Patent Application
20060026043
The present invention relates to medical records and the systems and methods that assist with retrieving medical record information.
In the prior art there are electronic systems for maintaining and delivering medical information. These systems typically require a user identification number and password to obtain information from an entity's medical information database. Such systems will allow access to the medical information to anyone possessing a valid identification number and password, even when the identification number and password are possessed by someone who is not authorized. Further, such systems do not assist with accessing medical records for the same patient from two different entities. As such, the existing systems leave much to be desired.
The present invention includes systems and methods related to medical records. For example, a system in keeping with the invention may include a database having database information. The database information may include pointers to patient medical records and include biometric records. Each biometric record may be correlated with at least one pointer. A computer may be in communication with the database, and the computer may be programmed to (a) accept a biometric specimen, (b) search the database for a matching biometric record, and (c) upon locating a matching biometric record, provide the correlated pointer.
In a method of accessing medical records, (a) a database may be provided, and the database may have database information that includes pointers to patient medical records and may include biometric records. Each biometric record may be correlated with at least one pointer. A biometric specimen may be provided, and the database may be searched to locate biometric records that match the biometric specimen. A matching biometric record may be located and the pointer that is correlated with the located biometric record may be provided. The pointer may be used to identify and retrieve a patient medical record.
For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and the subsequent description. Briefly, the drawings are:
a and 4b, which together are a flow chart depicting another method according to the invention.
The database information may include biometric records 19. A biometric record 19 may be information readable by a computer that describes a biometric, such as a fingerprint or iris scan, of a person that is authorized to use the medical records system 10 or a patient having medical records. Each biometric record 19 may be correlated with at least one pointer 16.
The computer 22 may also be programmed to determine whether patient authorization is needed before information from the patient medical record is provided. For example, under U.S. law, patient authorization is required in order to release most information in a medical record, including information that may not be medical in nature, such as the patient's name, phone number or date of birth. Determining whether patient authorization is needed may be accomplished by analyzing the data stream coming from the user of the medical information system 10, or by analyzing the data stream that is about to be provided to the user of the medical information system 10. If the data stream includes key words that are on a predetermined list, then it may be assumed by the computer that authorization is needed. If patient authorization is needed, then the computer 22 may prompt a user of the medical records system to provide authorization. Authorization may be in the form of a biometric specimen of the user, or a biometric specimen of the patient.
A computer 22 may be in communication with the database 13. Communication between the computer 22 and the database 13 may be provide via by a telephone link, high speed cable link, a network of computers such as the Internet or via satellite. The computer 22 may be programmed to (a) accept a biometric specimen, (b) search the database 13 for a matching biometric record 19, and (c) upon locating a matching biometric record 19, provide the correlated pointer 16. The biometric specimen may be a fingerprint or iris scan taken from an individual at the time access to a medical record is desired. The computer 22 may be programmed to use the pointer 16 to retrieve the patient medical record identified by the correlated pointer 16.
The computer 22 may be programmed to accept an identification code, such as a personal identification number such as a birthday, and use that code to identify biometric records 19 that may match the biometric specimen. The identification code may also describe a feature of the person using the system, for example, whether the person's left thumb fingerprint is a whirl pattern, arch pattern or some other pattern. In this manner, the search for a biometric record 19 that matches the biometric specimen may be accomplished faster.
The database information may include an access record 25 that is correlated with one or more of the patient medical records. The access record 25 may include information pertaining to actions taken with respect to a patient medical record. For example, the access record 25 may state that Dr. Jones accessed the medical record on Jul. 1, 2004 and added an x-ray to the medical record. In this manner, it may be possible to determine who modified the medical record and when that modification was made.
The database 13 may include an assurance indicator record 28 that is associated with one or more of the pointers 16. Each assurance indicator in the assurance indicator record 28 may indicate the certainty with which a particular pointer 16 identifies a medical record that is for an individual identified by the biometric record 19. For example, the medical records may include a biometric sample, and when the biometric record 19 matches the biometric sample, then the assurance indicator 28 may indicate a high degree of certainty.
A computer 22 may be in communication with the databases 13, 31, 34 and programmed to receive a personal identifier, such as a biometric specimen of the patient or a physician. The computer 22 may also be programmed to compare the personal identifier to the identification record 37, and if the result of the comparison is that there is a match between the personal identifier and the identification record 37, then the computer 22 would request the correlated record from the third database 13 for the received personal identifier. The computer 22 may also be programmed to provide, upon receiving the correlated record, a request to the first database 31 for medical records located at the first pointer 16 and a request to the second database 34 for medical records located at the second pointer 16.
Similar to that described above, the computer 22 may also be programmed to accept an identification code, and use that code to locate identification records 37 that may match the biometric specimen. By doing so, the time required to match a biometric specimen to an identification record 37 may be reduced.
The third database 13 may include access records 25, similar to that described above. Further, the third database 13 may include assurance indicators 28 that are associated with pointers 16 and indicate the certainty with which a particular pointer 16 identifies a medical record that is for an individual identified by the personal identifier. For example, the medical records may include a biometric sample, and if the identification record 37 is a biometric that matches the biometric sample, then the assurance indicator 28 may indicate a high degree of certainty.
In some instances, the method may also include determining whether patient authorization is needed before information from the patient medical record is provided. Determining whether authorization is needed may be accomplished as outline above. If patient authorization is needed, then the user of the medical records system may be prompted to provide authorization. Authorization may be in the form of a biometric specimen of the user, or a biometric specimen of the patient.
A method according to the invention may include providing an identification code, which may be used to identify biometric records associated with the identification code. In this manner, the number of biometric records that must be searched may be reduced.
A method according to the invention may include recording actions taken on a patient medical record, and correlating those recorded actions with the identified patient medical record. In this manner, it may be possible to determine when and by whom a medical record was accessed, and/or what changes were made to the accessed medical record.
a and 4b depict another method according to the invention. In that method, a database is provided 200, and identifying information for an individual is received 203. The patient medical records of a first entity's medical database may be searched 206. A first patient medical record in the first entity's medical database may be located 209, the first patient medical record having the identifying information. A first pointer, which indicates a location of the first patient medical record, may be identified 212 and saved 215 in the pointer database.
Then the process may be repeated for a second entity's medical database. In doing so, the patient medical records in the second entity's medical database may be searched 218, and a second patient medical record, which has the identifying information, may be located 221 in the second entity's medical database. A second pointer, which indicates a location of the second patient medical record, may be identified 224. The second pointer may be saved 227 in the pointer database, and correlated 230 with the first pointer to form a correlated record.
A biometric record may be correlated with the correlated record. A biometric indicator may be correlated with the correlated record in order to identify pointers that indicate a location of a patient medical record that has a biometric sample that matches the biometric record. In this manner, the biometric indicator may serve as an assurance indicator, which was described above.
Further, an access record, similar to that described above, may be created and used, in a manner similar to that described above.
It will be recognized that systems and methods according to the invention may assist medical service providers in avoiding tests and procedures that have been done by another entity. By allowing a medical service provider to access the medical records of another entity, the medical service provider not only avoids providing duplicate services, but may use the medical records of the other entity to provide treatment to a patient sooner than might be possible using existing systems and methods. Further, it may be possible to review the medical records in various databases that attributed to the same person in an effort to determine whether some of the medical records belong to another person. Further, medical records may be updated and modified to reflect the most current information and provide that current information to a number of medical service providers.
In addition, systems and methods according to the invention may be used with existing medical records databases. By retrofitting an existing medical records database, the owner of that database may be able to achieve the advantages of the invention, but avoid at least some of the costs that might be incurred by centralizing medical records and requiring that all medical records conform to a particular format.
Finally, advantages of the invention may include providing secure access to medical records without requiring the use of man-made personalized tokens, such as swipe cards or smart cards, while preventing access to medical information by individuals that possess codes, numbers or cards without authorization to possess those codes, numbers or cards.
U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/592,594, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/598,655 filed on Aug. 4, 2004 include information about systems and methods according to the invention. For purposes of further describing the invention and how the invention might be embodied, these provisional patent applications are incorporated herein by this reference.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to one or more particular embodiments, it will be understood that other embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Hence, the present invention is deemed limited only by the appended claims and the reasonable interpretation thereof.
This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/592,594, filed on Jul. 30, 2004, and U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/598,655 filed on Aug. 4, 2004.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60592594 | Jul 2004 | US | |
| 60598655 | Aug 2004 | US |
