Automated Decedent Tracking via Scannable Indicia
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current decedent management systems rely on manual, paper-based processes, leading to miscommunications, delays, and inefficiencies, particularly in tracking and managing decedents and appendages from death to final disposition, which can result in loss or misplacement and fail to effectively manage infectious disease tracing.
Innovation Solution
A fully automated system that uses a server to receive and manage data related to decedents, including demographic information and health status, generating prepopulated forms and associating scannable indicia for tracking, ensuring secure and efficient transfer through customizable workflows integrated with electronic health records and regulatory databases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual, paper-based forms are used for decedent management, then the system is simple to implement, but miscommunications and delays are common leading to loss or misplacement of decedents
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual, paper-based mechanical systems with an automated electronic system that uses servers, databases, and software to track decedents. The system automatically generates forms, tracks decedent locations, and manages workflows electronically, eliminating the need for manual paper handling and reducing human error in tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service functions by automatically generating required forms, populating them with relevant data, and tracking decedent status without requiring manual intervention for each task. The automated workflow management system handles routine operations independently, improving reliability while maintaining simplicity for users.
2Productivity
If automated systems are implemented for decedent tracking, then productivity and accuracy improve, but the device complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal system that handles multiple functions within a single platform: tracking decedent locations, generating various forms (death certificates, transfer forms), managing workflows, and maintaining databases. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate systems, improving productivity while managing complexity through integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into modular components including server infrastructure, database systems, form generation modules, and workflow management modules. This segmentation allows each component to be developed and maintained independently, enabling high productivity through specialized processing while managing overall system complexity through modular architecture.
3Loss of information
If comprehensive tracking systems are implemented, then loss of information is reduced, but the ease of operation decreases due to increased complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that automatically track and record decedent information at each stage of the process. The automated system provides confirmation of data capture, tracks information flow through the workflow, and alerts users to missing or incomplete information, ensuring completeness while reducing the operational burden through automated verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-populating forms with available data, pre-configuring workflows based on decedent characteristics, and pre-establishing tracking parameters. This preliminary processing ensures information completeness is captured upfront while simplifying subsequent operations, as users work with pre-prepared data and configurations rather than starting from scratch.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of tracking and managing a decedent to prevent a loss or misidentification of the decedent during transfer to a final disposition, such as a funeral home or crematorium. The system includes a server that may be integrated into an electronic health record, with the server automatically receiving data related to a decedent used to automatically create and populate a case file. The server associates a unique scannable indicium associated with the case file and the decedent, which is scanned throughout the process of transferring the decedent to a final disposition. Prior to the final transfer, the server notifies the final location of the pending transfer and includes a copy of the scannable indicium. Upon a verification of a match between the scannable indicium, the server authorizes a safe, secure, efficient, and consistent transfer of a decedent to a final location.