Enterprise imaging worklist server and method of use

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a networked healthcare data management system. Certain embodiments of the data management system include a healthcare data archive connected to a network wherein the archived data comprises diagnostic, therapeutic, and demographic data. Certain embodiments further include a worklist server connected to the network wherein the worklist server receives data descriptors from the healthcare data archive and compiles the data descriptors into worklists. Certain embodiments also include a client system connected to a network wherein the client system queries the worklist server and the worklist server answers the queries by providing at least the network location of the archived data.

1 . A networked healthcare data management system, the data management system comprising: 
 a healthcare data archive connected to a network wherein the archived data comprises diagnostic, therapeutic, and demographic data;    a worklist server connected to the network wherein the worklist server receives data descriptors from the healthcare data archive and compiles the data descriptors into worklists; and    a client system connected to the network wherein the client system queries the worklist server and the worklist server answers the queries by providing at least the network location of the archived data.    
     
     
         2 . The data management system of  claim 1  wherein the worklist server further answers the queries by providing data selected from the group consisting of demographic data, procedural data, and data availability status.  
     
     
         3 . The data management system of  claim 1  wherein the data descriptors are selected from the group consisting of demographic data, procedural data, and data availability status.  
     
     
         4 . The data management system of  claim 1  wherein the healthcare data archive is a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS).  
     
     
         5 . A method for integrating patient data throughout at least one healthcare enterprise, comprising: 
 submitting at least one descriptor identifying data to a worklist server which receives the descriptor, wherein the data comprises diagnostic, therapeutic, or demographic information and wherein the data resides in a database or a data archive;    creating at least one worklist residing on the worklist server using the at least one descriptor;    accepting a worklist query to the worklist server from a client system, wherein the worklist query comprises a request for data;    filling the worklist query using the at least one worklist, wherein the filled query includes information sufficient to identify the network location of the database or the data archive on which the requested data resides; and    returning the filled query from the worklist server to the client system.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising retrieving the data from the database or the data archive.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the descriptor comprises procedural data.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the database is an imaging database.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the imaging database is a Picture Archive and Communications System (PACS).  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the worklist server is capable of receiving and filling worklist queries from a plurality of client systems.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the worklist server is capable of receiving at least one descriptor from a plurality of databases or data archives.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the worklist server resolves data conflicts across the pluraility of databases or data archives.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the worklist server creates multiple worklists.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the multiple worklists contain overlapping data.  
     
     
         15 . A method for translating healthcare data from a device-centric model of data management to a procedure-centric model of data management, comprising: 
 providing healthcare data to an archive on a network, wherein the healthcare data comprises image data and procedure data related to the image data;    mapping the procedure data from the archive to a worklist server, wherein the mapping includes information about the relationship between the image data and the procedure data;    organizing the procedure data into image worklists; and    enabling a client system to query the image worklists for the procedure data, wherein the query answer includes information sufficient to identify the network location of the image data related to the procedure data.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the archive is a Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS).  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising mapping data to the worklist server relating to the availability status of the image data.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the healthcare data further comprises patient demographic data.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the procedure data further comprises Procedure Views (PV).  
     
     
         20 . A computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions for a computer, the set of instructions comprising: 
 a submission routine for transmitting procedure data from a healthcare data archive to a worklist server;    a publishing routine for creating worklists from the procedure data; and    a query-filling routine for answering queries of the worklists from client systems.    
     
     
         21 . The set of instructions of  claim 20  wherein the query answer includes information sufficient to identify the network location of the healthcare data archive.