Efficient surgical center workflow procedures

Abstract

Methods for efficiently processing surgical center workflow procedures. The methods include using optical character recognition for easing an admission process, entering patient information into operating room devices, using a wearable code to obtain a patient record, obtaining a patient record including a safe surgical checklist for review during a surgical procedure, providing a visual indication of information flow out of a medical care area and easily recording information on a whiteboard in the medical care area.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of admitting a patient at a surgical center comprising:
 providing a personal identification card with personal text information of the patient thereon;   capturing an image of the personal identification card;   obtaining the personal text information using image processing; and   printing the personal text information onto a wristband.   
     
     
         2 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 1 , further including:
 inputting a plurality of personal identification card templates into a template database system, each of the plurality of personal identification card templates having a plurality of different personal data areas, each of the plurality of different personal data areas matching a location of text data areas on the personal identification card; and   matching one of the plurality of personal identification card templates with the personal identification card;   wherein obtaining the personal text information includes obtaining the personal text information from the text data areas on the personal identification card corresponding to the plurality of different personal data areas of the one of the plurality of personal identification card templates matched with the personal identification card.   
     
     
         3 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the personal text information includes at least one of the following: name of the patient, gender of the patient, and date of birth of the patient.   
     
     
         4 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 1 , further including:
 finding a surgical record/request associated with the patient that includes patient information corresponding to the personal text information.   
     
     
         5 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 4 , further including:
 generating a surgical schedule for the patient from the personal text information obtained from the personal identification card.   
     
     
         6 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 4 , further including:
 creating and sending alerts to surgical personal related to a surgical procedure for the patient as identified from the personal identification card.   
     
     
         7 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 1 , wherein:
 obtaining the personal text information using image processing includes performing optical character recognition of the personal text information on the personal identification card.   
     
     
         8 . A method of admitting a patient at a surgical center comprising:
 providing a personal identification card with personal text information of the patient thereon;   capturing an image of the personal identification card;   obtaining the personal text information using image processing;   identifying the patient from the personal text information obtained using the image processing;   finding a surgical record/request associated with the patient that includes patient information corresponding to the personal text information.   
     
     
         9 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 8 , further including:
 inputting a plurality of personal identification card templates into a template database system, each of the plurality of personal identification card templates having a plurality of different personal data areas, each of the plurality of different personal data areas matching a location of text data areas on the personal identification card; and   matching one of the plurality of personal identification card templates with the personal identification card;   wherein obtaining the personal text information includes obtaining the personal text information from the text data areas on the personal identification card corresponding to the plurality of different personal data areas of the one of the plurality of personal identification card templates matched with the personal identification card.   
     
     
         10 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the personal text information includes at least one of the following: name of the patient, gender of the patient, and date of birth of the patient.   
     
     
         11 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 8 , further including:
 generating a surgical schedule for the patient from the personal text information obtained from the personal identification card.   
     
     
         12 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 8 , further including:
 creating and sending alerts to surgical personal related to a surgical procedure for the patient as identified from the personal identification card.   
     
     
         13 . The method of admitting the patient of  claim 8 , wherein:
 obtaining the personal text information using image processing includes performing optical character recognition of the personal text information on the personal identification card.   
     
     
         14 . A method of inputting patient information of a patient into a surgical device comprising:
 providing the patient with a wristband with personal text information of the patient thereon;   capturing an image of the wristband;   obtaining the personal text information using image processing; and   at least one of the following:
 saving the personal text information with information or images related to the patient; 
 displaying the personal text information with information or images from the surgical device; and 
 sending the personal text information to the surgical device. 
   
     
     
         15 . The method of inputting patient information of  claim 14 , further including:
 inputting a plurality of wristband templates into a template database system, each of the plurality of wristband templates having a plurality of different personal data areas, each of the plurality of different personal data areas matching a location of text data areas on the wristband; and   matching one of the plurality of wristband templates with the wristband;   wherein obtaining the personal text information includes obtaining the personal text information from the text data areas on the wristband corresponding to the plurality of different personal data areas of the one of the plurality of wristband templates matched with the wristband.   
     
     
         16 . The method of inputting patient information of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the personal text information includes at least one of the following: name of the patient, gender of the patient, and date of birth of the patient.   
     
     
         17 . The method of inputting patient information of  claim 14 , further including:
 finding a patient record associated with the patient that includes the patient information corresponding to the personal text information.   
     
     
         18 . A method of obtaining patient information comprising:
 providing an information substrate with patient information in character form in at least one known location on the information substrate;   capturing an image of the information substrate;   obtaining the patient information in character form using image processing; and   saving the patient information.   
     
     
         19 . The method of obtaining patient information of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the information substrate is a personal identification card.   
     
     
         20 . The method of obtaining patient information of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the information substrate is a wristband.   
     
     
         21 . The method of obtaining patient information of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the information substrate is a whiteboard.   
     
     
         22 . The method of obtaining patient information of  claim 18 , further including:
 inputting at least one template into a template database system, the template having a plurality of different data areas, each of the plurality of different data areas matching the at least one known location of patient information in character form on the information substrate; and   matching the at least one template with the information substrate;   wherein obtaining the patient information includes obtaining the patient information in text form from the at least one known location on the information substrate corresponding to the plurality of different data areas of the at least one template matched with the information substrate.   
     
     
         23 . A method of presenting patient information of a patient comprising:
 providing the patient with a wearable item including a unique visual code thereon;   scanning the unique visual code with a scanner;   obtaining a patient record of the patient by matching the patient record stored in a database with the unique visual code;   providing a display device; and   automatically displaying at least a portion of the patient record on the display device upon the step of scanning the unique visual code.   
     
     
         24 . The method of presenting patient information of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the unique visual code is a barcode.   
     
     
         25 . A method of performing a medical procedure comprising:
 providing a computer system having an associated monitor and a local memory;   networking the computer system with a remote patient record database;   identifying a patient;   automatically retrieving a patient record of the patient by the computer system upon identifying the patient, the patient record including a safe surgery checklist;   saving the patient record in the local memory of the computer system;   displaying a picture of the patient on the monitor;   visually confirming an identity of the patient based on the picture of the patient and saving confirmation that the identity of the patient has been visually confirmed in the patient record;   reviewing and altering the patient record including conducting and recording steps of the safe surgery checklist; and   saving changes to the patient record on the patient record database.   
     
     
         26 . The method of performing the medical procedure of  claim 25 , wherein:
 the safe surgery checklist is specific to the patient and the medical procedure being performed on the patient.   
     
     
         27 . A method of performing a medical procedure comprising:
 providing a computer system having a local memory;   networking the computer system with a remote patient record database;   identifying a patient;   automatically retrieving a patient record of the patient by the computer system upon identifying the patient, the patient record including a safe surgery checklist;   saving the patient record in the local memory of the computer system;   reviewing and altering the patient record including conducting and recording steps of the safe surgery checklist; and   saving changes to the patient record on the patient record database.   
     
     
         28 . The method of performing the medical procedure of  claim 27 , wherein:
 the safe surgery checklist is specific to the patient and the medical procedure being performed on the patient.   
     
     
         29 . A method of performing a medical procedure comprising:
 providing a computer system having an associated monitor and a local memory;   networking the computer system with a remote patient record database;   identifying a patient;   automatically retrieving a patient record of the patient by the computer system upon identifying the patient;   saving the patient record in the local memory of the computer system;   displaying a picture of the patient on the monitor;   visually confirming an identity of the patient based on the picture of the patient and saving confirmation that the identity of the patient has been visually confirmed in the patient record;   reviewing and altering the patient record; and   saving changes to the patient record on the patient record database.   
     
     
         30 . A method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast, the method comprising:
 providing at least one recording device for obtaining the information;   providing a system for saving and/or broadcasting the information obtained from the at least one recording device;   providing at least one monitor for viewing the information;   providing a plurality of visual indications; and   activating the plurality of visual indications when the information is being saved or broadcast.   
     
     
         31 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the plurality of visual indications are lights; and   all of the lights are illuminated when the information is being saved or broadcast.   
     
     
         32 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the plurality of visual indications are lights; and   the lights are located on each of the at least one monitor.   
     
     
         33 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the lights are also located on each of the at least one recording device.   
     
     
         34 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the lights illuminate at different colors and each color indicates a different level of saving or broadcasting of the information.   
     
     
         35 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the different colors include a first color and a second color;   the first color is illuminated when the information is being saved; and   the second color is illuminated when the information is being broadcast.   
     
     
         36 . The method of providing a visual indication that information is being saved or broadcast of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the visual indication is superimposed over an image on the at least one monitor.   
     
     
         37 . A method of providing a visual indication that information is being broadcast, the method comprising:
 providing at least one recording device for obtaining the information;   providing a system for broadcasting the information obtained from the at least one recording device;   providing at least one monitor for viewing the information obtained from the at least one recording device;   providing a plurality of lights, with each of the at least one recording device including at least one of the plurality of lights and the at least one monitor including at least one of the plurality of lights; and   activating the plurality of lights when the information is being broadcast.