INTEGRATED SYSTEM AND METHOD OF PROVIDING SERVICES
The present invention provides a method of improving the delivery of services of a health care system by the application of a business change process to an existing health care system including the steps of: identifying components of patient experience as a patient is processed through the health care system; extracting existing data included in one or more data bases, pertaining to the health care system, identifying existing data that correlates with components of the patient experience and extracting that data and associating it with the relevant component, or interfaces therebetween, for subsequent analysis; obtaining a measure of the performance of the patient experience components by applying pre-defined checklists of queries to each identified component, and interfaces therebetween, and obtaining and rating responses to the queries, said patient responses collected from devices in electronic communication with a data gathering and recordal system and combining with any relevant existing data as it pertains to corresponding components; identifying services in the patient experience components, and the interfaces therebetween, that require improvement by comparing the electronically stored data pertaining to rated responses and any available correlating data obtained from the health care system with predefined indicators in relation to the provision of health care services; and generating an electronic report that identifies the patient experience components and interfaces therebetween and includes an indication of those components and/or interfaces requiring improvement.
1 - 16 . (canceled)
17 . A method of improving the delivery of services of a health care system by the application of a business change process to an existing health care system including the steps of:
identifying components of patient experience as a patient is processed through the health care system;
extracting existing data included in one or more data bases, pertaining to the health care system,
identifying existing data that correlates with components of the patient experience and extracting that data and associating it with the relevant component, or interfaces therebetween, for subsequent analysis;
obtaining a measure of the performance of the patient experience components by applying pre-defined checklists of queries to each identified component, and interfaces therebetween, and obtaining and rating responses to the queries, said patient responses collected from devices in electronic communication with a data gathering and recordal system and combining with any relevant existing data as it pertains to corresponding components;
identifying services in the patient experience components and the interfaces therebetween that require improvement by comparing the electronically stored data pertaining to rated responses and any available correlating data obtained from the health care system with predefined indicators in relation to the provision of health care services; and
generating an electronic report that identifies the patient experience components and interfaces therebetween and includes an indication of those health care services and/or interfaces therebetween requiring improvement
18 . A method of improving the delivery of services of a health care system according to claim 17 further including the steps of:
identifying one or more of the following additional inputs to the business change process:
(a) desired strategic directions;
(b) anticipated future demand for services;
(c) regulatory factors; and
(d) risk factors; and
taking account of the one or more additional inputs in the step of applying change processes.
19 . A method of improving the delivery of services of a health care system according to claim 17 wherein the step of applying change processes results in a reduction in cost of running the health care system, and the cost reduction is used to fund the application of the business change process.
20 . A method of operating a health care system including the steps of:
collecting data from patients using devices in electronic communication with a data gathering and recordal system,
the data relating to relevant aspects of components of the patient experience, or interfaces therebetween, as patients are processed through the health care system;
analyzing the collected dated to obtain a measure of the performance of the components of the patient experience, and/or interfaces therebetween;
rating the collected responses from the patients and comparing same with pre-defined indicators relating to the efficient provision of health care services; and
reporting the results of the rated responses and comparison with pre-defined indicators on a visual display unit wherein the displayed data is arranged in a form that readily identifies each patient experience component, and/or interface therebetween, in substantially the same order in which a patient experiences those components as they progress through the health care system.
21 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 20 further including the step of using an integrated data system applicable to the entire health care system, with an integrated electronic health record covering each component of the patient experience.
22 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 21 wherein the integrated data system includes electronic referral of patients and electronic scheduling of health care services.
23 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 21 wherein the integrated data system includes an electronic bedboard which allows for data entry concerning a patient's monitored condition and medication.
24 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 23 wherein the integrated data system includes electronic referral of patients and electronic scheduling of health care services.
25 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 21 wherein the bedboard accepts data entry from patients in relation to components of the patient experience.
26 . A method of operating a health care system according to claim 25 wherein the integrated data system includes electronic referral of patients and electronic scheduling of health care services.
27 . An integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system including:
a data gathering part which gathers and records data collected by devices in communication with a data recordal system;
a measuring part which measures the performance of the patient experience components by extracting recorded data pertaining to each component and by providing patients with pre-defined checklists of queries relevant to each component, and/or the interfaces therebetween, each patient providing responses by operation or a device and recording and rating responses to the queries; and
a discrepancy identification part which identifies services in the patient experience components and the interfaces therebetween that require improvement by comparing the recorded and rated data and responses with predefined indicators.
28 . An integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system according to claim 27 further including:
an additional input processing part which identifies one or more of the following additional inputs to the business change process and takes account of the one or more additional inputs in applying change processes:
(a) desired strategic directions;
(b) anticipated future demand for services;
(c) regulatory factors; and
(d) risk factors.
29 . An integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system according to claim 27 further including an electronic health record for each patient including data recordal fields for at least each component of the patient experience.
30 . An integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system according to claim 29 further including an electronic bedboard which allows for data entry concerning a patient's monitored condition and medication.
31 . an integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system according to claim 29 wherein the electronic bedboard accepts data entry from patients in relation to components of the patient experience.
32 . An integrated data system according to claim 27 wherein the discrepancy identification part generates an electronic report that includes the patient experience components and the interface therebetween identifying those components and interfaces requiring improvement.
33 . An integrated data system according to claim 32 wherein the report is arranged in a form that readily identifies each patient experience component and the interfaces therebetween in substantially the same order in which a patient experiences those components as they progress through the health care system.
34 . An integrated data system for the delivery of health care services in a health care system according to claim 27 further including electronic referral of patients and electronic scheduling of health care services.