Automated patient management system

Abstract

A system for making the process of registering at and receiving treatment in a healthcare facility more efficient and safe has been developed. The system utilizes computer communications network-based systems, software, various input and output stations, and a patient identification card (e.g., Loyalty Card) that work together to allow (a) providers to direct, track, and optimize the efficiency of patient activity and (b) patients to have ready access to their status and, in some cases, control of the healthcare process.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 obtaining a patient waitlist, the patient waitlist comprising a list of waiting patients requiring one or more healthcare services from one or more healthcare departments or sub-departments thereof;   for each one of the waiting patients on the patient waitlist,
 determining a wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the healthcare departments or portions thereof associated with the healthcare services required by the one of the waiting patients to yield required departments, 
 ascertaining routing requirements for the one of the waiting patients with respect to the required departments, and 
 identifying a one of the required departments that meets the routing requirements and for which the wait time for the one of the waiting patients is lowest; and 
   generating instructions for routing the one of the waiting patients to the identified one of the required departments.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the determining the wait time comprises:
 computing a position for the one of the waiting patients in department queues for each of the required departments, and   estimating the wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the required departments based on the position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the computing of the position in a one of the department queues for a one of the required departments comprises determining a relative priority of the one of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the computing is based on at least one of expected waiting times for the one of the required departments, a current status of the one of the department queues, a relative importance of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, wait time criteria for the one of the required departments, patient handling criteria for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, and a scheduling status for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departs, and a completion status of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the required departments. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 detecting a change in at least one of the department queues or resources for the healthcare departments;   repeating the determining, ascertaining, and identifying;   determining whether a change in the identified one of the required departments for at least one of the waiting patients has occurred; and   upon determining that a change in the identified one of the required departments has occurred, re-routing the at least one of the waiting patients based on the change.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the routing requirements comprise a pre-defined order for the one of the waiting patients to traverse wherein the routing requirements comprise a pre-defined order for the one of the waiting patients to traverse at least a portion of the healthcare departments or the sub-departments thereof. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a processor;   a computer-readable medium, having stored thereon a plurality of instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining a patient waitlist, the patient waitlist comprising a list of waiting patients requiring one or more healthcare services from one or more healthcare departments or sub-departments thereof; 
 for each one of the waiting patients on the patient waitlist,
 determining a wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the healthcare departments or portions thereof associated with the healthcare services required by the one of the waiting patients to yield required departments, 
 ascertaining routing requirements for the one of the waiting patients with respect to the required departments, and 
 identifying a one of the required departments that meets the routing requirements and for which the wait time for the one of the waiting patients is lowest; and 
 
 generating instructions for routing the one of the waiting patients to the identified one of the required departments. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the determining the wait time comprises:
 computing a position for the one of the waiting patients in department queues for each of the required departments, and   estimating the wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the required departments based on the position.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the computing of the position in a one of the department queues for a one of the required departments comprises determining a relative priority of the one of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the computing is based on at least one of expected waiting times for the one of the required departments, a current status of the one of the department queues, a relative importance of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, wait time criteria for the one of the required departments, patient handling criteria for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, and a scheduling status for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departs, and a completion status of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the required departments. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 detecting a change in at least one of the department queues or resources for the healthcare departments;   repeating the determining, ascertaining, and identifying;   determining whether a change in the identified one of the required departments for at least one of the waiting patients has occurred; and   upon determining that a change in the identified one of the required departments has occurred, re-routing the at least one of the waiting patients based on the change.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the routing requirements comprise a pre-defined order for the one of the waiting patients to traverse at least a portion of the healthcare departments or the sub-departments thereof. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 obtaining a patient waitlist, the patient waitlist comprising a list of waiting patients requiring one or more healthcare services from one or more healthcare departments or sub-departments thereof;   for each one of the waiting patients on the patient waitlist,
 determining a wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the healthcare departments or portions thereof associated with the healthcare services required by the one of the waiting patients to yield required departments, 
 ascertaining routing requirements for the one of the waiting patients with respect to the required departments, and 
 identifying a one of the required departments that meets the routing requirements and for which the wait time for the one of the waiting patients is lowest; and 
   generating instructions for routing the one of the waiting patients to the identified one of the required departments.   
     
     
         22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the determining the wait time comprises:
 computing a position for the one of the waiting patients in department queues for each of the required departments, and   estimating the wait time for the one of the waiting patients for each of the required departments based on the position.   
     
     
         23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , wherein the computing of the position in a one of the department queues for a one of the required departments comprises determining a relative priority of the one of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments. 
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the computing is based on at least one of expected waiting times for the one of the required departments, a current status of the one of the department queues, a relative importance of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, wait time criteria for the one of the required departments, patient handling criteria for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departments, and a scheduling status for each of the waiting patients for the one of the required departs, and a completion status of the waiting patients with respect to other ones of the required departments. 
     
     
         25 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 22 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 detecting a change in at least one of the department queues or resources for the healthcare departments;   repeating the determining, ascertaining, and identifying;   determining whether a change in the identified one of the required departments for at least one of the waiting patients has occurred; and   upon determining that a change in the identified one of the required departments has occurred, re-routing the at least one of the waiting patients based on the change.   
     
     
         26 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 21 , wherein the routing requirements comprise a pre-defined order for the one of the waiting patients to traverse at least a portion of the healthcare departments or the sub-departments thereof.