Web linked database for tracking clinical activities and competencies and evaluation of program resources and program outcomes

Abstract

A medical student and school program entry and/or medical professional entry, verification and tracking system is disclosed which is implemented on a computer with remote login and logoff capabilities. The system and methods utilizing the system includes login routines for medical students, medical staff, supervisors and accrediting agencies, medical discipline selection screens, protocol/procedure selection screens, data entry windows or areas associated with the protocol/procedure screens, logout routines, submission routines and polling routines.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A system implemented on a distributed computer network for entering, tracking and verifying medical student and/or medical staff patient and procedure activities, the system comprising: 
 a GUI subsystem for interacting with a user including input screen having data input fields, selection fields and activation buttons and output screens including data output fields;    a database subsystem for storing, manipulating and polling data including database fields corresponding to the input data field and output data field of the GUI screens;    a logon subsystem including user identification routines to establish user identity and user system access status;    a survey subsystem including a plurality of surveys; time in and time out routines for time stamping a user's activities associated with a given medical protocol, procedure or rotation;    a student subsystem including a time clock function, a daily log function, a clinical competencies function and a personal data function;    a clinician subsystem including a personal daily log function, a clinical competencies function and a personal data function;    a staff subsystem including a personal data function; and    a faculty subsystem including a personnel data function, time clock function, a daily log function, a clinical competencies function, a summaries function and a program surveys function.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the survey subsystem comprises an employer survey, a graduate survey, a student survey and a program personnel survey.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the student time clock function comprises a time in clock function, a time out clock function, a view time clock records function and a generate time clock summary function, where the time in and time out functions create a unique time stamp for time in and time out and an elapsed time tied to a particular clinician and hospital area.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the student daily log and clinical competencies function comprise a view records function, a search records function, an add record function and summary function.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the staff personal data function comprise a view records function, a search records function, an add record function, modify record function, and a delete record function.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , where in the staff and clinician daily log functions and clinical competencies functions comprise a validate student records function.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the system resides on a dedicated a server connected to the network.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the network is the internet and the system is web-based.  
     
     
         9 . A method implemented on a distributed computer network for entering student medical competency data comprising the step of: 
 logging onto a system of  claim 1;     selecting a time in function which generates a unique time in stamp;    selecting a time out function after completion of a medical protocol or procedure which generates a unique time out stamp;    selecting a clinician and an area identifying the instructor and the protocol or procedure;    entering data associated with the protocol or procedure in appropriate fields in a GUI screen associated with the protocol or procedure, and    updating the time entry record.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: 
 submitting the protocol data to the database after review by a supervisor and polling the entered data.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the system resides on a dedicated a server connected to the network.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the network is the internet and the system is web-based.  
     
     
         13 . A method for documenting medical professional competency and accrediting medical schools comprising the steps of: 
 retrieving medical student data for each medical student from a systems of claims  1 ;    determining an accreditation score therefrom.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of: 
 retrieving medical staff data for each medical staff from a systems of claims  1 ; and    determining an institution or department accreditation score therefrom.