0022] In some cases, method 4000 may include receiving the patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more UPIs) from a module of the mobile device application at a front-end medical imaging workflow application (FEMIWA), which may be instantiated on or serve as a virtual server (e.g., cloud-based server 208), either after displaying the patient identifier data on a mobile device display or after acquiring the patient identifier data (e.g., using a scan module of the mobile device application as described herein), for example, as shown in step 4060 of FIG. 4. In some cases, method 4000 may include transmitting all or a portion of the patient identifier data from the FEMIWA to an interface application (IA), which may be instantiated on the physical or virtual server 214 (e.g., as shown in step 4062 of FIG. 4). A module of the IA (e.g., a back-end data quality module of the IA) may be configured to receive the patient identifier data from the FEMIWA (e.g., as shown in step 4070).

[0018]

[0023] 3 and 4, respectively, methods 3000 and 4000 may include creating an imaging session record (e.g., in an imaging session module of an IA) based on patient identifier data (e.g., which may include one or more unique patient identifiers (UPIs)), as described herein, and as shown in steps 3080 and 4080, for example. In some cases, methods 3000 and 4000 may include receiving medical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) in a module of the IA (e.g., in an imaging session module of the IA), as shown in steps 3090 and 4090. In some cases, methods 3000 or 4000 may include creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on all or a portion of the patient identifier data (e.g., one or more unique patient identifiers) and all or a portion of the medical diagnostic data (e.g., one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) received from the medical imaging system, as shown in steps 3100 and 4100, for example. In some cases, a platform, system, or method (e.g., method 3000 or 4000) described herein may include creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on all or a portion of patient identifier data and all or a portion of a set of medical diagnostic data (e.g., one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) present on the virtual or physical server 214 (e.g., stored on the server 214 or previously received from a medical imaging system, an EMR system, or another source, e.g., via a wired or wireless network connection or telecommunications network connection). In some cases, a mobile device may be used to create the medical diagnostic data (e.g., the mobile device comprises an ultrasound scanner), and optionally, to create a medical imaging record based at least in part on all or a portion of the patient identifier data and all or a portion of the medical diagnostic data.Method 3000 or 4000 may include, for example, persisting the medical imaging record to an electronic medical record system (EMR system) (e.g., via an EMR module of the IA), as shown in steps 3110 and 4110.

[0019]

[0024] Optionally, method 3000 or 4000 may include sending by the IA (e.g., by an EMR module of the IA) a patient record query (e.g., including one or more patient identifiers) to an electronic medical record system (EMR system), e.g., after receiving medical diagnostic data at the IA (e.g., as shown in steps 3092 and 4092). Optionally, method 3000 or 4000 may include receiving by the IA (e.g., by an EMR module of the IA) patient record data (e.g., including one or more electronic medical records (EMRs) corresponding to the one or more patient identifiers sent to the EMR system by the EMR query) from the EMR system, e.g., as shown in steps 3094 and 4094 (e.g., prior to creation of a medical imaging record at the IA, which may be based in part on the one or more EMRs received by the EMR module).

[0020]

[0025] 5 shows a schematic diagram of devices, platforms, and systems that may be useful, for example, in acquiring medical diagnostic data, acquiring patient identifier data, creating or modifying patient medical records, and / or upgrading existing medical equipment, such as medical imaging systems, as described herein. In some cases, a mobile device application 5040 (e.g., instantiated on a mobile device) may include a scanning module 5042, an accessibility module 5044, and / or a data quality module 5046 (e.g., a front-end data quality module). In some cases, the scanning module 5042 may be configured to acquire patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more patient identifiers), for example, by interfacing with and / or operating a scanner or camera of the mobile device. In some cases, the scanning module 5042 may be configured to transmit all or a portion of the patient identifier data to the accessibility module 5044 of the mobile device application 5040. The accessibility module 5044 of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to display (and optionally adjust the format or presentation of) all or a portion of the patient identifier data to a user (e.g., a healthcare provider) to improve the accessibility (e.g., readability) of the patient identifier data to the user. In some cases, the scanning module 5042 of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to send all or a portion of the acquired patient identifier data to a data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application 5040. In some cases, the data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to send all or a portion of the acquired patient identifier data to a physical or virtual server 5080 (e.g., to a data quality module 5082 of an interface application 5081 instantiated on the physical or virtual server 5080).In some cases, the interface application 5081 (e.g., instantiated on a physical or virtual server 5080) may include a data quality module 5082 (e.g., a back-end data quality module), an imaging session module 5084, and / or an EMR module 5086. In some cases, the data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to send all or a portion of the patient identifier data to the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081. In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to receive medical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames 5182) from a medical imaging system 5180 (e.g., an existing medical imaging system). In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to create a medical imaging record (e.g., based on all or a portion of the patient identifier data and all or a portion of the medical diagnostic data). In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 may be configured to send the medical imaging records to an electronic medical record module 5086 (EMR module) of the interface application 5080. In some cases, the EMR module is configured to persist the medical imaging records to a data store 5241 of an electronic medical record system 5240 (EMR system). In some cases, the EMR module 5086 is configured to receive one or more electronic medical records 5242 (EMR) from the EMR system 5240, for example, in response to an EMR query, which may be sent by the EMR module 5086 to the EMR system 5240 as a result of an EMR query initiation signal sent from the data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application 5040 to the interface application 5081. In some cases, all or a portion of the information comprising the EMR may be modified by or incorporated into the medical imaging record (e.g., by appending all or a portion of the medical imaging record).In some cases, one or more (e.g., corrected or uncorrected) EMRs may be transmitted from the EMR module 5086 to, or a portion of, the EMR system 5240. In some cases, all or a portion of the information received by a module of the interface application 5080, including one or more EMRs 5242, may be transmitted (e.g., by the accessibility module 5044) to the mobile device application 5040, for example, for display on the screen of the mobile device. Healthcare Provider Application

[0026] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein can include a mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application). As described herein, the mobile device application can assist in the acquisition of patient identifier(s) (e.g., patient identifier data 202) and can facilitate the creation of a combined medical data file (e.g., medical imaging record) that can include clinical diagnostic data (e.g., medical image data) and one or more patient identifier(s). The flexibility and ease of use afforded by the mobile device applications described herein can increase the quality of clinical diagnostic data when utilized, for example, in outpatient or critical care settings (e.g., emergency department care), when opportunities for patient identifier collection may be limited and / or stressful and continuity of patient identifier and diagnostic data acquisition may be vulnerable.

[0021]

[0027] A mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application) may be instantiated on a mobile device used by a healthcare provider, such as a clinical provider (e.g., a physician, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, or clinical nurse specialist) or a medical technician (e.g., a paramedic, ultrasound technician, electroencephalographer, or radiology technician such as an X-ray technician). For example, the mobile device application may run on the healthcare provider's or technician's personal phone or on a phone owned and / or operated by the medical facility and used by a department or individual responsible for patient care or data acquisition. In some cases, the mobile device application described herein may be implemented as a native mobile application. For example, the mobile device application may be coded within the mobile device's operating system, which may improve the speed and reliability of the application's function on the mobile device. In some cases, the mobile device application may be implemented as a mobile web application. In some cases, the mobile device application may be downloaded to the mobile phone (e.g., over a network). The downloadable mobile device application described herein may be used to upgrade existing mobile devices that do not include the mobile device application as a native mobile application. In some cases, the portability and accessibility of mobile devices may reduce the potential for data quality loss because it may be easier for providers or technicians to quickly record patient identifiers compared to using desktop or laptop computer terminals or manual logging systems, which may require providers or technicians to separately log in and / or pause patient care to enter patient identifier data.

[0022]

[0028] The mobile device 204 on which a mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application) described herein is instantiated may include an imaging device. For example, the imaging device of the mobile device may include a camera that may be used to acquire, for example, patient identifier information (e.g., optical image data that may include a unique patient identifier). The mobile device application may be configured to receive data from the imaging device of the mobile device on which the mobile device application is instantiated. In some cases, the mobile device application described herein may be configured to control data (e.g., patient identifier) ​​acquisition by, for example, interfacing with and / or operating the imaging device of the mobile device. In some cases, the mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application) may include a scanning module 5042. The scanning module of the mobile device application may be configured to acquire a patient identifier associated with the patient. For example, the scanning module of the mobile device application may be configured to receive image data including a barcode, numeric or alphanumeric code (e.g., a unique patient identifier, a hospital patient identification (ID) number, a patient name, a patient address, a social security number, a patient gender), or other patient identifier data (e.g., a fingerprint scan or a retinal scan). The scanning module 5042 of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to transmit the patient identifier data (e.g., one or more patient identifiers) to the accessibility module 5044 of the mobile device application, for example, for display of the patient identifier data on the screen of the mobile device.In some cases, the scanning module of the mobile device application may be configured to convert data received from the imaging device of the mobile device from a first format (e.g., an image format) to a second format (e.g., a text format), e.g., to increase the compatibility of patient identifier information received from the imaging device of the mobile device with other data from the patient's medical imaging record or electronic medical record (EMR), and / or to reduce the amount of time required for an individual (e.g., a provider, technician, or other personnel) to convert the image data into data that is compatible with the medical record or otherwise incorporate the patient identifier(s) captured in the image data into the patient's diagnostic imaging data and / or medical imaging record. The scanning module 5042 may be configured to transmit the patient identifier data (e.g., one or more patient identifiers) to a data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application, e.g., for subsequent transmission to a server 5080 of a platform, system, or method described herein.

[0023]

[0029] In some cases, the scanning module can interface with a mobile device's camera and a mobile device's display to, for example, assist in the acquisition of patient identifier data. In some cases, optical data from the camera can be provided in a live feed from the camera to a display to, for example, provide a user with visual references for adjusting focus, distance, orientation, framing, and / or lighting during patient identifier data acquisition. Such visual references can reduce the likelihood that acquisition of patient identifier information will need to be attempted again (e.g., due to insufficient acquisition of image data with the camera, causing the patient identifier data to be incomplete or illegible). In some cases, a guidance reticle can be displayed to assist in positioning and focusing the camera (e.g., relative to a patient identifier target containing patient identifier data) during patient identifier data acquisition. In some cases, the guidance reticle can include an on-screen shape and positioning that indicates optimal positioning of the camera relative to the patient identifier target for patient identifier data acquisition. In some cases, the guidance reticle shape can be round (e.g., circular, for capturing retinal or iris pattern data), rectangular (e.g., for capturing linear barcode, numeric, or alphanumeric data), or square (e.g., for capturing 2D barcodes).

[0024]

[0030] In some cases, the scanning module may be configured to receive all or a portion of the set of patient identifier(s) by direct user input. For example, the scanning module may be configured to receive numeric or alphanumeric patient identifier data by a keypad displayed on the screen of the mobile device. In some cases, the scanning module may be configured to receive drawn patient identifier data (e.g., data handwritten on the screen of the mobile device using a finger or stylus compatible with the mobile device).

[0025]

[0031] In some cases, the mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application) may include an accessibility module 5044. The accessibility module may be configured to provide an accessibility display to the healthcare provider via the screen of the mobile device. The accessibility module may be configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., one or more unique patient identifiers) from the scanning module 5042 of the mobile device application 5040. The one or more patient identifiers (e.g., acquired via an imaging device of the mobile device and / or entered directly into the mobile device via input from the user typed or drawn) may be displayed to the user (e.g., a healthcare provider) by the accessibility module (e.g., via an accessibility display). In some cases, presentation of the patient identifier data (e.g., received by the mobile device application via the scanning module and / or the accessibility module) to the user may enable the user to verify the accuracy and / or completeness of the patient identifier data at the time of patient identifier data acquisition. In some cases, this may improve data quality by alerting the user to errors in the patient identifier data while an opportunity for patient identifier acquisition still exists. For example, displaying patient identifier data to a user via the accessibility module can reveal any typographical errors and / or data reading or conversion errors (e.g., due to blurry, poorly bordered, or poorly lit images).

[0026]

[0032] Additionally, the accessibility module 5044 may be configured to improve the ease of understanding information displayed by a mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application) (e.g., by the mobile device via a healthcare provider accessibility interface), which may include one or more patient identifiers and / or information from the patient's medical imaging records and / or the patient's medical record. In some cases, the accessibility module may be configured to make the text more readable, for example, by increasing the size of the text displayed on the screen of the mobile device, by modifying the color and / or brightness of portions of the display (e.g., adjusting or inverting the contrast of the display to improve readability and reduce eye strain and / or adjusting the colors of the display, for example, to accommodate a user's color blindness), by converting the text to speech (e.g., to reduce the need for the user to divert their attention from the patient and / or to accommodate a user's reduced eyesight), and / or by translating verbal commands provided by the user into executable commands capable of controlling one or more functions of the mobile device application (e.g., to reduce the need for the user to divert their attention from the patient). In some cases, the healthcare accessibility interface can include an audio representation of the patient identifier data (e.g., produced by a text-to-speech or image-to-speech computer protocol). In some cases, the healthcare accessibility interface can include an enlarged, high-contrast representation of the patient identifier data (e.g., displayed on a mobile device screen).

[0027]

[0033] In some cases, the numeric, alphanumeric, and / or depicted patient identifier data may be received by the mobile device application via an accessibility module of the mobile device application. In some cases, a scanning module of the mobile device application may interface with the scanning module of the mobile device application. In some cases, the numeric, alphanumeric, and / or depicted patient identifier data (e.g., received by the scanning module and / or accessibility module of the mobile device application) may be incorporated into or associated with patient identifier data (e.g., as image data) captured by an imaging device of the mobile device by the mobile device application. In some cases, the mobile device application may be configured to directly or indirectly transmit the patient identifier data received via the scanning module and / or accessibility module, as well as the image data received via the scanning module, to a server (214, 5080) of a platform or system described herein.

[0028]

[0034] The mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application) can include a data quality module (e.g., a front-end data quality module 5046). The data quality module (e.g., a front-end data quality module 5042) of the mobile device application 5040 can be configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., one or more patient identifiers) from the scanning module of the mobile device application for subsequent transmission to a server 5080 of, for example, a platform, system, or method described herein. In some cases, a data quality module (e.g., front-end data quality module 5042) of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to convert data received from the mobile device's imaging device (e.g., via a scanning module) from a first format (e.g., an image format) to a second format (e.g., a text format), e.g., to increase the compatibility of patient identifier information received from the mobile device's imaging device with other data from the patient's medical imaging record or electronic medical record (EMR), and / or to reduce the amount of time required for an individual (e.g., a provider, technician, or other personnel) to convert the image data into data that is compatible with the medical record or otherwise incorporate patient identifier(s) captured in the image data into the patient's diagnostic imaging data and / or medical imaging record. The data quality module of the mobile device application may be configured to transmit data (e.g., patient identifier data obtained by manual entry by a user and / or by image data captured by the mobile device's imaging device) to, e.g., an interface application 5081 of the server 5080, which may include data obtained or received by the mobile device application over a network. In some cases, a data quality module (eg, a front-end data quality module) may be configured to transmit data wirelessly over a network.In some cases, the data quality module of the mobile device application may be configured to transmit data to one or more servers (e.g., comprising one or more physical servers and / or one or more virtual servers, such as a cloud-based application). In some cases, the data quality module of the mobile device application may be configured to transmit data over a telecommunications network (e.g., to one or more servers (208, 214, 5080), which may include one or more remote servers). In some cases, the data quality module of the mobile device application may be configured to transmit data over short-range wireless communication (e.g., via a wireless local area network (WLAN) such as a WiFi network, via a personal area network (PAN) such as Bluetooth™ or ZigBee™, or via an ultra wideband (UWB) system) (e.g., to one or more servers (208, 214, 5080), which may include one or more local servers). In some cases, a data quality module of a mobile device application instantiated on a mobile device 204 may be configured to transmit data (e.g., including patient identifier data 202) to a first (e.g., virtual) server 208 (e.g., as shown by path 206 in FIG. 2 ) before being transmitted by the first (e.g., virtual) server 208 to a second (e.g., physical) server 214 (e.g., as shown by path 210 in FIG. 2 ). In some cases, a data quality module of a mobile device application instantiated on a mobile device 204 may be configured to transmit data (e.g., including patient identifier data 202) directly to a (e.g., physical) destination server 214 (e.g., without first being transmitted to a first (e.g., virtual) server, e.g., as shown schematically in FIG. 2 ).A data quality module (e.g., front-end data quality module 5046) of the mobile device application 5040 may be configured to transmit data (e.g., including patient identifier data, such as one or more unique patient identifiers) directly or indirectly to a data quality module (e.g., back-end data quality module 5082) of an interface application 5081 of a server 5080, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 2 and 5 .

[0029]

[0035] In some cases, a mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application) may include a login module (e.g., a healthcare provider sign-in module). The login module of the mobile device application may be configured to challenge the user with a login prompt (e.g., the login prompt is displayed on the screen of the mobile device), for example, to verify the identity of the user (e.g., healthcare provider). In some cases, the login module may validate user input into the login prompt against a list of access credentials stored on the mobile device. In some cases, the login module may transmit information entered by the user into the login prompt to a remote server or database (e.g., via a wireless network connection). In some cases, the login module may initiate a user interface and display the user interface on the screen of the mobile device, for example, upon successful validation of the user login information or, in embodiments that do not require the user to enter valid login information. In some cases, the user interface of the mobile device application may include an option for the user to initiate a scan (e.g., operation of the mobile device's camera, for example, to obtain patient identifier data).In some cases, the user interface of the mobile device application may include options for sending patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more unique patient identifiers) to the interface application, sending instructions to the interface application to combine a set of patient identifier data with a set of medical images, videos, or multi-frames created by a medical imaging system (e.g., to create a medical imaging record), sending an electronic medical record (EMR) query (e.g., an EMR query initiation signal may be generated and sent as described herein), accessing patient information contained within the EMR, and / or persisting medical imaging records to an electronic medical record system (EMR system) data store (e.g., in embodiments in which persisting one or more medical imaging records to the EMR system is not automatically performed by the interface application). Interface Application

[0036] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein may include an interface application 5081. As described herein, the interface application may facilitate the combination of patient identifier(s) (e.g., patient identifier data 202) and clinical diagnostic data (e.g., medical image data) in the form of a combined medical data file (e.g., medical imaging record). The interface application, which may be instantiated on a local server (214, 5080) or a remote server (214, 5080), may include a data quality module 5082 (e.g., a back-end data quality module) configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more patient identifiers), for example, via a wired or wireless connection with a mobile device 204 that includes a mobile device application 5040. In some cases, the interface application (e.g., the data quality module 5082 of the interface application) may be configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more unique patient identifiers) from a data quality module 5046 (e.g., a front-end data quality module) of the mobile device application 5040. In some cases, the data quality module 5046 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to send patient identifier data (e.g., patient identifier data received from the mobile device application 5040, which may include one or more patient identifiers) to the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081.

[0030]

[0037] The interface application 5081 may include an imaging session module 5084 that may be configured to receive clinical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames 5182 acquired using the medical imaging system 218, 5180) from, for example, a medical imaging system (218, 5180), for example, via a wired or wireless connection. The imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to receive patient identifier data (e.g., including one or more patient identifiers) from a data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081. In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface module may be configured to create an imaging session record that may include the patient identifier data (e.g., received from the data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081) and the clinical diagnostic data 5182 (e.g., received from the medical imaging system 5180). In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5080 may be configured to create an imaging session record using patient identifier data (e.g., one or more unique patient identifiers) received from a mobile device application (e.g., via the data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081). In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to create an imaging session record using clinical diagnostic data 5182 (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames). In some cases, the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to create an imaging session record (e.g., using the patient identifier data) before receiving at least a portion of the clinical diagnostic data.In some cases, such a configuration can reduce data loss by creating a destination for subsequently generated clinical diagnostic data (e.g., including at least one medical image) associated with a unique patient identifier, which can consolidate the clinical diagnostic data and make the data easily accessible and transferable. In some cases, the imaging session module of the interface application can be configured to create an imaging session record (e.g., using the patient identifier data and / or the clinical diagnostic data) after receiving at least a portion of the clinical diagnostic data. Thus, the interface application can be flexible with respect to appending the unique patient identifier to an existing set of clinical diagnostic data (e.g., in situations where the opportunity to obtain a unique patient identifier did not occur before creation of the clinical diagnostic data or where the patient identifier data received from the mobile device application was corrupted or unreadable) or appending the clinical diagnostic data to a server-based destination created using the patient identifier information. The imaging session module may be configured to create a medical record, for example, the medical imaging record is created at least in part based on at least a portion of a set of patient identifier data (e.g., including a unique patient identifier) ​​and clinical diagnostic data (e.g., including at least one medical image, e.g., the at least one medical image is received by the interface application from a medical imaging system).

[0031]

[0038] The interface application 5081 may be configured to receive data from and / or transmit data to the mobile device application 5040 (e.g., a healthcare provider application). In some cases, patient identifier data (e.g., including a unique patient identifier) ​​may be received by the interface application 5081 (e.g., by the backend data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081) directly from the mobile device application 5040 (e.g., from the frontend data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application 5040 instantiated on the mobile device), for example, via a wired or wireless network connection. In some cases, patient identifier data may be received by the interface application (e.g., by the backend data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081) indirectly from the mobile device. For example, patient identifier data may be received by an interface application (e.g., by the backend data quality module 5082 of the interface application 5081) from a physical or virtual (e.g., cloud-based) server 208, which in some embodiments may be configured to receive patient identifier data from a mobile device application 5040 (e.g., the data quality module 5046 of the mobile device application 5040) and transmit the patient identifier data to the interface application (e.g., which may be instantiated on the physical server 214 or a virtual server), for example, via a wired or wireless network connection.

[0032]

[0039] The interface application may include an electronic medical record module 5086 (EMR module). The EMR module 5086 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to receive medical imaging records (e.g., created in the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081) from the imaging session module 5084 of the interface application 5081. The EMR module 5086 of the interface application 5081 may be configured to persist the medical imaging records (e.g., created using the imaging session module of the interface application) to an electronic medical record for the patient in a data store of an electronic medical record system (EMR system), which may include multiple patient electronic medical records (EMRs), for example, via a wired or wireless network connection. In some cases, the interface application 5081 (e.g., the EMR module 5086 of the interface application) may be configured to retrieve patient information from the EMR system 5240 (e.g., the data store 5241 of the EMR system 5240) by sending patient identifier data (e.g., including a unique patient identifier) ​​to the EMR system. For example, the EMR module 5086 can send an EMR query (e.g., including patient identifier data that may have been obtained by a mobile device application 5040 of a platform, system, or method) to the EMR system 5240 as described herein. In some cases, the interface application 5081 (e.g., the EMR module 5086 of the interface application 5081) can be configured to receive one or more EMRs 5242 (e.g., corresponding to one or more patient identifiers received from the mobile device application) from the EMR system 5240 (e.g., in response to an EMR query sent by the EMR module 5086 to the EMR system 5240 or portion thereof). In some cases, the data store 5241 of the EMR system 5240 can be a database server.In some cases, the data store 5241 of the EMR system 5240 can be a cloud data store.

[0033]

[0040] In some cases, the interface application 5080 may be configured to transmit the medical imaging record (e.g., including one or more patient identifiers and one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) to a communication server. For example, a user may want to send a copy of the medical imaging record to an email address or to a database other than the EMR system (e.g., a file management system of an entity operating a medical facility). Thus, the medical imaging record may be sent to a healthcare provider (e.g., the user or a provider identified by the user for query of a case or content of the medical imaging record), which may enable subsequent review of the medical imaging record apart from use of a mobile device application. Patient Identifier

[0041] The platforms, systems, or methods disclosed herein may comprise one or more patient identifier(s), acquisition of one or more patient identifier(s), and / or means for acquiring one or more patient identifier(s). The patient identifier may be a unique patient identifier. The patient identifier (e.g., a unique patient identifier) ​​may include a text string, a number, a patient biometric feature (e.g., a fingerprint, palm print, iris pattern, facial recognition pattern, or retinal pattern), a linear barcode, a 2D barcode, or a combination thereof. In some cases, the patient identifier includes one or more of a unique patient identifier, a hospital patient identification (ID) number, a patient name, a patient address, a government-issued identification number (e.g., a Social Security number, a passport number, a driver's license number, a service number (e.g., a U.S. Department of Defense ID number), or information from a military dog ​​tag), or a patient gender. In some cases, the unique patient identifier enables identification of a specific individual. Medical Imaging Systems

[0042] The platforms, systems, or methods disclosed herein may comprise a medical imaging system. The medical imaging system may be an existing medical imaging system that may require an upgrade (e.g., a retrofit upgrade). In some cases, a medical facility may own and / or operate a medical imaging system (e.g., an "existing medical imaging system") that lacks a given functionality. In some cases, a medical imaging system owned and / or operated by a medical facility (e.g., an "existing medical imaging system") lacks one or more functionalities, which makes the system vulnerable or susceptible to data degradation (e.g., data loss). For example, the existing medical imaging system may lack a means for collecting patient identifier data (e.g., one or more patient identifiers) and / or a means for creating a combined record including medical images (e.g., generated by the existing medical imaging system) and one or more patient identifiers. In some cases, such shortcomings of medical imaging systems (e.g., “existing medical imaging systems”) result in the need for manual processing of medical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames) to ensure that the medical diagnostic data is identified with appropriate patient identification data, or the use of multiple, possibly incompatible and / or asynchronously updated, third-party data processing software packages, which may lead to data loss (e.g., through improper or incomplete labeling of the medical diagnostic data). As described herein, medical imaging system(s) (e.g., “existing medical imaging systems”) that lack one or more such functionalities (e.g., in need of an upgrade) can be upgraded using the platforms, systems, methods (or portions thereof) described herein to add one or more functionalities not present in the medical imaging system(s), thereby increasing data quality in conjunction with use of the medical imaging system(s).In some cases, a medical imaging system (e.g., an existing medical imaging system in need of an upgrade) may lack a means for obtaining a patient identifier (e.g., from a patient identifier target such as a bracelet, paper, or other medium containing a barcode or written text containing patient identifier information, or from a biometric source such as an eye, finger, or palm). Thus, a medical imaging system described herein (e.g., an existing medical imaging system in need of an upgrade) may not have access to patient identifier data (e.g., one or more unique patient identifiers for a patient for whom the medical imaging system will generate one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames). In some cases, a medical imaging system (e.g., an existing medical imaging system in need of an upgrade) is connected to a local computer network and / or telecommunications network (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection). In some cases, a medical imaging system (e.g., an existing medical imaging system in need of an upgrade) is not connected to a local computer network and / or telecommunications network. In some cases, a medical imaging system (e.g., an existing medical imaging system in need of an upgrade) may not be configured and / or may not be able to communicate directly with a mobile device and / or mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application) described herein. In some cases, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein may be configured to establish an upgraded medical imaging system (e.g., comprising an existing medical imaging system that may require an upgrade). In some cases, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein may be configured to establish an upgraded medical imaging system (e.g., comprising an existing medical imaging system) without modifying the existing medical imaging system.The medical imaging may comprise an ultrasound device, a radiography device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, an endoscopy device, a thermography device, a photography device, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, an optoacoustic imaging device, or a combination thereof. The medical imaging system may comprise an ultrasound system or portion thereof (e.g., an ultrasound device such as a handheld ultrasound scanner or a portable ultrasound machine).

[0034]

[0043] In many cases, the medical imaging systems described herein can generate one or more medical images (e.g., one or more diagnostic medical images, videos, or multi-frames), for example, during a patient examination and / or treatment. In some cases, the medical imaging system can generate at least one medical image during a patient examination and / or treatment. In some cases, the medical imaging system can generate multiple medical images, videos, or multi-frames during a patient examination and / or treatment. In some cases, the medical imaging system can be configured to transmit the one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames to a server (e.g., a server 214, 5080 including an interface application described herein), for example, via a wired or wireless connection, as described herein. In some cases, the medical imaging system can be configured to store the one or more medical images, videos, or multi-frames in non-transitory memory of the medical imaging system and / or in non-transitory memory of a computer connected to the medical imaging system (e.g., for subsequent uploading to a server described herein). In some cases, the medical imaging system employs Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) formatting in displaying, storing, and / or transmitting the medical image(s). For example, the medical imaging system may be DICOM-compliant. Electronic Medical Record System

[0044] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein may comprise an electronic medical record system. The electronic medical record system 224, 5240 (EMR system) may comprise a means for electronic storage of patient electronic medical record files 5242 (EMR). In some cases, an application described herein (e.g., an EMR module of an interface application) may send an EMR query to the EMR system requesting retrieval of one or more patient electronic medical record files 5242 (EMR), for example, via a wired or wireless connection. In some cases, the EMR query may be initiated by a mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application), for example, via an EMR query initiation signal generated by input from a user and / or after provision of one or more patient identifiers (e.g., one or more unique patient identifiers) by the mobile device application. In some cases, the mobile device application may be configured to automatically generate the EMR query initiation signal after acquisition of one or more patient identifiers (e.g., via user input and / or acquisition by an imaging device of the mobile device). In some cases, the EMR query initiation signal may include one or more patient identifiers (e.g., as determined by user input and / or capture by an imaging device of the mobile device). The EMR query initiation signal may be sent directly from the mobile device application (e.g., a front-end data quality module of the mobile device application) to the interface application (e.g., a back-end data quality module of the interface application), for example, via a wired or wireless connection. In some cases, the EMR query initiation signal may be sent indirectly from the mobile device application (e.g., a front-end data quality module of the mobile device application) to the interface application (e.g., a back-end data quality module of the interface application), for example, via a wired or wireless connection.For example, in some embodiments, the EMR query initiation signal may be transmitted from a mobile device application (e.g., a front-end data quality module of the mobile device application) to a first network node (e.g., a physical or virtual (e.g., cloud-based) server). In some cases, the EMR query initiation signal received by the first network node (e.g., a physical or virtual server) may then be transmitted by the first network node 208 to a second network node 214, 5080, which may include an interface application and may be configured to receive the EMR query initiation signal at a back-end data quality module of the interface application. The EMR query initiation signal may optionally be modified by the interface application of the network node 214, 5080 (e.g., which may comprise a physical or virtual server) from a first format to a second format, for example, if the EMR system requires the EMR query to be in a format different from the format of the EMR query initiation signal. The interface application may be configured to transmit, for example, via a wired or wireless connection, an EMR query to the EMR system, which may include a modified or unmodified EMR query initiation signal. The EMR query may include one or more patient identifiers and may include a request for the EMR system to retrieve and transmit one or more EMRs stored in the EMR system's data store corresponding to the one or more patient identifiers. In some cases, the EMR system's data store may comprise a database server. In some cases, the EMR system's data store may comprise a cloud data store. The interface application may be configured to receive one or more EMRs transmitted by the EMR system to the network node 214, 5080 based on the EMR query.

[0035]

[0045] A non-exhaustive list of current EMR services that may comprise part of the EMR system of the platforms, systems, and methods described herein includes TherapyNotes™, Sevocity®, Care360®, Practice Fusion, Cerner, Optum Physician, EpicCare, Office Ally EHR 24 / 7, InteGreat EHR, Kareo Clinical, TouchWorks HER, CampDoc, Centricity EMR, NextGen Healthcare, PointClickCare, Amazing Charts, Praxis, InSync EMR, MDVision PM EMR, Nextech EMR, AthenaHealth®, AdvancedMD, Clinicient INSIGHT, PrognoCIS, MicroMD, AllegianceMD, ABELMed, ReLi Med Solutions, iClinic Systems, or OpenEMR. Data Quality

[0046] Data quality in medical settings, which may depend on maintaining accurate and complete data records, is a major area of ​​concern for healthcare providers and organizations responsible for managing medical facilities. In many cases, existing medical equipment (e.g., medical imaging systems) operated and owned by such providers and organizations lacks functionality that would improve data quality, such as a means for capturing patient identifier data in a clinical setting (e.g., as opposed to collection of patient identifier data in an administrative setting, which may occur at a different time and place from the use of the medical equipment and may lead to errors or oversights when patient identifiers are subsequently added to medical diagnostic data, such as medical imaging data). In many cases, patient identifiers, which may be important for incorporating newly generated medical diagnostic data into a patient's existing electronic medical record (EMR), are manually added to medical image files. This can lead to difficulty in finding or identifying the newly generated medical diagnostic data within the organization's file management system, which, in turn, can lead to data loss (e.g., which may require diagnostic imaging to be performed again). In some cases, medical devices (e.g., existing medical imaging systems) that lack such functionality important for maintaining data quality may increase the risk of misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment (e.g., as a result of incorrect patient identifier information associated with a given data point or data set).

[0036]

[0047] Modernizing existing medical equipment is very expensive, as manufacturers infrequently market upgrades for existing systems, opting instead to offer newer, complete system models for sale. As a result, providers and organizations that own and operate medical imaging systems that may lack various functionality useful in maintaining data quality and tend to require complete replacement often go years or even decades without acquiring new equipment with such functionality. While such systems are typically acquired at a high cost, decommissioning of outdated existing systems and installation and training on newly purchased systems can be problematic and uneconomical when the existing equipment is unused but still operational (e.g., due to lack of functionality, such as network connectivity or a lack of a means to capture and integrate patient identifiers with generated medical diagnostic data).

[0037]

[0048] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein provide an alternative paradigm by which existing medical equipment (e.g., existing medical imaging systems) can be equipped with important functionality for maintaining or increasing data quality. In many cases, the platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein can provide such benefits to existing medical imaging systems without modification of the existing medical imaging systems. Furthermore, the platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein can themselves be subsequently upgraded without the need to upgrade the medical equipment (e.g., medical imaging systems) that benefit from the additional functionality they provide. timestamp

[0049] In some cases, data quality in a platform, system, or method described herein may be improved by incorporating a timestamp (e.g., including a date, month, year, time, or a combination thereof) into data recorded and / or transmitted in the course of using the platform, system, or method. In some cases, a timestamp may be incorporated into a request, a query, medical diagnostic data (e.g., including one or more images), a record (e.g., an imaging session record, a medical imaging record, or a patient electronic medical record), and / or an identifier (e.g., a unique patient identifier). In some cases, one or more components comprising a platform or system described herein or utilized in implementing a method described herein may utilize data including a timestamp, for example, to index or log the date and / or time of creation or modification of a portion of data (e.g., an image, a record, a request, or a query) and / or to queue an operation (e.g., including sending, receiving, or executing a request or query) among one or more other same, similar, or different operations of the platform, system, or method. In some cases, a timestamp created or modified by a first component comprising or interacting with a platform or system described herein or utilized in implementing a method described herein may not correspond to a timestamp created or modified by a second component comprising or interacting with the platform or system or utilized in implementing a method, for example, as a result of a lack of synchronization of time measurement systems within or used by the first and second components and / or as a result of differences in the format of the timestamp data between the first and second components (e.g., resulting from time zone differences, from differences in timestamp formats such as the use of a 24-hour clock or a 12-hour clock, or from differences in timestamp format conversions such as the order of month, day, year, and / or hour).In some cases, such differences may adversely affect data quality, for example, by introducing uncertainty or error in the use (e.g., functionality) of the platform, system, or method, or in the use (e.g., interpretation) of data created, modified, or updated in the implementation of the platform, system, or method. In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, or methods herein may include creating a timestamp or modifying an existing timestamp (e.g., a timestamp created by a device, module, or server described herein, or a timestamp created by an existing medical imaging system and, optionally, incorporated into medical images created by the existing medical imaging system). In some cases, creating, incorporating, or modifying a timestamp may improve the validation and / or accuracy of sending or receiving data (e.g., including queries, requests, medical diagnostic data, or records) and / or combining first and second portions of data (e.g., during the creation or modification of an imaging session record, medical imaging record, or patient electronic medical record). In some cases, for example, a first set of one or more timestamps incorporated (e.g., added) into a first set of data (e.g., a query, request, medical diagnostic data, or record) by a healthcare provider application, an interface application, an existing medical imaging system, and / or an EMR system may be compared with a second set of one or more timestamps incorporated into a second set of data (e.g., during transmission, reception, or modification of the first and / or second sets of data) and / or with a time measurement system of a device or system described herein.For example, a timestamp of a portion of the (e.g., DICOM-formatted) medical diagnostic image data 5182 (e.g., a timestamp created in a portion of the medical diagnostic data by a medical imaging system) may be compared with a timestamp of an identifier (e.g., a timestamp incorporated into a unique patient identifier by a healthcare provider application) for use when creating or modifying a medical imaging record based on the medical diagnostic data 5182 (e.g., by an interface application) to ensure that the medical diagnostic data is combined with the correct identifier, even if there is a difference in the time or order in which a server (e.g., used to create or modify a medical imaging record) receives the medical diagnostic data and / or identifier (e.g., multiple identifiers and / or multiple portions of medical diagnostic data, either or both of which may include identifier(s) or data from different patients or different imaging sessions). In some cases, the timestamp may be modified (e.g., by a healthcare provider application, an interface application, an EMR system, and / or the virtual server 208) to compensate for differences between the time measurement system and / or time stamping function of a first component of a platform, system, or method described herein and the time measurement system and / or time stamping function of a second component of the platform, system, or method (e.g., differences between the time measurement systems and / or time stamping functions are known to exist or are apparent or identifiable from other available information, such as the file name, file size, file format, and / or identifier(s) associated with the time-stamped data), or to synchronize the timestamps created by such first and second components. Accessibility

[0050] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein can also improve the ease of use of existing medical equipment (e.g., existing medical imaging systems) that may not offer display and / or customization options that may be important for certain users or in certain settings. For example, existing medical equipment may lack portability, which can be important for providers who are constantly moving from location to location within a medical facility and may use multiple different versions of a given type of medical equipment (e.g., different ultrasound imaging systems that may utilize different operating systems, file management systems, or accessibility options). In many cases, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein can be easily adapted to interface with multiple heterogeneous medical imaging systems and to consolidate medical diagnostic data (e.g., including medical images and / or video and / or multi-frames) into a single medical record. Furthermore, the platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein may add functionality to existing systems that improves the understandability of the information displayed to the user.For example, the platforms, systems, and methods described herein may be configured to make text more readable, e.g., by allowing a user to increase the size of text displayed on the screen of a mobile device; by allowing modification of the color and / or brightness of portions of a user interface (e.g., by adjusting or inverting the contrast of the display to improve readability, which may reduce eye strain, and / or by adjusting the color of the display to accommodate a user's color blindness, for example); by converting text to speech (e.g., to reduce the need for the user to divert their attention from the patient and / or to accommodate a user's reduced eyesight); and / or by translating verbal commands provided by the user into executable commands capable of controlling one or more functions of a mobile device application (e.g., to reduce the need for the user to divert their attention from the patient). Computing Systems

[0051] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein may include one or more computing systems and / or their use. Referring to Figure 1, a block diagram is shown illustrating an exemplary machine including a computer system 100 (e.g., a processing or computing system) within which a set of instructions may be executed to cause a device to implement or perform any one or more of the aspects and / or methodologies for static code scheduling of the present disclosure. The components of Figure 1 are merely examples and do not limit the scope of use or functionality of any hardware, software, embedded logic component, or combination of two or more such components to implement a particular embodiment.

[0038]

[0052] Computer system 100 may include one or more processors 101, memory 103, and storage 108, which communicate with each other and with other components via a bus 140. Bus 140 may also link to a display 132, one or more input devices 133 (which may include, for example, a keypad, keyboard, mouse, stylus, etc.), one or more output devices 134, one or more storage devices 135, and various tangible storage media 136. All of these elements may interface to bus 140 directly or through one or more interfaces or adapters. For example, various tangible storage media 136 may interface with bus 140 through storage media interface 126. Computer system 100 may have any suitable physical form, including, but not limited to, one or more integrated circuits (ICs), a printed circuit board (PCB), a mobile handheld device (such as a mobile telephone (e.g., a smartphone) or PDA), a laptop or notebook computer, a distributed computer system, a computing grid, or a server.

[0039]

[0053] The platforms, systems, and methods disclosed herein may comprise, for example, a mobile device comprising computer system 100 for use in implementing a mobile device application (e.g., a healthcare provider application). The mobile device may comprise a cellular phone (e.g., a smartphone), a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or a handheld scanner.

[0040]

[0054] Computer system 100 includes one or more processor(s) 101 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a general purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU), or a quantum processing unit (QPU)) that perform functions. Processor(s) 101 optionally include a cache memory unit 102 for temporary local storage of instructions, data, or computer addresses. Processor(s) 101 are configured to support the execution of computer-readable instructions. Computer system 100 may provide functionality for the components shown in FIG. 1 as a result of processor(s) 101 executing non-transitory processor-executable instructions embodied in one or more tangible computer-readable storage media, such as memory 103, storage 108, storage device 135, and / or storage medium 136. The computer-readable medium may store, and processor(s) 101 may execute, software that implements particular embodiments. Memory 103 may read software from one or more other computer-readable media (such as mass storage device(s) 135, 136) or from one or more other sources through an appropriate interface, such as network interface 120. The software may cause processor(s) 101 to perform one or more processes or one or more steps of one or more processes described or shown herein. Performing such processes or steps may include defining data structures stored in memory 103 and modifying the data structures as directed by the software.

[0041]

[0055] The memory 103 may include various components (e.g., machine-readable media), including, but not limited to, random-access memory components (e.g., RAM 104) (e.g., static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), etc.), read-only memory components (e.g., ROM 105), and any combination thereof. The ROM 105 may serve to communicate data and instructions unidirectionally to the processor(s) 101, and the RAM 104 may serve to communicate data and instructions bidirectionally with the processor(s) 101. The ROM 105 and the RAM 104 may include any suitable tangible computer-readable media, as described below. In one example, a basic input / output system 106 (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computer system 100, such as during start-up, may be stored in the memory 103.

[0042]

[0056] Persistent storage 108 is optionally connected bidirectionally to processor(s) 101 through storage control unit 107. Persistent storage 108 provides additional data storage capacity and may include any suitable tangible computer-readable medium described herein. Storage 108 may be used to store an operating system 109, executable(s) 110, data 111, applications 112 (application programs), and the like. Storage 108 may also include an optical disk drive, a solid-state memory device (e.g., a flash-based system), or a combination of any of the above. Information in storage 108 may be incorporated as virtual memory in memory 103, where appropriate.

[0043]

[0057] In one example, storage device(s) 135 may be removably interfaced to computer system 100 via storage device interface 125 (e.g., via an external port connector (not shown)). In particular, storage device(s) 135 and associated machine-readable media may provide non-volatile and / or volatile storage of machine-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and / or other data for computer system 100. In one example, software may reside, completely or partially, within the machine-readable media on storage device(s) 135. In another example, software may reside, completely or partially, within processor(s) 101.

[0044]

[0058] Bus 140 connects a wide variety of subsystems. Herein, references to a bus may, where appropriate, include one or more digital signal lines providing a common function. Bus 140 may be any of several types of bus structures including, but not limited to, a memory bus, a memory controller, a peripheral bus, a local bus, and any combination thereof using any of a variety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation, such architectures include an Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, an Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, a Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, a Video Electronics Standards Association local bus (VLB), a Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus, a PCI-Express (PCI-X) bus, an Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) bus, a HyperTransport (HTX) bus, a serial advanced technology attachment (SATA) bus, and any combination thereof.

[0045]

[0059] Computer system 100 may also include input devices 133. In one example, a user of computer system 100 may input commands and / or other information into computer system 100 via input device(s) 133. Examples of input device(s) 133 include, but are not limited to, an alphanumeric input device (e.g., a keyboard), a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or touchpad), a touchpad, a touchscreen, a multi-touch screen, a joystick, a stylus, a gamepad, an audio input device (e.g., a microphone, a voice response system, etc.), an optical scanner, a video or still image capture device (e.g., a camera), and any combination thereof. For example, a mobile device (e.g., comprising computer system 100) may include an imaging device (e.g., an optical scanner and / or a video or still image capture device such as a camera, or a combination thereof) that may include means for acquiring optical data (e.g., via a lens or detector). The mobile device may include a light source, which in some embodiments may be operated by a mobile device application to, for example, improve illumination on a patient identifier target during use of the mobile device's imaging device. In some cases, input device(s) 133 of a mobile device comprising computer system 100 may comprise a keypad (e.g., a keypad comprising physical keys). In some embodiments, the input device is a Kinect, Leap Motion, or the like. Input device(s) 133 may be interfaced to bus 140 via any of a variety of input interfaces 123 (e.g., input interface 123), including, but not limited to, serial, parallel, game port, USB, FIREWIRE, THUNDERBOLT, or any combination of the above.

[0046]

[0060] In particular embodiments, when computer system 100 is connected to network 130, computer system 100 may communicate with other devices connected to network 130, particularly mobile devices and enterprise systems, distributed computing systems, cloud storage systems, cloud computing systems, and the like. Communications to and from computer system 100 may be transmitted through network interface 120. For example, network interface 120 may receive incoming communications (such as requests or responses from other devices) in the form of one or more packets (such as Internet Protocol (IP) packets) from network 130, and computer system 100 may store the incoming communications in memory 103 for processing. Computer system 100 may similarly store outgoing communications (such as requests or responses to other devices) in the form of one or more packets in memory 103 and communicate them from network interface 120 to network 130. Processor(s) 101 may access these communication packets stored in memory 103 for processing.

[0047]

[0061] Examples of network interface 120 include, but are not limited to, a network interface card, a modem, and any combination thereof. Examples of network 130 or network segment 130 include, but are not limited to, a distributed computing system, a cloud computing system, a wide area network (WAN) (e.g., the Internet, an enterprise network), a local area network (LAN) (e.g., a network associated with an office, building, campus, or other relatively small geographic space), a telephone network, a direct connection between two computing devices, a peer-to-peer network, and any combination thereof. A network such as network 130 may employ wired and / or wireless communication modes. In general, any network topology may be used.

[0048]

[0062] Information and data may be displayed through display 132. In some cases, a mobile device (e.g., comprising computer system 100) may include a display, which may be used to display acquired data (e.g., a patient identifier acquired via the mobile device's camera), display data from a viewfinder (e.g., using optical data from the mobile device's camera to assist in positioning the mobile device relative to a patient identifier target, e.g., during acquisition of patient identifier data), and / or display information via a mobile device application's user interface. Examples of display 132 include, but are not limited to, a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), an organic liquid crystal display (OLED), such as a passive-matrix OLED (PMOLED) or active-matrix OLED (AMOLED) display, a plasma display, and any combination thereof. Display 132 may interface to other devices, such as processor(s) 101, memory 103, and persistent storage 108, as well as input device(s) 133, via bus 140. Display 132 is linked to bus 140 via video interface 122, and the transmission of data between display 132 and bus 140 may be controlled via graphics control 121. In some embodiments, the display is a video projector. In some embodiments, the display is a head-mounted display (HMD), such as a VR headset.In further embodiments, suitable VR headsets include, by way of non-limiting example, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR, Microsoft HoloLens, Razer OSVR, FOVE VR, Zeiss VR One, Avegant Glyph, Freefly VR headsets, and the like. In still further embodiments, the display is a combination of devices, such as those disclosed herein.

[0049]

[0063] In addition to the display 132, the computer system 100 may include one or more other peripheral output devices 134, including, but not limited to, audio speakers, printers, storage devices, and any combination thereof. Such peripheral output devices may be connected to the bus 140 via an output interface 124. Examples of output interface 124 include, but are not limited to, a serial port, a parallel connection, a USB port, a FIREWIRE port, a THUNDERBOLT port, and any combination thereof.

[0050]

[0064] Additionally or alternatively, computer system 100 may provide functionality as a result of logic hardwired or otherwise embodied in circuitry, which may operate in place of or in conjunction with software to perform one or more processes or one or more steps of one or more processes described or illustrated herein. References to software in this disclosure may encompass logic, and references to logic may encompass software. Furthermore, references to computer-readable media may encompass, where appropriate, circuitry (such as an IC) that stores software for execution, circuitry that embodies logic for execution, or both. This disclosure encompasses any appropriate combination of hardware, software, or both.

[0051]

[0065] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, the various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality.

[0052]

[0066] The various illustrative logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed by a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0053]

[0067] The steps of a method or algorithm described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by one or more processor(s), or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can read information from, and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside as discrete components in a user terminal.

[0054]

[0068] In accordance with the description herein, suitable computing devices include, by way of non-limiting example, server computers, desktop computers, laptop computers, notebook computers, handheld computers, Internet appliances, mobile smartphones, and tablet computers. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that select televisions, video players, and digital music players with optional computer network connectivity are suitable for use in the systems described herein. Suitable tablet computers, in various embodiments, include computers having booklet, slate, and convertible configurations known to those skilled in the art.

[0055]

[0069] In some embodiments, the computing device includes an operating system configured to execute executable instructions. An operating system is software, including programs and data, that, for example, manages the device's hardware and provides services for the execution of applications. Those skilled in the art will recognize that suitable server operating systems include, by way of non-limiting example, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD®, Linux®, Apple® Mac OS X Server®, Oracle® Solaris®, Windows Server®, and Novell® NetWare®. Those skilled in the art will recognize that suitable personal computer operating systems include, by way of non-limiting example, Microsoft® Windows®, Apple® Mac OS X®, UNIX®, and UNIX-like operating systems such as GNU / Linux®. In some embodiments, the operating system is provided by cloud computing. Those skilled in the art will similarly recognize that suitable mobile smartphone operating systems include, by way of non-limiting example, Nokia® Symbian® OS, Apple® iOS®, Research In Motion® BlackBerry OS®, Google® Android®, Microsoft® Windows Phone® OS, Microsoft® Windows Mobile® OS, Linux®, and Palm® WebOS®. Non-transitory computer-readable storage medium

[0070] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media encoded with a program including instructions executable by an operating system of an optionally networked computing device. For example, a mobile device, in various embodiments, may comprise computer system 100 and a non-transitory memory thereon on which instructions are stored, which, when executed, implement (e.g., instantiate and / or execute) mobile device applications on the mobile device and / or operate additional functionality of the mobile device, such as the mobile device's imaging device (e.g., camera), mobile device display, and / or mobile device wireless communication system, one or more of which may interface with and / or be controlled by the mobile device applications. In further embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium is a tangible component of the computing device. In yet further embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium is optionally removable from the computing device. In some embodiments, computer-readable storage media include, by way of non-limiting example, CD-ROMs, DVDs, flash memory devices, solid-state memories, magnetic disk drives, magnetic tape drives, optical disk drives, distributed computing systems including cloud computing systems and services, and the like. In some cases, programs and instructions are encoded on the medium permanently, substantially permanently, semi-permanently, or non-transitoryly. computer program

[0071] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include at least one computer program or its use. A computer program includes a sequence of instructions written to perform specified tasks and executable by one or more processor(s) of a computing device's CPU. Computer-readable instructions may be implemented as program modules, such as functions, objects, application programming interfaces (APIs), computing data structures, and the like, that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. In light of the disclosure provided herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that computer programs may be written in a variety of languages ​​and versions.

[0056]

[0072] The functionality of the computer-readable instructions may be combined or distributed as desired in various environments. In some embodiments, a computer program includes one sequence of instructions. In some embodiments, a computer program includes multiple sequences of instructions. In some embodiments, a computer program is provided from one location. In other embodiments, a computer program is provided from multiple locations. In various embodiments, a computer program includes one or more software modules. In various embodiments, a computer program includes, in part or in whole, one or more web applications, one or more mobile applications, one or more standalone applications, one or more web browser plug-ins, extensions, add-ins, or add-ons, or any combination thereof. Mobile Applications

[0073] In some embodiments, the computer program comprises a mobile application that is provided to the mobile computing device. In some embodiments, the mobile application is provided to the mobile computing device when the mobile computing device is manufactured. In other embodiments, the mobile application is provided to the mobile computing device over a computer network as described herein.

[0057]

[0074] Given the disclosure provided herein, mobile applications are created by techniques known by those skilled in the art using hardware, languages, and development environments known in the art. Those skilled in the art will recognize that mobile applications can be written in a number of languages. Suitable programming languages ​​include, by way of non-limiting example, C, C++, C#, Objective-C, Java™, JavaScript, Pascal, Object Pascal, Python™, Ruby, VB.NET, WML, and XHTML / HTML with or without CSS, or combinations thereof.

[0058]

[0075] Suitable mobile application development environments are available from several sources. Commercially available development environments include, by way of non-limiting example, Airplay SDK, alcheMo, Appcelerator®, Celsius, Bedrock, Flash Lite, .NET Compact Framework, Rhomobile, and WorkLight Mobile Platform. Other development environments are available free of charge, including, by way of non-limiting example, Lazarus, MobiFlex, MoSync, and Phonegap. Similarly, mobile device manufacturers distribute software developer kits, including, by way of non-limiting example, iPhone and iPad (iOS) SDK, Android™ SDK, BlackBerry® SDK, BREW SDK, Palm® OS SDK, Symbian SDK, webOS SDK, and Windows Mobile SDK. Web Applications

[0076] In some embodiments, the computer program comprises a web application. In light of the disclosure provided herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that web applications, in various embodiments, utilize one or more software frameworks and one or more database systems. In some embodiments, the web application is created on a software framework such as Microsoft® .NET or Ruby on Rails (RoR). In some embodiments, the web application utilizes one or more database systems, including, by way of non-limiting example, relational, non-relational, object-oriented, associative, XML, and document-oriented database systems. In further embodiments, suitable relational database systems include, by way of non-limiting example, Microsoft® SQL Server, mySQL™, and Oracle®. Those skilled in the art will also recognize that web applications, in various embodiments, are written in one or more versions of one or more languages. Web applications may be written in one or more markup languages, presentation definition languages, client-side scripting languages, server-side coding languages, database query languages, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, a web application is written in part in a markup language such as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML), or Extensible Markup Language (XML). In some embodiments, a web application is written in part in a presentation definition language such as Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).In some embodiments, a web application is written to some extent in a client-side scripting language such as Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (AJAX), Flash® ActionScript, JavaScript, or Silverlight®. In some embodiments, a web application is written to some extent in a server-side coding language such as Active Server Pages (ASP), ColdFusion®, Perl, Java™, JavaServer Pages (JSP), Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), Python™, Ruby, Tel, Smalltalk, WebDNA®, or Groovy. In some embodiments, a web application is written to some extent in a database query language such as Structured Query Language (SQL). In some embodiments, a web application integrates with an enterprise server product such as IBM® Lotus Domino®. In some embodiments, a web application includes a media player element. In various further embodiments, the media player element utilizes one or more of a number of suitable multimedia technologies, including, by way of non-limiting example, Adobe® Flash®, HTML 5, Apple® QuickTime®, Microsoft® Silverlight®, Java™, and Unity®. Software Module

[0077] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include software, server, and / or database modules, or the use thereof. In light of the disclosure provided herein, software modules are created by techniques known to those skilled in the art using machines, software, and languages ​​known in the art. The software modules disclosed herein are implemented in numerous ways. In various embodiments, a software module comprises a file, a section of code, a programming object, a programming structure, a distributed computing resource, a cloud computing resource, or a combination thereof. In further various embodiments, a software module comprises multiple files, multiple sections of code, multiple programming objects, multiple programming structures, multiple distributed computing resources, multiple cloud computing resources, or a combination thereof. In various embodiments, one or more software modules include, by way of non-limiting examples, a web application, a mobile application, a standalone application, and a distributed or cloud computing application. In some embodiments, a software module is within one computer program or application. In other embodiments, a software module is within two or more computer programs or applications. In some embodiments, a software module is hosted on one machine. In other embodiments, a software module is hosted on two or more machines. In further embodiments, the software modules are hosted on a distributed computing platform, such as a cloud computing platform. In some embodiments, the software modules are hosted on one or more machines in one location. In other embodiments, the software modules are hosted on one or more machines in two or more locations. Database

[0078] In some embodiments, the platforms, systems, media, and methods disclosed herein include, or the use of, one or more databases. Given the disclosure provided herein, those skilled in the art will recognize that many databases are suitable for storing and retrieving personally identifiable information (e.g., personal identifier data) and / or medical data related to a patient's medical file (e.g., images, historical information, and / or data including diagnoses and / or treatments). In various embodiments, suitable databases include, by way of non-limiting example, relational databases, non-relational databases, object-oriented databases, object databases, entity-relationship model databases, associative databases, XML databases, document-oriented databases, and graph databases. Further non-limiting examples include SQL, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, DB2, Sybase, and MongoDB. In some embodiments, the database is internet-based. In further embodiments, the database is web-based. In yet further embodiments, the database is cloud computing-based. In certain embodiments, the database is a distributed database. In other embodiments, the database is based on one or more local computer storage devices. Specific Definitions

[0079] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this subject matter belongs.

[0059]

[0080] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Any reference to "or" herein is intended to encompass "and / or" unless stated otherwise.

[0060]

[0081] Throughout this specification, references to "some embodiments," "further embodiments," or "a particular embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in some embodiments" or "in further embodiments" or "in a particular embodiment" in various places throughout this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0061]

[0082] While preferred embodiments of the present subject matter have been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the present subject matter. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the present subject matter described herein may be employed in practicing the present subject matter.

Claims

1. 1. A platform for providing an upgraded medical imaging system, comprising: an electronic medical record system comprising a data store containing a plurality of patient electronic medical records (EMRs); Existing medical imaging systems and 1. A mobile device comprising a healthcare provider application, the healthcare provider application comprising: a scanning module configured to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with the patient; an accessibility module configured to provide a healthcare provider accessibility display on a screen of a mobile device that includes the unique patient identifier; and a front-end data quality module configured to transmit the unique patient identifier over a network; Mobile devices and A server comprising an interface application, the interface application comprising: a backend data quality module configured to receive the unique patient identifier over the network; an imaging session module configured to perform a plurality of operations, the plurality of operations comprising: creating an imaging session record using the unique patient identifier; receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system; and generating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image. an imaging session module; and an EMR module configured to persist the medical imaging records to the patient electronic medical record for the patient in the data store of the electronic medical record system; Server and A platform that includes:

2. 10. The platform of claim 1, wherein the existing medical imaging system comprises an ultrasound device, an x-ray device, a magnetic resonance imaging device, an endoscopy device, a thermography device, a photography device, an x-ray computed tomography (CT) device, a positron emission tomography (PET) device, a single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) device, an optoacoustic imaging device, or a combination thereof.

3. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the healthcare provider applications include a front-end medical imaging workflow application, and the healthcare provider applications are implemented as native mobile applications.

4. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the healthcare provider application obtains the unique patient identifier using a camera of the mobile device.

5. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the healthcare provider application further comprises a healthcare provider sign-in module configured to verify the identity of a healthcare provider operating the healthcare provider application.

6. The interface application module comprises:

10. The platform of claim 1, configured to use the unique patient identifier to (i) transmit the medical imaging record to a healthcare provider, (ii) transmit the medical imaging record to a dedicated communication server, and / or (iii) retrieve patient information from the electronic medical record system.

7. The platform of claim 1 , further comprising a back-end medical imaging workflow application.

8. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the existing medical imaging system does not have access to the unique patient identifier.

9. The platform of claim 1 , wherein neither the mobile device nor the healthcare provider application communicates directly with the existing medical imaging system.

10. The platform of claim 1 configured to provide the upgraded medical imaging system without modifying the existing medical imaging system.

11. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the front-end data quality module is further configured to initiate an EMR query, and initiating an EMR query comprises sending an EMR query initiation signal to the server.

12. 1. A computer-implemented method for improved data quality of an existing medical imaging device, comprising: Utilizing a healthcare provider application on the mobile device to obtain a unique patient identifier associated with the patient; transmitting, by the healthcare provider application, the unique patient identifier over a network to an interface application on a server; receiving at least one medical image from the existing medical imaging system via the network at the interface application; creating a medical imaging record based at least in part on the unique patient identifier and the at least one medical image; persisting the medical imaging records to an electronic medical record data store for the patient in an electronic medical record system; wherein the method further comprises: creating an imaging session record using the unique patient identifier; providing a healthcare provider accessibility display on a screen of the mobile device that includes the unique patient identifier; verifying the identity of a healthcare provider operating the healthcare provider application; transmitting the medical imaging record to the healthcare provider; retrieving patient information from the electronic medical record system using the unique patient identifier; providing an upgraded medical imaging system without modifying the existing medical imaging system; generating an EMR query initiation signal in the healthcare provider application; sending an EMR query to the electronic medical record system via the server; or combinations of these A method comprising:

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the existing medical imaging system does not have access to the unique patient identifier and / or neither the mobile device nor the healthcare provider application communicates directly with the existing medical imaging system.

14. The platform of claim 1 , wherein the interface application is configured to compare a timestamp of the unique patient identifier with a timestamp of the at least one medical image.

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