Patient Support Systems And Methods For Assisting Caregivers With Patient Care

Abstract

A patient support system for providing customized user menus. The system comprises a patient support apparatus, a user interface configured to receive input from a user, and a display configured to display user menus or information. The user menus may comprise indicia representative of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus. A controller determines the customized user menu based on usage characteristics, a position of the user interface in proximity to the patient support apparatus, a location of the user interface within a facility, an identification of the user, and/or a patient condition. A touchscreen and/or a mobile device may comprise the user interface and the display. The mobile device may be removably coupled to the patient support apparatus. Methods for improving patient care by providing the customized user menu are also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A patient support system comprising:
 a patient support apparatus operable within a facility for supporting a patient, the patient support apparatus including a control system configured to control operational functions of the patient support apparatus, a user interface operatively attached to the patient support apparatus and configured to receive input from a user, and a display configured to display user menus comprising indicia representative of the operational functions;   a tracking system configured to determine a location of the patient support apparatus within the facility and transmit a tracking input signal; and   a controller in communication with the tracking system, the user interface, and the display, the controller being configured to receive the tracking input signal from the tracking system, determine a location-based user menu based on the tracking input signal and generate a display output signal, and transmit the display output signal to the display to display the location-based user menu.   
     
     
         2 . The patient support system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking system further includes a tracking device configured to be coupled to the patient support apparatus, and a locator network within the facility configured to detect the tracking device; and
 wherein the controller is configured to receive the tracking input signal based on a location of the tracking device within the facility as detected by the locator network.   
     
     
         3 . The patient support system of  claim 1 , wherein the facility comprises a plurality of predefined sectors; and
 wherein the tracking input signal is based on the location of the patient support apparatus within one of the predefined sectors.   
     
     
         4 . The patient support system of  claim 3 , wherein at least two of the predefined sectors is associated with a different location input signal such that the location-based user menu automatically updates as the location of the patient support apparatus moves between predefined sectors within the facility. 
     
     
         5 . The patient support system of  claim 3 , wherein the predefined sectors comprise at least two of an intensive care unit, an operating theatre, a patient room, a hallway, and a facility entrance. 
     
     
         6 . The patient support system of  claim 1 , wherein the tracking system is configured to determine a second location of the patient support apparatus within the facility and transmit a second tracking input signal; and
 wherein the controller is configured to, in response to receiving the second tracking input signal from the tracking system, determine an updated location-based user menu based on the tracking input signal, generate an updated display output signal, and transmit the updated display output signal to the display to display the updated location-based user menu.   
     
     
         7 . The patient support system of  claim 6 , wherein the location-based user menu comprises a first subset of indicia representative of a first subset of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus; and
 wherein the updated location-based user menu comprises a second subset of indicia representative of a second subset of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus, with the second subset of indicia being at least partially different from the first subset of indicia.   
     
     
         8 . The patient support system of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second subsets of indicia are predefined based on the location of the patient support apparatus within the facility. 
     
     
         9 . The patient support system of  claim 7 , wherein the first subset of operational functions is based on a frequency an indicia is selected at a first location of the patient support apparatus within the facility. 
     
     
         10 . The patient support system of  claim 1 , further comprising an identification system comprising a sensor and an identifier associated with a caregiver of the patient and detectable by the sensor with the identification system configured to determine an identification of the caregiver and transmit an identification input signal; and
 wherein the controller is further configured to:
 receive the identification input signal from the identification system, 
 determine an identification-based user menu based on the identification input signal with the identification-based user menu comprising updated indicia representative of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus, 
 generate an updated display output signal representative of the identification-based user menu, and 
 transmit the updated display output signal to the display to display the identification-based user menu. 
   
     
     
         11 . The patient support system of  claim 10 , wherein the identifier is disposed on a mobile device associated with the user and having a mobile device interface different from the user interface operatively attached to the patient support apparatus. 
     
     
         12 . The patient support system of  claim 11 , wherein the sensor is in wireless communication with the mobile device. 
     
     
         13 . The patient support system of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 transmit an initial display signal to the display to display an initial user menu;   receive an input signal from the user interface based on the input from the user to the user interface while displaying the initial user menu;   determine a usage characteristic based on the input signal from the user interface;   determine a customized user menu based, at least in part, on the usage characteristic and generate an updated display output signal representative of the customized user menu; and   transmit the updated display output signal to the display to display the customized user menu.   
     
     
         14 . The patient support system of  claim 13 , wherein the customized user menu comprises updated indicia; and
 wherein a first of the updated indicia is determined by the indicia previously selected on the initial user menu and associated with one of the operational functions, and a second of the updated indicia is determined by and associated with the same one of the operational functions as the first of the updated indicia.   
     
     
         15 . A method of providing a customized user menu for a patient support system comprising a patient support apparatus within a facility, a control system configured to control operational functions of the patient support apparatus, a user interface operatively attached to the patient support apparatus and configured to receive input from a user, a tracking system configured to determine locations of the patient support apparatus within the facility, and a display configured to display user menus, and a controller in communication with the user interface, the display, and the tracking system, the method comprising the steps of:
 generating a tracking signal with the tracking system based a location of the patient support apparatus within the facility;   determining with the controller a location-based output based on the tracking signal;   transmitting to the display a first display output signal based on the location-based output;   displaying on the display a location-based user menu based on the first display output signal when the patient support apparatus is in a first location based on the location-based output; and   updating the location-based user menu on the display when the patient support apparatus is in a second location within the facility different from the first location, with the updated location-based user menu at least partially different than the location-based user menu.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the step of updating further comprises:
 generating with the tracking system a second tracking signal based on the second location;   determining with the controller the updated location-based user menu based on the second tracking signal;   transmitting to the display a second display output signal representative of the updated location-based user menu; and   displaying the updated location-based user menu on the display based on the second display output signal.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising continuously tracking with the tracking system the location of the patient support apparatus within the facility. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising detecting with the tracking system a tracking sensor coupled to the patient support apparatus. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving on the user interface a first user input comprising a selection of one of indicia representative of a first subset of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is at the first location; and   receiving on the user interface a second user input comprising selection of one of indicia representative of a second subset of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus when the patient support apparatus is at the second location, with the second subset being at least partially different than first subset.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the location-based user menu and the updated location-based user menu each comprise indicia representative of the operational functions of the patient support apparatus; and
 wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving on the user interface a first user input comprising a user selection of one of indicia from the location-based user menu when the patient support apparatus is at the first location; and 
 receiving on the user interface a second user input comprising a user selection of one of indicia from the updated location-based user menu when the patient support apparatus is at the second location.