Claims
- 1. A method of wirelessly accessing a healthcare information system, the healthcare information system including a database containing patient related information, the method comprising:
providing an access point coupled to the healthcare information system, the access point including a transceiver for receiving transmitted signals from a wireless handheld device and for transmitting signals to the wireless handheld device; receiving at the healthcare information management system from the wireless handheld device a request to access a functional component of the healthcare information system; determining the status of a secure, user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system established via the access point; determining an operational state of the requested functional component; enabling the functional component in one of an asynchronous mode and a synchronous mode of operation based upon the status and the operational state.
- 2. The method of claim 1, providing a gateway server coupled between the access point and the healthcare information system.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the functional component in the asynchronous mode comprises utilizing cached data on the wireless handheld device.
- 4. The method of claim 1, comprising synchronizing the cached data with data contained within the healthcare information system upon detecting the existence of the secure, user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the status of the secure user-specific connection between the wireless handheld device and the healthcare information system comprises determining a current status of the secure, user-specific connection and a prior status of the secure user-specific connection.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the functional component in the synchronous mode comprises disabling the functional component until the secure, user-specific connection is determined to exist.
- 7. The method of claim 1, comprising accepting and verifying secure login data from a user.
- 8. A healthcare information system comprising:
an information repository; a gateway server communicatively coupled to the information repository, the gateway server including a transaction processor; an access point communicatively coupled to the gateway server, the access point including an access point transceiver; a wireless handheld device including a processor, a memory and a device transceiver, a client application to direct operation of the processor, the processor having a first mode of operation and a second mode of operation defined by the client application based upon the existence of a secure, user specific wireless communication connection between the access point transceiver and the device transceiver.
- 9. The healthcare information system of claim 8, wherein the memory comprises cached data corresponding with a portion of the data stored in the information repository, and wherein the first mode of operation comprises an asynchronous mode of operation utilizing the cached data.
- 10. The healthcare information system of claim 9, the cached data being data periodically synchronized with the data stored in the information repository responsive to the existence of the secure, user-specific connection.
- 11. The healthcare information system of claim 8, wherein the second mode operation comprises a synchronous mode of operation utilizing in real time data stored in the information repository.
- 12. The healthcare information system of claim 8, comprising a functional component operable in either of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.
- 13. The healthcare information system of claim 8, comprising a functional component operable only in one of the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation.
- 14. The healthcare information system of claim 8, the information repository comprising a universal patient record.
- 15. A healthcare information system comprising:
means for establishing a secure, user specific wireless connection between a handheld device and an information repository; the handheld device having a first operable mode utilizing cached data corresponding to a portion of data stored in the information repository, the first operable mode being dependant upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a first requested functional component; and the handheld device having a second operable mode utilizing real time data corresponding to a portion of the data stored in the information repository dependent upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a second requested functional component.
- 16. In a healthcare information system including a information repository, a handheld device and a user, specific wireless connection between the handheld device and the information repository, a computer program for directing operation of the healthcare information system comprising:
a first routine defining a first operable mode wherein the handheld device utilizes cached data corresponding to a portion of data stored in the information repository, the first operable mode being dependant upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a first requested functional component; and a second routine defining a second operable mode wherein the handheld device utilizes real time data corresponding to a portion of the data stored in the information repository dependent upon the existence of the secure, user specific wireless connection and a second requested functional component.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/331,842, filed Nov. 20, 2001, the disclosure of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by referenced.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60331842 |
Nov 2001 |
US |