SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING MEDICAL INFORMATION
Systems and methods for managing medical information for medical service providers are provided. Personnel are able to manage and track workflow operations, evaluate profitability, and maintain records in an integrated and streamlined manner by executing various modules of a software application. A Dashboard module provides a unitary display of information regarding employee efficiency and operational profitability; a Virtual Will Call module allows for the virtual placement of items in storage areas reflecting the corresponding physical will call storage locations; an Rx Tracker module provides information regarding the status of prescriptions as they go through the process from ordered to dispensed; the Maintenance module allows personnel to define customized delivery methods; and the Archive Viewer module provides a way for personnel to archive images in any accessible drive or memory device, including portable storage media, and to view such images independently of the module using an archive viewer executable.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/948,383 entitled “Systems and Methods for Managing Medical Information,” filed Jul. 6, 2007, the contents of which are incorporated herein.
BACKGROUNDService providers are always striving to maximize the efficiency of their day-to-day operations in order to provide accurate, reliable service to their customers, increase profitability, and ensure that all applicable laws and regulations are followed. This is especially true in the medical services industry, where mistakes can sometimes have injurious effects.
Pharmacies, for example, face several challenges when trying to streamline operations and provide quality service to their patients. Among other tasks, prescriptions must be filled and checked accurately to avoid dispensing the wrong medication; drug interactions and patient medical histories must be considered; prescriptions must be dispensed to the right patients as quickly as possible; and records must be kept (out of the way and, at the same time, easily accessible) for a period of time.
Coupled with the desire to provide quality service, medical service providers such as pharmacies must be profitable to maintain their daily operations. Several factors must be considered by managers and directors when evaluating profitability, such as employee efficiency, the cost of medications, and payments by insurance companies.
Thus, there exists a need for systems and methods of managing medical information for medical service providers to allow personnel to manage and track workflow operations, evaluate profitability, and maintain records in an integrated and streamlined manner.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONSystems and methods are therefore provided for managing medical information. Various modules are provided that, upon execution, allow users to more efficiently manage and track workflow operations, evaluate profitability, and maintain records.
In one exemplary embodiment, a method of managing activities for a medical service provider is provided. The method includes displaying a number of queues and a count of prescriptions in each queue and displaying productivity data including at least one user name and the prescriptions handled over a predetermined period of time by each user. The method further includes interfacing with at least one automated system and displaying a list of each interfacing automated system, as well as displaying profitability information including amounts paid for prescriptions and amounts approved for payment.
In some cases, a histogram is provided that includes a representation of at least one queue, such as a Pharmacy Management queue, an Imaging queue, a Filling queue, a Checking queue, and/or a Will Call queue. Different subsections of each queue within each representation may be depicted differently. Also, an indication of at least one event associated with at least one of the queues may be provided, and a selection of the indication may be permitted such that the selection provides for a display of additional information regarding the respective indication.
In some embodiments, a log in status of each user and a list of log in and log out times may be provided upon selection of a respective user. Furthermore, the productivity data may be provided in a graphical representation and/or in a tabular representation. Interfacing with the automated system(s) may include providing at least one characteristic of each interfaced automated system, such as a number of cells that need replenishment and/or a number of cells that need cleaning. Also, the designation of a time period over which the profitability information is calculated and displayed may be received. A graphical representation of at least one workflow characteristic, such as a prescription volume and/or an average cycle time for processing prescriptions, may be displayed.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of tracking the inventory of medical supplies for a medical service provider is provided. The method includes receiving a prescription identifier for a prescription to be stored or removed from will call, receiving a designation of a location in which the prescription will be stored, and displaying a visual representation of the location amongst a number of locations in a respective storage area. The prescription identifier may be, for example, a scanned barcode or a keyed user input.
In some cases, input may be received, and at least one aspect of the visual representation, such as the configuration of the storage area and/or the designation of the location, may be changed based on the input. Input may also be received regarding the transfer of the prescription from the location to a different location, and the visual representation may be modified accordingly. Receiving the prescription identifier may include validating a prescription number associated with the prescription. The number of prescriptions stored in the location may also be displayed in some embodiments. Furthermore, a location for storage of the prescription may be suggested based on information associated with the prescription identifier.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of maintaining and updating records for a medical services provider is provided. The method includes receiving at least one search criterion regarding a prescription, displaying information associated with the search criterion received, and presenting an indication of whether proactive counseling of a patient associated with the prescription is required upon the patient's subsequent visit. Presenting the indication may include displaying a flag, notes, or other indicator regarding the proactive counseling required. Furthermore, input may be received indicating that the proactive counseling has been accomplished, and the indication may be modified based on the input.
At least one item of information, such as prescription details, process history of the prescription, patient details, profitability information, or images associated with the prescription may be presented. Also, input regarding the prescription may be received, and the information associated with the prescription may be modified based on the input.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of customizing the delivery of medical supplies for a medical services provider is provided. The method includes receiving a designation of a delivery method for a prescription, associating the delivery method to a delivery time of the prescription, and prioritizing a list of prescriptions according to the delivery method and associated delivery time.
In some cases, the prioritized list of prescriptions may be displayed. Furthermore, input regarding the delivery method may be received, and the delivery method may be modified according to the input received. The uniqueness of the modified delivery method as compared to existing delivery methods may also be verified.
In another exemplary embodiment, a method of archiving images for a medical services provider is provided. The method includes receiving a selection of at least one image to be archived via an archiving application, receiving a designation of a source of the at least one image, and receiving a designation of a location in which the at least one image is to be archived. The method further includes storing the image(s) in the location and creating an archive viewer executable at the location such that the image(s) may be viewed from the location independently of the archiving application.
In some embodiments, the image(s) may be deleted from the source. Also, information may be displayed regarding past archiving activities. Such information may include at least one item such as a start date and an end date of archived data, the respective source, the respective location, a date of an archive activity, a designation of a user who performed the archive activity, and/or a password associated with the archived data, among others. In some cases, the designation of the source may be a designation of a prescription database or a patient database.
An archive log may also be created at the designated source to record an archive activity. In addition, a start date for data to be archived may be pre-selected based on an end date of the last archive activity performed. Furthermore, the method may include determining whether the space at the location is adequate for storing the image(s) and prompting a designation of an alternate location if the space is inadequate.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
Embodiments of the present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, embodiments of these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.
The systems and methods of the present invention may be used by medical service providers, such as hospitals, physicians' offices, pharmacies, and any other distributor of medical supplies, to facilitate day-to-day operations and workflow management. The systems and methods described provide an integrated platform for monitoring and managing inventory, tracking staff activities, storing records and images, and aiding communication between medical professionals and their patients. The systems and methods may be stand-alone applications, or they may communicate with other automated systems being implemented by the medical service provider to provide a user with an integrated solution for managing the distribution of medical supplies and caring for patients, as will be described below.
The system 11 may also include a server 22 or other computing device in communication with each workstation 12. The server 22 may be used to store data that may be accessed by each workstation 12 as necessary. The server 22 may be co-located with the workstations 12, for example in the same pharmacy, or the server 22 may be located elsewhere, such as outside the pharmacy in the same building or in another building. For example, in some cases the server 22 may include a database storing patient records for a hospital and may be located in the basement of the hospital in which the pharmacy is located. As another example, the server 22 may hold data regarding the medical supply inventory for several pharmacies distributed throughout a certain geographic region. The server 22 and workstations 12 may communicate and exchange data via a wired or wireless connection. For example, the server 22 and workstations 12 may be connected via a Wide Area Network (WAN) and exchange data via the Internet. For instance, the server 22 and the workstations 12 may be connected to a common pharmacy network.
While embodiments of the present invention may be deployed in a client-server architecture, it may be deployed in other architectures as well.
Referring again to
One of the modules that may be selected by a user with appropriate permissions is the Dashboard module. A user interface 30 that may be displayed upon execution of the Dashboard module is illustrated in
The interface 30 may include various windows displaying different information. For example, the interface 30 of
Each bar 38 of the histogram, representing a queue, may be further divided into subsections 40 for displaying different values within each queue. For example, under the Pharmacy Management queue, the number of prescriptions in E-prescribing, Batch queue (prescriptions in the re-fill batch queue), and Workflow Exceptions (e.g., prescriptions that have been rejected at filling, rejected at checking, or returned or removed from Will Call) may be displayed using different colors as indicated by a legend 42 on the histogram. The Imaging queue may display the number of prescriptions that completed imaging during that day and the number of prescriptions pending to be imaged, as will be described below. The Filling queue may display the number of prescriptions that completed filling during that day and the number of prescriptions pending to be filled, as well as the number of prescriptions in the filling deferred and partial queues and those rejected in filling. The Checking queue may include the number of prescriptions that completed checking during that day and the number of prescriptions pending to be checked or rejected in checking. Similarly, the Will Call queue may display the number of prescriptions that are currently placed in Will Call and those that meet the requirements for maximum retention days or warning days.
Further indications may be included for at least some of the queues to make the user aware of certain events. For example, for the Filling and Checking queues in
A user may also see more details in the Queues window 36 by using an input device, such as a mouse, to hover over or click on a particular bar 38 or bar subsection 40. For example, hovering over or clicking on a subsection 40 may cause the number of prescriptions in the category represented by the subsection to be displayed. Hovering or clicking may also cause another screen 45 to be displayed showing further details regarding a particular queue, such as the Pharmacy Management queue as illustrated in
Referring again to
A User Productivity window 48 may also be included to present information regarding users that are logged into the system. Information such as the user's name, last log in time, status (i.e., currently logged in or not currently logged in), the number of prescriptions entered, imaged, filed, and/or checked by the user, and the number of prescriptions stored in Will Call by the user may be displayed in tabular form. The status of the user may be indicated using text or via an icon 50, as shown in
Referring again to
A Profitability window 56 may also be included in the interface 30 and may display information relating to the profitability of pharmacy operations. For example, the approved dollar amount received for a period of time may be included in the profitability calculations, cash received, amounts fully approved for payment, and/or amounts partially approved for payment, and others as configured by an authorized user, such as the pharmacy director. Profitability information may be calculated and displayed, based on user preferences, for various time periods, such as 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, etc. and may be presented in graphical form, as shown.
Furthermore, an Average Cycle Time/Prescription Volume window 58 may be provided and may include information regarding the average cycle time of prescriptions and prescription volumes. For example radio buttons 60 may be provided to allow a user to select which set of data (cycle time or volume) to present in graphical form. In
Another module that may be included in the software application according to embodiments of the systems and methods of the present application is a Virtual Will Call module. A pharmacy may have several locations for storing medication that has been prepared for a patient according to a prescription and is waiting to be picked up by that patient. Depending on the type of medication, the item may need to be maintained in a refrigerator, in a narcotic vault, or may be too bulky to be kept with other will call prescriptions. As such, some medications may get “lost” in an obscure or infrequently visited will call location if the location is not properly tracked.
The Virtual Will Call module provides a way for users to keep track of the will call location of each filled prescription. In general, the Virtual Will Call module allows a user to set up custom “locations” that mirror physical locations in the pharmacy where items may be stored to await pick-up. In this way, each filled prescription may be associated with a location in Virtual Will Call corresponding to its physical location in the pharmacy.
A Virtual Will Call area may be set up by any user with permission on the system to do so. Such a user may be presented with a Set Up screen 70, shown in
If the required Storage Area does not already exist, the user may choose the “Create” option by clicking on the Create button 74. Upon doing so, a Create screen 76 may be displayed that may provide a text field 78 for the user to input a Storage Area Name, illustrated in
If the Storage Area Name is unique and the information provided is acceptable by the system, a third Set Up screen 82 may be displayed to provide further options for configuring the will call location, shown in
Existing Storage Areas may also be modified by a user by selecting the Modify button 86, shown in
Once a Storage Area has been set up and configured according to the user's preferences, prescriptions may be stored in the appropriate Storage Area (i.e., associated with virtual will call locations corresponding to their physical locations in the pharmacy). A user may store a prescription in a Storage Area if, for example, the prescription has a status of Checked (e.g., the pharmacist has checked that the prescription was filled properly), In Will Call (the prescription has been placed in Will Call), Will Call Removed (the prescription has been removed from Will Call), Filled (the prescription has been counted by the filling technician and is ready to be checked), or Ready for Filling (the prescription is in the Filling queue waiting to be checked). The user may select the Virtual Will Call module from the toolbar 34 (
Once Virtual Will Call is initiated, a Store screen 100 may be displayed, such as the screen shown in
Any prescriptions belonging to the same order as the entered prescription number may be retrieved from the system and provided in a window 110, shown in
In addition to showing the layout of the Storage Area, the window 116 of
In some cases, the system may suggest a storage location to the user. For example, the entered prescription number may be for the same item that is currently stored in a certain Storage Area. In that case, the same Storage Area may be suggested to the user for storage of the entered prescription number. In other cases, a Storage Area corresponding to the first letter of the last name of the patient may be suggested. However, the user may still have the option of ignoring the suggestion and storing the entered prescription number in a location of the user's choosing. In some embodiments, the user may have to authenticate the location selected by scanning the user's identification barcode, scanning the user's finger print, or entering some other type of user identification password or barcode number (e.g., if transactional security is activated).
Referring again to
Results based on the search may be displayed in a table 126, allowing the user to select a checkbox 128 corresponding to the entry of interest. In this way, prescriptions may be removed (for example, when the item has been dispensed to the patient) and information regarding a prescription may be modified or updated. Prescriptions may also be removed by entering the prescription number of the item or scanning its barcode to retrieve the corresponding record and then clicking on the Remove button 130.
Rx Tracker ModuleThe Rx Tracker module may also be included in the software application. Upon execution, the Rx Tracker module may provide a way to allow authorized pharmacy personnel to track the status of an ordered prescription as well as to view details regarding the prescription and/or the patient.
The user may be able to use the Rx Tracker module to search for prescriptions and view prescription details; update the status of a prescription; update the date, time, and delivery method of a prescription; and/or set a particular prescription to “Counseled” (described below). Upon launching the Rx Tracker module, for example by selecting the respective module button 32 from the toolbar 34 (
Referring to
The status of a given prescription may be displayed as part of the results table 133, such as in a column labeled Status 146. The status of a prescription may include, for example, “Ready for filling,” “Filling in progress,” or “Saved.” Information regarding a particular entry, such as the Status 146, may be modified when an authorized user chooses an entry via the checkbox 143 and clicks on the Modify button 148. Selecting the Modify option may serve to display a Modify screen 150, shown in
Referring again to
The Patient Details section 166 may include various items of information regarding a particular patient associated with the selected prescription, including the patient's name, facility, address, phone number, date of birth, and sex, among many others. Profitability Information 168 may include both the billed and authorized amounts for the prescription, such as the true cost, the price to the patient, copay, discounts, profit, and other financial information. The Rx Details section 170 may include information about the prescription itself, including whether the prescription has been tagged for proactive counseling of the patient, the status of the prescription, the Virtual Will Call location, etc. The Imaging section 172 may include a window 174 for displaying any images associated with the prescription (such as the prescription itself, the patient's driver's license, and the patient's insurance card, among others). The Imaging section 172 may further include a mechanism, such as scrolling arrows 176, to navigate from one image to the next when multiple images are involved, as well as a log 178 summarizing when a particular image was associated with the record and by whom.
Furthermore, buttons 180 may be included to allow the user to enter notes into the given record, view DUR (Drug Utilization Review) (i.e., any drug conflicts that are listed for the particular prescription), view edits, view partials (i.e., partially filled prescriptions), and view signatures, among other functions. For example, selecting the “View Signature” function may allow the user to view the signature of the patient for various pick up dates of the prescription and may cause a window 182 with an image of the signature and signature details to be displayed, as shown in
Referring again to
The software application may provide the user with the ability to configure the application in various ways. For example, a user with appropriate authorization may be able to set up and customize a delivery method for a particular prescription. Referring to
A user may either modify an existing delivery method (for example by changing the required time) or may create a new delivery method by undesignating an empty row as Inactive (for adding a new method) and entering the desired information to configure the delivery method. Once a user has entered the desired information in the Delivery Methods table 190, the user may apply the changes by clicking on the Apply button 192. The system may verify that the new or changed delivery method does not duplicate any previously existing delivery methods before allowing the change.
Thus, a delivery method for a prescription may be designated by the user. The delivery method may then be associated with a delivery time of the prescription. As an example, a prescription that is designated as a “Rush” delivery method may be associated with a delivery time of “20 minutes.” A list of the prescriptions may then be prioritized according to the delivery method and the associated delivery time for each prescription. In this way, a prescription that is entered earlier in the day but for which the designated delivery method is associated with a longer delivery time may be prioritized lower than a prescription that is entered later in the day but has a delivery method associated with a much shorter delivery time (for example, an “Urgent” delivery method).
In some cases, the delivery method may be associated with a delivery time that is a specific time of day for delivering the prescription, such as 3:00 PM. This delivery time may be entered by the user (for example, based on a customer request), or the delivery time may be estimated based on the time the prescription is entered and the designated delivery method. Furthermore, the system may have a cut-off time, representing a time after which prescriptions will not be filled (i.e., the prescription must wait until the following day to be filled). The cut-off time may be, for example, an hour before the pharmacy is scheduled to close, or the time the pharmacist goes home for the day. In this case, a new prescription that is received after the cut-off time would be set for filling on the following work day. Furthermore, if a prescription is associated with a delivery time that is earlier than the current system date/time (i.e., the delivery time has already passed), the prescription would be set for filling on the following work day. Thus, in an exemplary embodiment, the prescription in these cases would be placed on the Filling Queue for the next work day and thus may appear on the “deferred queue” (see the discussion in the Dashboard Module section).
Other aspects of the application may also be configurable by the user according to the user's preferences. For example, referring to
In this regard, the packing box may be represented as a virtual packing box upon execution of the software application to assign and keep track of the cells to be used for the orders. As shown in
In the event that a prescription resides in a cell that has been de-selected for future use, that cell may continue to be used until the prescription is finished. Once the prescription is completed and is no longer in the cell, no further assignments would be made to that cell. Furthermore, a de-selected cell may appear in the Checking View as an empty cell.
The order in which selected cells are assigned may also be configurable by the user via a Cell Assignment Order section 238 of the screen. Radio buttons may be selected or de-selected to indicate the horizontal order of assignment (left to right or right to left) as well as the vertical order of assignment (top to bottom or bottom to top). The assignment order shown in
The Archive Viewer module may be included in the software application to allow the user to store a record of certain important images associated with a prescription in a location of the user's choice. For example, certain laws and regulations, such as the Health Information Privacy Accountability Act (HIPAA) may require that some documents involved in the filling and dispensing of a prescription (e.g., the prescription itself and releases signed by the patient) be maintained by the pharmacy for a number of years after the prescription has been dispensed. Rather than using valuable space in the pharmacy to physically store hardcopies of such documents, an image of the actual document may be stored on a drive or in a memory in such a way that the storage does not negatively affect regular processing operations of the system and such that the image may be easily retrieved for subsequent viewing.
In this regard, the Archive Viewer module may be used to archive images based on selection criteria and create an Archive Viewer executable file, the execution of which will allow a user to view the archived images on any computer (not necessarily the computer via which the image was originally archived). In this way, the Archive Viewer may allow an authorized user to create and maintain a mobile archive of images.
Upon initiating the Archive Viewer, the system may verify that the module is not currently accessed by another user. If the Archive Viewer module is available, an Archive Images screen 196 may be displayed, as shown in
The user can perform an archive activity by specifying certain information in the Archive Source 200 and Archive Criteria 202 sections of the Archive Images screen 196. The user may select a radio button 208 corresponding to the database from which the images to be archived should be obtained. In
At this point, the system may verify that the criteria specified is valid (e.g., valid drive designation and date ranges) and may prompt the user to enter a password to protect the images about to be archived (e.g., via encryption), for example by displaying a Password screen 212 as shown in
An archive viewer executable may be created within an archive folder created in the specified destination. Thus the archive viewer executable is normally stored on each drive/memory device on which the archived data is stored. The archive viewer executable may be executed to permit subsequent viewing of the archived data stored on the drive/memory device. In this way, a user may later view the image by invoking the archive viewer executable to initiate an archive viewing interface, independent of the Archive Viewer module. The status of the archival process may be depicted on the screen 196, for example through the use of a Status bar 204. A summary of the steps involved in the archive process is included in
If the Archive Viewer is being used by someone else (and is therefore locked) when the user attempts to perform an archive activity, the user may be given the option to unlock the archive image process. This may be useful in the case that another user has already performed an archive activity but has forgotten to log off the module. However, if the other user is currently engaged in an archival activity, unlocking the archive image process may cause the module to abandon the archival activity underway in order to unlock the module for use by the new user. In this case the system may log the details of the last successful date archived for the original user (i.e., the point in the archival process at which the activity was interrupted).
When a user wishes to view an image that has been archived, and the user has access to the drive in which the archive file resides, the user may launch the viewer (independently of the Archive Viewer module) by invoking the archive viewer executable created in the same drive/memory device. The user may then be prompted to enter the password protecting the archived image and, upon verifying the password, may retrieve the archived file. The user may then be prompted via a Search screen 214, illustrated in
The user may select one of the images listed in the Image List 226, for example by clicking on the corresponding entry in the list 226, to display the image or a portion of the image in the Image window 228. Additional information, such as the Image Type and any comments associated with the image, may also be displayed in the Image window 228. The selected image may then be printed or retrieved for viewing in full using the appropriate buttons 230.
Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
Claims
1. A method of managing activities for a medical service provider comprising:
- displaying a plurality of queues and a count of prescriptions in each queue;
- displaying productivity data including at least one user name and a number of prescriptions handled over a predetermined period of time by each user;
- interfacing with at least one automated system and displaying a list of each interfacing automated system; and
- displaying profitability information including amounts paid for prescriptions and amounts approved for payment.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the queues comprises providing a histogram including a representation of at least one queue selected from the group consisting of a Pharmacy Management queue, an Imaging queue, a Filling queue, a Checking queue, and a Will Call queue.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein providing the histogram comprises differently depicting different subsections of each queue within each representation.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the queues comprises providing an indication of at least one event associated with at least one of the queues.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the indication includes permitting a selection of the indication such that the selection provides for a display of additional information regarding the respective indication.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the productivity data comprises providing a log in status of each user and providing a list of log in and log out times upon selection of a respective user.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the productivity data comprises providing the productivity data in at least one form selected from the group consisting of a graphical representation and a tabular representation.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein interfacing with the at least one automated system comprises providing at least one characteristic of each interfaced automated system selected from the group consisting of a number of cells that need replenishment and a number of cells that need cleaning.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the profitability information comprises receiving a designation of a time period over which the profitability information is calculated and displayed.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a graphical representation of at least one workflow characteristic selected from the group consisting of a prescription volume and an average cycle time for processing prescriptions.
11. A method of tracking inventory of medical supplies for a medical service provider comprising:
- receiving a prescription identifier for a prescription to be stored or removed from will call, wherein the identifier is selected from the group consisting of a scanned barcode and a keyed user input;
- receiving a designation of a location in which the prescription will be stored; and
- displaying a visual representation of the location amongst a plurality of locations in a respective storage area.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving input and changing at least one aspect of the visual representation selected from the group consisting of the configuration of the storage area and the designation of the location based on the input.
13. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving input regarding the transfer of the prescription from the location to a different location and modifying the visual representation accordingly.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the prescription identifier comprises validating a prescription number associated with the prescription.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising displaying the number of prescriptions stored in the location.
16. The method of claim 11 further comprising suggesting a location for storage of the prescription based on information associated with the prescription identifier.
17. A method of maintaining and updating records for a medical services provider comprising:
- receiving at least one search criterion regarding a prescription;
- displaying information associated with the search criterion received; and
- presenting an indication of whether proactive counseling of a patient associated with the prescription is required upon the patient's subsequent visit.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein presenting the indication comprises displaying at least one indicator selected from the group consisting of a flag and notes regarding the proactive counseling required.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving input indicating that the proactive counseling has been accomplished and modifying the indication based on the input.
20. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the information comprises presenting at least one item of information selected from the group consisting of prescription details, process history of the prescription, patient details, profitability information, and images associated with the prescription.
21. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving input regarding the prescription and modifying the information associated with the prescription based on the input.
22. A method of customizing delivery of medical supplies for a medical services provider comprising:
- receiving a designation of a delivery method for a prescription;
- associating the delivery method to a delivery time of the prescription; and
- prioritizing a list of prescriptions according to the delivery method and associated delivery time.
23. The method of claim 22 further comprising displaying the prioritized list of prescriptions.
24. The method of claim 22 further comprising receiving input regarding the delivery method and modifying the delivery method according to the input received.
25. The method of claim 24 further comprising verifying that the modified delivery method is unique as compared to existing delivery methods.
26. A method of archiving images for a medical services provider comprising:
- receiving a selection of at least one image to be archived via an archiving application;
- receiving a designation of a source of the at least one image;
- receiving a designation of a location in which the at least one image is to be archived;
- storing the at least one image in the location; and
- creating an archive viewer executable at the location such that the at least one image may be viewed from the location independently of the archiving application.
27. The method of claim 26 further comprising deleting the at least one image from the source.
28. The method of claim 26 further comprising displaying information regarding past archiving activities including at least one item selected from the group consisting of a start date and an end date of archived data, the respective source, the respective location, a date of an archive activity, a designation of a user who performed the archive activity, and a password associated with the archived data.
29. The method of claim 26, wherein receiving the designation of the source comprises receiving a designation of a source selected from the group consisting of a prescription database and a patient database.
30. The method of claim 26 further comprising creating an archive log at the designated source to record an archive activity.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein receiving the selection of the at least one image to be archived comprises pre-selecting a start date for data to be archived based on an end date of the last archive activity performed.
32. The method of claim 26 further comprising determining whether space at the location is adequate for storing the at least one image and prompting a designation of an alternate location if the space is inadequate.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 3, 2008
Publication Date: Jan 8, 2009
Applicant:
Inventors: Kristie Innocenti Berzansky (South Park, PA), Stanton McComb (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Binny John (Sterling Heights, MI), Hamsa Konanur (Novi, MI), David Barber (Westland, MI), Paras Desai (Ypsilanti, MI), Kruti Goswami (Livonia, MI), Denise Williams (Gross Pointe Park, MI), Shabari Madappa (Karnataka)
Application Number: 12/167,744
International Classification: G06Q 50/00 (20060101); G06Q 10/00 (20060101);