Order generation system and user interface suitable for the healthcare field

1. A computer implemented automated method for providing a form for display to a user for ordering particular services supporting healthcare delivery to a patient, comprising the steps of:

acquiring data identifying order types and associated parameter types;

automatically analyzing said acquired data to provide collated data suitable for presentation in a display form for use in placing an order for a particular type of service to be provided to a patient, said analyzing including parsing said acquired data to determine:

(a) type of display fields for incorporation in said display form,

(b) a sequence of presentation of said display fields in said display form, and

(c) placement of said display fields in said display form; and

automatically processing said collated data to prepare data, representing said display form, for use in placing said order for said particular type of service to be provided to a patient and presenting a user with allowable values for a parameter associated with a particular order type for said particular type of service by deriving said allowable values from memory.

2. A method according to claim 1 ,

wherein said acquiring step includes the step of:

acquiring parameter definition elements associated with an individual parameter type, and wherein said analyzing step includes the step of:

incorporating a first parameter definition element associated with a first parameter type when an order is placed within a first healthcare organization department, and incorporating a second parameter definition element associated with a second parameter type when an order is placed within a different, second healthcare organization department.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein

said parameter definition elements comprise at least one of, (a) parameter values, (b) a parameter qualifier identifying characteristics of an ordered service, (c) a parameter qualifier identifying a required delivery priority of an ordered service, (d) a parameter qualifier identifying delivery requirements of an ordered service, and (e) a parameter qualifier identifying means of delivery of an ordered service.

4. A method according to claim 2 , wherein

at least one of said first and second healthcare organization departments further comprises at least one of: (a) a hospital unit, (b) a laboratory, (c) a pharmacy, (d) administration, (e) an outpatient unit, (f) an inpatient unit, (g) an imaging unit, and (h) a clinical unit.

5. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

sequencing presentation of said display fields in said display form in order from left to right and from top to bottom.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein

said service further comprises at least of: (a) an order for goods for the patient, and (b) an order for a service to be performed for the patient.

7. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of acquiring data identifying order types and associated parameter types further comprises:

receiving data entered using a template form for determining characteristics of said display form for use in placing the order for the particular type of service.

8. An order form generator for a healthcare information system comprising:

a user interface including:

an input device adapted to receive input information related to format and content of an order form for a patient for ordering a particular type of service to be provided to a patient; and

a display adapted to present the input information and output information related to the order form, wherein the display includes:

an order template editor window adapted to permit a user to initiate generation of an order template responsive to receiving the input information, and

an order details window adapted to permit the user to initiate generation of the order form responsive to a generated order template; and

a processor adapted to automatically generate the order form using a generated order template responsive to receiving the input information by automatically processing said input information related to format and content of an order form to prepare data, representing said display form, for use in placing said order for said particular type of service to be provided to a patient and presenting a user with allowable values for a parameter associated with a particular order type for said particular type of service by deriving said allowable values from memory.

9. An order generator according to claim 8 , wherein the display further includes:

a service catalog window adapted to permit the user to assign a service to the order template.

10. An order generator according to claim 9 , wherein the display further includes:

an order template tab window adapted to permit the user to select an order template assigned to the service.

11. An order generator according to claim 9 , wherein the display further includes:

a general tab window adapted to permit the user to provide information related to the service.

12. An order generator according to claim 9 , wherein the display further includes:

an investigation window adapted to permit the user to provide instruction information related to the service.

13. An order generator according to claim 8 , wherein the display further includes:

an order placer window adapted to permit the user to search for and select the order form.

14. An order generator according to claim 13 , wherein the display further includes:

an order form window adapted to display the order form to the user.

15. An order generator according to claim 8 , wherein the order template editor window further comprises at least one of:

at least one order template criteria related to the at least one order template, at least one parameter related to the at least one order template, and characteristics related to the at least one parameter.

16. A computer implemented method for providing a form for display to a user for ordering particular services supporting healthcare delivery to a patient, comprising the steps of:

acquiring data identifying order types and associated parameter types;

automatically analyzing said acquired data to provide collated data suitable for presentation in a display form for use in placing an order for a particular type of service to be provided to a patient, said analyzing including parsing said acquired data to determine:

(a) type of display fields for incorporation in said display form,

(b) a sequence of presentation of said display fields in said display form, and

(c) placement of said display fields in said display form; and

adaptively selecting display fields for incorporation in data representing said display form for use in placing said order for said particular type of service to be provided to a patient in response to information identifying a source of said order, said display fields including a field for presenting a user with allowable values for a parameter associated with said order for said particular type of service by deriving said allowable values from memory.

17. A method according to claim 16 , wherein said information identifying a source of said order further comprises at least one of: (a) user identification information, (b) information identifying an organization affiliated with a user, (c) user entered information identifying an organization to be associated with said order, (d) user location identification information and (e) information identifying a workflow task sequence associated with said order.