System and method for medical device identifier

Abstract

A method and system assists in management of data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient. An HME identifier may be received by a physician terminal or an HME provider terminal. In an example, an HME identifier may be stored, encoded, engraved or otherwise applied to a component of an HME device such as a removable storage medium (e.g., an SD card). A records management system may then be searched for a patient record associated with the HME device identifier based on retrieval of the identifier from the component. If a patient record is found, the identity of the patient may be verified. Optionally, if no such patient record is found, then a new patient record associated with the HME identifier may be created.

1 . A method for managing data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient, the method comprising:
 receiving an HME device identifier associated with the device;   searching, by a processor, a records management system for a patient record that is associated with the HME device identifier, the search being performed by using a search key based on the HME device identifier;   if such a patient record is found, facilitating a verification of identity of the patient; and   granting a permission to a user of the records management system to view or modify the patient record, if the identity of the patient is positively verified.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the HME device identifier associated with the HME device is received from a removable storage medium. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the HME device identifier is engraved or encoded on an external surface of the removable storage medium. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further including, before granting a permission to the user to view or edit the patient record, automatically associating the patient's record with an entity providing the HME device identifier by receiving at least one of: (i) a first item of information related to a physician associated with the patient and (ii) a second item of information related to an HME Provider associated with the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first item of information includes at least one of a physician identifier, a physician name, a physician address, a physician organization name and a physician organization address. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second item of information includes at least one of an HME provider identifier, an HME provider's name, and an HME provider organization address. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the second item of information includes an HME provider's inventory number for the HME device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the records management system is accessed from a terminal associated with a physician or an HME provider. 
     
     
         9 . A method for managing data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient, the method comprising:
 receiving, at a computer based record management system, a request for a patient record associated with an HME device identifier, the request being based on the HME device identifier, the request being initiated by a user;   identifying a patient record associated with the HME device identifier;   receiving, at the record management system, a confirmation of identity of the patient; and   granting to the user at least one of a permission to access the patient record and a permission to modify the patient record, upon receiving a confirmation of the identity of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the user is one of a physician and HME provider. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising storing an item of information associated with the user into the patient record when the user is granted permission to modify the patient record. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the item of information associated with the user is one of physician name, HME provider name, physician address, HME provider address, physician's organization name, physician's organization address, HME organization's name and HME organization's address. 
     
     
         13 . A system for managing data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient, the system comprising:
 a memory;   a reader device configured to accept a removable storage medium including an HME device identifier, the HME device identifier being a unique identifier to distinguish the HME device provided to the patient from other HME devices registered at a computer based records management system; and   a processor coupled to the memory and the reader device, the processor being configured to:   retrieve, using the reader device, the HME device identifier that is stored on the removable storage medium;   search a records management system for a patient record that is associated with the HME device identifier, the search being performed by using a search key based on the HME device identifier;   facilitate a verification of an identity of the patient upon locating a patient record that is associated with the HME device identifier; and   modify the patient record only when the identity of the patient is positively verified.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein, the processor is further configured to, before granting a permission to an entity providing the HME device identifier to view and/or edit the patient record, automatically associate the patient's record with the entity by receiving at least one of: (i) a first item of information related to a physician associated with the patient and (ii) a second item of information related to an HME Provider associated with the patient. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the first item of information includes at least one of a physician identifier, a physician name, a physician address, a physician organization name, and a physician organization address. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the second item of information includes at least one of an HME provider identifier, an HME provider's name, an HME provider organization address, an HME provider's name, and an HME provider organization address. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the second item of information includes an HME provider's inventory number for the HME device. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the system is a terminal associated with the entity. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the entity is one of a physician, medical organization, or HME provider. 
     
     
         20 . A records management system for managing of data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient, the records management system comprising:
 a memory;   a reader device configured to accept a removable storage medium including an HME device identifier, the HME device identifier being a unique identifier to distinguish the HME device provided to the patient from other HME devices registered at a computer based records management system; and   a processor coupled to the memory and the reader device, the processor being configured to:   receive a request for a record associated with an HME device identifier with a search query, the search query being based on the HME device identifier, the search query being initiated by a user;   identify a patient record associated with the HME device identifier;   receive, at the record management system, a confirmation of identity of the patient; and   grant to the user at least one of a permission to access the patient record and a permission to modify the patient record, upon receiving a confirmation of the identity of the user.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to store an item of information associated with the user into the patient record when the user is granted permission to modify the record. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the item of information associated with the user is one of physician name, HME provider name, physician address, HME provider address, physician's organization name, physician's organization address, HME organization's name and HME organization's address. 
     
     
         23 . A method for managing, by way of a computer based patient records management system, data associated with a home medical equipment (HME) device provided to a patient, the method comprising:
 receiving, by way of a first processor, an HME device identifier associated with the HME device from a removable storage medium, the HME device identifier being a unique identifier to distinguish the HME device provided to the patient from other HME devices registered at a computer based records management system; and   verifying, by way of the first or a second processor, the received HME device identifier; and   providing access to a user to the records management system, based on a positive verification of the received HME device identifier.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising the step of searching, by a processor, the records management system for a patient record that is associated with the HME device identifier, the search being performed by using a search key based on the HME device identifier.