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Method and apparatus for generating a patient quality assurance

Method and apparatus for generating a patient quality assurance description/claims

This application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/699,349 filed Jan. 30, 2007, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/762,859, dated Jan. 30, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/763,353, dated Jan. 31, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/763,357, dated Jan. 31, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/771,482, dated Feb. 9, 2006, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/771,484, dated Feb. 9, 2006, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

This application is related to the following concurrently filed commonly owned U.S. patent applications entitled, “Method And Apparatus For Generating A Technologist Quality Assurance Scorecard” (Attorney Docket Nos. 71486.0036 filed Jan. 30, 2007); “Method And Apparatus For Generating An Administrative Quality Assurance Scorecard” (Attorney Docket Nos. 71486.0038 filed Jan. 30, 2007); “Method And Apparatus For Generating A Radiologist Quality Assurance Scorecard” (Attorney Docket Nos. 71486.0039 filed Jan. 30, 2007); and “Method And Apparatus For Generating A Clinician Quality Assurance Scorecard” (Attorney Docket Nos. 71486.0040 filed Jan. 30, 2007), the contents of all of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a quality assurance (QA) system and method that quantitatively rates users that perform and/or participate in medical procedures, particularly in the area of radiology. The present invention relates to systems, methods and computer-based software programs that analyze data and generate QA scorecards for clinicians. In the process of doing so, a number of objective data are collected for real-time and future analysis, thereby providing objective feedback to clinicians for continuing quality improvement. In the end, the invention is intended to improve patient safety and overall clinical outcomes.

2. Description of the Related Art

The first and foremost priority for any QA program is to improve quality of service. As QA programs are implemented in the medical field, the ultimate goal is to improve patient care. To accomplish this goal, products and/or services should offer procedures for increasing accountability and improving feedback among users that participate in a medical study. This ultimately will enhance patient diagnosis and/or treatment, which leads to objective improvements in overall health outcomes.

Medical imaging has undergone a transition from film-based imaging technologies to digital imaging technologies. Digital imaging technologies provide digital processing capabilities, such as image capture, image archive, image transfer, and image display that may be shared among users to the medical study. Digital imaging technologies further allow data that is associated with the digital processing operations to be captured and combined with the underlying digital imaging processing operations.

Accordingly, a need exists to leverage digital imaging technologies to increase accountability and improve feedback among users that participate in a medical study.

The present invention relates to systems, methods and computer-based software programs that provide a QA scorecard for users that participate in a radiology imaging study. The QA scorecard provides the framework for developing a comprehensive medical imaging QA program that defines objective benchmarks. One of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that this invention may be applied to other medical disciplines, as well as to non-medical disciplines.

According to one embodiment, the invention is directed to radiological-based medical studies using digital imaging technologies. The medical studies are performed by users that perform discrete tasks in an imaging study workflow sequence. According to one embodiment of the invention, users include clinicians, radiologists, technologists, administrators and patients, among other users. A typical workflow sequence includes imaging exam ordering, imaging exam scheduling, imaging exam acquisition, imaging exam processing, imaging exam archiving, imaging exam distribution, imaging exam display, imaging exam navigation, imaging exam interpretation, imaging exam reporting, communication and billing, among other sequences.

According to one embodiment of the invention, client computers, one or more servers, the imaging devices, one or more databases, and/or other components may be coupled via a wired media, a wireless media, or a combination of the foregoing to provided a unified data collection system.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the client computers may include any number of different types of client terminal devices, such as personal computers, laptops, smart terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones, portable processing devices that combine the functionality of one or more of the foregoing or other client terminal devices.

According to one embodiment, the client computer may include client computer agent modules that gather client computer monitoring data based on user actions that are performed. According to another embodiment of the invention, user action data may include entering information, and/or performing other user actions.

According to one embodiment, the client computer may include client computer agent modules that gather client computer monitoring data based on computer actions that are performed. According to one embodiment of the invention, the client computer agent modules also may gather client computer specification data, such as IP address data, processing speed data, and other client computer specification data. According to one embodiment of the invention, the client monitoring data and/or client computer specification data may be provided in real-time. According to another embodiment of the invention, the client monitoring data and/or client computer specification data may be employed to calculate user QA metrics.

According to one embodiment, the metrics module 232 analyzes data that is associated with a defined list of quality assurance (QA) benchmarks to objectively evaluate patients, quantify a relative success of service participation and provide educational (data-driven) feedback in order to optimize participation, among other benefits. The QA metrics may be tied to economic incentives, such as a pay for performance (P4P) systems, to create financial rewards for those patients that actively participate in the imaging study.

According to one embodiment, a quantifiable list of pre-defined performance parameters may be used by the program 110 to measure overall performance of the patient relating to the QA scorecard include, utilization, such as preventing redundancy; scheduling; data input; compliance, including recommendations for follow-up; documentation of complications; workflow, including subjective feedback; communication; education; availability of EMR; and reporting, including clinical outcomes, adverse outcomes, and economic outcomes; among other predefined parameters. According to one embodiment of the invention, performance metrics may be calculated by the program 110 from various parameters, including completeness of data input, such as clinical history; utilization, including economic outcomes, clinical outcomes, and/or adverse outcomes; communication; timeliness, including time to participate in clinical action; feedback provided to the clinician, technologist and specialists, and/or education, among other predetermined parameters.

According to one embodiment of the invention, performance metrics may be calculated by the program from various parameters, including completeness of data input; utilization; communication; timeliness; feedback provided by the clinician, technologist and/or radiologist; and education; among other parameters.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the imaging devices may include any number of different types of imaging devices, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices, computer tomograph (CT) imaging devices, angiograph imaging device, ultrasound imaging devices or other imaging devices.

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