Clinical collaboration using an online networking system

Abstract

Methods are provided for sharing patient information by way of an online collaboration system. A requesting clinician, through an online networking system, identifies one or more clinicians with whom the requesting clinician wishes to collaborate by sending at least one patient-focused clinical data element. For the clinicians who have been identified as not being authorized to access patient-identifying data, the at least one patient-focused clinical data element is de-identified such that it no longer includes any patient-identifying data. The de-identified patient-focused clinical data element is then communicated to the clinicians not allowed access to the patient-identifying information.

1 . A method in a computer system having a processor and a memory for providing an online medical collaboration, the method comprising:
 receiving from a requesting clinician through an online networking system for medical clinicians an identification of one or more clinicians to whom at least one patient-focused clinical data element is to be communicated;   identifying a first subset of the one or more clinicians to whom the requesting clinician is not authorized to send the at least one patient-focused clinical data element that includes patient-identifying data;   de-identifying the at least one patient-focused clinical data element such that it does not include any of the patient-identifying data; and   communicating the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element to the first subset of the one or more clinicians.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a second subset of the one or more clinicians to whom the clinician is authorized to send the at least one patient-focused clinical data element that includes the patient-identifying data; and   communicating the at least one patient-focused clinical data element to the second subset of the one or more clinicians.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising communicating a message from the requesting clinician to the first subset and the second subset of clinicians. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one patient-focused clinical data element provides context in relation to a particular patient for the message communicated to the one or more clinicians. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the requesting clinician is requesting the one or more clinicians to provide a second opinion on the medical condition or medical treatment of a patient corresponding to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein de-identifying the at least one patient-focused clinical data element further comprises removing any of the patient-identifying data to comply with relevant privacy regulations. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element is communicated by way of the online networking system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the online networking system is a medical networking website for medical clinicians. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein communicating the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element further comprises posting a message and the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element on the online networking system that is accessible only to the first subset of the one or more clinicians. 
     
     
         10 . One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, enable a computing device to perform a method of providing an online medical collaboration, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a requesting clinician to share a message and at least one patient-focused clinical data element with one or more clinicians by way of an online networking system for medical clinicians;   determining if at least one of the one or more clinicians is not allowed access to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data;   if the at least one of the one or more clinicians is not allowed access to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data,
 (1) de-identifying the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data, 
 (2) sharing the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element with the at least one of the one or more clinicians, and 
 (3) sharing the at least one patient-focused clinical data element that has not been de-identified with the one or more clinicians who are allowed access to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data; and 
   if the at least one of the one or more clinicians is allowed access to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data, sharing the at least one patient-focused clinical data element having patient-identifying data with the one or more clinicians.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the one or more clinicians not allowed access to the patient-identifying data are not currently associated with a patient corresponding to the at least one patient-focused clinical data element. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a clinician is not currently associated with the patient if the clinician is not currently treating the patient for a medical condition. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein an amount and a type of data de-identified from the at least one patient-focused clinical data element corresponds to a current privacy regulation. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein sharing the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element further comprises posting a message and the at least one de-identified patient-focused clinical data element on the online networking system accessible only to the at least one of the one or more clinicians. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the one or more clinicians allowed access to the patient-identifying data are either currently treating the patient or are directly associated with the requesting clinician. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one patient-focused clinical data element is located in an electronic medical record (EMR) associated with the patient. 
     
     
         17 . One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, enable a computing device to perform a method of providing an online medical collaboration, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a requesting clinician through an online networking system for medical clinicians, a request that includes an identification of at least one clinician to collaborate in medical care of a particular patient, wherein the at least one clinician is associated with the medical care of the patient such that the at least one clinician is allowed to access patient-identifying data for the patient;   receiving at least one patient-focused clinical data element associated with the patient, wherein the at least one patient-focused clinical data element is found in an electronic medical record associated with the patient and wherein the at least one patient-focused clinical data element includes the patient-identifying data; and   communicating the request and the at least one patient-focused clinical data element to the at least one clinician.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the request to collaborate in the medical care of the particular patient is a request for a second opinion regarding a treatment or a medical diagnosis of the particular patient. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein communicating the request and the at least one patient-focused clinical data element to the at least one clinician further comprises publishing the request and the at least one patient-focused clinical data element on the online networking system such that it can be accessed by the at least one clinician who is registered with the online networking system. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising determining that the at least one clinician is associated with the particular patient in a way allowed by a privacy regulation such that the at least one clinician is allowed to view the patient-identifying data.