Electronic Patient Monitoring System

Abstract

An electronic patient monitoring system comprising a monitoring client and a remote communicator are provided. The monitoring client is configured to store patient information. The patient information may be patient-specific information. The monitoring client may receive the information from a database, e.g., through a monitoring server.

We claim: 
     
         1 . System for electronic patient monitoring comprising a smart phone configured to:
 access physiological data of a patient from a tablet;   display the physiological data and editable default values next to a treatment order of a medication with an option to send the treatment order to an infusion pump and an option to view a reference about the medication;   instruct the infusion pump to treat the patient according to the treatment order when said smart phone receives user input to send the treatment order; and   display the reference when said smart phone receives user input to view the reference.   
     
     
         2 . System of  claim 1  further comprising a tablet configured to store the physiological data. 
     
     
         3 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to receive the physiological data from a monitoring-server computer that is configured to retrieve physiological data from a database computer. 
     
     
         4 . System of  claim 1  wherein communications of said system occur across a wireless network that is configured to be operable within a facility. 
     
     
         5 . System of  claim 4  further comprising a tablet configured to store the physiological data;
 wherein said smart phone is configured to communicate with said tablet while outside of the facility having an associated patient located therein. 
 
     
     
         6 . System of  claim 2  wherein the smart phone is configured to:
 change a setting of the infusion pump based on data other than the physiological data; and 
 transmit the setting to said tablet. 
 
     
     
         7 . System of  claim 6  wherein said system is configured to communicate the setting to a monitoring-server computer. 
     
     
         8 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to store information selected from: orders, medications, progress notes, monitoring and treatment data from a device attached to a patient, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . System of  claim 8  wherein said tablet is configured to upload the information from a device attached to the patient to a database computer. 
     
     
         10 . System of  claim 1  wherein the physiological data pertains to: age, height, weight, current medication, medication category, medication allergy, medication sensitivity, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured for assignment to the patient. 
     
     
         12 . System of  claim 11  wherein the assignment utilizes a unique patient identifier. 
     
     
         13 . System of  claim 12  wherein the unique patient identifier is embedded on a bar code or an RFID tag-embedded wrist band. 
     
     
         14 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is physically associated with the infusion pump. 
     
     
         15 . System of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a patient monitoring device configured to obtain a measure of a physical characteristic of the patient; 
 wherein said tablet receives the measure in real time. 
 
     
     
         16 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to determine if a new order meets criteria based on the physiological data. 
     
     
         17 . System of  claim 4  wherein the wireless network is configured to determine a usage intensity of an area and allocate channel frequencies in accordance with the usage intensity by directing additional channel frequencies to the area. 
     
     
         18 . System of  claim 3  wherein the database computer is an electronic health records database computer. 
     
     
         19 . System of  claim 3  wherein said smart phone is configured to access the physiological data without accessing the database computer. 
     
     
         20 . System of  claim 4  wherein:
 the wireless network comprises a WIFI type network; and 
 said smart phone and the tablet are configured to communicate via the WIFI type network. 
 
     
     
         21 . System of  claim 1  wherein said smart phone is configured to provide one-touch access to a patient's medical information. 
     
     
         22 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to monitor a progress of treatment. 
     
     
         23 . System of  claim 1  wherein said smart phone is configured to communicate a change to a setting of the infusion pump directly to the tablet. 
     
     
         24 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to receive state parameters. 
     
     
         25 . System of  claim 24  wherein said tablet is configured to signal the infusion pump to: halt infusion, alter a rate of infusion, alert a health care provider when a state parameter is abnormal, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         26 . System of  claim 25  wherein said tablet is configured to communicate the alert to said smart phone. 
     
     
         27 . System of  claim 1  wherein said smart phone is configured to display a risk profile associated with: an ordered medication, a suggested course of action as generated by the tablet, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         28 . System of  claim 2  wherein said tablet is configured to access a database computer within the facility and access another database computer outside of the facility. 
     
     
         29 . System for electronic patient monitoring comprising a tablet configured to:
 receive physiological data of a patient from: a monitoring-server computer, a database computer, and combinations thereof;   store the physiological data; and   provide the physiological data to a smart phone configured to instruct an infusion pump to treat the patient according to a treatment order.   
     
     
         30 . System of  claim 29  wherein communications of said system occur across a wireless network that is configured to be operable within a facility. 
     
     
         31 . System of  claim 30  wherein said tablet is configured to communicate with the smart phone while the smart phone is outside of the facility having an associated patient located therein. 
     
     
         32 . System of  claim 29  further comprising a smart phone that is configured to:
 change a setting of the infusion pump based on data other than the physiological data; and 
 wherein said tablet is configured to receive the setting. 
 
     
     
         33 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured to store information selected from: orders, medications, progress notes, monitoring and treatment data from a device attached to a patient, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         34 . System of  claim 33  wherein said tablet is configured to upload the information from a device attached to the patient to a database computer. 
     
     
         35 . System of  claim 29  wherein the physiological data pertains to: age, height, weight, current medication, medication category, medication allergy, medication sensitivity, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         36 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured for assignment to the patient. 
     
     
         37 . System of  claim 36  wherein the assignment utilizes a unique patient identifier. 
     
     
         38 . System of  claim 37  wherein the unique patient identifier is embedded on a bar code or an RFID tag-embedded wrist band. 
     
     
         39 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is physically associated with the infusion pump. 
     
     
         40 . System of  claim 29  further comprising:
 a patient monitoring device configured to obtain a measure of a physical characteristic of the patient; 
 wherein said tablet receives the measure in real time. 
 
     
     
         41 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured to determine if a new order meets criteria based on the physiological data. 
     
     
         42 . System of  claim 30  wherein the wireless network is configured to determine a usage intensity of an area and allocate channel frequencies in accordance with the usage intensity by directing additional channel frequencies to the area. 
     
     
         43 . System of  claim 29  wherein the database computer is an electronic health records database computer. 
     
     
         44 . System of  claim 30  wherein:
 the wireless network comprises a WIFI type network; and 
 the smart phone and said tablet are configured to communicate via the WIFI type network. 
 
     
     
         45 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured to monitor a progress of treatment. 
     
     
         46 . System of  claim 29  wherein the smart phone is configured to communicate a change to a setting of the infusion pump directly to said tablet. 
     
     
         47 . System of  claim 46  wherein said tablet is configured to receive state parameters. 
     
     
         48 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured to signal the infusion pump to: halt infusion, alter a rate of infusion, alert a health care provider when a state parameter is abnormal, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         49 . System of  claim 48  wherein said tablet is configured to communicate the alert to the smart phone. 
     
     
         50 . System of  claim 29  wherein said tablet is configured to access a database computer within the facility and access another database computer outside of the facility.