Remote command center for patient monitoring

Abstract

A remote command center for providing services to geographically dispersed hospitalized patients. A datastore accessible to the remote command center receives patient data from geographically dispersed hospitalized patients. Monitored data elements of geographically dispersed hospitalized patients are also received at the remote command center and stored in the datastore. A smart alert module generates and applies patient specific rules to data elements. If a patient-specific rule for a hospitalized patient has been contravened, an alert is issued from the remote command center. A patient care module displays selected data elements of the hospitalized patients. A decision support module applies decision support algorithms to selected data elements of a hospitalized patient and to user input to provide patient care advice. Patient care advice comprises a diagnosis, a method of treatment, and a laboratory protocol. The decision support module also writes orders for medication, laboratory protocols and surgical procedures.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A system for providing expert care simultaneously to a plurality of separated health care locations (HCLs) from a remote location comprising:
 a network;   a dedicated location for monitoring and managing the care of HCL patients connected to the network, which location is apart from the HCLs (remote command center), wherein the remote command center has access to an organized collection of electronic information (database);   monitoring stations located in the plurality of HCLs, wherein the monitoring stations comprise instructions for obtaining data elements from patients who are located in the plurality of HCLs (monitored patient data elements) and for communicating the monitored patient data elements to the database via the network, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements comprising the monitored patient data elements and other patient data elements associated with medical conditions of the HCL patients; and   wherein the remote command center has access to a computerized patient care management system, wherein the computerized patient care management system comprises a processor and a memory comprising computer readable instructions, and wherein the instructions when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 accessing patient data elements from the stored patient data elements in the database; 
 utilizing a rules engine to apply rules repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements, wherein the rules identify medical conditions of the HCL patients; 
 using information generated by the rules engine to determine if an alert should be provided at the remote command center; and 
   providing alerts at the remote command center whenever the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed in accordance with the rules.