Claims:We Claim:
1. A system for providing efficient access to patient data at a medical facility, the system comprising:
a. a self-service kiosk including an input device operable to input data from a user, a processor and a display device for visually providing data to a user; and
b. a server in communication with the processor and operable to store data and selectively access data from at least one external database,
2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said kiosk comprises a card reader operable to read personal identifying indicia from an identification card presented by the user at the kiosk.
3. The system according to claim 1, wherein a print device operable to print medical information corresponding to the patient.
4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the personal medical data includes one or more of, demographics information related to the patient, insurance information, medical appointment information and preventive health action information.
5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said kiosk further comprises a notification device operable to notify facility personnel of the user's arrival to the facility.
6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the notification device comprises a wireless paging device.
, Description:Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to technology for stream-lining patient check-in procedures and personal patient data updating at a medical facility.
Background of the Invention
In accordance with conventional healthcare check-in methods and systems, patients desiring a personal consultation with a medical practitioner, either pursuant to a prior appointment or otherwise, are required to wait in a queue before being afforded the opportunity to be personally “checked-in” by a receptionist or other medical facility personnel. In addition to relaying the reason for the visit, the typical check-in process also consists of verification of the patient's demographical information, e.g., name, address, phone number, social security number, etc., and verification of the patient's current medical insurance information or any other third party payer information. Typically, patients must wait their respective turn while other patients complete paperwork or otherwise are occupying the facility personnel. Accordingly, the check-in process can take an extremely long time, depending primarily on the number of other patients waiting to check-in and the speed by which each patient is able to check-in. Additionally, to obtain information about future appointments, such as date, time and location of the appointment(s), the patient typically must request that the receptionist provide documentation regarding the appointment information. Thus, the conventional medical check-in procedure is not centralized and does not readily provide the patient with efficient access to his or her medical information. The present invention addresses these and other issues with respect to conventional medical facility check-in and data verification systems.
In accordance with certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, described in detail below, various medical databases and legacy systems are interfaced to provide medical data. A brief description of a few exemplary existing databases and systems is provided below. However, it is recognized that various other databases and systems can be interfaced in accordance with the present invention to provide additional access to other data when necessary. These databases, and more, can be accessed in accordance with the present invention to provide efficient and informative data to the patient each time the patient checks-in to a medical facility equipped with a medical kiosk, as described below.
In view of the exemplary databases and systems mentioned above, it should be recognized that the present invention can interface with both civilian and military databases and can be adapted to interface with virtually any compatible database to provide access to needed data.
Object of the Invention
The object of the present invention overcome the aforementioned and other disadvantages associated with conventional medical check-in methods and associated devices.
Summary of the Invention
In view of the aforementioned problems with the conventional approach to medical check-in procedures, one inventive aspect of the present invention lies in providing a patient self-service medical check-in system embodied, for example, in a self-service kiosk that is connected to various databases and other legacy systems. Another inventive aspect of the present invention is the synergy that results from the use of such a medical kiosk in the workflow of patient registration for a medical visit (or encounter) and the verification of information as part of the registration process without requiring the personal assistance of hospital personnel. A self-service check-in procedure and its respective system, especially in the health care field, is believed to be novel.
Although efficient patient check-in is one valuable application for the invention, a skilled artisan would understand that the exchange of data between the patient and external database systems can also be performed without requiring that the patient be checked-in to the facility.
More particularly, one embodiment of the invention includes a system for providing efficient access to patient data at a medical facility, the system having a self-service kiosk that has an input device operable to input data from a user, a processor and a display screen for visually providing data to the user, and a server in communication with the processor and operable to store data and selectively access data from at least one external database, wherein relevant data with respect to the patient is downloaded from one or more of the external databases via the server and provided to the user via the kiosk.
A further embodiment of the invention includes a method for efficiently exchanging data with patients at a medical facility, the method including providing one or more individual self-service kiosks operable to interface with the patients via one or more of a visual display and an audible speaker, wherein the kiosks are controlled via a processor. A method consistent with this further embodiment also includes presenting an identification card at one of the kiosks, wherein the identification card uniquely identifies an individual patient, requesting verification of certain personal information from the individual patient and accessing one or more databases to obtain medical data corresponding to the individual patient.
Another embodiment in accordance with the invention includes a self-service medical kiosk that has a display device operable to convey certain data to a patient and also request verification of other data from the patient and a processing device operable to receive data inputted by the patient and communicate with a server, wherein the medical kiosk is operable to access one or more external databases and obtain and display accessed data to the patient on the display device.
Still further, another embodiment of the invention includes a system for efficiently exchanging information with patients at a medical facility, the system having means for interacting with a patient and obtaining personal identification information about the patient, means for connecting the kiosk to one or more database systems external to the medical facility and means for verifying one or more of patient personal demographic information and patient insurance or other payer information.
As used herein “substantially”, “generally”, and other words of degree, are used as a relative modifier intended to indicate permissible variation from the characteristic so modified. It is not intended to be limited to the absolute value or characteristic which it modifies but rather approaching or approximating such a physical or functional characteristic.
Brief Description of Drawings
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system in accordance with the present invention.
Detailed Description of Invention
Referring to FIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment, a system employing several individual kiosks is provided. The check-in kiosks, 10 a-10 n, are each connected in a Local Area network (LAN) configuration with a server 20 which is, in turn, connected via two-way communications links, to various databases (BD1 . . . DBn). The LAN can be a wireless LAN (WLAN) or it can use cables to interconnect each device using Ethernet, i.e., in accordance with the IEEE standard, or other suitable cabling and data delivery technology. The connection from the server 20 to the legacy database systems, DB1 . . . DBn, can be made via a web-based database query system such as Oracle®, which a relational database management system, RDBMS, copyrighted by Oracle Corporation of Redwood Shores, Calif., or any other suitable communication link.
Kiosks 10 a-10 n are located, for example, in the reception area of a medical facility, such as a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, etc. When a patient (not illustrated) enters a facility that is equipped with a system according to the present invention, the patient is greeted by a number of individual self-service kiosks, each spaced apart from one another in order to afford the patient a certain level of privacy as he or she answers personal questions displayed on the screen. Accordingly, because a few individual kiosks are provided, the patient is not required to wait in a line in order to inform facility personnel of their arrival.