Patent Application
20080242945
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems for monitoring and managing multiple aspects of assisted living facilities, particularly, utilizing multiple monitoring devices present at assisted living facilities to gather information for an enterprise management application.
2. Description of Related Art
Health care facilities, including assisted living facilities that cater to the elderly and disabled, face an arduous task of monitoring their day to day operations. Assisted living facilities are under particular pressure to maintain a consistently high standard of care. Aspects of assisted living facility management other than patient care, such as, assistance response time, employee time, security and access control, equipment upkeep, medication distribution, or other areas, may be relevant when a patient (or relative thereof) is choosing an assisted living facility. Furthermore, entities operating multiple assisted living facilities face still additional challenges when attempting to monitor and manage the various aspects of these multiple facilities.
Often times, managers or other personnel involved with operating multiple assisted living facilities may be remotely located from some or all of the assisted living facilities. As such, collection, aggregation, and analysis of data for basic management tasks, identifying various conditions, assistance response times, identifying underperforming facilities, identifying over-performing facilities, trend analysis, and/or other data can be unwieldy.
Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods for monitoring multiple aspects of multiple assisted living facilities and providing data regarding those multiple aspects to various remote locations.
The present invention relates to systems and methods that enable management of multiple assisted living facilities regardless of the geographic distribution of the facilities and/or the location of facility management personnel. As such, one aspect of the invention provides a system for acquiring, manipulating, and/or monitoring data regarding one or more assisted living facilities according to an embodiment of the invention. The system also enables management of the facilities associated with the system via various communication methods.
In some embodiments, a management system according to the invention may comprise an enterprise management application, a database, and/or other elements. The system may communicate/interact with one or more assisted living facilities (including various monitoring devices and computer systems of those facilities), one or more users, and/or other entities via a network (e.g., the Internet and/or other computer network).
The enterprise management application may comprise an Internet web site, an intranet site, or other host site or computer application maintained on the system of the invention. The enterprise management application may include one or more software modules for gathering data from monitoring devices of assisted living facilities and their associated systems, transmitting the data across a network, receiving the data, examining/processing the data, storing the data in a database, receiving data manipulation instructions (e.g., report parameters, query parameters, alert parameters, task parameters, or other instructions), manipulating the data, enabling one or more interfaces for the receipt of data and/or instructions, enabling one or more interfaces for the presentation of data, enabling the production and transmittal of alerts or tasks, establishing and editing one or more user accounts, and/or for performing other features of functions of the invention.
As used herein, an assisted living facility may include a facility wherein medical care and/or permanent or temporary residence is provided for the elderly, the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, other those otherwise in need of a facility providing both medical care and residential services. In some embodiments, other health care services and facilities (e.g., hospitals, hospices, home health care service, EMT/EMS services) may by used in conjunction with the invention.
Assisted living facilities may include and/or interface with one or more monitoring devices. A monitoring device used by the system may include any device or system that that enables the gathering of information regarding an assisted living facility. In some embodiments, a monitoring device may include a device that is fixed at an assisted living facility. In some embodiments, a monitoring device may include a device or system that is not necessarily permanently present at an assisted living facility (e.g., devices carried or worn by patients or employees, who may leave the facility).
In many instances, as will be seen by the description herein, monitoring devices may include devices or systems that serve a separate function, but which gather, record, or pass data regarding performance of that separate function, thus monitoring the separate function. For example, in some embodiments, monitoring devices may include devices and systems involved in patient safety at an assisted living facility. These devices and systems may include, for example, medical alert pendants having transmitters therein that are typically worn by patients. The transmitter, when activated by the patient, may send a signal indicating that the patient requesting assistance. The pendant itself, and/or the associated system receiving the signal, may act as a monitoring device by the fact that information associated with the signal is logged and/or recorded and ultimately transmitted to, and stored in, a central management database.
Other patient-related devices or systems, such as, for example, blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, blood gas monitors, respiration monitors, temperature monitors, in-room distress devices (e.g., a button on a wall or piece of furniture, as opposed to mobile pendants), nurse call buttons, and/or other devices/systems may act as monitoring devices. Information from these devices and systems may be logged, recorded or otherwise captured, transmitted across a network, and stored in a management database.
In some embodiments, monitoring devices may include video cameras, monitors, and/or associated equipment. For example, in some embodiments, video cameras and monitors may be used to monitor patients and record and/or trigger an patient distress events. In some embodiments, personnel may monitor video feed and manually trigger a patient alert or other patient event. In other embodiments, video feeds may be automatically monitored and alerts/events may be automatically triggered.
Other patient safety related systems may similarly act as monitoring devices. For example, staff members of an assisted living facility may wear/carry pendants, pagers, phones, handheld computers, or other devices that transmit signals related to when medical personnel has arrived at a patient whose pendent has transmitted a request for assistance signal (or for whom such a signal has been otherwise initiated). When a patient distress signal is detected, medical staff may be dispatched to the patient's location. Upon reaching the patient, the dispatched personnel may utilize their response devices to transmit a signal to a system that indicates help has arrived at the patient. In this manner, response times or other information related to patient safety may be monitored and transmitted to a management database. As such, the staff devices and/or their associated systems (which may be the same systems associated with the patient pendants) may also be considered patient monitoring devices.
Devices and systems related to other aspects of assisted living facilities may considered monitoring devices. For example, in some embodiments, employee time logging systems, such as systems whereby employees of an assisted living facility indicate their time worked, may act as monitoring devices whereby data regarding employee time may be collected, recorded, or otherwise captured, transmitted across a network, and stored in a management database.
In some embodiments, security and access control devices and systems may act as monitoring devices. For example, entry and exit control systems, motion control sensors, equipment security systems (e.g., anti-theft systems), or other security systems may be utilized to gather data that is recorded, or otherwise captured, transmitted across a network, and stored in a management database for use by the management system. Alone or in conjunction with the above mentioned security systems, automatic door or other entry and exit control systems may be utilized as monitoring devices. Similarly, drug and medication logs and security systems may be utilized as monitoring devices for gathering data for the management system.
In some embodiments, equipment service records and systems for equipment servicing may be used as monitoring devices. For example, time between servicing, frequency of service, type of service, and/or other service related information may be collected, transmitted across a network, and stored in a management database.
Assisted living facilities may include computer-implemented devices and/or systems necessary to gather/receive data from various monitoring devices, store this data (at least temporarily), connect with network (e.g., modems, etc.), transmit data across a network to the management system, and/or perform other features or functions of the invention. These computer-implemented devices and systems may be or include one or more servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, smart phones, modems, or other computer implemented devices.
Users of the management system may include managers, medical personnel, administrative personnel, other employees of assisted living facilities, or other parties with an interest in monitoring operation of one or more aspects of assisted living facilities (e.g., consultants, auditors, government entities, regulators, relatives of patients, or other parties) that may access the management system via a network.
Users may access the management system using one or more computer-implemented user devices. A user device may include a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a dumb terminal, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, a smart phone, pager, or other computer-implemented device, whether wireless or not. Users may utilize a graphical user interface to interact and/or interface with the management system. In some embodiments, one or more modules of the enterprise management application (e.g., an interface module) may support graphical user interfaces or other interfaces of the invention.
The invention also includes a process for acquiring, manipulating, and monitoring data associated with assisted living facilities. In one embodiment, one or more event monitoring devices record or otherwise collect data regarding events and operations of one or more assisted living-facilities. As described above, the events and operations associated with an assisted living facility may include data regarding patients of facilities (including patient distress events or calls and response times to those events or calls), employee time, security systems, entry/exit control systems, drug or medication dispensing, equipment service, and/or other data.
The data associated with the events and/or operations of assisted living facilities may then be transmitted from the assisted living facilities, over a network (e.g., the Internet and/or other computer network), where it is received by an assisted living facility management system. In some embodiments, the data may be sent to the management system as it is collected by monitoring devices. In some embodiments, the data may be gathered and at least temporarily stored in one or more computer systems of an assisted living facility or other systems and sent to the management system at a later time.
In some embodiments, the data received at the management system from the monitoring devices may then be processed prior to storing the data in a system database. For example, the data may be checked for completeness, for obvious entry errors or data originating from malfunctioning monitoring devices, which may be flagged for follow-up or disposal, and/or for other purposes. The processed data may then be stored in a system database.
The stored data may then be queried, filtered, analyzed, and or otherwise manipulated for any number of uses. In some embodiments, the stored data may be utilized to construct one or more reports, alerts, tasks, and/or other documents/communications associated with one or more aspects of one or more assisted living communities. One or more modules (e.g., a query module, a report module, or other module) of the enterprise management application may enable querying, filtering, report generation, alert generation, task generation, and/or other manipulation of data stored in the system database.
The stored data may then be accessed by, or presented to, one or more users via one or more user devices. In some embodiments, one or more modules (e.g., an interface module) of the enterprise application may enable a portal accessible via a network, whereby one or more users may access data regarding one or more aspects of one or more assisted living facilities. In some embodiments, the portal may be a web portal accessible via the internet and may include multiple graphical user interfaces and/or other interfaces enabled by the enterprise management application. This web portal may enable a user to not only view the data but may enable a user to enter information and/or direct manipulation of the data.
For example, users, interacting via the portal or other interface of the invention, may specify report or query parameters for the generation of reports or query results. These parameters may then be applied to the data in the system database to generate a report or query result for presentation to users. The report or result may then be displayed to users in a graphical user interface.
As described above, users may access the management system and associated databases of the invention using mobile or wireless user devices. As such, one or more modules (e.g., an interface module) of the enterprise management application may enable the portal to present graphical user interfaces compatible with mobile devices.
In some embodiments, the enterprise management application may enable alerts and/or tasks to be sent to one or more users. For example, in some embodiments, alerts may be sent to high level business managers to keep them apprised of the operations of one or more assisted living facilities or for other purposes. In some embodiments, alerts may be sent to facility managers or health care staff on site at an assisted living facility to keep them apprised of conditions at the assisted living facility, to assign tasks to certain personnel, or for other purposes. In some embodiments, alerts and/or tasks may be sent to other users.
In some embodiments, the invention may include a computer/processor-readable medium that includes computer/processor-readable code that causes a processor, computer, or other computer system or part thereof to acquire and manipulate data associated with one or more assisted living facilities and otherwise enable monitoring and management of the one or more facilities. As such, the computer/processor readable code includes code for performing some or all of the features and functions described herein such as, for example, gathering data from monitoring devices and their associated systems, transmitting the data across a network, receiving the data, examining/processing the data, storing the data in a database, receiving data manipulation instructions (e.g., report parameters, query parameters, alert parameters, or other instructions), manipulating the data, enabling one or more interfaces for the receipt of data and/or instructions, enabling one or more interfaces for the presentation of data, enabling the production and transmittal of alerts or tasks, and/or for enabling other features or functions of the invention.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent through the detailed description and the drawings attached hereto. It is also to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description are exemplary and not restrictive of the scope of the invention.
Enterprise management application 101 may comprise an Internet web site, an intranet site, or other host site or computer application maintained on system 100. Accordingly, one or more hardware devices such as, for example, processors, servers, desktop computers, memory devices, or other devices or elements, may be included in system 100 to support enterprise management application 101, database 103, and/or other features and functions of the invention.
Enterprise management application 101 may include one or more software modules 111a-n for gathering data associated with one or more assisted living facilities 105 from monitoring devices and their associated systems, transmitting the data across a network, receiving the data, examining/processing the data, storing the data in a database, receiving data manipulation instructions (e.g., report parameters, query parameters, alert parameters, task parameters, or other instructions), manipulating the data, enabling one or more interfaces for the receipt of data and/or instructions, enabling one or more interfaces for the presentation of data, enabling the production and transmittal of alerts or tasks, establishing and editing one or more user accounts, and/or for performing other features or functions of the invention.
In particular, enterprise management application 101 may include an interface module for supporting graphical user interfaces (used for the receipt of data/instructions from users as well as the presentation of data or other interaction with system 100) and other interfaces, such as those between monitoring devices or their associated systems and system 100; a query module that enables querying of data in database 103; a report module that enables the generation of reports or other data displayed using the data from database 103, an alert module that enables the generation of alerts or tasks using data in database 103; a user account module that enables the setup and editing of one or more user accounts and associated account information; and/or other modules for performing any of the features or functions of the inventions described herein. One or more of the modules 111a-n comprising control application 101 may be combined. For some purposes, not all modules may be necessary.
According to an embodiment of the invention, database 103 may be, include, or interface to, for example, an Oracle™ relational database sold commercially by Oracle Corporation. Other databases, such as lnformix™, DB2 (Database 2) or other data storage or query formats, platforms, or resources such as OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing), SQL (Standard Language Query), a SAN (storage area network), Microsoft Access™ or others may also be used, incorporated, or accessed by the invention. Database 103 may include any combination of databases or other data storage devices, and may receive and store information regarding one or more assisted living facilities, report parameters, alert preferences, task parameters, user accounts, and/or other information.
In some embodiments, enterprise management application 101 and its associated devices (e.g., servers, processors, memory, etc.) may be considered centrally located and as such may provide a central station for assisted living facility data acquisition and manipulation and for monitoring and management of geographically distributed assisted living facilities. In some embodiments, enterprise management application and its associated modules and devices may be distributed across a plurality of devices and/or locations, while still providing the features and functions of the invention.
An assisted living facility 105, may include a facility wherein medical care and/or permanent or temporary residence is provided for the elderly, the physically disabled, the mentally disabled, or those otherwise in need of a facility providing both medical care and residential services. In some embodiments, other health care services and facilities (e.g., hospitals, hospices, home health care service, EMT/EMS services) may by used in conjunction with the invention. In some embodiments, one or more assisted living facilities 105 may be geographically distributed from one another. In some embodiments, the geographical distribution may include facilities that are located in different neighborhoods, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, countries, or otherwise geographically distributed.
Assisted living facilities 105 may include and/or interface with one or more monitoring devices 113. Monitoring devices 113 may include any device or system that that enables the gathering of information associated with an assisted living facility. In some embodiments, monitoring devices 113 may include a device that is present at an assisted living facility 105. In some embodiments, monitoring devices 113 may include devices not necessarily perpetually present at an assisted living facility 105 (e.g., such as, for example, devices worn or carried by a patient or employee).
In many instances, as will be seen by the description herein, monitoring devices 113 may include devices or systems that serve a separate function, but which gather, record, or pass data regarding performance of that separate function to system 100, thus monitoring the separate function. For example, in some embodiments, monitoring devices 113 may include devices and systems involved in patient health or safety at an assisted living facility. These devices and systems may include, for example, medical alert pendants having transmitters therein that are typically worn by patients. The transmitter, when activated by the patient, may send an alert signal indicating that the patient is in distress or otherwise indicating an event. The pendant itself, and/or the corresponding system receiving the distress signal (e.g., computer system 121 of
Other patient-related devices or systems, such as, for example, blood pressure monitors, heart rate monitors, blood gas monitors, respiration monitors, temperature monitors, in-room distress devices (as opposed to mobile pendants), nurse call buttons, and/or other devices or systems may act as monitoring devices 113. Information from these devices and systems may be logged, recorded or otherwise captured, transmitted across network 109, and stored in database 103 for use by system 100.
In some embodiments, monitoring devices 113 may include video cameras, monitors, and/or associated equipment. For example, in some embodiments, video equipment may be used to monitor patients and record and/or trigger an patient distress events. In some embodiments, video equipment may be used to monitor other assisted living facility operations. In some embodiments, assisted living facility personnel may monitor video feeds/footage and manually trigger a patient alert or other patient event. In other embodiments, video feeds/footage may be automatically monitored and/or alerts/events may be automatically triggered.
Other patient information related systems may similarly act as monitoring devices 113. For example, staff members of an assisted living facility 105 may wear/carry pendants, pagers, phones, handheld computers, or other devices that transmit response signals related to when medical personnel has arrived at a patient whose pendent or other monitoring device 113 has transmitted a request for assistance signal. For example, when a request for assistance signal or other signal indicative of an event is detected from a patient pendent or other monitoring device 113, medical staff may be dispatched to the patient's location. Upon reaching the patient, the dispatched staff member(s) may utilize their staff member device to transmit a signal to a system that indicates help has arrived at the patient (e.g., a dispatched staff member may actuate a “response switch” that causes a monitoring device 113 to generate a response signal indicating the patient event has been attended to). In this manner, response times (e.g., elapsed time between the distress event signal and the response signal) or other information related to patient safety may be monitored and transmitted to database 103. As such, the staff devices and/or their associated systems (which may be the same systems associated with the patient pendants) may also be considered patient monitoring devices 113.
Devices and systems related to other aspects of assisted living facilities 105 may be considered monitoring devices 113. For example, in some embodiments, employee time logging systems, such as systems whereby employees of an assisted living facility indicate their time worked, may act as monitoring devices 113, whereby data regarding employee time may be collected, recorded, or otherwise captured, transmitted across network 109, and stored in database 103 for use by system 100.
In some embodiments, security and access control devices and systems may act as monitoring devices. For example, access control systems, motion sensors, equipment security systems (e.g., anti-theft systems), or other security systems may be utilized to gather data that is recorded or otherwise captured, transmitted across network 109, and stored in database 103 for use by system 100. Alone or in conjunction with the above mentioned security systems, automatic door or other entry and exit control systems may be utilized as monitoring devices 113. Similarly, drug and medication logs and associated security systems may be utilized as monitoring devices 113 for gathering data for system 100.
In some embodiments, service records and systems for equipment service recordation may be used as monitoring devices 113. For example, time between servicing, frequency of service, information regarding specific service calls (e.g., type of service, parts replaced or operated on, service person's identity or company affiliation), or other service related information may be collected, transmitted across network 109, and stored in database 103.
In some embodiments, inventory records, supply purchasing records, supply disposal or usage records, and/or other supply-related records may be used as or in conjunction with monitoring devices 113. For example, records and record keeping systems (e.g., associated computer systems, databases, paper records) related to inventory levels, purchasing of new supplies or equipment, disposal of supplies or equipment or other supply related records may be utilized to gather information related to assisted living facilities 105.
Manual systems and devices may be used as monitoring devices 113. For example, non-computer-implemented systems and devices may be used to manually collect data that is ultimately entered in to electronic or digital format and transmitted to database 103 across network 109 for use in system 100. As such, manual implements, such as written log sheets, sign-in/sign-out sheets, punch card systems, and/or other manual implements and elements may be utilized as part of monitoring devices 113. Other systems and devices may be used as monitoring device 113 to gather other types of information for use in system 100 or otherwise used as part of the invention.
Assisted living facilities 105 may include computer-implemented devices and/or systems necessary to gather/receive data from various monitoring devices 113, store this data (at least temporarily), connect with network 109 (e.g., modems, etc.), transmit data across network 109 to database 103, and/or perform other features or functions. These computer-implemented devices and systems may be or include one or more servers, desktop computers, laptop computers, dumb terminals, handheld computers, personal digital assistants, cell phones, smart phones, modems, or other computer-implemented devices.
It should be noted that the term assisted living facility as used herein may be analogous to the term community as used in the disclosure and one or more of the figures.
Users 107 may include managers, medical personnel, administrative personnel, other employees of assisted living facilities 105, or other parties with an interest in monitoring operation of one or more aspects of assisted living facilities (e.g., consultants, auditors, government entities/regulators, relatives of patients, or other parties) that may access system 100 via network 109. In some embodiments, those with access to system 100 may be restricted, depending on the intended use of system 100. For example, in some embodiments, only management personnel of an assisted living facility 105 may have access system 100. In some embodiments, access may be more permissive. In some embodiments, access for certain users may be limited on a per-facility basis or otherwise segmented or restricted. As discussed below, system 100 may provide an interface (see e.g.,
Users 107 may access system 100 using one or more computer-implemented user devices. A user device may include a server, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a dumb terminal, a handheld computer, a personal digital assistant, a cell phone, a smart phone, pager, or other computer-implemented device, whether wireless or not. Users 107 may utilize a graphical user interface 115 (GUI 115) to interact and/or interface with system 100. In some embodiments, one or more modules 111a-n (e.g. an interface module) may support GUI 115.
Network 109 may include any one or more of, for instance, the Internet, an intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a SAN (Storage Area Network), or a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network). Any suitable communications link may be utilized to connect elements of the invention to one another via network 109, including any one or more of, for instance, a copper telephone line, a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) connection, a Digital Data Service (DDS) connection, an Ethernet connection, an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line, an analog modem connection, a cable modem connection, wireless connection (including wireless “hot-spots”), or other connection.
System 100 and other components of
In an operation 203, the data associated with the events and/or operations of assisted living facilities 105 is transmitted from the assisted living facilities 105, over network 109, where it is received by system 100. In some embodiments, the data may be sent to system 100 as it is collected by monitoring devices 113. In some embodiments, the data may be gathered and at least temporarily stored in one or more computer systems of an assisted living facility 105 or other systems and sent to system 100 at a later time. In some embodiments, the transmittal of data from computer systems of assisted living facilities 105 to system 100 may occur on a predetermined interval or may occur on demand from users 107 or administrators of system 100. In some embodiments, the data associated with events/operation of assisted living facilities 105 may be retained on the computer systems of assisted living facilities 105 after it has been sent to system 100.
In some embodiments, one or more modules 111a-n (e.g., interface module) of enterprise management application 101 may provide or support the interfaces necessary for the various devices and/or systems transmitting assisted living facility data across network 109 to system 100.
In an operation 205, the data received from the monitoring devices 113 may be processed. In some embodiments, one or more modules 111a-n of enterprise management application 101 may perform one or more processing operations prior to storing the data in database 103. For example, the data may be checked for completeness, for obvious entry errors or data originating from malfunctioning monitoring devices 113, which may be flagged for follow-up or disposal (e.g., if the average number of patient events per day equals 10 and a particular monitoring device 113 indicates that patient X had 10,000 events in one day, this may indicate an error in the data), and/or for other purposes. The processed data may be stored in database 103 in an operation 207.
In an operation 209, enterprise management application 101 may enable the stored data to be queried, filtered, analyzed, mined, and/or otherwise manipulated for any number of uses. In some embodiments, the stored data may be utilized to construct one or more reports, alerts, tasks, or other documents/communications regarding one or more aspects of one or more assisted living communities 105. One or more modules 111a-n (e.g., a query module, a report module, an alert module, or other module) of enterprise management application 101 may enable querying, filtering, report generation, alert generation, task generation, and/or other manipulation of data stored in database 103.
In an operation 211, the stored data may be accessed by or presented to one or more users 107. In some embodiments, one or more of modules 111a-n (e.g., an interface module) of enterprise management application 101 may enable a portal accessible via network 109, whereby one or more users may access data regarding one or more aspects of one or more assisted living facilities and/or input data to system 100. In some embodiments, the portal may be a web portal accessible via the internet (network 109) and may include GUI 115 and/or other interfaces enabled by enterprise management application 101. This web portal may enable a user 107 to not only view the data but may enable a user 107 to direct the manipulation of the data.
For example, users 107, interacting via the portal or other interface of the invention, may specify report parameters for the generation of reports. These report parameters may then be applied to the data in database 103 by, for example, a report module, to generate a report for presentation to users 107. The report may then be displayed to users 107 in a graphical user interface supported by an interface module.
To arrive at interface 300, a user 107 may connect his or her user device to network 109, access the portal provided by enterprise management application 101, and enter certain report parameters. In some embodiments, the portal may be a secure portal. As such, upon initially accessing the portal, a user 107 may be required to provide a username and/or password or comply with some other authentication/authorization scheme. A user account module of enterprise management application 101 may support one or more user accounts in database 103, each of which may include authorization information (e.g., user name and/or password) and/or other information associated with individual users 107. After complying with the authorization scheme, the user may be brought to a “home” interface (e.g., homepage) from which the user may navigate through the many features provided by the portal. In some embodiments, the user may be presented with one or more options for viewing/manipulating assisted living facility data such as, for example, browse data in database 103, browsing existing reports or automatically generated reports, enter report parameters, enter query parameters, entering alert parameters/preferences, and/or otherwise view data or direct data manipulation. These options may include any number of drop down lists, menus, check boxes, buttons, radio buttons, hyperlinks, scroll bars, text input devices, or other input regions/devices.
Interface 300 is a report that includes a graph depicting overall patient distress event response time across multiple assisted living facilities 105 (community 1 and community 2) in a section 301 and a table depicting the top 10 facility alarm events for community 1 in a certain day, by apartment, in a section 303. As mentioned above, to arrive at interface 300, a user 107 may have previously navigated the portal or other interface provided by system 100 to input report parameters selecting the parameters necessary to arrive at the reports given in sections 301 and 303 or otherwise select these reports. In some embodiments, these reports may be pre-generated and a user 107 need only select from a list of pre-generated reports.
Interface 300 also illustrates certain features whereby users 107 may further direct data manipulation and report generation such as, for example: drop down menu 305, wherein the communities included in section 301 may be selected; buttons 307 and 309, wherein display of different data reports may be selected; button 311 wherein the underlying data of the graph of section 301 may be viewed; text input boxes 313 and 315, wherein upper and lower thresholds for patient distress events displayed in section 303 may be input; text input box 317, wherein the date for the patient distress event data displayed in section 303 may be input; hyperlinks 319 and 321 to toggle through dates for section 303, and differential indicators 323, whereby apartments falling in categories defined by the upper and lower thresholds may be differentially indicated. In some embodiments, the differential indicators or other elements of graphical user interfaces supported by the invention may utilize differential shading, color, or other differential indication method. Other input and selection features may be used with interfaces of the invention.
Throughout the figures of this document, differential indicators may be represented by shading, fill, textured elements, or other differential indication (see e.g., differential fill on differential indicators 323 of
In some embodiments, a user 107 may toggle, click, or otherwise navigate between the different interfaces of the invention provided by system 100.
The interfaces enabled by the portal of enterprise management application 101 may include additional report types, graph types, query results, or other display of data. For example,
Other types of reports, query results, or data displays may also be used by the invention.
In some embodiments, a “dashboard” interface (e.g., interface 900) may be a homepage interface for a user 107 of system 100. For example, when a user 107 accesses the portal provided by system 100 and enters any identification and/or security information required for access (e.g., username, password, or other information), the user may be presented with a “dashboard” interface. In some embodiments, the dashboard homepage interface may include a set of “standard” reports that are presented to the user 107. In some embodiments, a user 107 may customize the type of reports included in their dashboard homepage and/or may customize the information displayed in those reports.
In some embodiments, system 100 may enable users 107 to manage their accounts and/or access to system 100. As disclosed herein, a user account module may enable one or more user accounts to be maintained on system 100. Each such user account may include or be associated with information relating to a specific user such as, for example, user name, password, email address, home address, position or title, phone numbers, fax numbers, permission information (e.g., for determining the level of access the user has to system 100), and/or other information.
System 100 may enable other interfaces wherein users 107 may manage their user account information.
System 100 may also enable certain users 107 (e.g., an upper level manager) to manage the user accounts and/or access of other users 107 (e.g., facility managers or personnel).
In some embodiments, interface 1200 includes a section 1203, wherein individual selected user accounts can be edited. For example, use of the “is approved” checkbox illustrated in section 1203 may enable a certain account to be turned off or on. This may be especially useful in situations where permissions are controlled using multiple accounts for the same user (e.g., selectively editing turning off permissions for a first set of buildings that the user previously had permissions to, while leaving on the user's permissions to a second set of buildings). Furthermore, the “roles” checkboxes illustrated in section 1203 may enable definition of a user's role. The user's role may further aid in defining the user's permissions or ability to manage the accounts of other users. For example, if a certain user is indicated as including an “admin” role, that user may be able to edit other user's accounts by way of, for example, a “manage” tab available to the user via the portal of system 100. A “communities” area of section 1203 may enable definition of one or more communities, buildings, or other areas that a user may have permissions for/access to. An “email login info” button may enable a manager of user accounts to send a user their account login info (e.g., username, password) or other account information to the user's email address.
An account management interface, such as interface 1200, may include other features or functions.
System 100 may also enable certain users 107 (e.g., upper level managers) to manage and/or view data regarding the one or more assisted living facilities 105 and/or one or more regions each having one or more assisted living facilities 105 therein.
As described above, users 107 may access system 100 and database using mobile or wireless user devices. As such, one or more modules 111a-n (e.g., an interface module) of enterprise management application 101 may enable the portal of system 100 (e.g., web portal) to present graphical user interfaces compatible with mobile devices.
In some embodiments, enterprise management application 101 may enable alerts to be sent to one or more users 107. For example, in some embodiments, alerts may be sent to high level business managers to keep them apprised of the operations of one or more assisted living facilities 105 or for other purposes. In another example, alerts may be sent to facility managers or health care staff on site at an assisted living 105 facility to keep them apprised of conditions at the assisted living facility, to assign tasks to certain personnel, to update tasks assigned to personnel, or for other purposes. Alerts may be sent to other users 107 for other purposes.
One or more modules 111a-n (e.g., an alert module) of enterprise management application 101 may support generating alerts for one or more users 107. Alerts may be automatically generated or generated on demand (manual generation). In some embodiments, automatically generated alerts may be sent to a specific user 107 according an alert profile associated with the specific user. In some embodiments, the alert profile may be part of an individual user's user account. For example, in some embodiments, an alert profile for a user 107 may include information as to the content of an alert (e.g., content preferences), the format of an alert (e.g., format preferences), the delivery method of an alert (e.g., delivery preferences), the timing of an alert (e.g., timing preferences), or other preferences. Content preferences may specify the specific information contained within an alert (e.g., top patient distress alarm response time by apartment for community 1). Delivery preferences may specify the format and/or delivery method by which an alert is delivered, for example, via email, phone, text message, instant message, fax, or other delivery method. Timing preferences may include a schedule or set of triggering conditions upon which alerts will be delivered (e.g., alerts sent every hour or alerts sent when average patient distress response time in community 1 exceeds a threshold). Other preferences dictating other aspects of alerts may be used.
In some embodiments, specific preferences may be tied to specific triggering conditions. For example, when a first set of triggering conditions is met, an alert may be sent according to a first set of content preferences. When a second set of triggering conditions is met, an alert may be sent according to a second set of content preferences. Other preferences (e.g., delivery or other preferences) may be tied to specific triggering conditions.
When a condition matching the triggering conditions of the alert profile of a user 107 is detected by enterprise management system 101 (e.g., a an average response time for a certain community rises above a predetermined threshold), the alert module may generate an alert according to the user's content preferences (e.g., the content preferences are used similar to report parameters, wherein a report or query module applies the content preferences against database 103 to generate the content for the alert). The alert may then be sent to the user 107 according to the user's alert profile (e.g., in the format and by delivery method specified by the delivery preferences, and/or according to other preferences).
In some embodiments, system 100 (e.g., alert module of enterprise management application 101) may support creation, storage, and communication regarding one or more tasks. A task may be a type of alert and may include a set of instructions other set of information regarding one or more assisted living communities 105. For example,
The alert features disclosed above, may be utilized deliver communications regarding one or more tasks. For example, the alert features disclosed herein may be used to send an email or other communication that assigns and/or notifies appropriate personnel associated with a task.
Using the alert/task interfaces provided by system 100 a first user 107 may create, edit, assign, and communicate tasks to one or more second users 107. For example, a first user (e.g., a corporate manager) may be informed, through system 100 or otherwise) that a problematic condition (e.g., slow patient distress alarm response time) exists at a certain community. The first user may utilize system 100 to send a task alert to a second user (e.g., a local community manager) detailing the problematic condition and/or instructing the second manager to remedy the problematic condition. In some embodiments, this may be done using an on-demand alert. In some embodiments, this may be done using an automatically generated alert.
In some embodiments, the invention may include a computer/processor-readable medium that includes computer/processor-readable code that causes a processor, computer, or other computer system or part thereof to acquire and manipulate data associated with one or more assisted living facilities and otherwise enable monitoring and management of the one or more facilities. As such, the computer/processor readable code includes code for performing some or all of the features and functions described herein such as, for example, gathering data from monitoring devices and their associated systems, transmitting the data across a network, receiving the data, examining/processing the data, storing the data in a database, receiving data manipulation instructions (e.g., report parameters, query parameters, alert parameters, or other instructions), manipulating the data, enabling one or more interfaces for the receipt of data and/or instructions, enabling one or more interfaces for the presentation of data, enabling the production and transmittal of alerts or tasks, and/or for enabling other features or functions of the invention.
While the invention has been described with reference to the certain illustrated embodiments, the words that have been used herein are words of description, rather than words of limitation. Changes may be made, within the purview of the associated claims, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention in its aspects. Although the invention has been described herein with reference to particular structures, acts, and materials, the invention is not to be limited to the particulars disclosed, but rather can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, some of which may be quite different from those of the disclosed embodiments, and extends to all equivalent structures, acts, and, materials, such as are within the scope of the associated claims.
