Virtual Device Aggregating Medical Data for EMR Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic medical record (EMR) systems are limited to connecting with a single device at a time, requiring patients to be admitted to a specific device and making it cumbersome to change medical devices as patient needs evolve, and are not capable of functioning in a patient-based model where multiple devices are used simultaneously.
Innovation Solution
A virtual device is created that can connect to multiple real devices, aggregate their data, and provide it to the EMR as a single connection, allowing for dynamic addition and removal of devices without disconnecting from the EMR, and is configured to be associated with a patient's location and care plan, operating via the HL7 protocol.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single device connection is maintained to the EMR, then system simplicity and connection stability are improved, but the ability to support multiple devices simultaneously and adaptability to changing patient needs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual device is introduced as an intermediary between multiple real monitoring devices and the EMR system. The virtual device receives data from multiple real devices (ventilator, pulse oximeter, etc.), aggregates it, and presents it to the EMR as a single connection. This mediator approach maintains connection stability while enabling support for multiple devices and facilitating device interchangeability without requiring EMR reconfiguration.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices are connected directly to the EMR, then device versatility and patient monitoring capability are improved, but system complexity and connection management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple device connections are merged into a single virtual device connection. Instead of establishing separate connections from each real device to the EMR, the system combines all device data streams through the virtual device, which aggregates and consolidates the information before presenting it to the EMR as one unified connection, thereby simplifying the connection architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual device serves multiple functions: it acts as a data aggregator from multiple devices, a data processor that combines information, and a single point of connection to the EMR. This multi-functional approach enables the system to support multiple devices while maintaining a simple single-connection architecture.
3Measurement precision
If patients are admitted to specific devices, then device-based monitoring accuracy is improved, but patient-based care flexibility and ease of device transfer deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of admitting patients to specific devices, the system inverts the relationship by admitting patients to the EMR and allowing multiple devices to connect to the virtual device associated with that patient. This inversion enables flexible device transfer where devices can be added or removed without re-admitting the patient, while maintaining accurate patient-based monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for connecting devices to a health record configured to have a single connection thereto. The method includes creating a virtual device and configuring the virtual device such that two or more of the devices are connectable thereto. The virtual device receives data from each of the two or more of the devices and aggregates the data from each of the two or more of the devices into aggregate data. The aggregate data is associated with the virtual device as originating therefrom. The method further includes connecting the virtual device to the electronic medical record as the single connection thereto and providing the aggregate data from the virtual device to the health record.