Health Care Facility Management and Information System

Abstract

A method, system, computer program product and apparatus related to managing and disseminating information in a health care facility is disclosed. The system may comprise a plurality of input devices, a processor connected to the input devices and a plurality of electronic output devices connected to the processor. The output devices may include a master patient information display, an electronic patient room information display, a master precaution display, a patient hourly rounding display and an individual room precaution display. The method may comprise receiving from at least one input device data associated with a plurality of patients, and displaying for each patient the information, based on the data received, that is associated with each patient, and then updating on each output device the information when it changes.

1 . A method of providing patient information, the method comprising:
 receiving from at least one input device data associated with a first patient admitted to a health care facility;   displaying patient information on an electronic room display disposed in the first patient's room in the health care facility, the patient information including care provider information, treatment plan information and site information; and   updating the patient information on the room display when there is a change in the patient information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein care provider information is displayed in a first area of the display and the treatment plan information is displayed in a second area of the display screen, wherein the first and second areas are adjacent. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the care provider information includes nurse assignment information, PCT assignment information, nurse manager information and physician information. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the nurse assignment information includes an assigned nurse name, an assigned nurse phone number and an assigned nurse image, and the PCT assignment information includes an assigned PCT name, a PCT phone number and a PCT image. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the nurse manager information includes a name of a manager on duty having supervisory responsibility for a nurse assigned to the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the care provider information further comprises the time of each of a plurality of the most recent staff visits to the patient's room. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the treatment plan information includes patient health concern information, patient planned activity information, patient current diet information, staff treatment comments and patient care goals. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the site information includes the facility name, a patient room number and a patient phone number, and a current date and time. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the site information further includes a message to the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving from at least one input device a second set of data associated with a second patient in the health care facility and displaying patient information for the second patient on a second electronic display disposed in the second patient's room. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for displaying patient information, the method comprising:
 receiving from at least one input device data associated with a first patient admitted to a health care facility;   displaying patient information on an electronic room display disposed in the first patient's room in the health care facility, the patient information including care provider information, treatment plan information and site information; and   updating the patient information on the electronic display when there is a change in the patient information.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the care provider information includes nurse assignment information, PCT assignment information, nurse manager information and physician information. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the nurse assignment information includes an assigned nurse name, an assigned nurse phone number and an assigned nurse image, and the PCT assignment information includes an assigned PCT name, a PCT phone number and a PCT image. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the treatment plan information includes health concern information, planned activity information, patient current diet information, staff treatment comments and patient care goals. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the site information includes the facility name, the room number and phone extension of the patient, the date and time. 
     
     
         16 . A method of managing information in a health care facility, the method comprising:
 providing a system including a plurality of input devices, a processor connected to the input devices and a plurality of electronic output devices connected to the processor, the output devices including an electronic patient room information display, a master precaution display, and an individual room precaution display;   receiving from at least one of the input devices data related to a first patient admitted to the health care facility;   associating the received data with the first patient;   displaying patient information for the first patient on the electronic patient room information display, wherein the patient room information display is disposed in the first patient's room in the health care facility and the patient information includes care provider information, treatment plan information and site information;   displaying on the master precaution display for a plurality of admitted patients precaution information and hourly rounding status information, the plurality of admitted patients including the first patient; and   updating the patient information displayed on the electronic patient room information display when there is a change in the patient information for the first patient.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising updating the master precaution display when there is a change in precaution information for one of the admitted patients. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising updating the master precaution display when there is a change in hourly rounding status information for one of the admitted patients, wherein the individual precaution display is disposed outside the first patient's room and displays the first patient's room number and at least some precaution information for the first patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of output devices further includes a master patient information display that displays for the plurality of admitted patients the hourly rounding status information, nurse assignment information, PCT assignment information, admitting physician information, staff comment information, and at least some room precaution information. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising generating an alert in response to a change in hourly rounding status information for one of the admitted patients and transmitting the alert to a staff communication device. 
     
     
         21 . A computer program product, comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for displaying information associated with a first patient, the method comprising:
 receiving from at least one of the input devices data related to a first patient admitted to the health care facility;   associating the received data with the first patient and storing the associated data as information in a database;   displaying at least some of the information associated with the first patient on an electronic patient room information display, a master precaution display, an individual room precaution display, a master patient information display and a patient hourly rounding display; and   updating the displayed information when new data is received for the first patient.   
     
     
         22 . A apparatus comprising an electronic display device having a screen, the device configured to receive information associated with a patient admitted to a health care facility and to display the information on the screen, wherein the device is disposed in the room of a patient in a health care facility and the information displayed on the screen comprises nurse assignment information, PCT assignment information, nurse manager information, physician information and a log of the most recent staff visits to the patient's room.