Clinical workflows utilizing autonomous and semi-autonomous telemedicine devices
The present disclosure describes various clinical workflows and other methods that utilize a telemedicine device in a healthcare network. According to various embodiments, a healthcare practitioner may utilize a remote presence interfaces (RPIs) on a remote access device (RAD), such as a portable electronic device (PED) to interface with a telemedicine device. The healthcare practitioner may directly interface with a display interface of a telemedicine device or utilize the RPI on a RAD. The present disclosure provides various clinical workflows involving a telemedicine device to view patient data during a telepresence session, perform rounds to visit multiple patients, monitor a patient, allow for remote visitations by companions, and various other clinical workflow methods.
1. A method for providing a remote telepresence patient visitation, the method comprising:
displaying a list of patients on a remote presence interface of a remote access device;
receiving a request from the user via the remote presence interface for telepresence sessions with a selection of a plurality of patients from the patient list;
directing a telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a first patient of the plurality of patients;
receiving patient data regarding the first patient from a bedside patient monitor;
populating a dashboard of the remote presence interface with the patient data related to the first patient, such that the patient data is viewable during the telepresence session;
in response to the telemedicine device reaching the first patient, initiating a telepresence session between the user and the first patient via the remote presence interface on the remote access device;
receiving, subsequent to initiating the telepresence session with the first patient, an indication that the user wishes to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient; and
directing, upon conclusion of the telepresence session with the first patient, the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a second patient of the plurality of patients.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein populating the dashboard of the remote presence interface, comprises:
subsequent to the telemedicine device reaching the first patient and initiating the telepresence session, gathering, by the telemedicine device, the patient data from the bedside patient monitor; and
transmitting the patient monitoring data from the telemedicine device to the remote presence interface for display in the dashboard, such that the patient data is viewable during a telepresence session.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an indication that the user wishes to conclude the telepresence session; and
directing the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a docking station.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
gathering patient data relating to the patient; and
transmitting the patient data from the telemedicine device to the remote access device to be used in populating a remote dashboard of the remote presence interface on the remote access device, such that the patient data is viewable during the telepresence session.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the patient data comprise at least one of vital signs, a waveform, and biometric data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the dashboard is populated with patient data before the telepresence session.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sharing the patient data from the remote presence device to a display associated with the telemedicine device viewable by a person in proximity to a bedside of the first patient.
8. The method of claim 1 , where directing comprises:
in response to detecting that the first patient's data is being reviewed, automatically dispatching the telemedicine device to a location of the first patient.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to real-time data concerning a condition of a third patient of the plurality of patients, automatically directing the telemedicine device to the third patient before the second patient.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
continuously updating an order of patients for the telemedicine device to visit based on real-time data relating to conditions of each of the plurality of patients.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
overriding an automatically-generated order for visiting one or more patients in response to a manual input.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to a third patient's data triggering an alarm condition:
automatically dispatching the telemedicine device to the third patient; and
sending an invitation to a medical practitioner to begin a telepresence session with the third patient.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
tracking an amount of time the telemedicine device is used in conjunction with a particular patient.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying statistics on the remote presence interface relating to one or more encounters with the particular patient.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
documenting an encounter of the telemedicine device with a particular patient, wherein documenting comprises categorizing the encounter by at least one of type of visit, a type of person making the visit, the outcome of the visit, and a reason for the visit.
16. A method comprising:
displaying a list of patients on a remote presence interface of a remote access device;
receiving, from a remote user, a selection of a plurality of patients from the patient list via the remote presence interface on the remote access device;
directing a telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to a first patient of the plurality of patients;
initiating a telepresence session with the first patient via the remote presence interface;
populating a dashboard of the remote presence interface with patient data relating to the first patent, wherein the patient data is obtained from at least one of a patient chart and a bedside patient monitor, such that the patient data is viewable to the remote user during the telepresence session;
recording the patient data relating to the patient data for subsequent review;
directing the telemedicine device to display previously recorded patient data for review by a local medical professional;
directing, upon conclusion of the telepresence session with the first patient, the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate directly to a second patient of the plurality of patients.
17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
storing a record of each of a plurality of patient visits in a memory of a telepresence robot, wherein each patient is identified by a unique identifier and the record includes:
an amount of time spent at each patient's bedside;
a category for each encounter with a patient;
usage information for a component of the telemedicine device; and
exporting the record.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving an instruction by the telemedicine device to autonomously navigate to each of a plurality of patients starting at a specified time;
for each patient of the plurality of patients:
navigating the telemedicine device autonomously to the patient;
inviting a user to join a telepresence session; and
transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data to the user via the telepresence session.
19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving an indication by the telemedicine device that a medical professional is needed to visit the patient;
transmitting an invitation by the telemedicine device to the medical professional to join a telepresence session regarding the patient; and
transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data to a remote access device to be viewed by the medical professional.
20. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
receiving at the telemedicine device an indication that a medical professional is needed to visit the patient;
displaying a list of available medical professionals;
receiving a selection of a medical professional from the list of medical professionals available to visit the patient; and
transmitting, by the telemedicine device, an invitation to the selected medical professional to join the telepresence session.
21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the telemedicine device, an invitation to a user to join a telepresence session; and
transmitting audio, video, and/or patient data to the user via the telepresence session.
22. A telemedicine device comprising:
a communication component configured to receive a patient list indicating a plurality of patients to visit, wherein the patient list is created via a remote presence interface on a remote access device that displays a list of patients on the remote presence interface;
a navigation component configured to autonomously navigate the telemedicine device to a first patient of the plurality of patients, wherein the remote presence interface initiates a telepresence session with the first patient;
a data collection component configured to gather patient data relating to the first patient, wherein the patient data comprise real-time patient monitoring data from a bedside patient monitor;
wherein the communication component is further configured to transmit the patient data to be used in populating a remote dashboard of a remote presence; and
wherein the navigation component is further configured to autonomously navigate the telemedicine device to a second patient of the plurality of patients in response to an indication from the remote presence interface to conclude the telepresence session with the first patient.