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WO1999059095A1 - Methode et dispositif de gestion de fournitures medicales a jeter dans le cadre d'une visite unique chez le patient - Google Patents

Methode et dispositif de gestion de fournitures medicales a jeter dans le cadre d'une visite unique chez le patient Download PDF

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Publication number
WO1999059095A1
WO1999059095A1 PCT/US1999/010299 US9910299W WO9959095A1 WO 1999059095 A1 WO1999059095 A1 WO 1999059095A1 US 9910299 W US9910299 W US 9910299W WO 9959095 A1 WO9959095 A1 WO 9959095A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
patient
supplies
container
visit
health care
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US1999/010299
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
L. Andrew Withers
Original Assignee
Patient Solutions, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Patient Solutions, Inc. filed Critical Patient Solutions, Inc.
Priority to AU39819/99A priority Critical patent/AU3981999A/en
Publication of WO1999059095A1 publication Critical patent/WO1999059095A1/fr

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q10/00—Administration; Management
    • G06Q10/06—Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to health care, and specifically to supplying health care workers with disposable supplies appropriate for a single patient visit.
  • the non-regulated disposable supplies are typically thrown in a garbage container, which is either put into the household garbage or carted back to a predetermined location for shipment to a waste disposal facility, and the regulated disposable supplies are returned to a central location for subsequent controlled disposal.
  • Disadvantages of this situation include the potential for contamination when one bag, or a single sharps container, is shared by several patients in several homes, the risk of exposure to medical hazards by the health care worker, poor inventory control, and the potential for patients being charged for supplies not actually used in a visit.
  • kit packs contain supplies for a general category of treatment, such as: (1) wound treatment packs; (2) urological treatment packs; (3) intravenous packs; and (4) general care. None of these kit packs are patient or visit specific.
  • off-site health care worker means a health care worker performing care tasks away from a hospital or other central health care location
  • Such feedback could be used in adjusting the treatment regime and in determining the patient's requirements for future visits. It could also be useful for analytical purposes to more efficiently allocate resources and as input for health care research.
  • the present invention is a method of supplying health care workers with disposable supplies appropriate for a single patient visit or a plurality of visits.
  • a patient-specific and procedure-specific requirement for medical supplies for a patient for at least one associated visit is determined based on procedures to be performed on the patient and on specific requirements of the patient.
  • the supplies determined to be associated with the visit are placed in a container and the container and the supplies are delivered to a first site, whereat the patient is to receive treatment, by the time of the associated single visit by the health care worker.
  • a disposable container is used to transport the supplies to the first site. After the visit by the health care worker, the disposable container is delivered to a second site for disposal. Movement of the container is recorded in a computer database when the disposable container is delivered to the first site and to the second site.
  • Yet another aspect of the invention is a method of handling potentially dangerous medical supplies and medical waste in the home health care environment.
  • a patient bag containing a predetermined set of supplies is sent to a patient's residence and a portion of the set of supplies is consumed as part of an episode of home health care treatment.
  • the supplies consumed during the episode of home health care treatment are placed in the patient bag and the patient bag is then sealed.
  • the sealed patient bag is transported away from the patient's residence to a handling facility, for example a medical waste treatment facility.
  • the transportation could be via mail or via a private transport services (for example by courier, or by an overnight delivery service).
  • Yet another aspect of the invention is a method of determining a requirement for home health care-related supplies.
  • Information from a home health care worker regarding an amount of supplies consumed in treating a first patient during at least one patient visit is received and a standard list of supplies required for a clinical pathway for at least one second patient is altered based on the information received from the home health care worker.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that it improves inventory management of supplies used in health care visits.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it isolates infectious materials encountered by health care workers, patients and waste disposal personnel.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it prevents a single sharps container from being used at several different treatment sites for several patients.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it allows tracking of medical waste generated by health care.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it provides secure disposal of medical waste.
  • a further advantage of the present invention is that it provides feedback from a home health care worker regarding supplies used in a clinical pathway, thereby allowing for a more efficient allocation of supplies.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the steps employed in a method generally in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a flow chart detailing the steps employed in a method in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a is a flow chart detailing the steps employed in a method in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4A is a front perspective view of a package in accordance with the present invention.
  • FIG. 4B is a front perspective view of a package in accordance with the present invention as it is being sealed after use.
  • FIG. 4C is a front perspective view of a package in accordance with the present invention after it has been sealed.
  • FIG. 5A is a top plan view of a partitioned package in accordance with the present invention showing a representative selection of disposable supplies disposed therein.
  • FIG. 5B is a top plan view of a non-partitioned package in accordance with the present invention showing a representative selection of disposable kit packs disposed therein.
  • the present invention is directed to a system for supplying health care workers (such as those who provide care in the patient's home or other locations) with disposable supplies necessary for a single patient visit, separate from non-disposable supplies. It will find its primary application in situations where a patient will receive several periodic visits from a health care worker (e.g., a nurse), but could be applied to a single visit.
  • a medical professional 20 e.g., a physician or a physical therapist
  • a course of treatment for a patient to be performed at a first site such as in the patient's home 60 or a health care facility, by a health care worker 52.
  • the computer 30 accesses a plurality of databases 32, which include a first database 34 that relates the course of treatment to a requirement for disposable medical supplies.
  • a second database 36 is an accounting database that maintains patient billing information and is used to post charges and accounting codes to the patient's account when supplies are prepared for a patient visit. From information contained in the first database 34, the computer 30 generates a list of supplies required for each patient visit and transmits the list to a patient visit supply processing organization 40. Other information may also be transmitted by the computer 30, including: a list of procedures to be performed, a record of the patient's medical history, directions to the patient's home, mailing address, etc.
  • the requirement for medical supplies is determined based on both the specific procedures to be performed and the specific needs of the patient. For example, a very large patient might require more supplies for wound treatment than a relatively small patient, even though the classification of the wound and the course of treatment might be the same for both patients.
  • the specific requirement of the patient is based on a physical characteristic of the patient, such as the patient's weight or size, or even the location of an injury on the patient.
  • the specific requirement of the patient could also be based on a clinical pathway that applies to the patient.
  • the patient visit supply processing organization 40 comprises a patient bag assembly facility 42, where the supplies on the list generated by the computer 30 are assembled into a visit patient bag 44.
  • FIG. 1 shows the computer 30 as being separate from both the health care professional's 20 office and the supply processing organization 40, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art that the computer 30 could be part of the data processing equipment belonging to the health care professional's 20 office, the care providing organization (e.g., a home nursing care company) or the supply processing organization 40.
  • the delivery system 50 could comprise the health care worker 52 physically picking up the visit patient bag 44 at a depot 46 and taking it to the patient's home 60 via her automobile 54, or other form of transportation, or the visit patient bag 44 may be delivered to the patient's home 60 by the mail system 56, or other similar system, prior to, or simultaneously with, the visit by the health care worker 52.
  • the health care worker 52 may provide feedback to the computer 30 with information such as an accounting of the actual supplies used in each procedure performed. Such information could be useful in optimizing the supplies incorporated in future visit patient bags 44. Other information could include information about the patient's condition that could be included in the patient's medical record and that could also affect the supplies required for the next visit. It may not always be necessary to get feedback after any given visit, but feedback could affect supplies required for future visits.
  • the disposal system 70 could comprise: depositing the patient bag 44 with a delivery service 72 for delivery to a waste disposal facility 74, such as a medical incinerator; the health care worker 52 delivering the patient bag 44 directly to the disposal facility 74; or merely throwing the patient bag 44 in a conventional garbage disposal site 76, if the situation would permit such disposal.
  • the patient bag 44 could also be returned to the health care worker's 52 original place of business for subsequent disposal.
  • the disposal system 70 could then supply tracking information to the computer 30 providing a record of the disposal of the patient bag 44.
  • FIG. 2 A more detailed description of the process 98 of one embodiment of the present invention is depicted in FIG. 2.
  • One embodiment of the entire process 98 comprises five stages: a referral stage 100, a planning stage 110, an inventory assemblage and posting stage 120, a supply dispensing and waste collecting stage 130 and a waste disposal and manifesting stage 140.
  • the patient receives a referral 102 to a doctor, or other health care professional or facility.
  • the patient's problem is diagnosed 104 by the professional and a course of treatment 106 is specified, or prescribed, by the professional.
  • data including the course of treatment and the patient's medical history, is made available 108 to a health care organization.
  • the specified treatment is tied to a critical or clinical pathway 112, which is the treatment pathway needed to most efficiently effectuate a desired outcome for a given patient.
  • the clinical pathway 112 is then tied to the skill level of a health care provider 114 and to the frequency of visits and the overall episode 116, which is the collection of treatments applied to a patient to achieve a desired result.
  • the treatment may be tied to the specific medical supplies 118 historically required by similar patients with similar treatment requirements or to the specific preferences of the doctor.
  • a treatment-specific and patient-specific inventory of disposable supplies is assembled 122 at the patient bag assembly facility 42. This may include the use of kit packs, sharps containers, etc.
  • the patient bags 44 may be bar-coded 126 with tracking and accounting information and are made patient, treatment, and visit specific with information regarding the visit for which the patient bag 44 is being assembled. Then a list of the contents of the patient bag 44 is posted 128 to the individual patient's account.
  • the patient bag 44 is given 132 either directly to the health care worker or shipped to the patient's home.
  • the health care worker dispenses 134 the medical supplies and provides treatment to the patient in the patient's home, with certain dispensed medical supplies being considered medical waste 136.
  • the health care worker puts any medical waste into the patient bag 44 which is now considered to be a medical waste container 138.
  • the health care worker permanently seals the patient bag 44 (now considered to be a medical waste container).
  • a bar code on the patient bag 44 could act as a manifesting identification 144 for the patient bag and the sealed patient bag 44 is sent to a disposal site 146, such as a medical waste disposal facility.
  • the disposal site then could confirm receipt 148 of the patient bag 44, returns any necessary accounting paperwork and disposes of the patient bag 44 through conventional means.
  • the procedure followed by the assembly facility 42 comprises three stages.
  • the first stage 160 incoming pallets of kit packs 162 and unmade-up patient bags 164 are received by the assembly facility 42.
  • the second stage 170 incoming information on each new patient is processed by a computer 172, which then outputs data on each patient's patient bag to a patient bag assembly area 174.
  • the patient bags are assembled according to the information provided in step 172.
  • the assembled patient bags are arranged by patient name and visit number 184 and are delivered 182 to either a shipping dock or a counter for pick-up by the health care worker.
  • the patient bag 44 comprises a disposable container 202, preferably constructed from a disposable material such as cardboard, having an outside surface 204.
  • the container 202 has a pair of top flaps 218, a first flap 220 and a second flap 222, that may comprise a handle 224 to facilitate carrying.
  • Printed, or otherwise disposed, on the outside surface are such things as means 206 for identifying the container 202.
  • the identifying means 206 may comprise a bar code 208, or other form of information display (such as alpha-numeric characters), used in tracking the location of the container 202, and a visit number 210 identifying where in the sequence of patient visits a given container 202 is to be used.
  • the bar code 208 may also comprise a patient account number and a date by which the disposable container is to be delivered.
  • Information such as specific instructions 212 to the health care worker or delivery person, as well as a health care company service mark or other logo 216, may be printed on the outside surface 204. Rather than being printed, the identifying means 206 and other information may be applied to the container 202 in the form of a label or with any other method of applying information to containers commonly known to the art.
  • the patient's name and address 214 may be provided on the first flap 220 to facilitate delivery and to prevent errors. It may be printed on the first flap 220 or printed on a label (e.g., a removable label) placed on the first flap 220. By printing the patient's name and address 214 on the container 202, it indicates to the patient that an entire organization is involved in the patient's care. This offers the advantage of increasing the patient's confidence in the health care organization.
  • Other information that may be applied to the outside surface 204 includes postal codes; identifiers of regulations being complied with, a shipping manifest and even a biohazard warning.
  • a removable label, or a label that can be permanently covered up may be desirable to protect the patient's privacy during the disposal process.
  • the first flap 220 may be folded down in direction of arrow A and the second flap 222 may be folded down on top of the first flap 220 in the direction of arrow B thereby covering the patient's address 214.
  • a strip of two-sided tape 226, or other sealing means may be provided to the underside of the second flap 222 so that the second flap 222 will be permanently sealed to the first flap 220 upon removing the backing of the tape 226 and folding the second flap 222 down.
  • any sealing means may be employed, e.g., pressure sensitive tape placed on the outside of the second flap 222, mechanical fasteners connecting the first flap 220 and the second flap 222, glue or other adhesives, or any other method of sealing containers commonly known to the art.
  • the second flap 222 may be provided with a label 228 indicating the address of a waste disposal facility to which the container 202 is to ultimately be delivered once the container 202 is completely sealed.
  • the label may also contain instructions for safe handling and disposal of the container 202 and may include a biohazard label.
  • the container 202 (as seen from the top without showing the top flaps) comprises an outside surface 204 and an inside portion 244. Disposed within the inside portion 244 may be a disposable sharps container 246, which may or may not be affixed to the inside portion 244 (one type of suitable disposable sharps container may be of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,163,375, 5,167,193 and 5,259,501, all issued to Withers, et al., and incorporated herein by reference. As would be recognized to those skilled in the art, many other types of sharps containers may also be used.), and a plurality of upright partitions 248 defining a plurality of compartments 250 therebetween.
  • Such supplies 252 may include such things as: a disposable emesis basin 254, syringes 256, tongue depressors 258, a roll of adhesive tape 260, 4x4 sponges 262, cotton balls 264, rubber tubing 266, disposable bottles of antiseptic 268, single-use medication packets 270, and any other disposable supplies used in health care.
  • the above-listed supplies are only an illustrative selection of disposable supplies and the actual configuration of supplies would depend on the specific requirements for a given patient visit.
  • an alternative embodiment of a non-partitioned container 302 comprises an outside surface 304 and an inside portion 344.
  • a non-affixed sharps container 346, as well as a plurality of kit packs 308 may be disposed therein.
  • the features shown in FIGS. 5 A and 5B may be readily interchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.
  • multiple patient bags for multiple visits may be shipped together in a larger container.

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Abstract

La présente invention concerne une méthode d'approvisionnement en fournitures médicales jetables, en quantité suffisante, à l'intention d'agents de santé (52) qui effectue une seule visite ou une pluralité de visites chez un patient. Cette méthode consiste à déterminer les besoins pour au moins une visite en fonction des actes médicaux à effectuer sur le patient et des exigences spécifiques de ce dernier. Les fournitures sont placées dans un conteneur (44) qui est livré en un premier point (60) en prévision de la visite unique effectué par l'agent de santé (52). Une fois la visite terminée, le conteneur (44) peut être transporté en un second point (74) pour évacuation. Les déplacements du conteneur sont enregistrés dans une base informatique de données. Selon un mode de réalisation de cette invention, c'est l'agent de santé (52) qui rentre les informations sur les fournitures dans l'ordinateur (30) pendant sa visite.
PCT/US1999/010299 1998-05-11 1999-05-11 Methode et dispositif de gestion de fournitures medicales a jeter dans le cadre d'une visite unique chez le patient WO1999059095A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
AU39819/99A AU3981999A (en) 1998-05-11 1999-05-11 Method and apparatus for managing disposable medical supplies appropriate for a single patient visit

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US7581098A 1998-05-11 1998-05-11
US09/075,810 1998-05-11

Publications (1)

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WO1999059095A1 true WO1999059095A1 (fr) 1999-11-18

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Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN118553395A (zh) * 2024-04-19 2024-08-27 南京崇力科技有限公司 基于云计算的智慧医疗数据处理方法、系统、设备及介质

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4737910A (en) * 1985-10-15 1988-04-12 Kimbrow Ronald H Apparatus for tracking inventory
US4857716A (en) * 1986-05-12 1989-08-15 Clinicom Incorporated Patient identification and verification system and method
US5235795A (en) * 1990-05-09 1993-08-17 Deroyal Industries, Inc. System for the delivery, storage and disposal of medical supplies
US5267668A (en) * 1993-06-01 1993-12-07 Jones Hedwig E Child resistant storage and disposal box
US5752234A (en) * 1995-08-18 1998-05-12 Patient Solutions Method and apparatus for managing disposable medical supplies appropriate for a single patient visit

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4737910A (en) * 1985-10-15 1988-04-12 Kimbrow Ronald H Apparatus for tracking inventory
US4857716A (en) * 1986-05-12 1989-08-15 Clinicom Incorporated Patient identification and verification system and method
US5235795A (en) * 1990-05-09 1993-08-17 Deroyal Industries, Inc. System for the delivery, storage and disposal of medical supplies
US5267668A (en) * 1993-06-01 1993-12-07 Jones Hedwig E Child resistant storage and disposal box
US5752234A (en) * 1995-08-18 1998-05-12 Patient Solutions Method and apparatus for managing disposable medical supplies appropriate for a single patient visit

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN118553395A (zh) * 2024-04-19 2024-08-27 南京崇力科技有限公司 基于云计算的智慧医疗数据处理方法、系统、设备及介质

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Publication number Publication date
AU3981999A (en) 1999-11-29

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