Flexible encounter tracking systems and methods
Embodiments include a customizable encounter document whose contents are populated based on a template for the current patient, a template for all the user's patients, or a combination of templates. The contents include data modules retrieved from various databases and are arranged according to the user's work flow. The contents are presented in one view, a scrollable pane, to assist the user when making medical decisions. The user can make changes to the contents on the scrollable pane in real time that may affect one or more of the templates. Once the customizable encounter document is signed, the contents are captured, de-identified, and saved, along with a link of the captured contents with the user, and/or the patient's EHR.
1. A server computing device comprising:
a processor; and
memory that has a server electronic health record application (EHR) loaded therein, wherein the server EHR, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform acts comprising:
responsive to receiving a request to transmit an encounter document pertaining to a patient, transmitting the encounter document to a client EHR executing on a client computing device in network communication with the server computing device, wherein the encounter document is based upon an encounter document template, and further wherein the encounter document, when displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client EHR, comprises a data field populated with patient data included in an electronic health record of the patient maintained by the server EHR;
responsive to receiving an indication that a modification has been made to the encounter document at the client computing device, updating the encounter document template based upon the modification;
subsequent to receiving a snapshot of the modified encounter document, the snapshot of the modified encounter document captured at the client computing device, wherein the snapshot comprises the patient data included in the modified encounter document, storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR, and wherein the contents of the snapshot are not changeable;
subsequent to storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document, receiving a request to transmit the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device; and
transmitting the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device for display on the GUI.
2. The server computing device of claim 1 , wherein the encounter document includes a plurality of sections, each of the sections pertaining to a different type of patient data, and wherein a first section in the plurality of sections includes the data field, wherein the modification comprises replacing a second section in the plurality of sections with a third section, wherein the second section is representative of a second type of patient data and the third section is representative of a third type of patient data.
3. The server computing device of claim 2 , wherein updating the encounter document template comprises updating the encounter document template to include the third section.
4. The server computing device of claim 1 , the acts further comprising:
generating a de-identified copy of the modified encounter document based upon the snapshot of the modified encounter document received from the client computing device; and
storing the snapshot of the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR.
5. The server computing device of claim 4 , the acts further comprising:
storing a link to the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in the database maintained by the server EHR as part of the electronic health record of the patient.
6. The server computing device of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the encounter document comprises selecting an encounter document template, wherein the encounter document template of the patient is selected based on at least one of:
an encounter type,
a medical condition of the patient, or
an age of the patient.
7. The server computing device of claim 6 , wherein the encounter type comprises at least one of:
an office visit encounter,
a hospital visit encounter,
a telephone encounter, or
an order encounter.
8. A method performed by a server computing device, wherein at least one processor of the server computing device executes a server electronic health records (EHR) application, the method comprising:
responsive to receiving a request to transmit an encounter document pertaining to a patient, transmitting the encounter document to a client EHR executing on a client computing device in network communication with the server computing device, wherein the encounter document is based upon an encounter document template, and further wherein the encounter document, when displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client EHR, comprises a data field populated with patient data included in an electronic health record of the patient maintained by the server EHR;
responsive to receiving an indication that a modification has been made to the encounter document at the client computing device, updating the encounter document template based upon the modification;
subsequent to receiving a snapshot of the modified encounter document, the snapshot of the modified encounter document captured at the client computing device, wherein the snapshot comprises the patient data included in the modified encounter document, storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR, and wherein the contents of the snapshot are not changeable;
subsequent to storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document, receiving a request to transmit the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device; and
transmitting the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device for display on the GUI.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the encounter document includes a plurality of sections, each of the sections pertaining to a different type of patient data, and wherein a first section in the plurality of sections includes the data field, wherein the modification comprises replacing a second section in the plurality of sections with a third section, wherein the second section is representative of a second type of patient data and the third section is representative of a third type of patient data, wherein updating the encounter document template comprises updating the encounter document template to include the third section.
10. The method of claim 8 , the method further comprising:
generating a de-identified copy of the modified encounter document based upon the snapshot of the modified encounter document received from the client computing device; and
storing the snapshot of the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the snapshot of the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document is linked to a user profile.
12. The method of claim 10 , the method further comprising:
storing a link to the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in the database maintained by the server EHR as part of the electronic health record of the patient.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein transmitting the encounter document comprises selecting an encounter document template, wherein the encounter document template of the patient is selected based on at least one of:
an encounter type,
a medical condition of the patient, or
an age of the patient.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the encounter type comprises at least one of:
an office visit encounter,
a hospital visit encounter,
a telephone encounter, or
an order encounter.
15. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a server electronic health records application (server EHR) that, when executed by a processor of a server computing device, causes the processor to perform acts comprising:
responsive to receiving a request to transmit an encounter document pertaining to a patient, transmitting the encounter document to a client EHR executing on a client computing device in network communication with the server computing device, wherein the encounter document is based upon an encounter document template, and further wherein the encounter document, when displayed on a graphical user interface (GUI) of the client EHR, comprises a data field populated with patient data included in an electronic health record of the patient maintained by the server EHR;
responsive to receiving an indication that a modification has been made to the encounter document at the client computing device, updating the encounter document template based upon the modification;
subsequent to receiving a snapshot of the modified encounter document, the snapshot of the modified encounter document captured at the client computing device, wherein the snapshot comprises the patient data included in the modified encounter document, storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR, and wherein the contents of the snapshot are not changeable;
subsequent to storing the snapshot of the modified encounter document, receiving a request to transmit the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device; and
transmitting the snapshot of the modified encounter document to the client computing device for display on the GUI.
16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the encounter document includes a plurality of sections, each of the sections pertaining to a different type of patient data, and wherein a first section in the plurality of sections includes the data field, wherein the modification comprises replacing a second section in the plurality of sections with a third section, wherein the second section is representative of a second type of patient data and the third section is representative of a third type of patient data.
17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein updating the encounter document template comprises updating the encounter document template to include the third section in lieu of the second section.
18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the acts further comprising:
generating a de-identified copy of the modified encounter document based upon the snapshot of the modified encounter document received from the client computing device; and
storing the snapshot of the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in a database maintained by the server EHR.
19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , the acts further comprising:
storing a link to the de-identified copy of the modified encounter document in the database maintained by the server EHR, wherein the link, when selected, causes the identity of the patient to be displayed on the GUI of the client computing device.
20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein transmitting the encounter document comprises selecting an encounter document template, wherein the encounter document template of the patient is selected based on at least one of: an encounter type, a medical condition, or an age of the patient, and further wherein an encounter type comprises at least one of: an office visit encounter, a hospital visit encounter, a telephone encounter, or an order encounter.