Method for Minimizing Entry of Medically Similar Orders in a Computerized Medical Records System

Abstract

An electronic medical records system with computerized provider order entry includes error checking for duplicate or medically similar orders. In the system, similar medical orders are displayed on adjacent screens and are highlighted, thereby allowing medical personnel to easily identify and evaluate the orders. The user can therefore choose to modify or delete medically similar entries easily and quickly, thereby minimizing the occurrence of duplicate or repetitive orders, and increasing efficiency of the system.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A computerized medical records system, comprising:
 at least one memory storage system, the memory storage system storing:
 a medical orders database comprising:
 a plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each of the standardized medical order categories; and 
 for each of the plurality of medical orders, a plurality of pre-determined medically similar orders; 
 
 an electronic medical records database, the electronic medical records database comprising:
 a plurality of patient identifiers; and 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each patient identifier, each of the plurality of medical orders associated with one of the plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 
   a display simultaneously displaying:
 an existing medical order section in a first window; and 
 a new order section in a second window adjacent the first window; and 
   a processor in communication with the memory storage system and the display, the processor programmed to:
 i. receive a new medical order for a patient corresponding to one of the plurality of patient identifiers in the electronic medical records database from the user input device, and display the new medical order in the new medical order section of the display; 
 ii. access the medical order database to identify at least one of the plurality of medical order categories in the medical order database that corresponds to the new medical order; 
 iii. access the electronic medical records database to identify existing medical orders for the identified patient that are of the same medical order category as the new medical order; 
 iv. when the electronic medical records database includes existing medical orders that are of the same medical category as the new medical order:
 a. compare the new medical order to the existing medical orders corresponding to the same medical category; 
 b. access the medical orders database to retrieve the medically similar orders corresponding to the medical order category of the new medical order; 
 c. compare the existing medical orders corresponding to the same medical category to the medically similar orders of the same medical order category; 
 
 v. display the existing medical orders that are the same as or medically similar to the new medical order in the first window aligned with the new medical order received from the input device in the second window; 
 vi. wait for instructions to enter the new medical order into the electronic medical records database; and 
 vii. enter the new medical order into the electronic medical records database when an instruction is received through the input device. 
   
     
     
         29 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of standardized medical order categories each correspond to a medical coding classification system. 
     
     
         30 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 29 , wherein the medical coding classification system is a Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code system, and the pre-determined medically similar orders correspond to a CPT code or a predetermined numerical range of the CPT code. 
     
     
         31 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to scroll the first window to align the existing medical order that is the same as or medically similar to the new medical order. 
     
     
         32 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to sort the existing medical orders to align the existing medical order that is the same as or medically similar to the new medical order. 
     
     
         33 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to sort the existing medical orders to align the existing medical order that is the same as or medically similar to the new medical order. 
     
     
         34 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to display a patient data section on the display, the patient data section displaying data from the electronic medical records database including at least one of a blood type, an allergy list, and a prescription list. 
     
     
         35 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to display an icon to modify an existing order and an icon to discontinue an existing order in the existing medical order window. 
     
     
         36 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to display a list of medical problems corresponding to the identified patient. 
     
     
         37 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to highlight the medical order category that corresponds to the existing medical order that is medically similar to the new medical order. 
     
     
         38 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to compare text entered into the second window to known orders in the medical orders database and to display possible matches on the display for selection through the input device. 
     
     
         39 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to provide a sign button on the display, and wherein waiting for instructions to enter the new medical order into the electronic medical records database comprises waiting for activation of the sign button. 
     
     
         40 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to highlight the medical order category in the medical order database that corresponds to the new medical order in the first window. 
     
     
         41 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to highlight the new medical order when no duplicates or similar medical orders have been identified. 
     
     
         42 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify at least one medical order category of the existing medical orders that is similar to the medical order category of the new order, and to highlight the medical order category of the new medical order and the medical order category that is similar to the new medical order. 
     
     
         43 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of pre-determined medically similar orders are associated with a confidence factor in the medical orders database. 
     
     
         44 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to remove the new medical order from the display when a remove command is received through the input device, the remove command preventing entry of the new medical order into the electronic medical record database. 
     
     
         45 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to highlight the medical order category that corresponds to the new medical order in the first window, and to scroll the identified same existing medical order or similar existing medical order to align with the new medical order. 
     
     
         46 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify a plurality of identified similar existing medical orders, highlight each of the plurality of similar existing medical orders, and to categories the plurality of similar medical existing medical orders in the first window. 
     
     
         47 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to identify a plurality of similar existing medical orders, and to provide a count of the plurality of identified similar existing medical orders on the display. 
     
     
         48 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 28 , wherein the processor is further programmed to compare the new medical orders to medical orders in the medical database having different medical categories than the new medical order. 
     
     
         49 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 29 , wherein the medical coding classification system is a International Classification of Diseases (ICD) system. 
     
     
         50 . A computerized medical records system, comprising:
 at least one memory storage system, the memory storage system storing:
 a medical orders database comprising:
 a plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each of the standardized medical order categories; and 
 for each of the plurality of medical orders, a plurality of pre-determined medically similar orders; 
 
 an electronic medical records database, the electronic medical records database comprising:
 a plurality of patient identifiers; and 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each patient identifier, each of the plurality of medical orders associated with one of the plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 
   a display simultaneously displaying:
 an existing medical order section in a first window; and 
 a new order section in a second window adjacent the first window; and 
   a processor in communication with the memory storage system and the display, the processor programmed to:
 i. receive a new medical order for a patient corresponding to one of the plurality of patient identifiers in the electronic medical records database from the user input device, and display the new medical order in the new medical order section of the display; 
 ii. access the medical order database to identify at least one of the plurality of medical order categories in the medical order database that corresponds to the new medical order; 
 iii. access the electronic medical records database to identify existing medical orders for the identified patient that are of the same medical order category as the new medical order; 
 iv. when the electronic medical records database includes existing medical orders that are of the same medical category as the new medical order:
 a. compare the new medical order to the existing medical orders corresponding to the same medical category; 
 b. access the medical orders database to retrieve the medically similar orders corresponding to the medical order category of the new medical order; 
 c. compare the existing medical orders corresponding to the same medical category to the medically similar orders of the same medical order category; 
 
 v. categorize each existing medical order identified as the same as or medically similar to the new medical order by degree of similarity; 
 vi. sort the identified existing medical orders and display the existing medical orders that are the same as and medically similar to the new medical order in order of categorization in the first window; and 
 vii. align the existing medical categorized as the most similar to the new medical order in the first window with the new medical order received from the input device in the second window. 
   
     
     
         51 . The computerized medical records system of  claim 50 , further comprising the step of assigning a color code to each of the existing medical orders identified as the same as or medically similar to the new medical order in the display. 
     
     
         52 . A computerized medical records system, comprising:
 at least one memory storage system, the memory storage system storing:
 a medical orders database comprising:
 a plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each of the standardized medical order categories; and 
 for each of the plurality of medical orders, a plurality of pre-determined medically similar orders; 
 
 an electronic medical records database, the electronic medical records database comprising:
 a plurality of patient identifiers; and 
 a plurality of medical orders corresponding to each patient identifier, each of the plurality of medical orders associated with one of the plurality of standardized medical order categories; 
 
   a display simultaneously displaying:
 an existing medical order section in a first window; and 
 a new order section in a second window adjacent the first window; and 
   a processor in communication with the memory storage system and the display, the processor programmed to:
 i. receive a new medical order for a patient corresponding to one of the plurality of patient identifiers in the electronic medical records database from the user input device, and display the new medical order in the new medical order section of the display; 
 ii. evaluate a text string of the new medical order and access the medical order database to identify at least one of the plurality of medical order categories in the medical order database that corresponds to at least a portion of the text string of the new medical order; 
 iii. access the electronic medical records database to identify existing medical orders for the identified patient that are of the same medical order category as the new medical order; 
 iv. when the electronic medical records database includes existing medical orders that are of the same medical category as the new medical order, display the identified medical category and the existing medical orders that correspond to the category in the first window and highlight by providing a line by providing a line on the display around the medical category and the existing medical orders that correspond to the category; 
 v. comparing the new medical order to all of the existing medical orders of the same medical category, and scrolling the display to align the new medical order to a duplicate order.