Central user management in a distributed healthcare information management system

Abstract

Centralized support user management in a distributed healthcare information management system is disclosed. Support user management may include generation of permission data that may be distributed from a central server to one or more remote access terminals, which may execute a healthcare information management application such as, for example, a pharmacy workflow management application. The permission data is used to authenticate remote verification users, thereby enabling remote verification of the preparation of medication doses at individual dose preparation work stations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for preparing medication doses, the system comprising:
 a central server configured to receive permission data that includes permission identification for verification users regarding permitted access to a healthcare information management application based on specified roles for the verification users, one of the specified roles corresponding to dose preparation verification; and   a remote access terminal communicatively coupled to the central server via a network, the remote access terminal configured to receive the permission data from the central server and execute a healthcare information management application to at least:
 receive user authentication corresponding to a first verification user, 
 use the permission data to determine that the received user authentication corresponds to the dose preparation verification role, 
 after authenticating the first verification user, receive a request to take control of a dose verification of a medication dose prepared by an individual dose preparation work station, the dose verification currently being performed by a second verification user at another remote access terminal, 
 after receiving the request to take control, cause the other remote access terminal to remove access to the dose verification for the second verification user, and 
 display verification information related to the dose verification to enable the first verification user to complete the dose verification of the medication dose. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the permission identification defines a data class accessible by the first verification user. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the data class is defined as either one of data having protected health information (PHI) or not having PHI. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the permission identification identifies that the first verification user is authorized to only access the data class not having PHI for viewing the verification information. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the permission identification identifies that the first verification user is authorized to access the data class having PHI for viewing the verification information. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to:
 receive, from the central server, information indicative of medication doses needing verification; and   cause the remote access terminal to display a queue of the medication doses needing verification.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein at least one of the medication doses has an undergoing verification status. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the verification information includes at least one image associated with a preparation of the medication dose at the individual dose preparation work station. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one image includes at least one of:
 an image of the medication dose;   an image of a preparation step for the medication dose;   an image of a medication dose label; or   an image of an ingredient for preparing the medication dose.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the verification information includes a scan of a barcode related to the preparation of the medication dose and/or indications of completed steps of a protocol for preparing the medication dose. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to:
 receive an indication the dose verification is approved; and   transmit a message to the central server related to the dose verification approval to enable the medical dose to be dispensed to a patient.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to:
 receive an indication the dose verification is rejected; and   transmit a message to the central server related to the dose verification rejection to cause re-work of the medication dose or a new medication dose to be prepared.   
     
     
         13 . A system for preparing medication doses, the system comprising:
 a central server configured to receive information indicative of medication doses needing verification from individual dose preparation work stations; and   a remote access terminal communicatively coupled to the central server via a network, the remote access terminal configured to execute a healthcare information management application to at least:
 receive user authentication corresponding to a first verification user, 
 use permission data to determine that the received user authentication corresponds to a dose preparation verification role, 
 after authenticating the first verification user, receive from the central server and display the information indicative of the medication doses needing verification, 
 receive a request to take control of a dose verification of one of the medication doses needing verification with an undergoing verification status, the dose verification currently being performed by a second verification user at another remote access terminal, 
 after receiving the request to take control, cause the other remote access terminal to remove access to the dose verification for the second verification user, 
 receive from the central server, verification information related to the requested medication dose, and 
 display the verification information related to the dose verification to enable the first verification user to complete the dose verification of the requested medication dose. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to cause the remote access terminal to display a queue of the medication doses needing verification. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the verification information includes at least one image associated with a preparation of the medication dose at the individual dose preparation work station. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one image includes at least one of:
 an image of the medication dose;   an image of a preparation step for the medication dose;   an image of a medication dose label; or   an image of an ingredient for preparing the medication dose.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the verification information includes a scan of a barcode related to the preparation of the medication dose and/or indications of completed steps of a protocol for preparing the medication dose. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to:
 receive an indication the dose verification is approved; and   transmit a message to the central server related to the dose verification approval to enable the medical dose to be dispensed to a patient.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the healthcare information management application is configured to:
 receive an indication the dose verification is rejected; and   transmit a message to the central server related to the dose verification rejection to cause re-work of the medication dose or a new medication dose to be prepared.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the permission identification defines a data class accessible by the first verification user, and
 wherein the data class is defined as either one of data having protected health information (PHI) or not having PHI.