Claims:We Claim:
1. A computing device for location proximal to a waiting area of a hospital emergency room and for intake of a patient in said hospital emergency room comprising
a. a touch-screen operable to receive input by allowing said patient to depress active portions along the surface of said touchscreen, said touch screen further operable to display information to said patient;
b. computing device further comprising a set of headphones connected to said computing device for presenting audio output to said patient;
2. The device of claim 1 wherein said computing device is attachable to a printing device local
3. The device of claim 1 wherein said computing device is connected to an intake server via a network
4. The device of claim 3 wherein said intake server is attachable to a printing device local to said intake server
5. The device of claim 3 wherein said intake server is connected to a plurality of treatment room client computing devices via said network
6. The device of claim 1 wherein said device is mounted within the housing of a kiosk.
, Description:Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computerized systems used in the service professions such as medicine, and more particularly relates to patient intake in a hospital emergency room or the like
Background of the Invention
As the cost of medical care rises, medical systems are under pressure to provide more care under severe financial constraints. In industrialized countries, these pressures are expected to increase as the baby-boomer population ages. A stretched system means that there can be little room for any increased demand in the system.
Even absent a crisis such as SARS, patients are experiencing increasing waits before they receive medical attention. In the medical system it is common for patients to wait until a physician or other health care provider becomes available for a consultation. In order to reduce the time needed for the consultation, an intake worker, often a nurse or intern, will ask the patient a series of routine questions and make a written record of the patient's answers. The intake process can also help to prioritize patients who may need more immediate attention than others - for example, a heart attack patient will need more immediate attention than a patient with a sprained ankle.
Summary of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel system and method for intake that obviates or mitigates at least one of the above-identified disadvantages of the prior art.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for patient intake comprising a computer-based kiosk having an input device such as a keyboard or touch screen and an output device such as a monitor and/or headphones, and a computing unit connected to the input and output devices. The computing unit is operable to receive user responses via the input device and to present a intake questionnaire corresponding to the received user responses. The computing unit is further operable to compile all information gathered during the delivery of the intake questionnaire and prepare a summary of questions asked and a preliminary diagnosis to be verified by a medical practitioner. The compiled information is then assembled into a report that is printed or otherwise outputted to a doctor or other medical professional. For example, soft copies of the questionnaire can be saved in a storage device connected to the kiosk. For privacy reasons, such retention of soft copies can be made contingent on the patient's consent and made retrievable only by an authorized system administrator. However, presented, the report can be used to decrease the time it takes for the doctor to diagnose and/or treat the patient. The computing unit can also be used to prioritize a plurality of patients based on their medical needs and the available medical resources to treat those needs.
The kiosk can use the patient's time that's generally wasted in the waiting room to extract the raw medical data regarding their complaints. Written text questions can be used for literate patients that can walk, talk and wait. For illiterate patients, the questions can be presented using as many pictograms or icons as possible, with audio messages in the patient's preferred language being used to guide the patient through which pictograms to select to provide a particular answer. Translating the questionnaire into as many as possible languages and translating the report back again to the medical practitioner's native language can ameliorate language barriers.
Headphones can be used to provide hearing assistance as well as privacy and to present the questionnaire, in order to reduce needed cognitive functioning during delivery of the questionnaire. The questionnaire in order can be furthered offered in terms of yes/no answers to further ease the difficulty of taking the questionnaire for the patient.
The present invention provides a novel system and method for intake that can help health care facilities to serve patients more efficiently and within available resources. The facilities can save time and money since they can operate faster and produce more with the same resources. In certain situations where an emergency room is experiencing high demand, it can save time for all involved parties, including the patients, nurses, doctors and health care facility or the corresponding individuals for other types of waiting rooms.
Brief Description of Drawings
Figure 1 shows a flowchart depicting a method of patient intake in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;
Detailed Description of Invention
Figure 1, a method for intaking a patient into an emergency room of a hospital is indicated generally. In order to assist in the explanation of the method, it will be assumed that method is operated using system.
Furthermore, the following discussion of method will lead to further understanding of system and its various components. (However, it is to be understood that system and/or method can be varied and need not work exactly as discussed herein in conjunction with each other, and that such variations are within the scope of the present invention.) Beginning first at step, the preferred language of the patient is determined.
This step is performed by kiosk, which in its 'ready' state displays the welcome screen. These input devices can take the form of various attachments such as biometric input devices including oxymeters that clip to on one of the patient's fingers and non-invasively read blood oxygenation level and cardiac pulse through the skin; blood pressure measuring devices;
thermometers that take the temperature by placing a plastic probe containing a small transducer to the outer surface of the patient's skin; electrocardiogram equipment wherein adhesive plastic pads are placed on the extremities and an electrocardiogram trace is read;
breath test machines wherein the patient breathes into designated containers to take breath samples to measure levels of alcohol, acetone etc.
While the embodiments herein are directed to intake at emergency rooms, it is contemplated that the teachings herein can apply to intakes in other professional environments, such as doctors’ offices, dentist offices, government offices, law firms, accountants, and the community service sector since the questions are customizable in terms of text, algorithmic flow, relating printout information, and language.
The above-described embodiments of the invention are intended to be examples of the present invention and alterations and modifications may be affected thereto, by those of skill in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined solely by the claims appended hereto.