Anesthesia pre-screening system and digital anesthesia pre-screening processes
An anesthesia pre-screening system and digital anesthesia pre-screening processes (“anesthesia pre-screening system and processes”) are disclosed. The anesthesia pre-screening system and processes are configured to automatically calculate surgical risks based on (i) data from digital questionnaires completed by patients in advance of surgery, (ii) image data comprising patient photos, and (iii) medical data including preoperative vitals data and data results of testing. The anesthesia pre-screening system and processes are configured to automatically obtain digital consent forms with digital signatures of patients. The anesthesia pre-screening system and processes are further configured to provide anesthesia discharge instructions after calculating surgical risks.
1 . An anesthesia pre-screening system comprising:
a web/mobile front-end server configured to provide a patient-facing pre-anesthesia questionnaire user interface and to transmit, to a patient account, a digital message that includes a hyperlink address to the patient-facing pre-anesthesia questionnaire user interface;
an authentication firewall system configured to (i) authenticate user credentials and (ii) provide, based on successful authentication, access over a private cloud partition to backend services while preventing unauthorized access to the backend services;
a permissions system configured to authorize a first set of permissions for a pre-screening team member and a second set of permissions for a patient;
a backend cloud-based server system configured, upon access being provided by the authentication firewall system, to host a pre-anesthesia screening cloud application service that implements at least a portion of a digital anesthesia pre-screening process;
a user database configured to store user account information and, for each user account, a unique identifier (UID) that distinguishes the user account from other user accounts;
a pre-anesthesia questionnaire aggregation system configured to receive patient-provided questionnaire answers entered through the patient-facing pre-anesthesia questionnaire user interface;
a digital consent form and e-signature system configured to (i) visually output, via the web/mobile front-end server, a consent form including a consent signature field after the patient has answered a plurality of questions of the pre-anesthesia questionnaire, and (ii) receive a digital patient consent signature provided by the patient in the consent signature field;
a patient history database configured to store, for each patient, a patient history data structure that includes (i) a UID link field storing the UID which uniquely corresponds to the patient and (ii) patient history data for the patient, wherein the backend cloud-based server system is configured to automatically incorporate, in the patient history data structure, the patient-provided questionnaire answers and the digital patient consent signature as patient pre-screening data that augments the patient history data;
an HL7 data plug-in that is configured to analyze and input information from electronic health databases into the patient history data structure in compliance with HIPAA;
an image acquisition and incorporation unit that is configured to receive and store patient image data comprising one or more patient photos uploaded by the patient via the patient-facing pre-anesthesia questionnaire user interface, wherein the patient image data is linked to the patient history data structure by the UID;
a vitals data unit configured to receive and store medical data comprising preoperative vitals data and results of testing, wherein the medical data is linked to the patient history data structure by the UID;
an encryption and patient privacy compliance system configured to encrypt and securely store (i) the UID-linked patient history data structure and (ii) patient health data comprising the patient-provided questionnaire answers, the digital patient consent signature, the patient image data, and the medical data, such that patient health data is stored in association with the UID to prevent commingling and in compliance with HIPAA;
a surgical risk calculator configured to automatically calculate a surgical risk for the patient based on at least a portion of the patient health data linked by the UID;
a calculated risk status and pre-anesthesia guidelines and requirements database configured to store a calculated risk status for the patient and one or more pre-anesthesia guideline or requirement records linked to the UID;
an anesthesia departmental listing system configured to (i) generate—based on the patient history data structure, a type of surgery, and individual department guidelines—one or more pre-anesthesia indicators comprising recommended lab work, pre-screening testing, medical clearances required, and medications to stop, and (ii) provide the one or more pre-anesthesia indicators for review by an authenticated pre-screening team member; and
an anesthesia discharge instruction unit that is configured to provide anesthesia discharge instructions customized for the patient based on at least the calculated risk status linked to the UID.
2 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the backend cloud-based server system is further configured to digitally transmit patient health data linked to the UID to an authenticated pre-screening team member only after the patient provides an affirmative consent to transmit the personal health information of the patient via a patient-facing consent control presented by the web/mobile front-end server.
3 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the authentication firewall system separates the web/mobile front-end server from the backend cloud-based server system such that access to the backend cloud-based server system is provided only upon successful authentication of login credentials using the encryption and patient privacy compliance system.
4 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the permissions system is configured to grant permissions for a pre-screening team member that are different from patient permissions, wherein the different permissions restrict access such that only a pre-screening team member account is authorized to access the calculated risk status stored in the calculated risk status and pre-anesthesia guidelines and requirements database.
5 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , further comprising an informed consent database, wherein the digital consent form and e-signature system comprises a digital signature gateway server configured to receive the digital patient consent signature and store an encrypted representation of the digital patient consent signature in the informed consent database.
6 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the patient image data comprises at least one of a patient face image, a dentition image, and a Mallampati view image uploaded via the patient-facing pre-anesthesia questionnaire user interface.
7 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , further comprising a patient image database, wherein the encryption and patient privacy compliance system is configured to encrypt patient image data prior to storage as UID-linked patient image records in the patient image database.
8 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the surgical risk calculator is configured to calculate surgical risk using one or more risk scoring frameworks comprising at least one of an NSQIP surgical risk calculator, a Revised Goldman Cardiac Risk framework, a peri-operative acute kidney injury risk model, a MELD score, or an APACHE score.
9 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , further comprising an audio-to-text subsystem configured to convert audio input into text, wherein the pre-anesthesia questionnaire aggregation system is configured to receive questionnaire answers comprising at least one of (i) text input, (ii) audio input captured by a microphone, and (iii) video input captured by a camera, and wherein the audio-to-text subsystem converts audio input into text for incorporation into the patient history data structure.
10 . The anesthesia pre-screening system of claim 1 , wherein the anesthesia departmental listing system is configured to highlight potential high-risk patients based on the calculated risk status stored in the calculated risk status and pre-anesthesia guidelines and requirements database.