9025 results about "Nursing" patented technology

The present invention is a novel method of generating and representing the status of various physiological parameters that are monitored for patients during hospitalization. The system of present invention allows healthcare providers to easily view, at a glance, the status or trend of a patient or a plurality of patients as well as any changes in the parameter values.

A centralized healthcare management and monitoring system and service including a healthcare management server computer interconnected to a computer network, having a first repository of records with patient healthcare information and a second repository with predetermined compliance rules with information regarding an interaction between multiple entities associated with the healthcare management server computer. Multiple healthcare provider computers, associated with a healthcare provider, allow input of patient identification indicia identification indicia presented by a patient and communicating with the healthcare management server computer over the computer network. A query is sent to the healthcare management server computer that includes the patient identification indicia; an identification of the healthcare services performed or proposed to be performed by the associated healthcare provider; and an identification of the healthcare provider performing the healthcare services. The healthcare management server computer then utilizes the query to access the first and second repositories to determine if the parameters of the query are in compliance with one or more of the predetermined compliance rules.

The system for monitoring and dispensing medical items which are dispensed for administration to patients includes a data terminal (76, 338) which is connected through a network (82, 328) to at least one remote computer (84, 324) having a processor and a data store. The system also includes a reading device (348) which is connected to the network. A user of the data terminal or the reading device is enabled to select a patient for whom medical items will be used, and responsive to a request to dispense items the requested items are dispensed from dispensing devices (96, 100, 344, 346, 450, 527) connected to the data terminal. A report generating device (384) generates reports (388) which include machine readable indicia corresponding to patients and/or medical items. Users may select patients and dispense medications by reading the indicia from the reports using the reading device. Certain storage locations are also labeled with machine readable indicia which may be read to indicate the taking of items therefrom as well as to indicate inventory status information. One such dispensing device in the system is a cabinet (550). The cabinet may be configured with various configurations of drawers or shelves by supporting connecting members in apertures which extend in the interior walls of the cabinet.

A system and method for evaluating hand decontamination compliance in a medical care facility includes a plurality of patient stations; a plurality of hand hygiene stations; personnel tags for personnel in the medical care facility; readers at the patient stations and at the hand hygiene stations capable of detecting the presence of personnel tags; and a controller for detecting whether a personnel tag accessed a hand decontamination station before presence at one of the patient stations. In an alternate embodiment, personnel tags of healthcare workers and patients are tracked in space within the facility to indicate contacts between the healthcare workers and the patients and whether the healthcare workers accessed hand hygiene prior to the contact. Hand hygiene stations include hand washing stations and antimicrobial hand rub dispensers.

An integrated medication management and compliance system for enabling a care provider to remotely manage and deliver individual doses of medications to a patient, in a non-sequential fashion. The system includes delivery apparatus remotely located from the care provider, wherein the apparatus stores a plurality of sealed unit dose packages that are delivered to a patient at a scheduled dosing time. The delivery apparatus is coupled to a control facility and to a computer terminal of the care provider by way of a secure communications network. The system enables the patient's medication regimen to be remotely tailored in real-time to accommodate fluid medical conditions.

The present invention provides computerized tools for disigning and implementing one or more treatment plans for automated interactive management of one or more individuals having one or more diagnosed medical conditions or for health maintenance of one or more apparently healthy individuals.

A cost estimation tool, preferably a handheld computer, prices and evaluates the financial impact of new residents' prior to admission. Immediate access to this information and built-in therapeutic substitution and clinical advisories provides the opportunity to optimize pharmaceutical regimens prior to admission. In addition, an abbreviated Resource Utilization Group (RUG) evaluation function provides a rapid assessment tool to project reimbursement under the Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS). A user may enter a complete drug regimen and estimate the costs for the regimen. Similarly, managed care reimbursement from managed care organizations (MCOs) to be analyzed. Also, drug cost may be estimated through a MEDICAID Preferred Drug List database that identifies potential Non-Preferred drugs that may be non-compensable. The present invention further transmits results wirelessly to health care providers.

A Workflow Management System is integrated with a Healthcare Information System and uses location tracking of patients, providers and resources in addition to relevant patient data in managing tasks of clinicians associated with care of a patient. A personnel and device location sensitive system for managing healthcare worker tasks includes a tracking processor. The tracking processor monitors healthcare worker, patient and equipment location, to provide device and personnel location data by detection of wirelessly communicating tag devices attached to healthcare workers, patients and equipment. A display processor uses the location data for initiating generation of data representing at least one display image associating a work task, comprising providing a treatment related service to a patient, for performance by a healthcare worker, with a current location of a patient and equipment to be used in providing the treatment related service. A workflow engine uses the location data for updating a task list of a healthcare worker to indicate tasks ranked in response to a plurality of different factors including one or more of, (a) task urgency, (b) location of particular equipment used in a particular task and (c) worker skill level.

An automated patient-management system for efficiently reporting patient information to clinicians, and a method of operation thereof is described. The system automatically collects and analyzes historic-physiologic data indicative of a patient's health from a myriad of sources. Based on the historic-physiologic data, the system automatically generates a health-risk score indicative of whether a patient will experience a serious-medical event in the near future (e.g., a predetermined time interval). The system uses a processing model that may rely on Hierarchical-Temporal Memory techniques and other models, for extracting and analyzing patient data. The system also generates an integrated synopsis of a patient's health condition, including the health-risk score. The synopsis is then presented (served) to a clinician in an organized, simplified, and effective manner via a client-side user interface. The synopsis enables a physician to proficiently grasp the patient's most critical health parameters in a short period of time.

A system manages load-balancing of assignment of tasks to healthcare workers. The system assigns patient treatment related tasks to healthcare workers using an interface processor for receiving information identifying treatment services required to be delivered to a patient. A worker assignment processor, in response to the information identifying the treatment services, automatically identifies at least one healthcare worker to provide the services to the patient based on data indicating, worker credentials, worker privilege status, and worker availability. A communication processor initiates generation of an alert message to an identified worker notifying the identified worker of an assignment.

A healthcare mass customization infrastructure individualizes plan designs by incorporating demographics, income, drug history, medical history, lab values, and future genomic information for appropriate and affordable access to medications. The mass customization infrastructure results in quality outcomes for the patients, improved care and productivity for the providers, and lower medical costs for the payers.

A personal and/or institutional health and wellness communications system, which may be used for a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations using two-way communication devices and a bi-directional communication network. In one application two-way pagers are adapted for use in the system. In one application cellular devices are adapted for use in the system. In one application an assisted living response center is established using various embodiments of the present personal and/or institutional communications system. The system provides multiple levels of prioritization, authentication of person (task, step, process or order), and confirmation via interrogation of person, device, or related monitor. One embodiment provides a method for receiving, evaluating and responding to calls received from a subscriber, patient, related party, or health care provider or health care system.

A system consists of remote identification tag (in the form of wristband) for personnel who must undergo hand hygiene frequently during a day's work, programmed soap and rinse-free disinfectant dispensers, entry-exit sensors for controlled access areas and data transfer stations is used to monitor and record every handwashing procedure along with its thoroughness as well as every hand cleaning event with rinse-free disinfectant. The system will further prompt each worker's identification tag at an appropriate place to examine its record to see whether a hand hygiene procedure is required before proceeding to his/her next task. The recorded data with time-date of each event will be transferred to a central computer for statistical analysis and presentation as a daily and/or periodic hand hygiene compliance report on each staff, department, shift and the entire institution.

A system and associated methods provide healthcare entities with analyzing capabilities for records of a patient population. The analyzing process seeks to find matches between a piece of clinical knowledge introduced to a healthcare entity and data contained in the patient population records. According to one method, a service generates executable code based on the piece of clinical knowledge. Through a communication with the service, the healthcare entity makes a determination as to what extent the clinical knowledge has relevance to a patient population of the healthcare entity. Based on this determination, the healthcare entity receives at least a portion of the executable code. Then, the records of the patient population may be analyzed by the executable code to register matches of the clinical knowledge with data contained within the records. System activity may then be initiated based on the matches registered. Examples of system activity include compiling a contact list of patients and/or healthcare providers associated with specific records where matches occurred, generating a report about the matches registered, and flagging specific records where matches occurred so that care providers may discuss issues surrounding the clinical knowledge with associated patients in a future encounter with the healthcare entity, among others.

The present invention provides a system for collecting, anonymizing, and communicating information collected from medical pumps without the need for additional effort by medical care professionals. The pump/multi-pump derived information can be aggregated between hospitals and across healthcare institutions to provide global overviews of pump performance and drug use information. This information can assist with the delivery of healthcare by providing automatic guidance warnings, for example, deviating from established ranges for common delivery rates; trend monitoring to anticipate needs of the health care community based upon global health trends; and allocation of healthcare equipment by monitoring the total operating time and lifecycles of the pumps. Knowledge derived from this pump/multi-pump derived information can be used in an administrative capacity and to develop evolving advisory protocols for users of pumps comparing real-time pump protocols to those appropriate for a given drug.

An on-line health market exchange (HME) service method and system is provided which, in addition to hosting an on-line medical services auctioning system, includes interactive tools for arranging financing of successful bids, performing on-line research of proffered services and providers, as well as participating on-line in other healthcare related negotiations and transactions. The on-line HME system provides an Internet accessible web-site that acts as a “one stop” full service on-line marketplace for use by healthcare service providers and prospective consumers/patients for negotiating and consummating transactions for proffered medical/healthcare services and products. The on-line HME service also provides Internet access to customized proprietary databases and interactive tools for obtaining credentials information and for conducting on-line research concerning prospective healthcare service providers/facilities, and for making on-line payments/arrangements for healthcare/medical service financing. A personal “healthcard” product and service, analogous to a conventional debit/credit card, is supported by the HME service and made available to eligible members/users. On-line resources for reviewing and procuring various types of insurance coverage for performed medical services are also made available.

Systems, methods, and computer code products for monitoring the behavior, health, and/or characteristics of an animal are disclosed herein. In one implementation, the animal is positioned inside a waste container placed on a system that is adapted to determine, record and communicate over a network various animal health parameters. These parameters can be processed to determine trends, statistics and changes of animal physiological functions. The results can be used to access animal health conditions and issue warnings, alarms, messages, and other notifications to designated caretakers. These notifications may be displayed using various means such as computers and/or mobile devices. Data retrieval and review capability can provide improved understanding of an animal's health conditions and facilitate early illness detection.

The Electronic Compliance Promoter is a computer system for increasing a patient's compliance with medical post-care treatment instructions. The system permits the patient to review the treatment instructions that have been entered into a treatment instructions database by medical personnel at the time of the examination. The system includes a patient-client computer interface, a medical person-client interface, a treatment instructions database, and a compliance-server program. The database contains the post-visit care instructions and other types of information that the patient should have to understand and follow those instructions. The database also has treatment guideline information to assist the doctor in formulating the post-care treatment instructions. The patients client-computer interface provides a knowledge-based means for the patient to review interactively the Doctor's after care instructions, and measures compliance by tracking a patients' use of the specific designated diagnosis related resources. The medical personnel client-computer interface provides a knowledge-based means to designate the post-care medical visit instructions the patient is to follow. The compliance-server program tracks patients compliance and can send messages to patients reminding them to review the post-care treatment instructions. The Electronic Compliance Promoter system provides a means to significantly increase a patient's compliance with medical care instructions.