Visual charting method for creating electronic medical documents

Abstract

A method of creating medical documentation uses selection of images representing synonyms for complex medical concepts. The images can be of two types, one corresponding to a parameter or Key in a Key/Value pair and the other corresponding to possible values of the selected parameter or Key. The user first selects an image or portion thereof corresponding to the parameter they wish to record observations, such as the heart or a valve of the heart. A set of images representing possible values of the parameter is then displayed e.g., images representing possible murmurs the selected valve may have. The user selects the image representing the value corresponding to the observation of the patient. A document is created by recording either the Key/Value image pairs or, alternative, text representing the synonyms for the images. Other methods of recording the document are possible, such as instantiating a set of class objects.

1 . A method of creating a medical document using a computing device having a display using visual charting, comprising the steps of:
 (a) presenting on the display an image representing a medical concept, such as an organ or organ system of a human or animal body;   (b) enabling selection of a parameter associated with the medical concept by selecting a portion of the image corresponding to the parameter;   (c) responsive to the selecting in step (b), presenting on the display a set of images comprising values associated with selected parameter;   (d) enabling selection one of the images in the set of images presented in step (c); and   (e) constructing a medical document based on the selecting in steps (b) and step (d) and storing the medical document in a computer system,   wherein the images selected in steps (b) and (d) are interchangeable with a language description of the selected parameter and the selected value of the selected parameter.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising repeating steps (b), (c), (d) and (e), wherein the repeated step (b) comprises the selection of a different parameter associated with the medical concept. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of displaying a textual description on the display associated with the images selected in steps (b) and (d). 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of saving the medical document as a text file in a predetermined format. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the predetermined format comprises an XML format. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medical document is saved as a Key/Value pair in a database, the Key corresponding to the selection in step (b) and the Value corresponding to the selection in step (d). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selections in step (b) and (d) are saved as properties of a class object in a object-oriented system. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the medical concept comprises an organ or organ system selected from the group of organs and organ systems consisting of the heart, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the kidneys, the digestive system, the skeletal system and the central nervous system. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein computing device comprises a portable computing device. 
     
     
         10 . In a computing device having a display, and memory storing instructions for execution by a processing unit in the device, and communications apparatus for connecting the device to a network, the improvement comprising:
 a visual charting application coded as a set of instructions executed by the device, wherein creation of a medical document by the visual charting application is performed by selection of images presented on the display of the computing device, the images including images of a first type acting as a synonym for a medical parameter and images of a second type of acting as synonyms of values of said medical parameter, wherein a selection by the user of an image of the first type causing a display of a set of images of the second type to be presented on the display.   
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein in the visual charting application an image of the second type is selected to represent a value for a medical parameter. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the medical document is created using a descriptive format for the selected images of the first and second type. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , the device of  claim 10  wherein the descriptive format for the selected images comprises a text-based format. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the descriptive format for the selected image comprises an XML document. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the descriptive format for the selected image comprises properties of a class object in an object-oriented system. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the descriptive format for the selected image is defined in a proprietary language. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the descriptive format for the selected image is defined according to a distributed standard. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the computing device comprises a portable computing device. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the portable computing device is selected from the list of computing devices consisting of a Smart Phone and a tablet PC. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the display comprises a touch sensitive display. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the selection of images of the first and second type are saved as key/value pairs in a data structure. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 10 , wherein the images of the first type correlates to a primary Key in an electronic medical record. 
     
     
         23 . A method of creating electronic medical documents using visual charting, comprising the steps of:
 creating a data structure with persistent data comprising descriptive information associated with a plurality images to be presented on a medical documentation template displayed on a computing device, the images representing medical concepts such as an organ or organ system of a human or animal body;   rendering one of the images in the medical documentation template on the computing device;   receiving a user selection on the computing device of a parameter of the medical concept by selecting a feature in the image corresponding to the parameter;   responsively displaying on the display a set of images associated with values of the selected parameter;   receiving a selection of one of the images in the set of images; and   creating a medical document reflecting the selection of the images and storing the medical document in a database.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the medical document is stored in the form of an XML document. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the medical document is stored as entries in a relational database comprising either data indicating the selected feature and image or language descriptors associated with the selected feature and image. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the computing device comprises a portable computing device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the portable computing device is selected from the list of computing device consisting of a Smart Phone and a tablet PC. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the user selections of the feature and images are achieved by means of a touch sensitive display on the computing device.