Interactive Patient Scheduling Visualization for Dialysis Workflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for creating workflow schedules lack visualization and interactive capabilities, making it difficult to identify and address inefficiencies and resource utilization issues, particularly in dialysis treatment centers where patient schedules and staff workflows are complex.
Innovation Solution
An interactive workflow scheduling system that includes a schedule module to retrieve and adjust patient schedules and a visualization module to convert schedules into diagrams with movable patient block elements, allowing users to visualize and edit the workflow interactively, using a 'Connected Blocks' diagram for clear representation of patient treatment times and staff workflows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional tools like Microsoft Excel are used to create patient schedules, then the scheduling task can be performed, but the lack of visualized representation makes it difficult to identify workflow issues and their impact on the entire schedule
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a visual copy of the workflow schedule using a Gantt chart representation. This visual copy displays patient schedules, staff assignments, and workflow stages in a graphical format that makes issues immediately visible, while the underlying data structure remains manageable like traditional spreadsheets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a visual dimension to traditional scheduling by transforming tabular data into a graphical Gantt chart format. This dimensional transformation allows users to see workflow issues spatially and temporally, making problems that were hidden in spreadsheets now visible through graphical representation.
2Loss of information
If workflow line charts are used to visualize the workflow, then workflow issues become easier to see, but it remains difficult to determine the source or cause of the workflow issue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the workflow into distinct patient-level blocks within the Gantt chart, where each patient's journey through different workflow stages is shown as separate segments. This segmentation allows users to trace issues back to specific patients and stages, identifying the source of problems while maintaining overall workflow visualization.
3Loss of information
If Gantt charts are used to represent workflow, then resource assignment can be visualized, but the chart fails to provide a quick visual method to identify workflow issues, leading to issues being overlooked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color coding in the Gantt chart to indicate different workflow stages, patient statuses, and potential issues. This visual enhancement allows users to quickly identify problems through color patterns while maintaining the comprehensive resource assignment capabilities of traditional Gantt charts.
4Loss of information
If currently available workflow visualization methods are used, then some visualization is provided, but they lack interactive capabilities to edit the workflow schedule
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the visualization capabilities of Gantt charts with the editing capabilities of spreadsheet software. This combination allows users to interactively edit patient schedules, staff assignments, and workflow parameters directly in the visual interface, eliminating the need to switch between visualization and editing tools.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus for interactive workflow for patient scheduling according to various aspects of the present technology may comprise a schedule module configured to retrieve a workflow schedule and a visualization module configured to convert the retrieved schedule into a diagram comprising a plurality of patient block elements corresponding to a plurality of individual patient schedules and arranged according to a workflow schedule wherein each individual patient schedule in the diagram may comprise a first patient block element corresponding to the time for a start task and a second patient block element corresponding to the time for an end task. The visualization module may be further configured to allow a user to adjust the workflow schedule by selectively moving either the first or the second patient block element.