| 摘要 |
A patient flow management system includes a means for identifying a patient as the patient approaches an examination area. When the patient is identified, a patient encounter screen, which provides both patient data and medical procedure data, is provided in the examination area, thereby decreasing the need for paper charts and increasing the efficiency of the facility. The system can also include a timer for determining an amount of time that a patient has been left in an examination room, and kiosks for checking into an appointment and providing identifying tokens to the patient. The kiosks can identify whether a patient is in an appropriate location for check in, and guide the patient to an appropriate location. |
| 主权项 |
1. A patient flow management system comprising:
a central computing system; a database in communication with the central computing system and storing patient identification data, appointment data, appointment location data, and medical order data; and a plurality of reader devices in communication with the central computing system, each of the plurality of reader devices being located external to and adjacent a corresponding examination area and programmed to read a patient identifier coupled to a patient; an external display in communication with the central computing system provided external and adjacent to each corresponding examination area and reader device; and an internal display in communication with the central computing system provided inside each corresponding examination area,
wherein when a patient enters a selected examination area, the central computer system is programmed to retrieve the patient identifier data from the reader, retrieve data from the patient database based on the patient identifier to identify a scheduled activity for the patient and a location of the scheduled activity, identify a location of the patient, determines whether the patient can check in for the scheduled activity at the current location, and, when the patient is in the correct location, checks the patient in, writes patient identifying data on the external display adjacent to the examination area, prepares a security protected medical encounter for medical personnel on the internal display in the examination area based on the patient identifier to be accessed when a medical practitioner enters the examination area to examine the patient, and monitors signals from the reader device to assure the patient remains in the examination area, wherein when a medical practitioner enters the examination room the medical practitioner can ascertain the identity of the patient in the examination area, and when the medical practitioner enters a practitioner identifier at the internal display the medical practitioner accesses the patient medical encounter of the patient is in the examination area. |
