Hospital Bed Assignment Using Patient Attribute Matching

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Solution Overview

Problem

In healthcare facilities, determining the most suitable bed for a patient based on their specific healthcare needs and available bed capabilities is challenging due to the numerous bed models and classes, often leading to suboptimal assignments or unnecessary rentals of higher-class beds.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for assigning beds to patients based on their healthcare attributes, which involves receiving patient data, identifying suitable beds, ranking them by capability, and allowing users to select the most appropriate bed, either from the facility's inventory or through a bed distribution facility, thereby optimizing bed allocation and reducing unnecessary rentals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a caregiver manually assigns beds to patients based on available information, then the assignment process is simple and quick, but the suitability of bed-patient matching deteriorates due to lack of comprehensive capability analysis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebed assignment processVSAvoidbed-patient matching suitability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automated bed assignment where the computing device independently analyzes patient healthcare attributes, evaluates bed capabilities, and performs suitability matching without requiring manual caregiver intervention for the complex analysis process, while still allowing caregiver oversight and selection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of bed assignment with an automated information processing system that uses computing devices to analyze patient data, evaluate bed capabilities, and determine optimal matches through algorithmic processing rather than human judgment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If the facility maintains a large inventory of high-class beds to meet all patient needs, then patient care quality is improved, but operational costs and resource utilization efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient care qualityVSAvoidoperational efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes the parameter of bed assignment from static inventory allocation to dynamic suitability-based assignment, where bed capabilities and patient needs are continuously evaluated to optimize both care quality and resource utilization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic evaluation of bed-patient matching based on current patient healthcare attributes and bed availability, allowing the system to adapt assignments in real-time rather than relying on fixed inventory allocations, thereby improving both care quality and operational efficiency

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the facility rents additional high-class beds from external distributors to meet patient needs, then patient care requirements are satisfied, but operational costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to meet patient needsVSAvoidoperational expenditure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of existing bed inventory against patient healthcare attributes before initiating external rentals, identifying suitable matches within the facility's current resources and preventing unnecessary external acquisitions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors bed utilization, patient satisfaction, and healthcare attribute matching, using this information to optimize future assignments and reduce reliance on expensive external bed rentals

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Measurement precision

If the system evaluates every bed capability against every patient attribute, then matching precision is improved, but computational complexity and processing time worsen

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvematching accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the bed evaluation process into distinct capability categories and patient attribute categories, allowing the system to systematically compare specific bed features against relevant patient needs rather than performing exhaustive universal comparisons, thereby maintaining precision while reducing complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8280748B2Bed management

Publication Date: 2012.10.02 HILL ROM SERVICES INC

AI summary

A computing device, system, method and machine readable medium for managing beds of a healthcare facility is provided. A system includes a client device and a server computing device. The client device may generate a request to assign a bed to a patient, present a list of beds to assign the patient, and receive a selection that identifies a bed of the list of beds. The server computing device may generate the list of beds presented by the client device in response to the request. The server computing device may retrieve an electronic medical record for the patient, and obtain healthcare attributes for the patient from the electronic medical record. The server computing device may generate the list based upon capabilities of a plurality of beds and the healthcare attributes of the patient retrieved from the electronic medical record. The server computing device may further assign to the patient the bed identified by the selection.