System and method for providing continuous, expert network critical care services from a remote location(s)

Claim 1

A system for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed intensive care units (ICUs) from a remote location, the system comprising: a network; a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs comprising means for monitoring patient data elements from a patient and means for transmitting the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center by the network; the remote command center connected to the network and comprising: a database, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements relating to the patient; a computerized patient care management system connected to a workstation, wherein the computerized patient care management system is adapted for: receiving the monitored patient data elements from the plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs; storing the monitored patient data elements in the database; applying a rules engine to at least two patient data elements stored in the database; and monitoring the medical condition in the patients and utilizing the output from the rules engine to determine if intervention is warranted; and wherein the monitoring and intervention for individual patients in the plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs occurs 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

Claim 2

A system for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed intensive care units (ICUs) from a remote location, the system comprising: a network; a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs comprising means for monitoring patient data elements from a patient and means for transmitting the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center by the network; the remote command center connected to the network and comprising: a database, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements relating to the patient; a computerized patient care management system connected to a workstation, wherein the computerized patient care management system is adapted for: receiving the monitored patient data elements from the plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs; storing the monitored patient data elements in the database; applying a rules engine to at least two patient data elements stored in the database; and monitoring the medical condition in the patients and utilizing the output from the rules engine to determine if intervention is warranted; and wherein the monitoring and intervention for individual patients in the plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs occurs 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

Claim 3

The system of claims 1 , wherein one of the at least two patient data elements comprises a physiological data element of the patient and another of the at least two patient data elements comprises a clinical data element of the patient.

Claim 4

The system of claims 1 , wherein one of the at least two patient data elements comprises a physiological data element of the patient and another of the at least two patient data elements comprises a medication data element of the patient.

Claim 18

A method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed intensive care units (ICUs) from a remote location comprising: monitoring patient data elements of patients in a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs; communicating over a network the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center, the remote command center comprising a database and a workstation; storing the monitored patient data elements in the database, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements; applying a rules engine to at least two patient data elements stored in the database to monitor the medical condition in the patients; and utilizing the output from the rules engine to determine if intervention is warranted; and wherein the monitoring and determining if intervention is warranted for individual patients occurs 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

Claim 19

A method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed intensive care units (ICUs) from a remote location comprising: monitoring patient data elements of patients in a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs; communicating over a network the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center, the remote command center comprising a database and a workstation; storing the monitored patient data elements in the database, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements; applying a rules engine to at least two patient data elements stored in the database to monitor the medical condition in the patients; and utilizing the output from the rules engine to determine if intervention is warranted; and wherein the monitoring and determining if intervention is warranted for individual patients occurs 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

Claim 20

The method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs from a remote location claim of 17 , wherein the method further comprises consulting a decision support algorithm selected from the group consisting of Acalculous Cholecystitis, Acute Pancreatitis, Acute Renal Failure Diagnosis, Acute Renal Failure-Management & Treatment, Adrenal Insufficiency, Agitation and Anxiety, Depression & Withdrawal, Aminoglycoside Dosing and Therapeutic Monitoring, an Amphotericin-B Treatment Guidelines, Analgesia, Antibiotic Classification & Costs, Antibiograms, Antibiotic associated Colitis, ARDS: Hemodynamic Management, ARDS: Steroid Use, ARDS: Ventilator Strategies, Asthma, Bleeding Patient, Bloodstream Infections, Blunt Cardiac Injury, Bradyarrhythmias, Brain Death, Bronchodilator Use in Ventilator Patients, Bronchoscopy & Thoracentesis Guidelines, Candiduria, Cardiogenic Shock, CardioPulmonary Resuscitation Guideline, Catheter Related Septicemia, a Catheter Replacement Strategies, Cervical Cord Injury, Congestive Heart Failure, COPD Exacerbation & Treatment, CXR (Indications), Dealing with Difficult patients and families, Diabetic Ketoacidosis, Dialysis, Diuretic Use, Drug Changes with Renal Dysfunction, Emergency Cardiac Pacing, Endocarditis Diagnosis and Treatment, Endocarditis Prophylaxis, End of Life Decisions, Endotracheal Tubes & Tracheotomy, Ethical Guidelines, Febrile Neutropenia, FUO, Fluid Resuscitation, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Heparin, Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia, Hepatic Encephalopathy, Hepatic Failure, HIV +Patient Infections, Hypercalcemia Diagnosis and Treatment, Hypercalcemia Insulin Treatment, Hyperkalemia: Etiology & Treatment, Hypernatremia: Etiology & Treatment, Hypertensive Crisis, Hypokalemia: Etiology & Treatment, Hyponatremia: Etiology & Treatment, Hypothermia, Identification of Cervical Cord Injury, Implantable Cardio-defibrillator, Intra-Aortic Balloon Device, Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Latex Allergy, Magnesium Administration, Management of Hypotension, Inotropes, Management of Patients with Ascites, Empiric Antibiotics for Meningitis, Myasthenia Gravis, Myocardial Infarction, Myocardial Infarction with left bundle branch block, Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections, Neuromuscular Blockers, Neuromuscular Complications of Critical Illness, Non-Infectious Causes of Fever, Non-Traumatic Coma, Noninvasive Modes of Ventilation, Nutritional Management, Obstetrical Complications, Oliguria, Open Fractures, Ophthalmic Infections, Organ Procurement Guidelines, PA Catheter Guideline and Troubleshooting, Pancreatitis, Penetrating Abdominal Injury, Penetrating Chest Injury, Penicillin Allergy, Permanent Pacemaker and Indications, Pneumonia Community Acquired, Pneumonia Hospital Acquired, Post-Op Bleeding, Post-Op Hypertension, Post-Op Management of Abdominal Surgery, Post-Op Management of Carotid Surgery, Post-Op Management of Open Heart Surgery, Post-Op Management of Thoracotomy Surgery, Post-Op Myocardial Ischemia, Cardiac Arrhythmias after Non-Cardiac Surgery, Post-Op Power Weaning, Pressure Ulcers, Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis, Pulmonary Embolism Treatment, Respiratory Isolation, Sedation, Seizure, Status Epilepticus, Stroke, Sub-Arachnoid Hemorrhage, Supra-Ventricular Tachyarrythmia, Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia, Wide Complex QRS Tachycardia, Therapeutic Drug Monitoring, Thrombocytopenia, Thrombolytic Therapy, Transfusion Guidelines, Traumatic Brain Injury, Assessment of Sedation, Sedation, Septic Shock, Bolus Sliding Scale Midazolam, Short Term Sedation Process, Sinusitis, SIRS, Spinal Cord Injury, Steroid Replacement Strategy, Thyroid Disease, Transplant Infection Prophylaxis, Transplant Related Infections, Treatment of Airway Obstruction, Unknown Poisoning, Unstable Angina, Upper GI Bleeding Stress Prophylaxis, Vancomycin, Upper GI Bleeding Non-Variceal, Upper GI Bleeding Variceal, Use of Hematopoiectic Growth Factors, Ventilator Weaning, Ventilator Weaning Protocol, Venous Thrombosis Diagnosis and Treatment, Venous Thromboembolism Prophylaxis, Ventricular Arrhythmia, Warfarin, Warfarin Dosing, and Wound Healing Strategies.

Claim 21

The method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs from a remote location claim of 17 further comprising: storing data from the remote command center in a data server/data warehouse; analyzing the data from the command center; and providing results of the analysis over a second network to the remote command center.

Claim 22

The method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs from a remote location claim of 17 further comprising transmitting video from the critical care site via the network to the remote command center.

Claim 23

The method for providing expert critical care simultaneously to a plurality of geographically dispersed ICUs from a remote location claim of 17 , wherein applying a rules engine to at least two patient data elements stored in the database to monitor the medical condition in the patients comprises applying a rules engine to a physiological measure and a clinical data element of the patient.