System and method for clinical workforce management interface

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating and presenting a clinical workforce management interface to assign staff in a clinical setting. The interface may present components including an aggregate patient population profile listing individual patients in a unit, the projected workload capacity the care for those patients represents, and an assignment bar depicting provider assignments for that patient over a designated time period. The interface may likewise present a provider population profile which lists available care providers in a unit, as well as their capacity ratings, skill sets, shifts, or other schedule data characterizing available clinical staff. A charge nurse or other staff manager may view and manipulate the provider-to-patient assignments, for instance by dragging and dropping visual elements to perform assignments. Compliance monitoring functions such as maintaining provider ratios may be automatically performed, and the staff manager may be alerted when ratios or criteria violate limits.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for managing clinical workforce operations comprising:
 at least one computing device, having a processor coupled to a memory, communicating with a database and one or more client devices operated respectively by one or more operators, wherein the at least one computing device accesses the database and communicates with the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices operate in a network with the at least one computing device;   the at least one computing device provides instructions to the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices generate a graphical user interface;   wherein the at least one computing device receives one or more indications of the one or more operator's interactions respectively with the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices and do the following:   A. access at least one clinical care need of a patient, wherein the at least one clinical care need includes a skill set required to service a need of the patient;   B. access a healthcare provider population profile from the database through the at least one computing device, wherein the healthcare provider population profile includes availability of at least one healthcare provider, a skill set of the at least one healthcare provider, and a healthcare provider capacity rating of the at least one healthcare provider;   C. receive a selection of the at least one healthcare provider such that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient and the assignment is displayed at the graphical user interface based on a period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient;   D. determine whether the at least one healthcare provider selected is an appropriate match to assign to the patient, wherein the determination is based on the skill set of the at least one healthcare provider, a healthcare provider over capacity condition, and healthcare compliance restrictions; and
 a. based upon the determination that the at least one healthcare provider is an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device:
 i. determines the period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient based on the healthcare provider population profile; 
 ii. stores the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient in the database; 
 iii. determines a portion of a time period of patient clinical care that is covered based on the determined period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient; 
 iv. automatically displays a first graphical representation of the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient through an assignment bar at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices, wherein the assignment bar represents the time period of the patient clinical care, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is indicated in a first manner and a portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is not covered is indicated in a second manner, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is displayed at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices on the assignment bar; 
 
 b. based upon another determination that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device, generates an alert and automatically displays the alert at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein automatically displaying a first graphical representation of the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient through an assignment bar at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices updates the assignment bar to reflect the assignment of the healthcare provider to the patient and the period of time over that the healthcare provide is assigned to the patient. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one computing device updates the assignment bar and eliminates a coverage gap for the patient, wherein the coverage gap is a graphical representation within the assignment bar that shows the patient is not covered by the at least one healthcare provider. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising based upon the determination that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device blocks out the inappropriate healthcare provider such that the inappropriate healthcare provider may not be assigned to the patient. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of the at least one healthcare provider includes dragging and dropping a healthcare provider identifier object associated with the at least one healthcare provider on a patient identifier object associated with the patient. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the assignment bar is activatable to display an expanded assignment view at the graphical user interface which presents details of a particular at least one healthcare provider assignment corresponding to a particular portion of the assignment bar when selected. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the alert indicates that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient and includes a first option to proceed with the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient and a second option to present alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein upon receiving selection of the second option to present alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient, display a second graphical representation at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices of the alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient and to replace the at least one healthcare provider that is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient. 
     
     
         9 . A method for managing clinical workforce operations comprising:
 communicating, by the at least one computing device, with a database and with one or more client devices operated respectively by one or more operators, wherein the at least one computing device accesses the database and communicates with the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices operate in a network with the at least one computing device;   providing, by the at least one computing device, instructions to the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices generate a graphical user interface;   wherein the at least one computing device receives one or more indications of the one or more operator's interactions respectively with the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices and do the following:   access at least one clinical care need of a patient, wherein the at least one clinical care need includes a skill set required to service a need of the patient;   access a healthcare provider population profile from the database;   receive a selection of the at least one healthcare provider such that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient for a period of time;   determine whether the selected at least one healthcare provider is an appropriate match to assign to the patient based in part on the healthcare provider population profile; and   based upon the determination that the at least one healthcare provider is an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device:
 i. determines the period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient based on the healthcare provider population profile; 
 ii. stores the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient in the database; 
 iii. determines a portion of a time period of patient clinical care that is covered based on the determined period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient; 
 iv. automatically displays a first graphical representation of the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient through an assignment bar at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices, wherein the assignment bar represents the time period of the patient clinical care, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is indicated in a first manner and a portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is not covered is indicated in a second manner, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is displayed at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices on the assignment bar; 
   based upon another determination that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device, generates an alert and automatically displays the alert at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein automatically displaying a first graphical representation of the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient through an assignment bar at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices updates the assignment bar to reflect the assignment of the healthcare provider to the patient 
     
     
         11 . The method of  10  wherein the at least one computing device updates the assignment bar to display the period of time for which the at least one healthcare provider to the patient. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one computing device updates the assignment bar and eliminates a coverage gap for the patient, wherein the coverage gap is a graphical representation within the assignment bar that shows the patient is not covered by the at least one healthcare provider. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the healthcare provider population profile includes availability of at least one healthcare provider, a skill set of the at least one healthcare provider, and a healthcare provider capacity rating of the at least one healthcare provider 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the determination of whether the selected at least one healthcare provider is an appropriate match to assign to the patient, is based on the skill set of the at least one healthcare provider, a healthcare provider over capacity condition, and healthcare compliance restrictions. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising based upon the determination that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device blocks out the inappropriate healthcare provider such that the inappropriate healthcare provider may not be assigned to the patient. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the selection of the at least one healthcare provider includes dragging and dropping a healthcare provider identifier object associated with the at least one healthcare provider on a patient identifier object associated with the patient. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the assignment bar is activatable to display an expanded assignment view at the graphical user interface which presents details of a particular at least one healthcare provider assignment corresponding to a particular portion of the assignment bar when selected. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the alert indicates that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient and includes a first option to proceed with the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient and a second option to present alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein upon receiving selection of the second option to present alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient, display a second graphical representation at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices of the alternative healthcare providers to assign to the patient and to replace the at least one healthcare provider that is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one computing device generates a compliance alert and automatically displays the compliance alert at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices based on reaching one or more healthcare compliance restrictions threshold. 
     
     
         21 . A system for managing clinical workforce operations comprising:
 communicating, by at least one computing device, with a database and with one or more client devices operated respectively by one or more operators, wherein the at least one computing device accesses the database and communicates with the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices operate in a network with the at least one computing device;   providing, by the at least one computing device, instructions to the one or more client devices, wherein the one or more client devices generate a graphical user interface;   wherein the at least one computing device receives one or more indications of the one or more operator's interactions respectively with the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices and do the following:   access at least one clinical care need of a patient, wherein the at least one clinical care need includes a skill set required to service a need of the patient;   access a healthcare provider population profile from the database;   receive a selection of the at least one healthcare provider such that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient for a period of time;   determine whether the at least one healthcare provider selected is an appropriate match to assign to the patient based in part on the healthcare provider population profile; and   based upon the determination that the at least one healthcare provider is an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device:
 i. determines the period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient based on the healthcare provider population profile; 
 ii. stores the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient in the database; 
 iii. determines a portion of a time period of patient clinical care that is covered based on the determined period of time that the at least one healthcare provider is assigned to the patient; 
 iv. automatically displays a first graphical representation of the assignment of the at least one healthcare provider to the patient through an assignment bar at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices, wherein the assignment bar represents the time period of the patient clinical care, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is indicated in a first manner and a portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is not covered is indicated in a second manner, wherein the portion of the time period of the patient clinical care that is covered is displayed at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices on the assignment bar; 
 based upon another determination that the at least one healthcare provider is not an appropriate match to assign to the patient, the at least one computing device, generates an alert and automatically displays the alert at the graphical user interface at the one or more client devices.