Patent Application
20250166750
The present disclosure relates to the field of an electronic health record system, and, more particularly, to a graphical user interface for an electronic health record and related methods.
Since the beginning of the modern medical era, the task of medical records has been an important core competency. For a given patient, the health record is an important history of past medical treatments and medical conditions. These are critical for medical professionals as they assist in diagnosing new ailments and in providing treatment. In the pre-computer age, the patient's health record was physical, typically contained in paper folders with handwritten notes. When the patient went from one doctor to another, the health record was regularly not transferred. Because of this, the new doctor had to replace the patient history manually based upon the memory of the patient.
One approach to this issue is the electronic health record (EHR). The EHR is a digital version of the traditional health record for the patient. Since the EHR is digital, transfer to the new doctor is theoretically easier. Nonetheless, there are some drawbacks to typical EHR approaches. For example, the EHR system is siloed for each medical professional. The EHR for each patient is not synchronized and updates from one medical professional are not viewable by others. Moreover, some typical EHR approaches have a poor user interface. In particular, these approaches have complicated menu structures with deep nested menus. Although these approaches have a great many functions, many users do not fully utilize the functions due to awkward and difficult to use user interfaces.
Generally, an EHR system is for providing an EHR graphical user interface (EHR GUI). The EHR system includes a display, a memory, and a processor cooperating with the display and the memory. The processor is configured to store an EHR database for a plurality of patients, and render the EHR GUI on the display for accessing given patient data related to a given patient within the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a switchable interface area configured to switch between a plurality of EHR functions. Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a navigation tab menu adjacent to a first side of the switchable interface area and comprising a plurality of navigation tabs for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area, and a patient history tab menu adjacent to a second side of the switchable interface area. The second side is opposite the first side. The patient history tab menu comprises a plurality of patient history tabs for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises an alert footer menu below the switchable interface area, the alert footer menu comprising a plurality of potential medical alerts for the given patient, and a specialist footer menu adjacent to the alert footer menu and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications.
More specifically, the alert footer menu may be persistently rendered for each of the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area. The plurality of potential medical alerts for the given patient may comprise at least one of an allergy alert and a life threatening condition alert. The plurality of patient history tabs may comprise at least one of a patient prescription history tab, a patient surgical history tab, a patient medical history tab, and a patient problem list tab.
In some embodiments, the patient prescription history tab may comprise a medication name and an associated disease. The plurality of potential specialist notifications may comprise at least one of a practice specific specialty notification, and a doctor specific and location specific notification. Each potential specialist notification may comprise a visual indicator for a quantity of notifications. The switchable interface area may have a multi-page side-by-side format, and the alert footer menu may comprise a plurality of page navigation buttons.
For example, the plurality of navigation tabs may comprise at least one of a laboratory results tab, a radiology tab, a referral tab, and a prescription tab. Also, the plurality of EHR functions may comprise a consult function permitting selection of at least one of an assessment column, a specialty column, a referral doctor column, and a reason for consult column. Each of the assessment column, the specialty column, and the referral doctor column may comprise a respective search menu.
Another aspect is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium for an EHR system comprising a display. The EHR system provides an EHR GUI. The non-transitory computer-readable medium has computer-executable instructions for causing the EHR system to perform steps comprising storing an EHR database for a plurality of patients, and rendering the EHR GUI on the display for accessing given patient data related to a given patient within the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a switchable interface area configured to switch between a plurality of EHR functions. Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a navigation tab menu adjacent to the first side of the switchable interface area. The navigation tab menu comprises a plurality of navigation tabs for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area. The EHR GUI also includes a patient history tab menu adjacent to a second side of the switchable interface area. The second side is opposite the first side. The patient history tab menu comprises a plurality of patient history tabs for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises an alert footer menu below the switchable interface area, the alert footer menu comprising a plurality of potential medical alerts for the given patient, and a specialist footer menu adjacent to the alert footer menu and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications.
Yet another aspect is directed to a method for operating an EHR system comprising a display, the EHR system providing an EHR GUI. The method comprises storing an EHR database for a plurality of patients, and rendering the EHR GUI on the display for accessing given patient data related to a given patient within the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a switchable interface area configured to switch between a plurality of EHR functions. Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises a navigation tab menu adjacent to a first side of the switchable interface area. The navigation tab menu includes a plurality of navigation tabs for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area. The EHR GUI also comprises a patient history tab menu adjacent to a second side of the switchable interface area. The second side is opposite the first side. The patient history tab menu comprises a plurality of patient history tabs for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database. The EHR GUI comprises an alert footer menu below the switchable interface area, the alert footer menu comprising a plurality of potential medical alerts for the given patient, and a specialist footer menu adjacent to the alert footer menu and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications.
The present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which several embodiments of the invention are shown. This present disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout, and base 100 reference numerals are used to indicate similar elements in alternative embodiments.
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Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The EHR GUI 101 comprises a navigation tab menu 111 adjacent to the first side 107a of the switchable interface area 106 and comprising a plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area 106. The plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n illustratively comprises a back button and a forward button to allow for easier navigation from previously accessed EHR functions (See, e.g.,
In some embodiments (See, e.g.,
The EHR GUI 101 illustratively comprises a patient history tab menu 113 adjacent to the second side 107b of the switchable interface area 106. The patient history tab menu 113 comprises a plurality of patient history tabs 114a-114e for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The plurality of patient history tabs 114a-114e illustratively comprises a patient prescription history tab 114a, a patient medical history (PMH) tab 114b, a patient surgical history (PSH) tab 114c, a Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCC) tab 114d, and a patient problem list (PL) tab 114e.
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The EHR GUI 101 comprises an alert footer menu 116 directly below the switchable interface area 106. The alert footer menu 116 illustratively extends substantially (i.e., 90% or more) horizontally across the entire display 102. The alert footer menu 116 comprises a plurality of potential medical alert display windows 117, 120 for the given patient. In particular, the first alert display window 117 comprises an allergy alert display window, and lists the allergies of the given patient. The second alert display window 120 comprises a patient medical condition alert display window and lists the serious medical conditions of the given patient (e.g., patient has diabetes). As perhaps best seen in
The EHR GUI 101 comprises a specialist footer menu 122 adjacent to the alert footer menu 116 and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications 123a-123f (e.g., the illustrated notification pane with buttons). The plurality of potential specialist notifications 123a-123f may comprise a practice specific specialty notification 123a-123c, and a doctor specific and/or location specific notification 123d-123f. Each potential specialist notification 123a-123f illustratively comprises a visual indicator for a quantity of notifications. Helpfully, multiple medical professionals can access the given patient data in the EHR database 105. If the given patient has seen another medical professional since the last visit with the present medical professional, this will be noted within the plurality of potential specialist notifications 123a-123f.
The EHR GUI 101 illustratively comprises an information panel 124 above the and directly adjacent to the first end 110a of the switchable interface area 106. The information panel 124 may include a biographical data menu 125a for the given patient, a received message notification menu 125b, a quality measure menu 125c, and a patient schedule menu 125d.
Also, the alert footer menu 116 may be persistently rendered for each of the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area 106. Given the critical nature of the information within the alert footer menu 116, this information is always or almost always presented to the medical professional regardless of the current EHR function. As perhaps best seen in
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The alert footer menu 116 illustratively includes a home button 135. When the home button 135 is activated, the EHR GUI 101 transitions out of any EHR function and returns to the current (latest) progress note function shown in
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Another aspect is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable medium for an EHR system 100 comprising a display 102. The EHR system 100 provides an EHR GUI 101. The non-transitory computer-readable medium has computer-executable instructions for causing the EHR system 100 to perform steps comprising storing an EHR database 105 for a plurality of patients, and rendering the EHR GUI 101 on the display 102 for accessing given patient data related to a given patient within the EHR database. The EHR GUI 101 comprises a switchable interface area 106 configured to switch between a plurality of EHR functions. Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The EHR GUI 101 comprises a navigation tab menu 111 adjacent to a first side 107a of the switchable interface area 106 and comprising a plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area, and a patient history tab menu 113 adjacent to a second side 107b of the switchable interface area. As noted hereinabove, each of the plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n may comprise a visual indicator for a number of notifications within the respective EHR function. The second side 107b is opposite the first side 107a. The patient history tab menu 113 comprises a plurality of patient history tabs 114a-114e for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The EHR GUI 101 comprises an alert footer menu 116 below the switchable interface area 106, the alert footer menu comprising a plurality of potential medical alert display windows 117, 120 for the given patient, and a specialist footer menu 122 adjacent to the alert footer menu and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications 123a-123f.
Yet another aspect is directed to a method for operating an EHR system 100 comprising a display 102, the EHR system providing an EHR GUI 101. The method comprises storing an EHR database 105 for a plurality of patients, and rendering the EHR GUI 101 on the display 102 for accessing given patient data related to a given patient within the EHR database. The EHR GUI 101 comprises a switchable interface area 106 configured to switch between a plurality of EHR functions. Each EHR function is to provide access to a respective different type of information from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The EHR GUI 101 comprises a navigation tab menu 111 adjacent to a first side 107a of the switchable interface area 106 and comprising a plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n for accessing the plurality of EHR functions within the switchable interface area, and a patient history tab menu 113 adjacent to a second side 107b of the switchable interface area. In some embodiments, the plurality of navigation tabs 112a-112n may comprise a visual indicator for a number of notifications within the plurality of EHR functions.
The second side 107b is opposite the first side 107a. The patient history tab menu 113 comprises a plurality of patient history tabs 114a-114e for accessing different types of historical patient data from the given patient data in the EHR database 105. The EHR GUI 101 comprises an alert footer menu 116 below the switchable interface area 106, the alert footer menu comprising a plurality of potential medical alert display windows 117, 120 for the given patient, and a specialist footer menu 122 adjacent to the alert footer menu and comprising a plurality of potential specialist notifications 123a-123f.
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All the assessments put in the progress note second page will show up here too. Any assessments not pulled in from the progress note can always be put in as required, based on the patient's medical issues from the patient history tabs 114a-114e on the left side of the screen. Any highlighted assessment from the progress note function of
Cumulative Rx Past Visit(s): Will display when clicked, all medications prescribed and used for any specific assessment in the past, in alphabetical order. This list will have been saved automatically to a database from past prescriptions, e-prescribed for that assessment. All prescriptions will show incremental strength going downwards and in increasing frequency of administration for that medication. The arrow to the left of a medication can be clicked to bring it into the plan for a particular assessment which is highlighted. If there is any medication interaction it will display that, and will not allow the medication to be brought in. A box will show up “override drug interaction” in which a drop down box must be checked or filled/typed out, as to why it can still be prescribed. Then the arrow can be clicked again to bring the medication in.
Link to Other assessment(s): tab is toward the right upper hand corner of the template also. It will have all the diagnoses/assessment, from the past medical history of the patient. Any new medication prescribed can be linked to other assessment(s) if it is being used for multiple diagnoses on the patient, if it is not already linked to it in the past. Pharmacy Alternatives: When this tab is clicked, it will highlight the alternative for any medication which is not preferred by the prescription plan. The medication alternatives will be in alphabetical order and with incremental dosage increases noted. Medication(s) at end of Visit: This is the last tab which when clicked will show two sections underneath.
“New prescriptions this visit”: This column will list all the new medications prescribed at this visit, for all the different assessments in alphabetical order. “Current Medications”: will list the total of all the new and previous medications (i.e., the dosage of which may or may not have been changed) that the patient will be leaving the office at the end of the visit. Come midnight, this will then become the default list of the patient's medications. A template will slide in from the right side of the screen, to show the new prescriptions and current medication when this tab is clicked. When the tab is unclicked or another tab is clicked, then this screen will slide back to the right and go into hiding. The allergy and alert row at the bottom will display any possible reason(s) as to why the prescription can or cannot be given to the patient.
New Medication: “new Rx,” Search can be instituted for any medication for the assessment that is highlighted. When the medication name starts to be typed in then all the preparations for that medication will start populating right below the Search box in a dropdown box. The applicable preparation with the correct dosage can then be clicked on and highlighted. It will put it on the top row under the “name” of the medication.
Also, any new medication can also be pulled in by clicking on the “top right upper hand tabs,” on the “cumulative Rx past visit(s).” All previous medications prescribed for that assessment will be populated here in alphabetical order and in incremental dosage formulation from the top towards the bottom. The correct name with formulation can be brought in by clicking on the arrow to the left of it. Any medication which is populated after a new search or brought in from the cumulative Rx past visit besides showing up in the new Rx in the section at center of the screen, will also show up in the “medication adjustment status” screen in the center of the screen in the lower part. Any previous medication that the patient has been taking and in front of which it says “on” can also highlighted and it will show up in the “medication adjustment status” screen. Here, any necessary changes or adjustments can be made and saved. It will reflect this change in the section above where the medication was first highlighted. The status will also reflect the change from “on” to the new change in status.
Any new medication which populates will have “start” under the status column for that new medication. All previous medication for that assessment which populates the template and has “on” as its status, will be pushed down, to accommodate the addition of the new medication(s) on the top. Any “medication interactions” will display on the upper part of the template, right of the midline. The severe interactions will be at the top and below it the moderate and then the mild. If there is any medication interaction then it will show on the medication interaction section with the severe interactions, followed by the moderate and mild towards the bottom. A scroll bar is present to scroll through the list if it is long. If there is a significant interaction then, a box will pop up “override drug interaction” in which a dropdown box must be checked or filled/typed out, as to why it can still be prescribed. Then the arrow can be clicked again to bring the medication in.
Any new medication prescribed, when highlighted can be linked to other assessment by clicking on the “link to other assessment(s)” tab which is toward the right upper hand corner. It is possible to link it to multiple assessments. complimentary/alternative medication: any complimentary or alternative medication can be searched in the search box right above the search for the “new Rx” and is to the right of the “assessment” heading.
Dose Adjustment: To adjust the dose of a previously prescribed medication: 1) the medication can be pulled in from the medication list by clicking it under the medication tab, under which it is listed. When this happens, then all the assessments listed under will now show up under the assessment column. 2) If an assessment is pulled in by clicking on the arrow to the right of it under the “assessment” column from the past medical history, HCC tab or PL then it can be clicked on, to highlight it. This will bring up the name of all the medications that have been prescribed in the past for that medication, below the “new Rx” under “name.” The status will default to “on.” When any of these medications are clicked to highlight it, then it will show the medication now under the “adjust medication status” section, on the topmost row, with “on” showing as the default current status to the left of it. Only one medication can have dosage adjustment performed at any time.
Now any of the buttons under the status column can be checked to change its status. Dosage, form, amount to take, route, frequency, duration, quantity, and refills can all be adjusted to suit the patient's needs. Thereafter, the pharmacy where it needs to be sent, is chosen from the choices on the extreme right side of the “adjust medication status”. Then, the save button can be pressed to save the changes and the medication will disappear from the “adjust medication status” and repopulate on the box above under “new Rx” with the appropriate changes as instituted. The status will show depending on what the change was. If the dose was increased, then it will show “increase” as the new status.
Prescription as Worded: At the very bottom will type out the medication as the options are being adjusted by clicking on them to ensure that it is exactly the way that the provider wants it to be or if any new medication is being prescribed and adjustments being made to the dosage, form, frequency or any other instructions. Provider details and Pharmacies: On the top part of the template to the left of the midline, there is the details of the provider related to prescribing. Pharmacy plan is listed if the patient has one. There are five pharmacies which will be listed: First: is the local pharmacy that the patient prefers; Second: is a local pharmacy which provides some free drugs; Third: Is pharmacy which is open late hours close to the patient residence; Fourth: Mail order pharmacy for long term prescriptions; and Fifth: Remote pharmacy when the patient is at his second home and needs something called in for emergency or for his long term medications.
All Rx History: This will have the prescriptions given by other providers who are using this EHR but outside the practice. Practice Rx History: Will have all the prescriptions sent electronically by all the providers in the same practice, under the same specialty (single specialty practice) as well as different specialties (Multispecialty practice). External Rx history: This will have the prescriptions written by other providers who are taking care of the patient who are using a different EHR if down the road interoperability allows that to happen. Eligibility verification: This is to verify the eligibility for the prescription. Rx Coordinator Completion Log: This will show the log for all the Rx coordinators for each financial year, month, and date and how many prescriptions were sent by each one of them on a day-to-day basis.
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Whenever an assessment is clicked on, it will highlight it, into a different “active color” and labs pertaining to that assessment can now be added into the lab section to the right of it, which could be related to an acute visit, say an a) Upper respiratory Infection or 2) Acute Diverticulitis. Labs can also be added for routine visits, and the diagnoses codes along with the ICD codes can be added next to it from the PMH, which has the diagnoses with the ICD 10 code attached with it.
At the top of the space for the Lab orders are going to be 3 buttons 1) Today 2) Calendar and 3) Routine. Today: When the button for “today” is clicked it will create a bar below in the lab column with today's date on it and Lab orders can now be pulled in from the left side of it, for the labs to be drawn the same day of the patient visit. This is usually for “acute visits” when there is an acute problem, for which labs need to be drawn the same day.
Calendar Button: When there is a desire for a lab to be ordered any time period with no specificity then the calendar button can be opened to choose any date or week(s) to be created, so that labs can be added to have it drawn by the phlebotomist in that time frame when it is required. For example, a patient is started on a statin drug and needs a lab (Liver function test) drawn in two months to ensure that the medication is not affecting the liver. The calendar can be used to create a date for two months from the date of the visit and the required blood test (liver function test) can be ordered under that date.
Routine: This button is to order routine labs for the patient prior to his visit to see the doctor which is usually a couple of weeks prior to the visit, which could be anywhere from 3-6 months' time in general. If for example, the patient is being seen in 4½ months, then the lab can be ordered for 4 months. The routine button can be programmed for 4 months by “right” clicking on it and a box will open up which will have different time frame already prepopulated on it like 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, 4½ months etc. The provider can pick and choose the time frame he wants to use and then click the “save” button to save it for that time frame. When the provider clicks on the routine button in the future, it will automatically create a bar with a working date for 4 months. Now since it was just created it will by default be active and now Lab orders can be added under that date from the “test menu” either as “individual” labs or can be brought in from the “group” lab.
Any lab order created by mistake under a particular “heading” can be highlighted and be deleted by clicking on the “DEL” (Delete) button on the heading bar. Any “individual” lab under a heading, can be deleted by clicking on the negative (−) round button to the right of it. All pending tests: All lab tests ordered by any provider including specialists for any future dates will be displayed under the “all pending tests” bar. This is to prevent ordered or same lab tests too close to each other and prevent duplication and prevent wastage of resources.
Test Menu: Providers can create a test menu based on the specialty. It can be created under individual as “individual labs test” or as a group of lab tests for certain conditions under a second column labelled as “group lab tests”. There is a scroll bar for each “individual” and “group” column.
Individual Bar: The (+) button is to add individual test under the individual column and the (−) button is to delete any test which was ordered by mistake, or the user decides to delete it for any reason. Group Bar: The (+) button is to add a group bar under the group column. Different headings for groups can be created by clicking on this plus button which can then be labeled, and then individual lab tests can be added under each heading by using the plus button on that individual heading bar which was created. The (−) button is to delete a group bar and any individual labs added underneath it, which was created in the past, by highlighting the bar and then clicking the (−) button.
Completed Tests: When the “completed tests” button is pressed it will display all the individual and group lab tests done in the recent past going into the remote past (in descending order), along with the dates and who it was ordered by. All Cancelled Tests: This heading in the lower half of the screen (Completed Tests) will display all the tests cancelled in the past. When the button with the double (++) sign is clicked, it should show who was the provider responsible for cancelling the test.
Specialty: This will display all the different specialties tabs. If there is any test which the provider cannot remember for a particular assessment, help can be sought by clicking on the specialty tab related to that assessment. It will then display all the tests which was ordered by the specialists in that field for that diagnosis (assessment). This is a functionality which no other EHR has and can be very helpful. It will hasten the care of the patient by having all the requisite lab reports available even before the patient sees the specialist. It will save unnecessary repetitive visits to the specialists since what the specialist wanted is already available. Hence, cutting specialist waiting time by preventing redundant specialist visits; and this will help primary care providers improve patient care by opening specialist input (i.e., special lab test ordering availability) to the Primary care physician and widening their knowledge base.
This screen is important for the flow and minimal number of clicks. The provider never has to move outside the screen. All the lab orders created under “individual tests” and all “group headings” once created with multiple labs orders under it, is saved to a data base and will be retrieved and stay on the right side of the screen for future use and with one click on the arrow it can be brought in as an order for the staff to carry out and the patient can be called and instructed to come in as per the dates of the required lab orders.
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This could be “individual instructions”, which will be available immediately to the right of the plan column, for example, the “flutter valve breathing exercises” for an assessment of “COPD”, “decrease fluid intake” for an assessment of “congestive heart failure”, “decrease salt intake” for assessment of “congestive heart failure”, or “take stool softener docusate sodium OTC, if constipated from taking Iron tablet” for assessment of “Iron deficiency anemia”. It also could be “order sets” where a group of orders can be created beforehand under different headings and the saved under one order set. This column will be to the extreme right of the template. When the arrow for the order set has been created, which will have multiple orders created under multiple different headings, a single click will then bring it into the Plan hence saving time and effort. Similarly, different kinds of order sets could be created for different circumstances and saved for future use depending on those circumstances.
The key functionality is that: All instructions will be related to the assessment and created for each individual assessment. All the instructions created will be saved under this tab for future use, and will automatically be displayed whenever that assessment is populated under the assessment (diagnoses) heading. So, as more and more new instructions are being created, for a particular assessment, a compendium of instructions will be created over a period, for that assessment. Thereafter, all the provider needs to do in the future is to click on the arrow(s) to the left of those instruction(s) either individual or multiple instructions created under order sets, to bring it into the Plan for that assessment. Therefore, typing and searching may be reduced in the long run.
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On the left hand side will be the standard tabs which will include medications, PMH, PSH, PL and HCC tab. From this PMH tab all the medical diagnosis which are relevant for that particular visit, can be pulled into the assessment by clicking on the different “diagnoses” under the PMH which is the second column from the left hand side. Any new assessments can also be added under the assessments column, by searching for a diagnosis not in the past medical history, using the search button.
Whenever an assessment is clicked on, it will highlight it, into a different “active color” and radiology order pertaining to that assessment can now be added into the radiology section to the right of it, which could be related to an acute visit, say an 1) Upper respiratory Infection needing a Chest X-Ray or 2) Acute Diverticulitis needing a CT scan of the abdomen.
Radiology orders can also be added for certain routine tests on a yearly basis, for example, Meningioma a brain tumor follow up or any other time frame as deemed appropriate based on the diagnosis, and the diagnoses codes along with the ICD codes can be added next to it from the PMH or PL which has the diagnoses with the ICD 10 code attached with it. On the top of the space for the radiology orders are going to be 3 buttons 1) Today 2) Calendar and 3) Routine. Today: When the button for “today” is clicked, it will create a bar below in the radiology column with today's date on it and radiology orders can now be pulled in from the left side of it, for the radiology test to be performed on the same day of the patient visit. This is usually for “acute visits” when this is usually required.
Calendar Button: When there is a desire for a radiology test to be ordered for a particular time frame with no specificity then the calendar button can be opened to choose any date, week(s) or month(s) to be created, so that test can be ordered to have it performed in that particular time frame when it is required. For example, when the patient has an abnormal mammogram and needs a repeat in say 6 months, the calendar can be used to create a date for six months from the date of the previous mammogram. The order can then be automatically faxed to the radiology facility a couple of months prior to the test so that it can be scheduled for the patient.
Routine: This button is to order routine radiology for the patient. Say a patient has been a heavy smoker and needs a low dose CT Chest for lung cancer screening, the routine button can be programmed for 1 year by “right” clicking on it and a box will open up which will have different time frame already prepopulated on it like 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, 4½ months etc. up to a year on it and the provider can pick and choose the time frame he wants to use and then click the “save” button to save it for that time frame. When he clicks on the routine button in the future, it will automatically create a bar with a working date for one year. Now since it was just created it will by default be active and now radiology orders can be added under that date from the “test menu” either as “individual” or can be brought in from the “group” test(s). Any radiology order created by mistake under a particular “heading” can be highlighted and be deleted by clicking on the “DEL” (Delete) button on the heading bar.
Any “individual” radiology test under a heading, can be deleted by clicking on the Negative (−) round button to the right of it. All Pending Tests: All radiology tests ordered by any provider including specialists for any future dates will be displayed under the “all pending tests” bar. This is to prevent ordered or same radiology tests too close to each other and prevent duplication and prevent wastage of resources.
Test Menu: Providers can create a test menu based on their specialty. It can be created under Individual as “individual radiology test” or as a “group” of radiological test for certain conditions under a second column labelled as “group tests”. There is a scroll bar for each “individual” and “group” column. Individual Bar: the (+) button is to add an individual test under the individual column and the (−) button is to delete any test that was ordered by mistake, or the user decides to delete it for any reason. Group Bar: the (+) button is to add a group bar under the group column. Different headings for groups can be created by clicking on this plus button which can then be labeled, and then individual lab tests can be added under each heading by using the plus button on that individual heading bar which was created. The (−) button is to delete a group bar and any individual labs added underneath it, which was created in the past, by highlighting the bar and then clicking the (−) button.
Completed Tests: When the “completed tests” button is pressed, it will display all the individual and group radiology tests done in the recent past going into the remote past (i.e., in descending order), along with the dates and who ordered it. All Canceled Tests: This heading in the lower half of the screen (Completed Tests) will display all the tests cancelled in the past. When the button with the double (++) sign is clicked it should show who was the provider responsible for cancelling the test. Specialty: When this tab is clicked on then the column with all the specialties will slide in from the right side of the screen. This will display all the different specialties under one column. If there is any test which the provider cannot remember for a particular assessment, help can be sought by clicking on the specialty related to that assessment. It will then display all the tests which was ordered by the specialists in that field for that diagnosis (i.e., assessment). Then the provider can click on it to bring that test into the description column from the specialist test menu. This is a functionality which no other EHR has and can be helpful. It will hasten the care of the patient by having all the requisite lab reports available even before the patient sees the specialist. It will save unnecessary repetitive visits to the specialists since what the specialist wanted is already available. Hence, this will cutt specialist waiting time by preventing redundant specialist visits and help primary care providers improve patient care by opening specialist input (special lab test ordering availability) to the primary care physician and widening their knowledge base.
Referring to
By clicking the “medical test order” tab on the right hand side, another template will open which will be for the medical test orders to be put in. On the left hand side will be the standard tabs which will include medications, PMH, PSH, PL & HCC tab. From this PMH tab all the medical diagnosis which are relevant for that particular visit, can be pulled into the assessment by clicking on the different “diagnoses” under the past medical history, which is the second column from the left hand side. Any new assessments can also be added under the assessments column, by searching for a diagnosis not in the past medical history, using the search button.
Whenever an assessment is clicked on, it will highlight it, into a different “active color” and medical test order pertaining to that assessment can now be added into the medical test section to the right of it, which could be related to an acute visit, say an a) Chest Pain needing a nuclear stress test and Holter monitor. Medical test orders can also be added for certain routine tests on a yearly basis if needed. On the top of the space for the radiology orders are going to be 3 buttons 1) Today 2) Calendar and 3) Routine. TODAY: When the button for “today” is clicked it will create a bar below in the medical test column with today's date on it and radiology orders can now be pulled in from the left side of it, for the medical test to be performed on the same day of the patient visit. This is usually for “acute visits” when this is usually required.
Calendar Button: When there is a desire for a medical test to be ordered for a particular time frame with no specificity then the calendar button can be opened to choose any date, week(s) or month(s) to be created, so that test can be ordered to have it performed in that particular time frame when it is required. For example, if the patient had an abnormal medical test and needs a repeat in say 6 months, the calendar can be used to create a date for six months from the date of the previous medical test. The order can automatically be faxed to the radiology facility a couple of months prior to the test so that it can be scheduled for the patient.
Routine: This button is to order routine medical test for the patient. The routine button can be programmed for 1 year by “right” clicking on it and a box will open up which will have different time frame already prepopulated on it like 2, 2½, 3, 3½, 4, 4½ months etc., up to a year on it; and the provider can pick and choose the time frame he wants to use and then click the “save” button to save it for that time frame. When he clicks on the routine button in the future, it will automatically create a bar with a working date for one year. Now since it was just created it will by default be active and now medical test orders can be added under that date from the “test menu” either as “individual” or can be brought in from the “group” test(s). Any medical test order created by mistake under a particular “heading” can be highlighted and be deleted by clicking on the “DEL” (Delete) button on the heading bar. Any “individual” medical test under a heading, can be deleted by clicking on the Negative (−) round button to the right of it.
All Pending Tests: All Medical tests ordered by any provider including specialists for any future dates will be displayed under the “all pending tests” bar. This is to prevent ordered or same radiology tests too close to each other and prevent duplication and prevent wastage of resources. Test Menu: Providers can create a test menu based upon the specialty. It can be created under individual as “individual radiology test” or as a “group” of radiological test for certain conditions under a second column labelled as “group tests”. There is a scroll bar for each “individual” and “group” column. Individual Bar: the (+) button is to add individual test under the individual column and the (−) button is to delete any test which was ordered by mistake, or the user decides to delete it for any reason.
Group Bar: the (+) button is to add a group bar under the group column. Different headings for groups can be created by clicking on this plus button which can then be labeled, and then individual lab tests can be added under each heading by using the plus button on that individual heading bar which was created. The (−) button is to delete a group bar and any individual labs added underneath it, which was created in the past, by highlighting the bar and then clicking the (−) button.
Completed Tests: When the “completed tests” button is pressed it will display all the individual and group medical tests done in the recent past going into the remote past (in descending order), along with the dates and who it was ordered by when the cursor is hovered on the cancelled test. All Cancelled Tests: This heading in the lower half of the screen (Completed Tests) will display all the tests cancelled in the past. When the button with the double (++) sign is clicked it should show who was the provider responsible for cancelling the test when the cursor is hovered on the cancelled test.
Specialty: When this tab is clicked on then the column with all the specialties will “slide in” from the right side of the screen. This will display all the different specialties under one column. If there is any test which the provider cannot remember for a particular assessment, help can be sought by clicking on the specialty related to that assessment. It will then display all the tests which was ordered by the specialists in that field for that diagnosis (assessment). Then the provider can click on it to bring that test into the description column from the specialist “test menu.” When the specialty button is unchecked then the column with all the specialties listed will slide out of view to the right and disappear. This is a functionality which no other EHR has and can be helpful. It will hasten the care of the patient by having all the requisite medical test reports available even before the patient sees the specialist. It will save unnecessary repetitive visits to the specialists since what the specialist wanted is already available.
Referring to
For the lab result function in
On the very top of the left hand page will be displayed all the lab tests which were ordered and now displayed here for that particular date. The lab results which are available will be highlighted in a different color and any pending lab results which was transmitted to the lab, but the result of which has not been received will be displayed in a different color.
Functionality: The scroll bar will display the individual test results in the order as shown on the top left hand page going from left to right here shown as: Chem-7, CBC, CMP, TSH, Vitamin B12, Folic acid and Retic count. At the same time, if the CBC is being displayed on the second right hand page, then in the “test” menu displayed on the left upper hand above the “previous lab report” the CBC button will be highlighted. Instant comparison: As the scroll is moved down and a new lab test result hits the top of the page under the “current lab report,” the previous 3-4 lab test result for that same test will pop up on the left hand side screen for comparison purposes. This will continue until all the test results have been scrolled through by the provider.
Patient Instructions: Patient instructions can be created for each lab result. Under the “create headings” when the “patient” button above the create heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the create heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The top one will have a different background (here shown in green). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below it in a box with a green background for patient instructions.
Staff Instructions: Similarly, staff instructions can be created for each lab result. Under the “create headings” when the “staff” button above the create heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the create heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The bottom one will have a different background (here shown in white). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below it in a box with a white background for staff instructions.
Once saved the instructions will then populate on the extreme right hand column of the screen. There will be an arrow to the left of the instruction box to move it into the patient instructions box in the box on the current lab report. The background color will match to tell the provider which box the instructions will move to. Here, it is depicted that that instructions saved into the green background will move to the patient instruction box which also has a green background. The instruction in the box with the white background will be for the staff, and when the arrow next to it is clicked on that box, it will move the instructions into the staff instruction box, which also has a white background. Alternatively, the instructions (message) for patient and instructions (message) for patient can be populated below the pages, similar to the medical test report depicted in
Share to Portal: when checked, allows the lab results to be displayed on the portal for the patient to view. Add to progress note: Will allow all the lab results for that date to be pulled into the progress note of the patient created for that day's visit. Priority: will show whether the lab needs to be reviewed right away or can be done at leisure for the provider and the staff both when that button is checked. STATUS: will show if the lab is “pending” for review or it has been “reviewed.”
For the radiology report (results) function in
The center part of the screen will have two large pages. This will display the latest result of the test ordered and any previous result of the same test if it was performed in the past. If multiple tests were performed in the past, then it will display the second last one for comparison purposes. The results will come under this tab either from a fax received from the radiology office or directly if performed within the office from the device itself, if it is integrated with the software. It can also be scanned if the patient bring a paper hard copy of the result.
Instant comparison: The previous and current report both have a scroll bar on the right for reviewing the full report. As the scroll is moved down the results from the current and the last test report performed can be compared side by side.
The dot indicator: The dot on the test report indicates that there is another report which still has not been reviewed by the provider (i.e., a notification indicator). So, when the current report is viewed and when the provider has put in the instructions for the patient regarding the test and sent it to the staff the dot next to that test will disappear. Therefore, now the provider can now click on the bar with the second tab on it which in this case is the X-Ray Chest. This will again bring the last comparative report for comparison purposes and once the instructions for the patient are sent for the staff to call the second dot will also disappear. Radiology Result tab Notification: Once the provider now has reviewed all the radiology results which were pending and the instructions for the patients have been sent, the “notification” on the “radiology results” tab will also disappear.
Patient Instructions: Patient instructions can be created for a radiology result. Under the “create headings”, when the “patient” button above the create heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the create heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The top one will have a different background (here shown in green). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below it in a box with a green background for patient instructions.
Staff Instructions: Similarly, staff instructions can be created for the radiology result. Under the “create headings”, when the “staff” button above the create heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the create heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The bottom one will have a different background (here shown in white). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below it in a box with a White background for Staff instructions.
Auto save: Once saved the instructions will then populate on the extreme right hand column of the screen. There will be an arrow to the left of the instruction box to move it into the patient instructions box in the box on the current radiology report. The background color will match to tell the provider which box the instructions will move to. Here, it is depicted that the Instructions saved into the “green” background will move to the patient instruction box which also has a green background. The instruction in the box with the “white” background will be for the staff, and when the arrow next to it is clicked on that box, it will move the instructions into the staff instruction box, which also has a white background. To summarize, all instructions will be linked to the test ordered.
Cumulative Patient and Staff Instructions: All the instructions created for the Patient and Staff will be saved into a database for that test result. In the future if any “CTA of the carotid” result is displayed, all the Patient and Staff instructions will now auto populate on the right hand side. The same will happen for the “X-ray chest” result also.
Share to Portal: when checked, allows the radiology results to be displayed on the portal for the patient to view. Priority: will show whether the report needs to be reviewed right away or can be done at leisure for the provider and the staff both, when that button is checked. Status: will show if the lab is “pending” for review or it has been “reviewed.” Facility: will show where the test was performed.
For the medical test report function in
Instant comparison: The previous and current report both have a scroll bar on the right for reviewing the full report. As the scroll is moved down the results from the current and the last test report performed can be compared side by side. Dot Indicator: The dot on the test report indicates that there is another report which still has not been reviewed by the provider. So, when the current report “stress test, nuclear” is viewed and when the provider has put in the instructions for the patient regarding the test and sent it to the staff the dot next to that test will disappear. Therefore, now the provider can now click on the bar with the second tab on it which in this case is the pulmonary function test. This will again bring the last comparative report for comparison purposes and once the instructions for the patient are sent for the staff to call the patient, the second dot will also disappear.
Medical Test Result Tab Notification: Once the provider now has reviewed all the medical test results which were pending and the instructions for the patients have been sent to the staff to instruct the patient, the “notification” on the “medical test results” tab will disappear. Patient Instructions: patient instructions can be created for medical test results. Under the “create headings” when the “patient” button above the Create Heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the Create Heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The top one will have a different background (here shown in Green). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below it in a box with a green background for patient instructions.
Staff Instructions: Similarly, staff instructions can be created for the medical test result. Under the “create headings” when the “staff” button above the create heading is activated by clicking on it, and the (+) button on the create heading bar is clicked, then 2 template boxes will pop up one above the other on top of this screen. The bottom one will have a different background (here shown in white). A heading can be assigned to it and instructions for that heading can be populated beneath it. This can then be saved by clicking on the “save” button. Thereafter, the screen with the boxes will disappear and instructions will be saved. This will create a heading and instructions below the result, in a box with a White background for Staff instructions.
Auto save: Once saved the Instructions will then populate on the extreme right hand column of the screen. There will be an arrow to the left of the instruction box to move it into the patient instructions box in the box on the current lab report. The background color will match to tell the provider which box the instructions will move to. Here, it is depicted that the instructions saved into the “green” background will move to the patient instruction box which also has a green background. The instruction in the box with the “white” background will be for the staff, and when the arrow next to it is clicked on that box, it will move the instructions into the Staff Instruction box, which also has a white background. To summarize, all instructions will be linked to the test ordered.
Cumulative Patient and Staff Instructions: All the instructions created for the patient and staff will be saved into a database for that test result. In the future, if any “stress test, nuclear” result is displayed, all the Patient and Staff instructions will now auto populate on the right hand side. Similarly, if the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) bar under Pulmonary and Critical Care is clicked on, then it will display all the Patient and Staff instructions for PFT which was created and saved in the past on the right hand side. Share to Portal: when checked, allows the medical test result (report) to be displayed on the portal for the patient to view. Priority: will show whether the report needs to be reviewed right away or can be done at leisure for the provider and the staff both, when that button is checked. Status: will show if the medical test result is “pending” for review or it has been “reviewed.” Facility: will show where the test was performed.
For the messages function in
The create “patient instructions” and “staff instructions” will only be for providers to create and use. This will only be linked to when the CC/HPI Template is used, then this section will be activated and allow providers to create instructions for both the patient and staff which will be saved to a database for future use.
Once the instructions are brought into the colored boxes, then the boxes can be highlighted by clicking on it and then search can be activated to look for the staff who it needs to be forwarded to. Whenever a particular staff is regularly being used it will add a numerical one to that name so that it stays on top, to automatically populate the search box, so that down the road, only the “send” button must be clicked to forward the message to that staff. There will be an “X” on the right hand side of the favorite name popping up in the search box. If say the staff leaves or is no longer with the practice, then the “X” button can be right clicked to show the “deactivate” button. Once this button is clicked, that staff member's name will then drop to the bottom of the list and will be grayed out. If say the staff returns to the practice again in the future, then his name again can be reactivated by right clicking on it at the bottom of the list and “activate” button can be clicked to reactivate that staff again. The numerical value will remain attached to his name where he left off, and it will bring his name again towards the top depending on what numerical value he left the practice at. The instruction could flow either up or down depending on what the practice prefers; this can be configured in the background.
For the quality measures function in
For the immunization function in
At the same time, a new horizontal long bar occupying either the right half of the screen, or the left hand side of the screen will be created below the schedule which is shown on the top part of the screen. The details of the vaccine can then be entered into this bar. This will then be saved by clicking on the save button in the center towards the bottom. The space for each designated vaccine entry may be fixed in their allotted area on the screen and will only be slightly changeable if the patient gets more shot by accident than what was needed.
Immunization Adult Screen (
The influenza season starts from August of the previous year to March of the following year. Depending on which time of the year, the patient receives the vaccine will determine whether it will be recorded in the latter half of the previous year or the beginning half of the following year. So accordingly, the date of the vaccine will be entered into the rectangular block. As soon as the cursor is inserted into ne half of the block to add the date a bar will be created below to enter the details for that vaccination.
Because the flu could be up to 120 shots (i.e., theoretically from the time a person is born to the time he dies), it would be impossible to accommodate these many shots on the screen at the very top. Therefore, the influenza screen has been designed like the “wheel of fortune”. When the whole 10 year row has been filled up, then the “green button” on the right upper hand corner can be clicked “down” to move the so called “wheel of fortune” to show another future 10 years to enter the date of future influenza. If someone wants to look at the past 10 years history or even earlier of the patient's influenza vaccination, then he can click on the UP arrow. With each click it will show the previous 10 years of his vaccination status. Thirteen rows of ten years each has been created, therefore theoretically covering anyone who lives up to an old ripe age of 130. As soon as the date of birth is inserted for the patient into the practice management system. It will automatically create the first row of ten years starting from the left starting from the year the patient is born going forwards.
For this reason, the influenza vaccine data entry bar is at the very bottom on the left hand of this screen shown in green. Any new vaccine entered in the block, for a particular year will create a bar which will push the previous bars for the vaccine down below it. In this way, the date of the last shot which the patient will always be on the top therefore avoiding the need to scroll down if it was the other way around. This is a measure designed to save time.
It should be appreciated that the features from the disclosed example embodiments of the EHR GUI 101 may be combined with other example embodiments. Further, the features of the disclosed example embodiments may be omitted in other embodiments.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the present disclosure will come to the mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is understood that the present disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
