Integrated emergency medical database system

Abstract

An integrated medical database system for the emergency medical transportation business is disclosed. The system includes a dispatch module, clinical module, administration module and billing module. Each module may communicate data with one or more of the other modules to form a system incorporating data sharing, thus achieving an end-to-end automation of emergency medical care accounting. Internal consistency checks are performed by the system to ensure that proper treatments are performed according to a chosen diagnosis.

1 . A medical database management system comprising:
 a database configured to store a plurality of database records wherein the records form a basis for a diagnosis or treatment plan;   a first module configured to receive and interpret data relating to a medical condition of a patient involved in a patient incident and determine a diagnosis or treatment plan for the patient;   a second module configured to receive and store input indicative of an actual patient diagnosis or administered treatment by emergency personnel; and   a third module configured to determine when the diagnosis or administered treatment is inconsistent with an expected set of inputs for the patient's diagnosis or treatment plan and to update one or more of the plurality of database records when the patient diagnosis or administered treatment is inconsistent with the set of expected inputs, wherein the patient incident and the emergency personnel are remote from a medical facility.   
     
     
         2 . The database management system of  claim 1 , wherein the database records comprise one of: patient information, diagnostic information, treatment information, flight path information, billing information, inventory information, or administrative information. 
     
     
         3 . The database management system of  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth module configured to receive and record dispatch data specific to a patient incident requiring emergency medical care by the emergency transport crew. 
     
     
         4 . The database management system of  claim 1 , wherein the first module comprises a neonatal sub-module. 
     
     
         5 . A medical database management system comprising:
 a database configured to store a plurality of database records wherein the records form a basis for a diagnosis or treatment plan; and   a first module configured to receive and store patient information from a clinical encounter associated with a patient incident requiring emergency medical care by an emergency transportation crew and produce an encounter record indicative of the patient's clinical incident;   wherein the patient information includes information regarding treatment that occurred prior to arrival of the emergency transportation crew and wherein the incident and the emergency transportation crew are remote from a medical facility.   
     
     
         6 . The database management system of  claim 5 , wherein the patient information further includes information regarding treatment administered by the emergency transportation crew. 
     
     
         7 . The database management system of  claim 5 , wherein the patient information further includes information regarding conditions relating to the patient or incident location prior to the arrival of the emergency transportation crew. 
     
     
         8 . A medical database management system comprising:
 a database configured to store a plurality of database records wherein said records form the basis for a diagnosis or treatment plan;   a first module configured to receive and store data relating to a patient incident and determine medication and medical supplies related to a patient diagnosis and treatment plan; and   a second module capable of receiving information from the first module and ordering inventory utilized during the patient incident;   wherein the inventory ordered reflects the actual medication and medical supplies utilized during the patient incident and wherein the incident and the emergency response crew are remote from a medical facility. The medical database management system of  claim 8 , additionally comprising a billing module which is configured to generate a bill based on the actual supplies utilized in the patient incident.   
     
     
         9 . The medical database management system of  claim 8 , wherein the medication and medical supplies identified for the determined diagnosis can be flagged for actual utilization. 
     
     
         10 . A secure medical database management system comprising:
 a database for storing therein a plurality of database records, wherein the records form the basis for a diagnosis or treatment plan;   a first module configured to receive and interpret data relating to a medical condition of a patient involved in a patient incident and determine a diagnosis for the patient;   a second module configured to receive patient billing data; and   a third module configured to limit access to certain patient incident data to certain users based upon a user's predetermined access to the incident data;   wherein the patient incident and an emergency response crew are remote from a medical facility.   
     
     
         11 . The medical database management system of  claim 10 , wherein the database modules can be queried by a user having a particular access level for particular reports or other information regarding the patient incident. 
     
     
         12 . The medical database management system of  claim 10 , additionally comprising a module configured to receive and record dispatch data specific to a patient incident requiring emergency medical care. 
     
     
         13 . A medical database management system, comprising:
 a database for storing therein a plurality of database records wherein the records form the basis for a diagnosis or treatment plan;   a first module configured to receive patient incident data relating to costs indicative of a patient incident;   a second module configured to interpret data relating to a medical condition of a patient involved in the patient incident and determine a diagnosis for the patient;   a third module configured to receive and record dispatch data specific to a patient incident requiring emergency medical care; and   a fourth module configured to receive information relating to actions requiring further review and to communicate the information to an intended recipient, wherein the incident and the emergency response crew are remote from a medical facility.   
     
     
         14 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein one or more situations requiring further review comprise a deviation from treatment protocols. 
     
     
         15 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more situations requiring further review are automatically communicated to the intended recipient. 
     
     
         16 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more situations requiring further review comprise information relating to a sentinel event requiring further review by an administrator. 
     
     
         17 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more situations requiring further review comprise information relating to a sentinel event requiring further review by a receiving hospital. 
     
     
         18 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more situations s requiring further review comprise extended scene time by an emergency transport crew. 
     
     
         19 . The medical database management system of  claim 13  wherein the one or more situations requiring further review comprise shortages of medication or supplies.