System, Method, and Apparatus for Electronic Patient Care

Abstract

A method implemented by an operative set of processor executable instructions configured for execution by a processor includes: determining if a monitoring client is connected to a base through a physical connection; establishing a first communications link between the monitoring client and the base through the physical connection; updating, if necessary, the interface program on the monitoring client and the base through the first communications link; establishing a second communications link between the monitoring client and the base using the first communications link; and communicating data from the base to the monitoring client using the second communications link.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for electronic patient care, the system comprising:
 a server having an electronic medical records (“EMR”) database;   a hub having a medical device application being executed within the hub;   a plurality of medical devices including a pump, each configured to treat a patient and each in communication with the hub; and   a tablet having a user interface,   wherein:
 when a user updates a prescription within an EMR application via the tablet, the EMR application queries the electronic medical record database on the server to determine safety of the updated prescription for the patient; 
 the server communicates the determined safety of the updated prescription for the patient to the EMR application; 
 the hub communicates the updated prescription to the pump; 
 the user interface displays a confirmation request of the updated prescription on a user interface of the pump; 
 the pump infuses the updated prescription into the patient after a user confirms the updated prescription on the user interface of the pump; 
 the pump communicates a parameter to the hub; 
 the hub communicates the parameter to the tablet which displays the parameter on the user interface of the tablet upon receipt; 
 the hub includes first and second processors; 
 the hub, the tablet, and the pump each includes a ranging module; and 
 the hub, the tablet and the pump must be within a predetermined distance relative to each other as indicated by the respective ranging module prior to configuration and treatment of the patient. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a gateway, wherein the gateway is a web server of a web service and a medical device of the plurality of medical devices is a client of the web service. 
     
     
         3 . he system according to  claim 2 , wherein the web service is a transaction-based web service. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein a medical device of the plurality of medical devices is an infusion pump. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hub controls access from the medical device application to at least one hardware resource. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the hub prioritizes access to an alarm resource. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6 , wherein the alarm resource is a speaker. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the medical device application routes the at least two alarm conditions to the tablet using an Extensible Markup Language (“XML”). 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tablet communicates the parameter to the server. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pump also broadcasts the parameter. 
     
     
         11 . A system for electronic patient care, the system comprising:
 a server having an electronic medical records (“EMR”) database;   a hub having a medical device application being executed within the hub;   a plurality of medical devices including a pump, each configured to treat a patient and each in communication with the hub; and   a monitoring client having a user interface,   wherein:
 when a user updates a prescription within an EMR application via the monitoring client, the EMR application queries the electronic medical record database on the server to determine safety of the updated prescription for the patient; 
 the server communicates the determined safety of the updated prescription for the patient to the EMR application; 
 the hub communicates the updated prescription to the pump; 
 the user interface displays a confirmation request of the updated prescription on a user interface of the pump; 
 the pump infuses the updated prescription into the patient after a user confirms the updated prescription on the user interface of the pump; 
 the pump communicates a parameter to the hub; 
 the hub communicates the parameter to the monitoring client which displays the parameter on the user interface of the monitoring client upon receipt; 
   the hub includes first and second processors;
 the hub, the tablet, and the pump each includes a ranging module; and 
 the hub, the tablet and the pump must be within a predetermined distance relative to each other as indicated by the respective ranging module prior to configuration and treatment of the patient. 
   
     
     
         12 . A method for providing patient care comprising:
 establishing communication between a hub and plurality of medical devices including a pump, each of the medical devices configured to treat a patient;   updating a prescription within an electronic medical records (“EMR”) application;   querying, with the EMR application, and EMR database on a server;   determining safety of the updated prescription;   communicating the determined safety of the updated prescription to the EMR application and the hub;   communicating the updated prescription from the hub to the pump;   displaying a confirmation request of the updated prescription on a pump interface of the pump;   infusing the updated prescription into the patient after a user confirms the prescription on the pump interface;   communicating a parameter from the pump to the hub;   displaying the parameter on a user interface;   monitoring a distance between the hub, a tablet, and the pump relative to each other, wherein the hub, the tablet, and the pump each includes a ranging module to monitor the distance relative to each other;   positioning the hub, the tablet and the pump within a predetermined distance relative to each other as indicated by the respective ranging module prior to configuration of the hub, the tablet, and the pump; and   positioning the hub, the tablet and the pump within a predetermined distance relative to each other as indicated by the respective ranging module prior to treatment of the patient.