Emergency Department Information System Unified Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Emergency Department Information Systems (EDIS) inefficiencies lead to increased time requirements for clinicians, creating workflow problems and safety risks due to their design based on physician office or hospital inpatient environments, which are not suited for the unique demands of emergency medicine, resulting in fragmented patient records and time-consuming navigation between patient records.
Innovation Solution
A novel EDIS design that creates a complete patient record with all workflow functionality accessible from within that record, eliminating the need to enter and leave separate modules, using a graphical user interface with a slide-out interface for efficient navigation and real-time patient status monitoring, and allowing simultaneous multiple user access and documentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If EDIS systems are designed based on physician office or hospital inpatient environments with separate modules for different functions, then the system can provide comprehensive patient care functionality, but the system complexity increases and workflow efficiency decreases due to the need to navigate between multiple modules and patient records
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate modules (nursing documentation, physician documentation, CPOE, tracking board) into a single integrated patient care interface. All these functions are accessible within one unified view rather than requiring navigation between separate modules, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining comprehensive functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a universal interface that handles multiple patient care functions simultaneously. A single patient care interface serves as the hub for nursing documentation, physician documentation, order entry, and patient tracking, allowing one interface to perform multiple functions that traditionally required separate modules.
2Reliability
If EDIS systems require clinicians to enter and leave separate modules to access different patient record sections, then data can be organized by function, but the time required for workflow operations increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the patient care interface into distinct functional areas (nursing section, physician section, CPOE section) that are all visible and accessible within a single integrated view. This allows data to remain organized by function while eliminating the need to navigate between separate modules, as all segments are accessible from one unified interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system nests multiple functional sections within a single patient care interface. The nursing documentation, physician documentation, and CPOE functions are nested within the same interface container, allowing clinicians to access all functions without leaving the parent interface, thereby reducing navigation time while maintaining functional organization.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional EDIS systems are used with linear workflow design, then patient records can be documented systematically, but the system cannot accommodate the interrupted and multi-patient workflow characteristic of emergency medicine
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the static linear workflow into a dynamic interface that adapts to the emergency medicine workflow pattern. The interface allows clinicians to jump between multiple patient records and return to previous tasks without losing context, accommodating the interrupted and non-linear nature of ED work while maintaining systematic documentation through persistent display of key information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical linear sequence of documentation steps with a flexible interface system that allows random access to different patient records and functions. Instead of requiring clinicians to follow a fixed sequence, the system substitutes a dynamic access mechanism that preserves documentation integrity while adapting to variable workflow patterns.
4Quantity of substance
If EDIS systems center all actions on a tracking board homepage requiring multiple clicks to access patient records, then patient status can be monitored centrally, but the ease of operation decreases due to continuous navigation requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a new dimension to the interface by providing direct access to patient records from the tracking board without requiring navigation through intermediate pages. The system creates a multi-dimensional access structure where clinicians can monitor patient status centrally while simultaneously accessing detailed records through direct links, eliminating the need for multiple sequential clicks.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for documenting one or more patient encounters may include, but is not limited to: displaying a first user interface including a listing of patients assigned to one or more users; receiving a first user input; displaying a second user interface including a listing of patients assigned to a single user in response to the first user input; receiving a user selection of a first patient from the second user interface including the listing of patients assigned to the single user; and displaying a third user interface including a patient diagnosis and/or treatment record for the first patient in response to the user selection of the first patient from the second user interface including the listing of patients assigned to the single user.