Cloud System for Patient Discharge Facility Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The current patient discharge process to long-term care facilities is inefficient, involving manual searches, lengthy placement efforts, and challenges due to lack of communication between facilities, leading to mismatched care levels, stress, and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-computing system that securely processes data from multiple parties to identify suitable long-term care facilities, schedules tours and medical assessments, and provides real-time information access while ensuring patient privacy and verifying licensing status.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If manual search methods are used to find suitable long-term care facilities, then patient representatives can access facility information, but the discharge process takes weeks to months and involves significant time loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical search process with an automated computer-based system that uses algorithms to match patients with suitable long-term care facilities. The system automatically processes discharge information, searches facility databases, and generates matches, eliminating the need for manual phone calls and physical brochure review while dramatically reducing the time required from weeks/months to minutes/hours.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a computer-based intermediary system that acts as a mediator between patients and long-term care facilities. This intermediary automatically processes information, performs matching algorithms, and facilitates communication, replacing the manual intermediary role of placement agents and reducing the time loss associated with manual coordination.
2Reliability
If patients reside in original facilities during the discharge search process, then continuity of care is maintained, but costs increase and care matching becomes mismatched
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary facility matching and assessment before the actual discharge occurs. By pre-identifying suitable facilities and pre-coordinating admissions, the system eliminates the need for patients to remain in expensive acute care facilities during a prolonged search process, thereby reducing costs while maintaining care continuity through planned transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors discharge progress, facility availability, and matching quality. This feedback allows for real-time adjustments to the matching process, ensuring that patients are directed to appropriate facilities that meet their care needs, thereby avoiding mismatched care and reducing the duration of costly temporary placements.
3Reliability
If facilities cannot directly share patient data due to HIPAA requirements, then patient privacy is protected, but communication between facilities is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a HIPAA-compliant intermediary system that securely facilitates data exchange between facilities. This intermediary uses encryption, access controls, and audit trails to protect patient privacy while enabling necessary communication for discharge coordination, thus resolving the contradiction between privacy protection and communication efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal secure communication platform that serves multiple functions: protecting patient privacy through HIPAA compliance, enabling facility-to-facility communication, coordinating discharges, and maintaining audit trails. This multi-functional system addresses both privacy concerns and communication needs within a single integrated solution.
Data Source
AI summary
Data from a plurality of parties involved in a discharge of the patient is securely processed in a cloud-computing environment. The cloud-computing environment identifies long-term care facilities suitable for the patient using a plurality of matching criteria derived at least in part from discharge information provided by the facility from which the patient is being, contacts the long-term care facilities to determine whether the facilities would be interested to conducting a tour for the patient's representative (and, or alternatively, the patient), and helps facilitate scheduling of the tour. The cloud-computing environment can further identify assessors capable of conducting the medical assessment of the patient and schedule the assessment, providing the assessment to all long-term care facilities. The cloud-computing environment securely stores the data received from all parties, protecting patient healthcare information in accordance with relevant laws, and further verifies relevant licensing status of parties involved in the discharge.