Data processing: software development – installation – and managem – Software program development tool – Translation of code
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-24
2001-11-06
Powell, Mark (Department: 2122)
Data processing: software development, installation, and managem
Software program development tool
Translation of code
C705S002000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314556
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the field of information systems for use in the health care environment and in particular to an information system incorporating software for supply, scheduling and resource utilization management in the health care environment. This specification includes a microfiche appendix of 50 slides with a capacity of 96 frames each, with a total of 1,450 frames. This application is a continuation in part of application 08/965,788, filed Nov. 7, 1997, entitled Modular Health-Care Information Management System Utilizing Reusable Software Objects, which issued on Nov. 30, 1999 as U.S. Pat. 5,995,937.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
One important consideration in the provision of health care is the allocation, utilization and consumption of resources such as labor, durable equipment, reusable supplies and disposable supplies. For example, one way for supplies to be obtained by hospitals is for a central supply service to order the individual supplies anticipated to be needed for a given time period. These supplies are maintained in a supply room until needed for a given procedure. Once a procedure is scheduled, a pick list (a list of supplies) is generated. A hospital employee then uses the pick list to withdraw the desired items from inventory and place them in the operating room where the procedure takes place. After the procedure is completed, unused supplies are returned to inventory, a list of used supplies is provided to the billing department, and the used supplies are disposed of or re-sterilized. However, this system is costly and inefficient.
For example, a relatively large inventory of supplies has to be maintained, particularly for standard items such as drapes, sponges, sutures, clamps, etc., which could be used in a large variety of procedures. The inventory of such items has to be large in order to insure that sufficient quantities are on hand for every procedure. Furthermore, the act of picking items for surgery and, later, restocking unused items, is onerous and expensive since relatively highly skilled labor is utilized to insure that the proper items were collected and that the restocked items are placed in the proper location. In particular, the restocking of unused items is a substantial burden on the hospital. Each item pulled from inventory has to be either used and billed for, or restocked and not billed for. If an item is not used during the procedure and is billed for anyway, the billing for that product could be considered fraud on the reimburser. Since items are often individually wrapped, the restocking procedure could be very time consuming, particularly where sufficient quantities of items are picked from inventory to cover any situation during surgery. For example, it is not uncommon to withdraw ten clamps from inventory and use only three or four, except in situations where heavy bleeding is encountered, which might necessitate the use of all ten.
What is needed, therefore, is an integrated information system for use in healthcare institutions for managing, optimizing and analyzing the use of resources within that institution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The above and further objects are met in the exemplar embodiment of the present invention, having an information management system for managing information relating to providing health care services, including a general purpose computer system having storage means for storing data corresponding to the information, processing means for processing management instructions, display means for visually presenting the information, and input means for receiving the management instructions and the information. Information management software is installed on the general purpose computer system, which software includes software objects, where each of the software objects provides a health care information management function and corresponds to an aspect of providing health care services.
In various preferred embodiments the software objects include software objects of many different types. Node software objects are for creating, altering characteristics of, and the management of the software objects. Container software objects are for containing the software objects, and correspond to at least one of health care procedures, health care information, and health care resource groups. Types of container software objects include care event container software objects for containing the software objects, and which correspond to health care procedures, and bundle container software objects to contain the software objects, which correspond to health care resource groups.
Resource software objects correspond to resources to be used in the provision of health care services, and also are of several types. Equipment resource software objects correspond to equipment to be used in the provision of health care services. Personnel resource software objects correspond to personnel to be used in the provision of health care services, and supply resource software objects correspond to supplies to be used in the provision of health care services. Finally, data software objects correspond to health care information associated with the provision of health care services.
The node software objects, container software objects, resource software objects, and data software objects may be combined in different structures, including procedural pathways corresponding to sets of health care procedures, cases corresponding to sets of health care procedures designated for a patient, and libraries. The cases may be selectively designated as open, corresponding to health care procedures that are planned for a patient, or selectively designated as closed, corresponding to health care procedures that are completed for a patient. The libraries may be of predefined care event containers corresponding to predefined health care procedures, or predefined bundle containers corresponding to predefined health care resource groups, or a combination of the two. Libraries can also include predefined data software objects, corresponding to the predetermined sets of health care information to be gathered and recorded.
Further, the node software objects, container software objects, resource software objects, and data software objects may be combined in a library of procedural pathways having predefined care event containers corresponding to predefined health care procedures and predefined bundle containers corresponding to predefined health care resource groups, which procedural pathways correspond to predefined sets of health care procedures. The procedural pathways may contain data objects, corresponding to health care information to be gathered and recorded. The data objects may be used to selectively include a portion of the predefined bundle containers.
The node software objects, container software objects, resource software objects, and data software objects may be provided in a hierarchical form, corresponding to a sequential order of health care procedures to be performed, health care resources to be provided, and health care information to be gathered and recorded.
In an alternate embodiment of a system for managing health care services, a computing means has input means for receiving patient health care information, storage means for storing data corresponding to the patient health care information, processing means for processing software objects corresponding to health care services management instructions and the patient health care information and producing health care services management output, and display means for visually presenting the health care services output.
The software objects include data software objects, resource software objects, and node software objects. The data software objects have means for receiving the patient health care information and means for providing the patient health care information through a standardized interface.
The resource software objects associate resources with information relating to the resources, and are of several different types. Personnel resource software objec
Cofer Michael C.
DeBusk Brian C.
Lukens Wil Francis
Shanks Mark W.
Chavis John Q.
DeRoyal Business Systems, LLC
Luedeka Neely & Graham P.C.
Powell Mark
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