Not applicable.
Not application.
The present invention relates generally to the field of computer software. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for creating and maintaining dynamic offset times for healthcare orders in a computerized environment.
When a patient needs healthcare treatment such as a medication, diagnostic test, laboratory tests, counseling, nursing care or any other type of healthcare treatment, an order is placed for the particular treatment. Historically, a healthcare provider captured orders by writing on a piece of paper. Then, each individual order was transferred to the appropriate area or department to be filled. For instance, a paper order for a medication would be transferred to the pharmacy, a paper order for a laboratory test would be sent to the lab, and nursing orders would be given to a nurse as a task.
Due to increased technology, many healthcare orders are now placed in a computerized environment. Once an order for healthcare treatment is placed, it is dispersed to the appropriate electronic application to be filled. For example, a medication order is transferred to, an electronic pharmacy application to be filled. Historically, orders placed in a computerized environment are designated a start time. For example, a medication may be ordered to be administered at 9:00 p.m. on Monday. If a change needs to be made to the start time of the order, the change must be made manually. For instance, if the medication time were to begin at 11:00 p.m., the order would need to be opened and the administration time changed. However, this is often difficult once the order has already been transferred to the proper electronic application to be filled. Often times, an order must be cancelled and reordered to change the start time for the order. Furthermore, if an order is part of an overall healthcare plan for the patient that comprises multiple orders for treatment, such as orders for medications, laboratory tests, diagnostic tests, consults and nursing care, all of the orders are designated to begin at the same time. However, new healthcare plans are complex and oftentimes the orders need to begin at different times.
Prior computerized solutions have associated the start time of an individual healthcare order with the start time of another healthcare orders. For example, if a first medication were to be administered, in this case, 11:00 p.m., a second medication could be designated to begin two hours after the first medication is administered at 11:00 p.m. If one start time for a healthcare order is changed, then all of the other start times for associated healthcare orders are also changed. In the above example, if the start time of the first medication was changed to 11:00 p.m., then the start time of the second medication would be changed to 1:00 a.m. on the following day. However, if the second medication must to be administered at 11:00 p.m., the patient is at risk. Associating healthcare orders to one another is clinically dangerous as the start time for one healthcare order may be inadvertently changed due to a change of the start time of an associated healthcare order.
What will be beneficial is a system and method for establishing a start time of a healthcare plan having multiple orders. It would be beneficial for the plan to have a designated start time and for the multiple healthcare orders within the plan to have start times established with respect to the start time of the plan. Thus, the start time for each of the individual orders could be changed independently of another order.
In one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method for determining the start time of one or more healthcare orders in a computing environment. A start time of a healthcare plan is received. The healthcare plan comprises two or more healthcare orders for a patient. A first offset time for a first healthcare order in the healthcare plan is received. The first offset time is the difference between when the healthcare plan begins and when the first healthcare order begins. A start time for the first healthcare order is determined based on the start time of the healthcare plan and the first offset time for the first healthcare order.
In another embodiment of the present invention, a system for determining the start time of one or more healthcare orders in a computing environment is provided. The system comprises a first receiving component for receiving a start time of a healthcare plan, the plan comprising two or more healthcare orders for a patient and a second receiving component for receiving a first offset time for a first healthcare order in the healthcare plan. The first offset time is the difference between when the healthcare plan begins and when the first healthcare order begins. The system further comprises a determining component for determining a start time of the first healthcare order based on the start time of the healthcare plan and the first offset time for the first healthcare order.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention relates to a system for determining the start time of one or more healthcare orders in a computing environment. The system comprises means for receiving a start time of a healthcare plan, the plan comprising two or more healthcare orders for a patient and means for receiving a first offset time for a first healthcare order in the healthcare plan. The first offset time being the difference between when the healthcare plan begins and when the first healthcare order begins. The system further includes means for determining a start time of the first healthcare order based on the start time of the healthcare plan and the first offset time for the first healthcare order.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
The present invention provides a system and method for creating and maintaining dynamic offset times for healthcare orders in a computerized environment.
With reference to
Server 22 typically includes or has access to a variety of computer readable media, for instance, database cluster 24. Computer readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by server 22, and includes both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprise computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and nonremovable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information, such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD), or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by server 22. Communication media typically embodies computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and includes any information delivery media. The term “modulated data signal” means a signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of example, and not limitation, communication media includes wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of computer readable media.
The computer storage media, including database cluster 24, discussed above and illustrated in
Server 22 may operate in a computer network 26 using logical connections to one or more remote computers 28. Remote computers 28 can be located at a variety of locations in a medical or research environment, for example, but not limited to, clinical laboratories, hospitals, other inpatient settings, a clinician's office, ambulatory settings, medical billing and financial offices, hospital administration, veterinary environment, and home healthcare environment. Clinicians include, but are not limited to, the treating physician, specialists such as surgeons, radiologists and cardiologists, emergency medical technicians, physician's assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, nurse's aides, pharmacists, dieticians, microbiologists, laboratory experts, genetic counselors, researchers, veterinarians, students, and the like. The remote computers may also be physically located in nontraditional medical care environments so that the entire healthcare community is capable of integration on the network. Remote computers 28 may be a personal computer, server, router, a network PC, a peer device, other common network node healthcare device or the like, and may include some or all of the elements described above relative to server 22. The devices can be personal digital assistants or other like devices. Computer network 26 may be a local area network (LAN) and/or a wide area network (WAN), but may also include other networks including Internet networks via wired or wireless capability. Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet. When utilized in a WAN networking environment, server 22 may include a modem or other means for establishing communications over the WAN, such as the Internet. In a networked environment, program modules or portions thereof may be stored in server 22, or database cluster 24, or on any of the remote computers 28. By way of example, and not limitation, various application programs may reside on the memory associated with any one or all of remote computers 28. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.
A user may enter commands and information into server 22 or convey the commands and information to the server 22 via remote computers 28 through input devices, such as keyboards, pointing devices, commonly referred to as a mouse, trackball, or touch pad. Other input devices may include a microphone, satellite dish, scanner, or the like. Commands and information may also be sent directly from a remote healthcare device to the server 22. Server 22 and/or remote computers 28 may have any sort of display device, for instance, a monitor. In addition to a monitor, server 22 and/or computers 28 may also include other peripheral output devices, such as speakers and printers.
Although many other internal components of server 22 and computers 28 are not shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such components and their interconnection are well known. Accordingly, additional details concerning the internal construction of server 22 and computer 28 need not be disclosed in connection with the present invention.
Although the method and system are described as being implemented in a WINDOWS operating system, operating in conjunction with an Internet-based system, one skilled in the art would recognize that the method and system can be implemented in any system. As contemplated by the language above, the method and system of the present invention may also be implemented on a stand-alone desktop, personal computer, or any other computing device used in a medical environment or any of a number of other locations.
With reference to
Also received at block 202 are the offset times for each of the healthcare orders in the healthcare plan. The offset time (or offset time period) for an order is the difference between the start time of the plan and the time at which the order should begin. For example, one of the laboratory tests in the healthcare plan has an offset time period of twenty-four hours from the start date and time of the healthcare plan, while a medication in the healthcare plan has an offset time of ten days after the start of the healthcare plan. If the healthcare plan is a predefined healthcare plan with predefined orders and suggested offset times, these offset times are received. However, a healthcare provider may change the suggested offset times as needed. Alternatively, a healthcare provider who develops his or her own healthcare plan for a particular condition by manually selecting orders for the plan may manually select offset times for the orders selected.
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The present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments, which are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art but do not depart from its scope. Many alternative embodiments exist, but are not included because of the nature of the invention. A skilled programmer may develop alternative means for implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention.
It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations of utility may be employed without reference to features and subcombinations, and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all blocks in the various figures need to be carried out in the specific order described.