Medication Pathway Assignment System for Incompatibility Resolution

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing medication administration systems do not provide healthcare practitioners with information on available medication delivery pathways for patients, nor do they optimize the assignment of new medication orders to these pathways, leading to issues like medication incompatibility and increased requirements for flushing and installing new pathways.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method and system that obtain pathway data and prescription data to determine and assign medication delivery pathways for patients, using a rule set to ensure compatibility and optimize the use of existing pathways, reducing incompatibility issues and the need for additional pathways.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If healthcare practitioners manually determine medication compatibility using existing systems, then medication compatibility information can be obtained, but the system does not provide information on available medication delivery pathways and requires additional manual work to optimize pathway assignment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication delivery pathway informationVSAvoidmanual pathway determination process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically determines medication delivery pathway compatibility and optimization without requiring manual practitioner intervention. The processor automatically obtains pathway data, evaluates compatibility based on stored criteria, and assigns optimal pathways, allowing the system to serve itself rather than requiring continuous human operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The manual mechanical process of practitioners determining pathway compatibility is replaced by an automated computational system. The processor electronically obtains pathway data, applies compatibility criteria, and determines optimal assignments, substituting the mechanical manual review process with an automated information processing system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If multiple medication delivery pathways are installed to ensure compatibility, then medication incompatibility issues are reduced, but the complexity of pathway management and the number of required pathways increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication compatibilityVSAvoidnumber of delivery pathways

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary determination of medication delivery pathway compatibility before actual medication administration. By obtaining pathway data and evaluating compatibility criteria in advance, the system identifies potential incompatibility issues before they occur, allowing practitioners to prevent problems rather than react to them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback information to healthcare practitioners about medication delivery pathway compatibility and optimization opportunities. This feedback includes identification of incompatible medications, suggested pathway assignments, and information about flushing requirements, enabling practitioners to make informed decisions about pathway management.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If existing pathways are flushed frequently to ensure compatibility, then medication incompatibility is prevented, but the loss of time and increased operational burden occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication compatibilityVSAvoidflushing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary evaluation of medication compatibility and pathway assignment before administration. By determining compatibility and optimizing pathway assignment in advance, the system identifies when flushing is necessary and when it can be avoided, preventing unnecessary flushing operations and reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the parameter of pathway assignment by identifying alternative pathways that are compatible with upcoming medications without requiring flushing. By varying the pathway selection parameter based on medication compatibility criteria, the system avoids situations that would require time-consuming flushing operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230290473A1System, Method, and Computer Program Product for Medication Administration

Publication Date: 2023.09.14 BECTON DICKINSON & CO

AI summary

A method may include obtaining pathway data associated with a medication delivery pathway for delivering medication to a patient, the medication delivery pathway including at least one of the following: at least one catheter, at least one lumen, at least one port, or any combination thereof; obtaining prescription data associated with (i) a medication prescribed for delivery to the patient and (ii) another medication delivered, being delivered, or prescribed to be delivered to the patient; determining, according to a rule set, based on the pathway data and the prescription data, a medication delivery pathway for delivery of the medication to the patient; and assigning the medication for delivery to the patient via the medication delivery pathway.