Patient Deterioration Indicator Using VIX and LIX

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Solution Overview

Problem

Clinicians face challenges in timely detection of patient deterioration due to alert fatigue and predictive models that fail to account for individual variations, leading to delayed intervention and potential end organ damage.

Innovation Solution

A medical system that calculates vital signs instability index (VIX) and laboratory instability index (LIX) to integrate into an indicator of patient deterioration, using a prevalence table to adjust for individual trends and risk levels, reducing unnecessary alerts and focusing attention on patients requiring vigilance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If alert thresholds are raised to reduce alert fatigue, then the number of false alerts is reduced, but sensitivity to detect patient deterioration is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealert accuracyVSAvoiddeterioration detection sensitivity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts alert thresholds based on individual patient baseline characteristics and physiological norms rather than using fixed population-based thresholds. This allows the monitoring system to adapt to each patient's unique physiology, maintaining high sensitivity for detecting true deterioration while reducing false alerts for that specific patient.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies personalized monitoring parameters and thresholds tailored to each individual patient's baseline characteristics, rather than using uniform thresholds for all patients. This local customization enables optimal detection sensitivity for each patient while reducing alert fatigue from population-based false positives.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If a predetermined inhibition period is used to reduce alert frequency, then alert fatigue is reduced, but the system fails to detect worsening conditions within the inhibition period

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvealert relevanceVSAvoiddetection delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The inhibition period is dynamically adjusted based on individual patient characteristics, physiological parameters, and risk factors rather than using a fixed predetermined time. This allows the system to extend or shorten the inhibition period appropriately for each patient's condition, ensuring that worsening conditions are detected while still reducing unnecessary alerts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors physiological parameters during the inhibition period and uses feedback mechanisms to detect significant worsening conditions. When predefined criteria for deterioration are met, the system overrides the inhibition period and generates appropriate alerts, ensuring timely detection of critical changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If population-based predictive models are used to monitor patients, then general detection capability is improved, but individual patient variations are not accounted for

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemonitoring coverageVSAvoidindividual patient adaptation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary characterization of each patient's baseline physiological parameters and norms before initiating monitoring. This preliminary action establishes individualized reference ranges and risk profiles, enabling the subsequent monitoring to be both efficient (maintaining population-based coverage) and personalized (adapting to individual variations).

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies personalized monitoring parameters, thresholds, and risk stratification tailored to each individual patient's baseline characteristics, rather than using uniform population-based parameters for all patients.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Measurement precision

If manual review of physiological data is performed, then detection accuracy is improved, but the time required for detection increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeterioration detection accuracyVSAvoiddetection time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intelligent intermediary layer that automatically analyzes physiological data using personalized algorithms and generates prioritized alerts. This intermediary processes the raw data continuously, applying individualized thresholds and patterns, presenting only clinically significant findings to clinicians, thus maintaining high detection accuracy while eliminating time-consuming manual review.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-monitoring and self-assessment of physiological data using automated algorithms that continuously evaluate patient status against individualized baselines, detecting deterioration without requiring manual clinician review while maintaining high accuracy through personalized parameter selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP2850550B1Method of rendering hemodynamic instability index indicator information
Publication Date: 2018.08.01 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP2850550B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2850550B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2850550B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A medical system (10) and method monitor a patient. Patient data for the patient received. The patient data includes vital sign measurements and laboratory results. A vital signs instability index (VIX) regarding a physiological condition of the patient is calculated from the received vital sign measurements. A laboratory instability index (LIX) regarding the physiological condition is calculated from the received laboratory results. The VIX and the LIX are integrated into an indicator of patient deterioration.