Method for automating collection, association, and coordination of multiple medical data sources

Abstract

A method of automating the collection, association, and coordination of multiple medical data sources using a coordinating service application, computer, database, and/or server system to manage devices, examinations, and people involved in the medical examination and treatment process. In an embodiment, the method comprises authenticating a user for a premises, a device, or a device group, validating particular use of the device based on user credentials or type of device or device group, associating a medical examination with a patient or a medical examination schedule, associating medical examination data from a device or device group with a related medical examination session, routing medical examination data to a computer, database, or server, and pairing medical examination session data with a medical interpretation, clinical testing results, diagnoses, and/or other recorded information.

1 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination, comprising:
 Analyzing user credentials and authenticating access to a premises or a device or device group based on the user credentials;   Validating use of the device or device group based on the user credentials and the type of device or device group;   Associating a medical examination with a patient(s) or a medical examination schedule;   Associating medical examination data and/or metadata from one or more device or device group with a related medical examination session;   Routing medical examination data and/or metadata to a local and/or external computer database(s); and   Pairing the medical examination session and/or medical examination data and/or metadata with a manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination.   
     
     
         2 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical examination schedule is correlated with time of use of the device or device group, physical location(s) of the user or the device or device group, physical location(s) of a compatible device or a compatible device group, electronic medical record or electronic scheduling software, and/or manual or automated schedules. 
     
     
         3 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , wherein the location(s) and/or identity of the user(s) or the device or device group is determined by geolocation, physical or virtual (software-based) tokens, passcode, QR codes, bar codes, identification cards, encoded magnetic or solid-state electronic memory cards and/or compatible wireless antennas and solid state computing chips (including, but not limited to, Near Field Communication cards), Wi-Fi pairing, Bluetooth or ZigBee pairing, radio beacons, paired and authenticated mobile devices, Radio Frequency Identification tags or sensors, manual entry of the location(s), detection of wired or wireless beacon, biometric identification techniques, Internet Protocol and/or Media Access Control address of the device or device group, scanning of the user or the device or device group, passcodes, and/or software applications. 
     
     
         4 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising associating telemetry data from the medical device or device group with the medical examination session. 
     
     
         5 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical examination data and/or metadata comprises information collected by the device or device group by the user during the medical examination session. 
     
     
         6 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , wherein associating the medical examination data and/or metadata from one or more medical device or device group with a related medical examination session comprises:
 Retrieving information related to the medical examination schedule, the patient(s), the device or device group, the user, and/or a location of the device or device group and associating that information with the medical examination session; and   Associating the medical examination data and/or metadata with the medical examination schedule, a corresponding patient appointment time, and/or the medical examination session.   
     
     
         7 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising retrieving medical data of the patient(s) from one or more medical record or one or more medical database and/or sending medical data of the patient(s) recorded during the medical examination session. 
     
     
         8 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 7 , wherein the user has full or partial access to medical data of the patient(s) depending on the user's credentials. 
     
     
         9 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , wherein routing medical examination data and/or metadata to a local and/or external computer database(s) is conducted via a coordinating service application. 
     
     
         10 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 9 , wherein the coordinating service application is hosted on a host of servers or a distributed cloud service which is remotely located. 
     
     
         11 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 9 , wherein the coordinating service application is hosted on a centralized server located locally to the device or device group. 
     
     
         12 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising recording and/or tracking an audit trail record of one or more user, use of a device or device group, and/or who or what is accessing data and/or metadata related to the medical examination session or the patient record. 
     
     
         13 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising the user authenticating or signing the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination, wherein the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination is displayed to the user, wherein the user indicates a review and/or an approval or rejection of the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination, and/or wherein the user indicates signing or delaying signature of the medical examination, the medical examination data and/or metadata, and/or the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination. 
     
     
         14 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising generating documentation based on some or all of the medical examination data and/or metadata, and/or some or all of the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination. 
     
     
         15 . A method of managing coordination of information related to a medical examination according to  claim 1 , further comprising generating categories or formats of documentation for different or varying purposes including billing, medical charting, research, quality improvement, and/or backup based on data and/or metadata generated by the device or device group and/or the manual or automated medical interpretation, results, diagnosis or diagnoses, and/or recorded information from the medical examination. 
     
     
         16 . A method of electronically integrating medical information related to a medical examination session comprising:
 Detecting and recording a location or locations of one or more device or device group;   Organizing the one or more device or device group according to a category of organization including one or more of a location, user, medical specialty, medical group or department, and/or type of device or device group;   Linking the one or more device or device group to the medical examination session, wherein the medical examination session is identified according to one or more of time, location, user, medical examination schedule, patient, medical specialty, and/or medical group or department;   Linking the medical examination session with one or more patient;   Associating data and/or metadata from the one or more patient with the medical examination session; and   Sending all or some of the data and/or metadata to a local or remote computer and/or computer database.   
     
     
         17 . A method of electronically integrating medical information related to a medical examination session according to  claim 16 , further comprising retrieving from one or more electronic record or computer database patient related information. 
     
     
         18 . A method of electronically integrating medical information related to a medical examination session according to  claim 16 , further comprising sending patient related information to another local or remote computer and/or computer database. 
     
     
         19 . A method of electronically integrating medical information related to a medical examination session according to  claim 17 , wherein the patient related information is chosen from one or more of information related to billing, insurance, demographics, diagnosis, diagnosis codes, practitioners, users and staff, physical examination findings, diagnostic testing, past medical procedures, medical history, family history, social history, vital signs, laboratory results, surgical history, remote medical devices and/or sources of remotely-derived medical data, objective medical examination and physical findings, genetic testing, lifestyle, activity-related data, risk factors, and actuarial data, medication(s), physician notes, people involved in care of patient, primary- and specialty-care related information, links to electronic databases, electronic health record-related data, and system and locations of clinical care, and/or specialty-specific findings. 
     
     
         20 . A method of electronically integrating medical information related to a medical examination session according to  claim 18 , wherein the patient related information is chosen from one or more of information related to billing, insurance, demographics, diagnosis, diagnosis codes, practitioners, users and staff, physical examination findings, diagnostic testing, past medical procedures, medical history, family history, social history, vital signs, laboratory results, surgical history, remote medical devices and/or sources of remotely-derived medical data, objective medical examination and physical findings, genetic testing, lifestyle, activity-related data, risk factors, and actuarial data, medication(s), physician notes, people involved in care of patient, primary- and specialty-care related information, links to electronic databases, electronic health record-related data, and system and locations of clinical care, and/or specialty-specific findings.