Managing Provider Roles in Medical Care
Techniques for managing provider roles during medical are are supported. A system may include a central medical information management system that maintains information regarding ongoing treatment of patients, which can track medical professionals assigned to the patients. Medical professionals may use mobile devices to access and display the information regarding assigned case roles and may further use the mobile devices to coordinate assumption and handoff of roles.
1 . A handheld apparatus comprising:
a user interface comprising a display and capable of receiving user input;
a wireless network interface capable of coupling to a central medical information management system, the central medical information management system maintaining a plurality of patient tracking records for patients receiving care, wherein each of the patient tracking records includes a patient identifier, medical personnel assignments indicating, for those patient tracking records with assigned personnel, one or more assigned medical providers and, for each assigned medical provider, one of a plurality of caregiver roles, and case status information indicating a current state of the care for the patient;
a memory maintaining a medical information management application and a user profile comprising a user identifier;
a processor operable, when executing the medical information management application:
to display a list of the patient tracking records received from the medical information management system;
to identify a selected one of the patient tracking records based on user input;
to display indications of at least one of the caregiver roles;
to receive a role selection for the selected patient tracking record based on user input, the role selection indicating a desire to assume one of the caregiver roles for the selected patient tracking record;
to communicate the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system; and
to receive an information update from the medical information management system, the information update reflecting that the medical information management system has updated the assigned medical providers for the selected patient tracking entry to reflect the role selection.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable, when executing the medical information management application, to receive the selected patient tracking record from the medical information management system; and to display a case summary screen showing detailed patient and case information in the selected patient tracking record and the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable, when executing the medical information management application, to display a confirmation message for the role selection based on whether the role is currently held by an assigned medical provider; to receive a confirmation for the role selection as user input; and to communicate the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system based on the received confirmation.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles include indications of the caregiver roles based on a user identifier.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers a confirmation message to the currently assigned medical provider requesting approval for the role selection.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers an alert message to the currently assigned medical provider.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further operable, when executing the medical information management application, to receive a message indicating that the role selection violates role handoff rules maintained by the medical information management system and to display a message indicating failure of the role selection.
8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the rules prohibit providing care in more than a first predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia, prohibit supervising more than a second predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia; and prohibit assisting more than a third predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia.
9 . A method comprising:
displaying a list of patient tracking records received from a medical information management system, the central medical information management system maintaining a plurality of patient tracking records for patients receiving care, wherein each of the patient tracking records includes a patient identifier, medical personnel assignments indicating, for those patient tracking records with assigned personnel, one or more assigned medical providers and, for each assigned medical provider, one of a plurality of caregiver roles, and case status information indicating a current state of the care for the patient;
identifying a selected one of the patient tracking records based on a user input;
displaying indications of at least one of the caregiver roles;
receiving a role selection for the selected patient tracking record based on user input, the role selection indicating a desire to assume one of the caregiver roles for the selected patient tracking record;
communicating the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system; and
receiving an information update from the medical information management system, the information update reflecting that the medical information management system has updated the assigned medical providers for the selected patient tracking entry to reflect the role selection.
10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving the selected patient tracking record from the medical information management system; and displaying a case summary screen showing detailed patient and case information in the selected patient tracking record and the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles.
11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying a confirmation message for the role selection based on whether the role is currently held by an assigned medical provider; receiving a confirmation for the role selection as user input; and communicating the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system based on the received confirmation.
12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles include indications of the caregiver roles based on a user identifier.
13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers a confirmation message to the currently assigned medical provider requesting approval for the role selection.
14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers an alert message to the currently assigned medical provider.
15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving a message indicating that the role selection violates role handoff rules maintained by the medical information management system and to display a message indicating failure of the role selection.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the rules prohibit providing care in more than a first predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia, prohibit supervising more than a second predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia; and prohibit assisting more than a third predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia.
17 . A system, comprising:
a central medical information management system operable to maintain a plurality of patient tracking records for patients receiving care, wherein each of the patient tracking records includes a patient identifier, medical personnel assignments indicating, for those patient tracking records with assigned personnel, one or more assigned medical providers and, for each assigned medical provider, one of a plurality of caregiver roles, and case status information indicating a current state of the care for the patient;
one or more medical information management applications each residing on a wireless handheld device and operable, when executed, to:
display a list of the patient tracking records received from the medical information management system;
identify a selected one of the patient tracking records based on user input;
display indications of at least one of the caregiver roles;
receive a role selection for the selected patient tracking record based on a user input, the role selection indicating a desire to assume one of the caregiver roles for the selected patient tracking record;
communicate the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system; and
receive an information update from the medical information management system, the information update reflecting that the medical information management system has updated the assigned medical providers for the selected patient tracking entry to reflect the role selection.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more medical information management applications are operable, when executed, to receive the selected patient tracking record from the medical information management system; and to display a case summary screen showing detailed patient and case information in the selected patient tracking record and the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more medical information management applications are operable, when executed, to display a confirmation message for the role selection based on whether the role is currently held by an assigned medical provider; to receive a confirmation for the role selection as user input; and to communicate the role selection and the user identifier to the medical information management system based on the received confirmation.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the indications of at least one of the caregiver roles include indications of the caregiver roles based on a user identifier.
21 . The system of claim 17 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers a confirmation message to the currently assigned medical provider requesting approval for the role selection.
22 . The system of claim 17 , wherein if the medical personnel assignments for the selected patient treatment record indicates a currently assigned medical provider, the role selection triggers an alert message to the currently assigned medical provider.
23 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more medical information management applications are operable, when executed, to receive a message indicating that the role selection violates role handoff rules maintained by the medical information management system and to display a message indicating failure of the role selection.
24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the rules prohibit providing care in more than a first predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia, prohibit supervising more than a second predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia; and prohibit assisting more than a third predetermined number of cases involving the administration of anesthesia.