1912 results about "Medical institution" patented technology

The current invention is directed to a system for adaptive medical decision support. The invented system provides a system that allows users to efficiently enter, access, and analyze medical information, without disrupting patient-doctor interactions or medical facility course of business; which assists in all stages of medical assessment and treatment; and which is tailored to the particular medical practice or specialty and taking into account the developing habits, preferences, performance, and individual patient histories, of an individual user. The invention provides a learning capacity configured to learn previously presented data and decisions and predict data or decisions based on data that it receives from the user, thereby adapting its operations to the developing habits, preferences, performance, and individual patient histories of an individual user. The system may also provide a “virtual specialist” feature, whereby the system can be instructed to produce the probable actions or recommendations of particular medical specialists.

A system (100) for providing multiple facility healthcare corporations the ability to assign and maintain shared medical record numbers (43) across multiple entities. The system establishes a parent / child relationship among the entities to share medical record number ranges, formats, and data. A patient record identifier database (102) contains patient records in a searchable unit record file (50) and an identification number file (3). A search processor (105) locates relevant records and a rules processor (104) applies various tests to the returned data in order to assign a medical record number (43, 13) to a single unique unit reference number (2, 5, 11) to a person without duplication or conflict with identifiers used at other entities (4, 9, 190). The reference numbers and their associated medical records are shared among the various entities. The sharing relationships may be altered by authorized users accessing on line file maintenance (312) and programs (311).

A method of tracking and dispensing the dispense of medical items for use by patients associated with a health care institution, includes storing in a data store in connection with a computer, data representative of patients and medical items prescribed for the patients. Authorized users such as nurses, are enabled to dispense prescribed items for patients through medical item dispensers. A record is included in the data store that the medical items have been dispensed. In an exemplary system (650) medical items that have been dispensed are tracked to the point of giving the item to the patients using portable terminals (662) that are carried to the bedside of the patients. The activity of giving the appropriate medical item to each respective patient is recorded in the portable terminal as medical items are given to a plurality of patients. The data stored in the portable terminal concerning the giving of medical items to patients is communicated through the system and stored in the data store to provide a record that the medical items which were dispensed for a patient, were actually administered.

Methods and apparatus for providing remote healthcare are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention comprises a transceiver that includes a camera, a display, a speaker, a microphone and embedded remote control. This transceiver may be used at home, at work, while traveling or in any other location that offers wired or wireless access to a network, such as the Internet or a cellular telephone system. The transceiver may be used to obtain information, treatment or medical care from a Healthcare provider.In one embodiment, the transceiver includes diagnostic and treatment software. In another alternative embodiment, the invention may also include a variety of data devices which are connected to the cellular phone over a wired or wireless connection. In one embodiment, a healthcare provider or healthcare facility may partially or jointly control the transceiver and / or a data device.

A method for assessing improvement in hand hygiene practices using sanitation solution dispensers deployed within particular areas of interest in a healthcare facility or the like. Each of the dispensers has a counter associated therewith, with the counter producing a count indicative of actual events of a healthcare worker sanitizing his / her hands. Other data is acquired that impacts the number of anticipated hand sanitation events in this particular area of interest. From this data, a number of anticipated hand sanitation events is determined. Finally, a determination is made, from information obtained through actual observation, of the number of opportunities that healthcare workers will have for hand sanitation in the area of interest over a particular period of time. A performance index, indicative of compliance with hand hygiene protocol, is then obtained by dividing the difference between the actual number of hand sanitizing events and the number of anticipated hand hygiene events by the number of opportunities for such hand hygiene events. This index may then be used to gauge improvement or regression in hand hygiene practices in an area of interest, or to measure the effectiveness of intervention programs, or to compare performance between various areas of interest.

A system for transporting an ill or injured patient includes a stretcher in combination with a plurality of medical care modules that respectively include medical devices such as an infusion pump, an oxygen supply device, a defibrillator, an EKG unit, or the like, and medical and first aid supplies such as bandages, splints, IV supplies, drugs, medical instruments, and the like. The stretcher includes a frame and a patient support surface, as well as module bays provided under the frame or a module carrier removably mounted on the frame. The several medical care modules each have the same dimensions and configuration so that they are modularly interchangeable to be received in any one of the module bays or on the module carrier. When the medical care modules are slidingly pushed into the module bays, electrical contacts are engaged to connect the modules with an electrical power supply and a data transfer bus, through the stretcher.

This invention deals with an enhanced medical treatment system which seeks input from the patient and the physician about the medical problems faced by the patient. It analyzes this information and seeks to guide physicians to a correct diagnosis of the complaint. It also seeks to educate the patient about his / her medical problems and provides information about the problem. It is able to store all this information, so that a continuous record of the patient's visits and problems is kept on file and the physician is able to utilize the medical history to solve the patient's current problems. With this system in place the medical establishment will be able to improve health care delivery to the patients and be able to better manage the process of the providing health care. Furthermore, this system will also lower the cost of providing health care without compromising on the quality of health care.

A system, software, and methods related to enhanced pharmaceutical order entry and administration by medical personnel, and enhanced pharmaceutical inventory control within a medical institution are provided. An embodiment of the system includes a pharmaceutical information management server having memory and a medication administration program product including a set of instructions stored in the memory of the pharmaceutical information management server to enhance provision of pharmacy services. The system also includes medical institution physician computers to provide for computerized physician medication order entry, pharmacy computers to provide for review and verification by a pharmacist of electronic medication orders placed through the physician computers, and medical institution nursing unit computers, to provide for review of and input to electronic medication administration records.

A method according to one aspect of the present invention includes receiving patient information, analyzing the patient information to identify a condition for the patient, formatting a report based on the patient information and the patient condition, and contacting the patient when the patient condition satisfies a predetermined threshold condition. Embodiments of the present invention may be used to monitor any appropriate medical device from essentially any location from which a communications signal can be sent and received. This enables patients to enjoy an active lifestyle by not being tied to medical device monitoring equipment that is difficult or impossible to transport or having to routinely visit health care facilities. Embodiments of the present invention further allow healthcare providers to closely (and remotely) monitor patients to ensure they are properly following their treatment regimens.

Techniques for acquiring and analyzing environmental and personnel presence, location and identification data from a health care facility to manage operations of the health care facility with regards to personnel tracking, patient comfort and / or enforcement of hygienic protocols are provided. In one aspect, a method of managing operation of a health care facility is provided. The method includes the steps of: acquiring data regarding i) environmental factors in the health care facility and ii) a presence, a location and an identity of personnel in the health care facility using a sensing platform system having a plurality of sensing points throughout the health care facility, wherein the sensing platform is configured to identify the personnel in the health care facility via radio-frequency identification (RFID); and analyzing the data to provide real-time analytics for managing operation of the health care facility.

A method for transmitting personal health information from a databank to a health facility. An individual's health information is stored in a database, and the information is sent to authorized users as needed. The information is stored in the database by coding an individual's private file with a unique identifying number. The individual is provided with an electronically readable identifier (ERI) that corresponds to the unique identifying number. The ERI can be scanned by medical personnel with the appropriate scanner. The scanner is authenticated by the database, and the information corresponding to that individual is sent back to the scanner for use by the emergency medical personnel. The health information can also be sent to a hospital. The entire process requires authentication of the medical personnel and validation of the ERI for security purposes.

An infant care bed for supporting an infant having incorporated therein, certain testing and evaluation devices to carrying out the evaluation of an infant in a medical care facility. The apparatus can carry out at least one of the following tests on the infant: determining the weight of an infant, determining the sucking strength of an infant, determining the ability of the infant to hear certain frequencies and determining the bilirubin level of the infant's blood. The infant care bed includes a computer with a memory device such that the hospital can input a customized protocol of the tests to be performed on the infant and the criteria for passing the tests. A data input allows the personnel to input test results and a display provides an account of the tests performed and the tests not performed to assure that all of the tests required by the protocol are conducted.

A method of managing access to a healthcare information system of a healthcare establishment communications network. The method comprises receiving data regarding a wirelessly detectable tag associated with a clinician; determining whether the clinician is positioned relative to a terminal of the healthcare establishment communications network such that a proximity condition is satisfied based at least in part on the data regarding the wirelessly detectable tag; responsive to the proximity condition being satisfied, providing an opportunity for authentication of the clinician; and responsive to successful authentication of the clinician, establishing a session for the clinician between the terminal and the healthcare information system. The ability to detect proximity of clinician facilitates the process by which the clinician may access the healthcare information system, while the requirement for authentication of the clinician minimizes the risk of data being made available to an unauthorized party.