Kathleen E Mayer

US Patent:

20040049408, Mar 11, 2004

Filed:

Feb 27, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/794566

Inventors:

Anne Voss - Columbus OH, US
Stacy Bender - Pickerington OH, US
Abby Cook - Gahanna OH, US
Kathleen Mayer - Columbus OH, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705/003000, 705/002000

Abstract:

A process for reducing the cost associated with providing patient care including the costs associated with the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers is provided. The process provides for the review of the present status and medical history of a patient, and the presence of one or more triggers is then evaluated. The process then matches each one of the triggers with a plurality of protocols. One or more protocols are then performed, dependent upon each of the triggers matched. The ongoing status of the patient is then monitored to determine any change therein, and the performance of the protocols is correspondingly adjusted. In one aspect of the invention at least a portion of the process is performed by a risk evaluation unit, wherein information associated with the present status, medical history, and ongoing status is supplied thereto. The process further generates a report including an intervention schedule. In another aspect of the invention, data including incidence rates of patients developing a pressure ulcer, costs for treating a pressure ulcer, cost associated with implementing a preventative measure, and an adjustment factor to the incidence rate corresponding to the implementation of the preventative measure is provided in an economic model. The economic model then determines an anticipated change in treatment costs corresponding to the anticipated reduction in pressure ulcers resulting from the implementation of the preventative measure. The economic model then compares the change in treatment costs to the cost of implementing the corresponding preventative measure, and produces the results of the comparison.