Medication reconciliation system and method

Abstract

A system and method to determine and reconcile medication provided to a patient is disclosed. The system and method collect a medication image file (MIF) of a patient medication collection (PMC) using a mobile user device (MUD) and pill source imager (PSI). The MUD transmits the MIF to a host computer system (HSC) via a computer communication network (CCN). The HSC isolates individual MIF medication image elements (MIE) and compares each MIE against a pill image database (PID) to generate a potential pill match (PPM) list. The PPM is filtered and prioritized to produce a prioritized medication list (PML) using data from a pill correlation database (PCD), patient history database (PHD), and medical reading database (MRD). The PML describes probable PPM associations with specific known medications. A HCS graphical user interface (GUI) permits validation of each MIE/PML pair to produce a patient reconciled validated medication list (VML).

1 . A medication reconciliation system comprising:
 (a) host computer system (HSC);   (b) pill image database (PID);   (c) pill correlation database (PCD);   (d) patient history database (PHD);   (e) medical reading database (MRD);   (f) mobile user device (MUD); and   (g) computer communication network (CCN);   wherein   said MUD is configured to collect medication image file (MIF) of a patient medication collection (PMC) from a pill source imager (PSI);   said MUD is configured to transmit said MIF to said HCS;   said HCS is configured to isolate individual medical image elements (MIE) within said MIF;   said HCS is configured to compare each of said MIE individually against said PID to generate a potential pill match (PPM) list associated with each MIE;   said HCS is configured to prioritize each of said PPM using data retrieved from said PCD, said PHD, and said MRD to produce a prioritized medication list (PML) associated with each MIE;   said HCS is configured to display each of said MIE on a graphical user interface (GUI) and label each of said MIE with the corresponding PML associated with each of said MIE; and   said HCS is configured to accept input from said GUI to verify the PML associated with each of said MIE to produce a validated medication list (VML).   
     
     
         2 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said patient medication collection (PMC) is selected from a group consisting of: pills; capsules; pill bottles; and bar codes. 
     
     
         3 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect real-time patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI in real-time to said MRD. 
     
     
         4 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD and transfer said PMI to said MRD. 
     
     
         5 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI to said MRD and said MID is selected from a group consisting of: weight scale; pulse oximeter; blood pressure meter; and blood glucose meter; and patient query/response dialog (QRD) presented on said MUD. 
     
     
         6 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said MUD further comprises said PSI. 
     
     
         7 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said HCS is further configured to update said PHD with said VML. 
     
     
         8 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said PCD further comprises a medication group selected from a group consisting of: medications associated with a specific disease; and medications associated with related diseases. 
     
     
         9 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said PHD comprises information on medications taken by said patient. 
     
     
         10 . The medication reconciliation system of  claim 1  wherein said MIF is collected under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD. 
     
     
         11 . A medication reconciliation method comprising:
 (1) with a mobile user device (MUD), collecting medication image file (MIF) of a patient medication collection (PMC) from a pill source imager (PSI);   (2) with said MUD, transmitting said MIF to a host computer system (HSC) via a computer communication network (CCN);   (3) with said HCS, isolating individual medical image elements (MIE) within said MIF;   (4) with said HCS, comparing each of said MIE individually against a pill image database (PID) to generate a potential pill match (PPM) list associated with each MIE;   (5) with said HCS, prioritizing each of said PPM using data retrieved from a pill correlation database (PCD), a patient history database (PHD), and a medical reading database (MRD) to produce a prioritized medication list (PML) associated with each MIE;   (6) with said HCS, displaying each of said MIE on a graphical user interface (GUI) and label each of said MIE with the corresponding PML associated with each of said MIE; and   (7) with said HCS, accepting input from said GUI to verify the PML associated with each of said MIE to produce a validated medication list (VML).   
     
     
         12 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said patient medication collection (PMC) is selected from a group consisting of: pills; capsules; pill bottles; and bar codes. 
     
     
         13 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect real-time patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI in real-time to said MRD. 
     
     
         14 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD and transfer said PMI to said MRD. 
     
     
         15 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI to said MRD and said MID is selected from a group consisting of: weight scale; pulse oximeter; blood pressure meter; and blood glucose meter; and patient query/response dialog (QRD) presented on said MUD. 
     
     
         16 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said MUD further comprises said PSI. 
     
     
         17 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said HCS is further configured to update said PHD with said VML. 
     
     
         18 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said PCD further comprises a medication group selected from a group consisting of: medications associated with a specific disease; and medications associated with related diseases. 
     
     
         19 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said PHD comprises information on medications taken by said patient. 
     
     
         20 . The medication reconciliation method of  claim 11  wherein said MIF is collected under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD. 
     
     
         21 . A tangible non-transitory computer usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied thereon comprising a medication reconciliation method comprising:
 (1) with a mobile user device (MUD), collecting medication image file (MIF) of a patient medication collection (PMC) from a pill source imager (PSI);   (2) with said MUD, transmitting said MIF to a host computer system (HSC) via a computer communication network (CCN);   (3) with said HCS, isolating individual medical image elements (MIE) within said MIF;   (4) with said HCS, comparing each of said MIE individually against a pill image database (PID) to generate a potential pill match (PPM) list associated with each MIE;   (5) with said HCS, prioritizing each of said PPM using data retrieved from a pill correlation database (PCD), a patient history database (PHD), and a medical reading database (MRD) to produce a prioritized medication list (PML) associated with each MIE;   (6) with said HCS, displaying each of said MIE on a graphical user interface (GUI) and label each of said MIE with the corresponding PML associated with each of said MIE; and   (7) with said HCS, accepting input from said GUI to verify the PML associated with each of said MIE to produce a validated medication list (VML).   
     
     
         22 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said patient medication collection (PMC) is selected from a group consisting of: pills; capsules; pill bottles; and bar codes. 
     
     
         23 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect real-time patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI in real-time to said MRD. 
     
     
         24 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD and transfer said PMI to said MRD. 
     
     
         25 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said MUD is further configured to collect patient medical information (PMI) from a medical instrumentation device (MID) and transfer said PMI to said MRD and said MID is selected from a group consisting of: weight scale; pulse oximeter; blood pressure meter; and blood glucose meter; and patient query/response dialog (QRD) presented on said MUD. 
     
     
         26 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said MUD further comprises said PSI. 
     
     
         27 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said HCS is further configured to update said PHD with said VML. 
     
     
         28 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said PCD further comprises a medication group selected from a group consisting of: medications associated with a specific disease; and medications associated with related diseases. 
     
     
         29 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said PHD comprises information on medications taken by said patient. 
     
     
         30 . The computer usable medium of  claim 21  wherein said MIF is collected under control of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) executing within the context of said MUD.