System for tracking secure medical test cards

摘要

A method and apparatus for tracking with a central monitoring system status and result information associated with a plurality of test cards. Each of the test cards is anonymously associated with a patient such that the patient's identity is unknown to the central monitoring system. A first set of unique personal identification numbers (PINs) is stored in a personal identification number database in the central monitoring system, and a first digital signal representative of PINs from the first set of unique PINs is provided to a test kit assembler. A second digital signal is received in the central monitoring system from the test kit assembler. The second digital signal is representative of test kits actually assembled. Each of the test kits actually assembled includes a test card having one of the unique PINs from the first set of unique PINs associated therewith. The first set of unique PINs is tracked by updating the personal identification number database in response to the second digital signal. A third digital signal is provided from the central monitoring system to a test lab. The third digital signal is representative of a second set of unique PINs and is provided by the central monitoring system in response to the second digital signal. A fourth digital signal is received in the central monitoring system from the test lab. The fourth digital signal is representative of test cards received at the test lab from patients. Each of the test cards received at the test lab is known to the central monitoring system only by one of the unique PINs from the first set of unique PINs, and the identities of patients associated with the test cards received at the test lab are anonymous to the central monitoring system. The first set of unique PINs is further tracked from the central monitoring system by updating the personal identification number database and a test results database in response to the fourth digital signal.