Remote medical evaluation
A consult coordination center (CCC) computer may comprise a database and a processor. A scheduling module executed by the processor may schedule a patient assessment session for a facility, the patient assessment session comprising an assessment of at least one patient in the facility by a remote health care professional to determine whether the at least one patient should be given more immediate care. An assignment module executed by the processor may assign the scheduled patient assessment session to a health care professional computer. A connection module executed by the processor may create a remote connection between the health care professional computer and a computer at the facility via a network to facilitate the patient assessment session, the remote connection comprising a video feed from the computer at the facility to the health care professional computer. A data module executed by the processor may retrieve a report of a previous patient assessment session at the facility from the database, send the report of the previous patient assessment session at the facility to the health care professional computer, receive a report of the patient assessment session, and store the report of the patient assessment session in the database.
1. A method comprising:
scheduling, with a scheduling module executed by a processor of a consult coordination center (CCC) computer comprising the processor and a database, a patient assessment session for a facility, the patient assessment session comprising an assessment of at least one patient in the facility by a remote health care professional to determine whether the at least one patient should be given more immediate care;
assigning, with an assignment module executed by the processor, the scheduled patient assessment session to a health care professional computer;
creating, with a connection module executed by the processor, a remote connection between the health care professional computer and a computer at the facility via a network to facilitate the patient assessment session, the remote connection comprising a video feed from the computer at the facility to the health care professional computer, the creating comprising:
establishing, with the connection module, the remote connection; and
handing off, with the connection module, the remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer;
monitoring, with the connection module, integrity of the remote connection during the patient assessment session after the handing off;
retrieving, with a data module executed by the processor, a report of a previous patient assessment session at the facility from the database;
sending, with the data module, the report of the previous patient assessment session at the facility to the health care professional computer;
receiving, with the data module, a report of the patient assessment session; and
storing, with the data module, the report of the patient assessment session in the database.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the scheduling comprises:
receiving, with the scheduling module, a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility;
determining, with the scheduling module, an approximate duration for the patient assessment session; and
identifying, with the scheduling module, a health care professional computer associated with a health care professional who is available at the start time for the approximate duration; and
the assigning comprises assigning, with the assignment module, the facility to the health care professional computer associated with the available health care professional.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the scheduling comprises:
receiving, with the scheduling module, a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility; and
receiving, with the scheduling module, an indication of readiness from the health care professional computer coinciding with the start time; and
the assigning comprises assigning, with the assignment module, the facility to the health care professional computer in response to the indication of readiness.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assigning is based on a record indicating that the health care professional computer has been connected to the facility for the previous patient assessment session.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reestablishing, with the connection module, the remote connection when the remote connection is broken, the reestablishing comprising handing off, with the connection module, the reestablished remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the report of the patient assessment session is received by the data module from:
the health care professional computer,
the computer at the facility,
via a user interface at the CCC computer,
by scanning a physical document, or
a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the computer at the facility is coupled to a video camera at the facility; and
the computer at the facility is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the health care professional computer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the health care professional computer is coupled to a video camera; and
the health care professional computer is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the computer at the facility.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the report comprises receiving, with the data module, an indication that at least one patient in the facility requires follow-up.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising scheduling, with the scheduling module, a follow-up session for the at least one patient requiring follow-up.
11. A consult coordination center (CCC) computer comprising:
a database;
a processor;
a scheduling module executed by the processor configured to schedule a patient assessment session for a facility, the patient assessment session comprising an assessment of at least one patient in the facility by a remote health care professional to determine whether the at least one patient should be given more immediate care;
an assignment module executed by the processor configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session to a health care professional computer;
a connection module executed by the processor configured to:
create a remote connection between the health care professional computer and a computer at the facility via a network to facilitate the patient assessment session, the remote connection comprising a video feed from the computer at the facility to the health care professional computer, the creating comprising:
establishing, with the connection module, the remote connection; and
handing off, with the connection module, the remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer; and
monitor integrity of the remote connection during the patient assessment session after the handing off; and
a data module executed by the processor configured to:
retrieve a report of a previous patient assessment session at the facility from the database;
send the report of the previous patient assessment session at the facility to the health care professional computer;
receive a report of the patient assessment session; and
store the report of the patient assessment session in the database.
12. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein:
the scheduling module is configured to schedule the patient assessment session by:
receiving a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility;
determining an approximate duration for the patient assessment session; and
identifying, a health care professional computer associated with a health care professional who is available at the start time for the approximate duration; and
the assigning module is configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session by assigning the facility to the health care professional computer associated with the available health care professional.
13. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein:
the scheduling module is configured to schedule the patient assessment session by:
receiving a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility; and
receiving an indication of readiness from the health care professional computer coinciding with the start time; and
the assigning module is configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session by assigning the facility to the health care professional computer in response to the indication of readiness.
14. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein the assigning is based on a record indicating that the health care professional computer has been connected to the facility for the previous patient assessment session.
15. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein the connection module is further configured to reestablish the remote connection when the remote connection is broken, the reestablishing comprising handing off the reestablished remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer.
16. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein the report of the patient assessment session is received by the data module from:
the health care professional computer,
the computer at the facility,
via a user interface at the CCC computer,
by scanning a physical document, or
a combination thereof.
17. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein:
the computer at the facility is coupled to a video camera at the facility; and
the computer at the facility is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the health care professional computer.
18. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein:
the health care professional computer is coupled to a video camera; and
the health care professional computer is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the computer at the facility.
19. The CCC computer of claim 11 , wherein receiving the report comprises receiving, with the data module, an indication that at least one patient in the facility requires follow-up.
20. The CCC computer of claim 19 , wherein the scheduling module is further configured to schedule a follow-up session for the at least one patient requiring follow-up.
21. A system comprising:
a health care professional computer;
a computer at a facility;
a consult coordination center (CCC) computer in communication with the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility via a network, the CCC computer comprising:
a database;
a processor;
a scheduling module executed by the processor configured to schedule a patient assessment session for the facility, the patient assessment session comprising an assessment of at least one patient in the facility by a remote health care professional to determine whether the at least one patient should be given more immediate care;
an assignment module executed by the processor configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session to the health care professional computer;
a connection module executed by the processor configured to:
create a remote connection between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility via the network to facilitate the patient assessment session, the remote connection comprising a video feed from the computer at the facility to the health care professional computer, the creating comprising:
establishing, with the connection module, the remote connection; and
handing off, with the connection module, the remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer; and
monitor integrity of the remote connection during the patient assessment session after the handing off; and
a data module executed by the processor configured to:
retrieve a report of a previous patient assessment session at the facility from the database;
send the report of the previous patient assessment session at the facility to the health care professional computer;
receive a report of the patient assessment session; and
store the report of the patient assessment session in the database.
22. The system of claim 21 , wherein:
the scheduling module is configured to schedule the patient assessment session by:
receiving a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility;
determining an approximate duration for the patient assessment session; and
identifying, a health care professional computer associated with a health care professional who is available at the start time for the approximate duration; and
the assigning module is configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session by assigning the facility to the health care professional computer associated with the available health care professional.
23. The system of claim 21 , wherein:
the scheduling module is configured to schedule the patient assessment session by:
receiving a start time for the patient assessment session from the facility; and
receiving an indication of readiness from the health care professional computer coinciding with the start time; and
the assigning module is configured to assign the scheduled patient assessment session by assigning the facility to the health care professional computer in response to the indication of readiness.
24. The system of claim 21 , wherein the assigning is based on a record indicating that the health care professional computer has been connected to the facility for the previous patient assessment session.
25. The system of claim 21 , wherein the connection module is further configured to reestablish the remote connection when the remote connection is broken, the reestablishing comprising handing off the reestablished remote connection to the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility so that data exchanged between the health care professional computer and the computer at the facility does not pass through the CCC computer.
26. The system of claim 21 , wherein the report of the patient assessment session is received by the data module from:
the health care professional computer,
the computer at the facility,
via a user interface at the CCC computer,
by scanning a physical document, or
a combination thereof.
27. The system of claim 21 , wherein:
the computer at the facility is coupled to a video camera at the facility; and
the computer at the facility is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the health care professional computer.
28. The system of claim 21 , wherein:
the health care professional computer is coupled to a video camera; and
the health care professional computer is configured to send video captured by the video camera to the computer at the facility.
29. The system of claim 21 , wherein receiving the report comprises receiving, with the data module, an indication that at least one patient in the facility requires follow-up.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the scheduling module is further configured to schedule a follow-up session for the at least one patient requiring follow-up.