Management of patient transfer systems, methods, and devices

{
  "publication_number": "US2008319790A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Management of patient transfer systems, methods, and devices",
  "abstract": "Systems, methods, and devices are described related to the assignment and management of patient-specific bins. A dispensing device at a healthcare facility includes a number of bins for storage of medical supplies, with some of the bins designated as patient-specific bins allocated to be assigned to patients for storage of their medications or certain other supplies. A central server computer system, in communication with a computer of the dispensing device, may monitor and assign current and future patient-specific use of the bins for the dispensing device. The assignment and management of patient-specific bins may be performed by devices distributed through the system.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A system for managing a patient transfer, the system comprising: a plurality of dispensing devices of a healthcare facility, the plurality comprising a first dispensing device and a second dispensing device each with one or more patient-specific bins allocated for assignment to the patient for exclusive storage of medications for the patient; and a central server computer system, communicatively coupled to at least a subset of the plurality of dispensing devices, and configured to: receive a set of transfer data indicating the patient is to be transferred from a first location associated with the first dispensing device to a second location associated with the second dispensing device; store a set of bin configuration data identifying a configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device; and apply the stored bin configuration data from the first dispensing device to the second dispensing device. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: automatically identify, in response to the received set of transfer data, discontinued medications for the patient to be removed from the first dispensing device, wherein the stored set of bin configuration data excludes bins storing only the identified discontinued medications. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: automatically identify medications to be transferred from the first dispensing device to the second dispensing device for the patient, wherein the stored set of bin configuration data comprises bins storing the identified medications to be transferred. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is configured to apply the stored set of bin configuration data by automatically identifying a bin configuration for the second dispensing device based on the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the bin configuration for the second dispensing device is identical to the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: audit a record of the medications stored for the patient in the first dispensing device and its patient-specific bins to determine the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient is located in the first location when the set of bin configuration data is stored. 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of bin configuration data is stored after the patient is physically transferred from the first location. 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: determine a proportion of capacity used for each of at least a subset of bins of the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device, wherein bins of the stored bin configuration using over a threshold proportion of capacity are applied to the second dispensing device. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: re-allocate bins from item-specific bins to patient-specific bins when applying the stored bin configuration to the second dispensing device; or re-allocate one or more empty patient-specific bins assigned to a second patient as available patient-specific bins when applying the stored bin configuration to the second dispensing device. 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: change a status associated with the second dispensing device in response to receiving the set of transfer data, wherein the changed status triggers the application of the stored bin configuration data from the first device to the second dispensing device. 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: transmit a listing of medications to be transferred to the second dispensing device; and transmit a set of configuration data to the second dispensing device, the configuration data identifying bins for storage of each of the items of the listing of medications. 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the central server computer system is further configured to: identify medications to be stored in a different dispensing device based at least in part on a correlation with medications stored for the patient in the first patient-specific bin; and apply the stored bin configuration from the first device to the different dispensing device. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein, the first and second dispensing devices each comprise a cabinet; the patient-specific bins comprise a selection from the group consisting of a container, mechanism, location, zone, and any combination thereof, and the set of bin configuration data comprises a selection from the group consisting of bin type, bin size, bin location on the cabinet, bin location relative to other bins assigned to the patient, bin security parameters, type and amount of medications stored, and any combination thereof. 15. A dispensing device with an integrated computer configured to manage a patient transfer, the dispensing device comprising: one or more patient-specific bins assigned to a patient for exclusive storage of medications for the patient; and a computer, integrated with the dispensing device and communicatively coupled with the one or more patient-specific bins, and configured to: receive a notification of a patient transfer to a first location associated with the dispensing device from a second location associated with a different dispensing device; receive a set of bin configuration data identifying a configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient from a second dispensing device associated with a second location; and automatically identify a patient-specific bin configuration at the dispensing device based at least in part on the received set of bin configuration data. 16. The dispensing device of claim 15, wherein the computer is further configured to: transmit a request for the set of bin configuration data identifying a configuration of patient-specific bins for the patient at the second dispensing device, wherein the received set of bin configuration data is transmitted from the different dispensing device. 17. A method to manage a patient transfer between dispensing devices each including one or more patient-specific bins, the method comprising: receiving a set of transfer data indicating the patient is to be transferred from a first location associated with a first dispensing device to a second location associated with a second dispensing device; storing a set of bin configuration data identifying a configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device; and applying the stored bin configuration data from the first dispensing device to the second dispensing device. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: automatically identifying medications to be transferred from the first dispensing device to the second dispensing device for the patient, the identified medications exclusive of discontinued medications, wherein the stored set of bin configuration data comprises bins storing the identified medications to be transferred. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein applying the stored set of bin configuration data comprises: automatically identifying a bin configuration at the second dispensing device for storing at least a subset of medications to be transferred, the automatic identification based on the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the automatically identified configuration for the subset of medications is identical to the configuration at the first dispensing device storing the subset of medications. 21. The method of claim 17, wherein the patient is located at the second location or is in transit to the second location when the set of bin configuration data is stored. 22. The method of claim 17, further comprising: determining a proportion of capacity used for each of at least a subset of bins of the configuration of patient-specific bins assigned to the patient at the first dispensing device, wherein bins of the stored bin configuration using below a threshold proportion of capacity are not applied to the second dispensing device. 23. The method of claim 17, further comprising: re-allocating bins at the second dispensing device as patient-specific bins when applying the stored bin configuration to the second dispensing device. 24. The method of claim 17, further comprising: changing a status associated with the first dispensing device in response to receiving the set of transfer data, wherein the changed status triggers the application of the stored bin configuration data from the first device to the second dispensing device. 25. A method to manage a patient transfer between dispensing devices each including one or more patient-specific bins, the method comprising: receiving a set of transfer data indicating the patient is to be transferred from a first location associated with a first dispensing device to a second location associated with a second dispensing device; automatically identifying medications to be transferred from the first dispensing device to the second dispensing device for the patient, the identified medications exclusive of discontinued medications; storing a set of bin configuration data identifying a configuration of patient-specific bins storing the medications to be transferred; and automatically identifying a bin configuration at the second dispensing device for storing at least a subset of medications to be transferred, the automatic identification based at least in part on the stored set of bin configuration data."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present invention in general relates to managing the storage and distribution of medications and other medical supplies at a healthcare facility and, in particular, to patient-specific bins.\n\nAt many healthcare facilities, it may be beneficial for items to be available for use at specific locations. For example, in hospitals, practitioners may find it convenient to place medications (including pharmaceuticals) and other supply items near where patients are being treated. A nursing station is one such location, as nurses may find it more efficient to have certain medications readily available. Depending on the type of items to be dispensed, the environment where the items are to be used, and the like, a variety of dispensing cabinets have been employed.\n\nTypically, medications are placed in dispensing units which each store a specific item to be used for a number of different patients. However, this type of storage configuration often leads to storage of supplies at multiple locations, which may give rise to delivery inefficiencies. This item-specific storage and distribution model may also give rise to billing discrepancies and inventory control challenges. It would therefore be beneficial to create systems, methods, or devices which address one or more of the issues raised above, while still providing for distributed storage of medications.\n\nSystems, methods, and devices are described for the storage and distribution of medications and other supplies at a healthcare facility.",
  "cpc": [
    "G06Q 10/087",
    "G16H 10/60",
    "G16H 20/13",
    "G16H 40/67"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06Q 50/00",
    "G16H 10/60",
    "G06Q 10/08",
    "G06Q 50/22",
    "G16H 20/13"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Omnicell Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "John Vahlberg",
    "Dan Cohen",
    "Jennifer Cartright",
    "Richard Caldwell",
    "Jeff Blank"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2008-06-17",
  "publication_date": "2008-12-25",
  "priority_date": "2007-06-19",
  "application_number": "US-14097008-A",
  "family_id": "40137354",
  "cited_by_count": 74,
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}