System and method for dynamically adjusting patient therapy
A system and method of managing therapy provided to patients in an institution. The system monitors all aspects of the medication delivery to a patient, as well as other information related to the patient, such as values of vital signs, laboratory results and patient factors such as history, diagnosis, allergies and the like. The system includes one or more databases of information, including institutionally developed rules, guidelines and protocol representing the best medical practices of the institution. The system provides alerts and/or recommendations based on the application of the rules to the information being monitored, and alerts care givers accordingly, providing for dynamic adjustment of the patient's therapy. The system also monitors the status of the alerts, and if no action is taken in a selected period of time, may escalate the priority of the alert and/or halt the delivery of medication to the patient until the alert is resolved.
1. A method of managing a therapy provided to a patient, comprising the steps of:
selecting a first dosing regimen for a drug, medication or fluid based on the therapy and a first set of a patient specific data;
receiving a second set of patient specific data;
determining that the first dosing regimen violates a plurality of institutionally determined rules based on the second set of patient specific data;
in response to the determination, issuing an alert and automatically adjusting, or directing the adjustment of, the first dosing regimen so that the second set of patient specific data is in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules; and
increasing a priority of the alert when a status of the alert has not changed for a selected period of time.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising defining at least one of the plurality of institutionally determined rules according to an institution providing the therapy to the patient.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the first dosing regimen violates the plurality of institutionally determined rules by comparing the second set of patient specific data with the plurality of institutionally determined rules, and
comparing the second set of patient specific data with the plurality of institutionally determined rules comprises comparing a concentration of the drug, medication or fluid in a compartment of a patient's body with a model.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising altering at least one institutionally determined rule based on comparing the second set of patient specific data with the plurality of institutionally determined rules.
5. A method of managing a therapy provided to a patient, comprising the steps of:
receiving a set of patient specific data during delivery of a drug, medication, or fluid according to a first dosing regimen;
comparing the set of patient specific data with a plurality of institutionally determined rules;
automatically adjusting, or directing the adjustment of, the first dosing regimen so that the set of patient specific data is in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules;
issuing an alert when the set of patient specific data is not in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules; and
increasing a priority of the alert when a status of the alert has not changed for a selected period of time.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising defining at least one of the plurality of institutionally determined rules according to an institution providing the therapy to the patient.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein comparing the set of patient specific data with a plurality of institutionally determined rules comprises comparing a concentration of the drug, medication or fluid in a compartment of a patient's body with a model.
8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising altering at least one institutionally determined rule based on comparing the set of patient specific data with the plurality of institutionally determined rules.
9. A non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions, which when executed by a processor in a computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising the steps of:
receiving a set of patient specific data during delivery of a drug, medication, or fluid according to a first dosing regimen;
comparing the set of patient specific data with a plurality of institutionally determined rules;
automatically adjusting, or directing the adjustment of, the first dosing regimen so that the set of patient specific data is in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules;
issuing an alert when the set of patient specific data is not in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules; and
increasing a priority of the alert when a status of the alert has not changed for a selected period of time.
10. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for defining at least one of the plurality of institutionally determined rules according to an institution providing a therapy to a patient.
11. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions for comparing the set of patient specific data with a plurality of institutionally determined rules comprise instructions for comparing a concentration of the drug, medication or fluid in a compartment of a patient's body with a model.
12. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for issuing an alert when the set of patient specific data is not in accordance with the plurality of institutionally determined rules.
13. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for altering at least one institutionally determined rule based on comparing the set of patient specific data with the plurality of institutionally determined rules.
14. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for defining at least one of the plurality of institutionally determined rules based on at least one of a drug, a medication, fluid dosing parameters and rules, device operating characteristics, and device communication parameters.
15. The non-transitory, computer readable medium of claim 9 , further comprising instructions for establishing a communication between a medication delivery device performing the delivery of the drug, medication, or fluid, and a monitoring device verifying the first dosing regimen.