552results about "Medical practices" patented technology

A variety of tools and techniques are disclosed for managing, viewing, publishing, searching, clustering, and otherwise manipulating data streams. Data streams such as RSS data feeds may be searched, aggregated, and filtered into a processed feed. The processed feed, along with rules used to process the feed may be shared in a number of ways. A data feed management system may provide an integrated user interface through which a user may manage feeds, including searching for new feeds, managing and filtering current feeds, modifying a user profile, and sharing feeds and feed configuration data with other users. A server may provide a complementary search engine to locate new feeds and to store and / or index items or posts in known feeds. Together, these technologies may provide a richly-functioned feed management system and greater ease of use for individuals in managing large numbers of feeds and large amounts of data in feeds. Additional functional layers may provide for authentication, security, and privacy, metadata creation and management, and social networking features. Using the management tools and additional functionality, a syndicated data stream system may provide a platform for a wide array of useful consumer and business applications.

A system for the collection, management, and dissemination of information relating at least to a medical procedure is disclosed. The system includes a user interface adapted to provide raw data information at least about one of a patient, the medical procedure, and a result of the medical procedure. A medical device communicates with the user interface, receives the raw data information from the user interface, and generates operational information during use. A central database communicates at least with the medical device and receives data from the medical device. The central database is used to create related entries based on the raw data information and the operational information and optionally transmits the related entry to the medical device or the medical device user. The related entry includes information that provides guidance based on previously tabulated, related medical procedures. A system for the iterative analysis of medical standards is also disclosed along with methods for the evaluation of medical procedures and standards.

A system and method for providing computerized, knowledge-based medical diagnostic and treatment advice. The medical advice is provided to the general public over networks, such as a telephone network or a computer network. The invention also includes a stand-alone embodiment that may utilize occasional connectivity to a central computer by use of a network, such as the Internet. New authoring languages, interactive voice response and speech recognition are used to enable expert and general practitioner knowledge to be encoded for access by the public. “Meta” functions for time-density analysis of a number of factors regarding the number of medical complaints per unit of time are an integral part of the system. A re-enter feature monitors the user's changing condition over time. A symptom severity analysis helps to respond to the changing conditions. System sensitivity factors may be changed at a global level or other levels to adjust the system advice as necessary.

A system for personal medical care, intelligent analysis and diagnosis may include: at least one source of medical information; at least one source of personal medical data for at least one patient; and one or more servers, where the medical information and the personal medical data are accessible to the server(s). The server(s) may include: an artificial intelligence (AI) component for analyzing the personal medical data with the medical information and identifying at least one issue requiring follow-up by the patient or by at least one external authorized entity; and at least one real-time communication link for bi-directional communication with at least one external authorized entity.

A system and method for processing patient data permits physicians and other medical staff personnel to record, accurately and precisely, historical patient care information. An objective measure of a physician's rendered level of care, as described by a clinical status code, is automatically generated. Data elements used in the determination of the generated clinical status code include a level of history of the patient, a level of examination of the patient, a decision-making process of the physician treating the patient, and a "time influence factor." The quantity and quality of care information for a particular patient is enhanced allowing future care decisions for that patient to be based on a more complete medical history. Enhanced care information can be used in outcome studies to track the efficacy of specific treatment protocols. Archiving of patient information is done in a manner which allows reconstruction of the qualitative aspects of provided medical services. The medical care data can be recorded, saved, and transferred from a portable system to a larger stationary information or database system. Considerable physician and staff time are saved and precision and accuracy are significantly enhanced, by generating these clinical status codes automatically (at the point of service by the care-provider without any intermediary steps) from information recorded simultaneously with the provision of services.

A system and method for displaying a health status of hospitalized patients. Patient data associated with hospitalized patients is selected according to display rules. A display module selects selected patient data, applies display rules to the selected patient data, and displays the selected patient data. A smart alert module generates and applies patient specific rules to other selected patient data elements. If a patient-specific rule for a hospitalized patient has been contravened, an alert is issued from the remote command center. Graphical attributes may be assigned to patients for whom an alert has been issued and to selected patient data elements that fall outside of an acceptable range. The graphical attributes determine how selected patient data appear on a display screen.

A medication management system (MMS) includes a medication management unit (MMU) associated with a medical device. The MMU downloads medication delivery code based on a medication delivery order to the medical device only if information from a first input matches information from a second input. The medical device receives delivery information electronically only from the MMU. The medication order is performed only after delivery data validation. The MMU also determines drug-drug incompatibility. The MMU can modulate (start, stop, sequence and dynamically adjust) medication order performance.

A system and method for observing patients in geographically dispersed health care locations. A patient is assigned to a health care location comprising a patient visual monitoring system, a patient audio receiver, and a patient controller. The visual monitoring system is responsive tri-axially to command signals received via a patient controller connected to the network. The patient controller sends patient imaging data and patient audio data to a remote command center via the network. A computerized patient care management system comprising the remote command center monitors patient data, patient imaging data, and patient audio data determines from the patient data, the patient imaging data, and the patient audio data if intervention with the selected patient is warranted.

A system for treatment of ischemic stroke provides a stroke treatment workflow plan defining series of diagnostic actions and therapeutic actions to be performed at locations within a health care facility identified by beacons detectable by proximity sensors that travel with the patient. A first communications device having wireless communications capabilities receives a signal from a proximity sensor and typically transmits data to a second communications device having a visible timer and configured to receive data from and send data to other wireless communications devices. When the a patient undergoes diagnosis and treatment via the workflow plan, the system tracks the location of the patient within the workflow plan and the time at which the patient is at each location, and records the location of the patient and the time of the location within the workflow plan.

A medical diagnostic enhancement method and system for determining diagnostic tasks to fine-tune a patient diagnosis based upon a possible diagnosis and acquired data for the patient. With this method, a presenting problem is received. Responsive to the presenting problem, particular patient data is then collected. Next, based on predetermined criteria, a plurality of possible diagnoses are presented for selection by a user. The user is then provided with a recommended diagnostic task based on the selected possible diagnosis. The system is a repository of the results of the diagnostic task or it can continue to process the patient data for other suspected diagnoses.

An insulin pump for use in conjunction with a mobile communication terminal capable of measuring a blood glucose level, and a network for transmitting control information for the insulin pump are disclosed. The insulin pump includes an external input port, an output port, memory, a key input unit, a control unit, and a motor driver. The external input port receives information on the amounts of insulin to be injected. The output port outputs information on the amounts of insulin injected. The memory stores the information on the amounts of insulin injected. The key input unit inputs the status of a user. The control unit extracts the information on the amounts of insulin to be injected from the memory. The motor drive operates a soft motor to supply insulin.

A system and method for monitoring, managing and controlling medication delivery from a central location is provided. A central computer displays medication orders and ongoing medication administrations for a health care facility. The central computer checks medication delivery against a database of medication administration guidelines, including guidelines for medication interactions with other medications and with patient conditions and provides an indication of any detected incompatibilities. A clinician at the central location may adjust the medication administration parameters in response to detected incompatibilities and communicate with a caregiver at the point of care to provide decision support. In one embodiment, the central location is a pharmacy at the healthcare facility.

A software-based, integrated member decision support system provides a method for corporations, insurance carriers, health maintenance organizations, physicians, physician groups, or other clients to efficiently provide medical, pharmaceutical, and health benefit advice and information for an enrolled population. The system contains one or more databases which include member profiles, clinical information and guidelines, pharmaceutical information and guidelines, health benefit information, and optional additional information. A caller establishes communication with the system, which directs the caller to an operator who provides the caller with medical, pharmaceutical, and / or health benefit advice based on an inquiry from the caller and the information stored on the system. The system may automatically alert the caller or the operator of important medical or pharmaceutical information. At the conclusion of the call, the system or the system with the operator's input, may update the caller's member profile, request written materials, generate referrals, order prescriptions, or generate reports.

A patient-worn monitoring system and method for geographically dispersed health care locations. A patient-worn monitoring system comprises a network, a body-worn monitoring station, a monitoring station server, a remote command center, and a rules engine. The network comprises a first sub-network and a second sub-network. The body-worn monitoring station comprises monitoring equipment. The body worn monitoring station monitors data elements from a patient assigned to a health care location and sends monitored data elements to a monitoring station server via the first sub-network. The monitoring station server receives the monitored data elements from the body worn monitoring station and relays the monitored data elements to the remote command center via the second sub-network. The remote command center receives the monitored data elements from the monitoring station server, associates the monitored data elements with the patient assigned to the health care location, accesses patient data elements indicative of a medical condition associated with the patient, and establishes a patient-specific rule associated with the patient. The rules engine selects data elements from the monitored data elements and the patient data elements associated with the patient and applies the patient-specific rule to the selected data elements continuously and simultaneously. A determination is made whether the patient-specific rule for the patient has been contravened. An alert is issued from the remote command center in the event the patient-specific rule for the patient has been contravened.

A system and method for displaying a health status of hospitalized patients. Patient data associated with hospitalized patients is selected according to display rules. A display module selects selected patient data, applies display rules to the selected patient data, and displays the selected patient data. A smart alert module generates and applies patient specific rules to other selected patient data elements. If a patient-specific rule for a hospitalized patient has been contravened, an alert is issued from the remote command center. Graphical attributes may be assigned to patients for whom an alert has been issued and to selected patient data elements that fall outside of an acceptable range. The graphical attributes determine how selected patient data appear on a display screen.

Systems and methods for clinical event processing with situational awareness to dynamically facilitate a clinician's workflow are provided. An example clinical event processing and situational awareness system includes a clinical event processor including a clinical event processing engine and a routing engine to receive information regarding a clinical event from an event source and to process the information regarding the clinical event to determine a clinical situation based on the clinical event. The system also includes an event handler to enrich the processed information regarding the clinical event by adding a clinical context to the processed information from a data source. The system further includes a dispatcher to notify a user and launch an anticipated application for the user to facilitate a situational aware clinical workflow based on the enriched, processed information regarding the clinical event.

A computer-implemented method and apparatus is provided for workflow configuration and execution in medical imaging. One method embodiment comprises the steps of creating and storing a workflow template (the workflow template comprising a standard form for entering data and activities), filling out the workflow template with data and a sequence of activities, and executing the sequence of activities according to the workflow template.

A clinical reference and education system and method of use, wherein medical condition diagnosis information is gathered, stored, and distributed. More specifically, information regarding clinical / pathological differential analyses, key facts, clinical presentations, pathology features, imaging findings, anatomy information, medical references with abstracts, expert imaging center information, continuing medical education information, and related data is made available in electronic and printed forms via a general infrastructure of the present system.

The present invention is directed to a system and method for providing care to a patient, comprising a patient care device having a number of configuration databases stored in a memory in the device. Each configuration database preferably includes protocols, operating limits, rule sets and / or operating features that collectively define an operating environment, or personality, of the device. Selection of a specific configuration database preferably is based at least in part upon patient-specific information obtained from any location in a distributed hospital network. Examples of such patient-specific information include patient age or size, patient medical characteristics, a location of the patient or a location of the care device. In a preferred embodiment, programming a patient care device to deliver a drug to a patient entails activating a configuration database and scanning a machine-readable drug label identifying a particular protocol stored in the activated database. The selected protocol includes default parameters for delivering the drug, and the label optionally includes instructions for deviating from the default protocol.

A system and method for creating, managing and loading selected configuration datasets used to program a patient care device to have a selected behavior is provided. A common configuration database includes medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of patient care device types. A processor operatively connected to the configuration database is programmed to construct at least one device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into the memory of a patient care device. Further, the device-specific configuration datasets may contain device communication information, including communication protocols and data structures, for a plurality of patient care devices types and behaviors to enable communication between patient care devices.

A method of self treating a disease, such as diabetes, includes collecting in one or more databases data representing values of parameters that related to the self treatment. The data is processed to provide a plurality of alternate choices between two or more actions that may be taken and a corresponding value for each action is calculated. A computerized system may be employed to perform the above method and the system may include a computer readable medium for executing the method.

A medical database and associated methods are especially suited for compiling information in a medical malpractice situation. A general medical database is provided and specific medical information corresponding to a given situation is entered. Entry of the information automatically cross-references some terms of the entered data to definitions in the general medical database. Terms are readily looked up when reviewing specific medical information and definitions are easily inserted where desired. A drug reference display provides two-way lookup from drugs to their side effects (or contraindications or interactions) and back. Significant information from an entered medical chronology is easily copied to a significant information section when a reviewer finds the information important.

A medication management system (MMS) includes a medication management unit (MMU) associated with a medical device. The MMU downloads medication delivery code based on a medication delivery order to the medical device only if information from a first input matches information from a second input. The medical device receives delivery information electronically only from the MMU. The medication order is performed only after delivery data validation. The MMU also determines drug-drug incompatibility. The MMU can modulate (start, stop, sequence and dynamically adjust) medication order performance.

A system and method for creating, managing and loading selected configuration datasets used to program a patient care device to have a selected behavior is provided. A common configuration database includes medical treatment guidelines and device operating characteristics for a plurality of patient care device types. A processor operatively connected to the configuration database is programmed to construct at least one device-specific configuration dataset for a selected device behavior from the common configuration database and load the device-specific dataset into the memory of a patient care device. Further, the device-specific configuration datasets may contain device communication information, including communication protocols and data structures, for a plurality of patient care devices types and behaviors to enable communication between patient care devices.

Apparatus and a method are provided for improving the medical care of patients. The apparatus includes an input device, a medical risk database, a data processor, and a communication device. Data entered in the input device, usually by a health care professional, defines a patient data record. The medical risk database associates certain patient data entered into the data record, which increases the risk of a missed medical care opportunity, with additional medical care to address the risk. The communication device responds to the identification of patient data presenting a medical risk by communicating to a health care professional additional medical care selected to identify and take advantage of a medical care opportunity.

A system and method for confirming that a medication administration device has been programmed with the correct medication administration parameters. A medical database carrier is used compare medication delivery parameters entered into a medication administration device to institutionally established guidelines or more widely accepted protocols to ensure that the medication is delivered in accordance to those guidelines. The medical database carrier may also be configured to communicate information regarding medication delivery and other patient information between a control system in communication with the care-giving facility's other information systems and a patient specific asset such as an infusion pump. The medical database carrier may be a smartcard, a PDA such as a Palm™ Pilot, laptop computer, pager, mobile phone, or other device capable of storing, processing and communicating information. The system may use either wired or wireless connections to communicate information between the components of the system.