Mobile discrete data documentation

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transferring data from a medical device to a patient's electronic medical record are provided. Initially, a medical device and a patient are identified, such as by scanning a barcode or searching in an electronically-searchable database. Once identified, the medical device and the patient area associated, and data from the medical device is acquired and sent to a form that allows a user to edit the data or add other information. The user may then indicate that the data is ready to be transmitted to the patient's electronic medical record. The medical device and the patient may now be disassociated. The disassociation may be implicit, so that it is not required that a user provide an indication that the patient and medical device are to be disassociated. Rather, the disassociation may occur upon transmittal of the data to the patient's EMR.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that, when executed perform a method for electronically transferring data associated with a patient from a medical device to an electronic medical record (EMR) that corresponds to the patient, the method comprising:
 receiving a user selection to associate a first patient to a medical device;   in response to receiving the user selection to associate the first patient to the medical device, acquiring the data associated with the first patient from the medical device;   communicating the data to an application for display in a format that allows a user to manipulate the data;   upon receiving an indication that the data is ready to be transmitted to an EMR that corresponds to the first patient, transmitting the data from the application to the EMR that corresponds to the first patient; and   automatically disassociating the first patient and the medical device so that a second patient can be associated with the medical device, wherein the data transmitted to the EMR corresponding to the first patient continues to be stored in the EMR after the first patient is disassociated from the medical device.   
     
     
         2 . The media of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an identification of a second patient;   receiving the user selection to associate the second patient to the medical device; and   acquiring the data associated with the second patient from the medical device.   
     
     
         3 . The media of  claim 1 , wherein the user selection to associate the first patient to the medical device comprises the user selection of a link that retrieves the data from the medical device. 
     
     
         4 . The media of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 suggesting at least one medical device;   receiving the user selection of one of the at least one medical device;   associating the first patient to the one of the at least one medical device; and   acquiring the data associated with the first patient from the one of the at least one medical device.   
     
     
         5 . The media of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one medical device is suggested based on a location of the first patient. 
     
     
         6 . The media of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one medical device is suggested based on a diagnosis of the first patient. 
     
     
         7 . The media of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving an indication that the data is to be transmitted to the EMR that corresponds to the first patient, the indication indicating that the user has reviewed the data such that the data is ready to be transmitted to the EMR corresponding to the first patient. 
     
     
         8 . A system having a processor and one or more computer-readable storage media for electronically transferring data associated with a patient from a medical device to an electronic medical record (EMR) that corresponds to the patient, the system comprising:
 a processing unit; and   a memory for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, executes:   a receiving component that receives identifications for the patient and the medical device;   an associating component that associates the patient to the medical device in response to receiving an indication that the patient and the medical device are to be associated;   an acquiring component that acquires the data from the medical device that is associated with the patient;   a transmitting component that transmits the acquired data to an application so that the data can be added to, deleted, or edited prior to being stored in the EMR corresponding to the patient;   a publishing component that publishes the data to the EMR that corresponds to the patient such that the data is stored in the EMR in association with the patient, wherein the EMR stores patient information relevant only to the patient's medical history and current treatment; and   a disassociating component that automatically disassociates the patient from the medical device after the data is transmitted to the EMR corresponding to the patient, allowing for another patient to be associated with the medical device, wherein the data continues to be stored in the EMR corresponding to the patient after the patient is disassociated from the medical device.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the data that is transmitted to the application is displayed in a format that allows the user to add information corresponding to the patient that is not included in the data acquired from the medical device. 
     
     
         10 . One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, that, when executed perform a method for electronically transferring data associated with a patient from a medical device to an electronic medical record (EMR) that corresponds to the patient, the method comprising:
 receiving an identification of a first patient;   receiving an identification of the medical device;   in response to receiving the identification of the medical device, acquiring the data associated with the first patient from the medical device;   associating the first patient to the medical device;   communicating the data to an application for display such that the data can be added to, deleted, or edited by a user prior to the data being transmitted to an EMR associated with the first patient;   receiving an indication that the data is to be transmitted to the first patient's EMR;   transmitting the data from the application to the first patient's EMR, the data being stored in the EMR in associated with the first patient; and   disassociating the first patient and the medical device after the data is transmitted to the first patient's EMR such that the data transmitted to the EMR continues to be stored in the EMR after the first patient is disassociated from the medical device.   
     
     
         11 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the medical device comprises each of a plurality of medical devices. 
     
     
         12 . The media of  claim 11 , further comprising receiving an indication of one of the plurality of medical devices from which to acquire the data. 
     
     
         13 . The media of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 once the data is sent to the first patient's EMR, receiving an identification of a second patient;   acquiring the data from the medical device, wherein the data is associated with the second patient; and   associating the medical device and the second patient to one another.   
     
     
         14 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the identification of one or more of the first patient or the medical device is received by scanning a barcode associated with the first patient or the medical device. 
     
     
         15 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the identification of one or more of the first patient or the medical device is received by a user selection of the first patient identification or the medical device identification found in an electronically searchable database that contains a plurality of identifications. 
     
     
         16 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the data acquired from the medical device includes vital information taken from the first patient, the vital information including one or more of a body temperature, blood pressure, respiration, or pulse. 
     
     
         17 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the data is authenticated once it is transmitted to the first patient's EMR. 
     
     
         18 . The media of  claim 10 , further comprising;
 receiving a user selection to receive updated data associated with the first patient from the medical device;   acquiring the updated data from the medical device; and   communicating the updated data for display such that the updated data can be manipulated by the user.   
     
     
         19 . The media of  claim 10 , wherein the data is communicated for display into a format that allows the user to add information corresponding to the first patient that is not included in the data acquired from the medical device.