BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses, such as beds, cots, stretchers, operating tables, recliners, or the like. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a system for assisting caregivers with both the management of such patient support apparatuses and the performance of their rounding tasks.

Hospitals typically expect nurses and/or other caregivers to perform a variety of different duties when carrying for patients. These duties include administering medications and/or therapies, taking vital sign readings, installing and removing IV drips, taking blood samples, ensuring patient compliance with prescribed activities and/or medications, assisting the patient into and out of bed, regularly visiting the patient, configuring the patient's bed to be in a desired state, documenting one or more of these activities, and generally being responsive to the patient's needs. One of these duties including performing what are customarily known as patient rounds. Such rounding duties involve the caregiver personally checking on the wellbeing of the patient at certain specified intervals. Hospital administrators typically specify a minimum frequency at which the caregivers are to perform these rounding duties, such as, for example, at least once every two hours. In some situations, the rounding frequencies may vary based on the medical condition of the patient, the wing or section of the hospital, and/or other factors.

SUMMARY

According to various embodiments, a tool for assisting caregivers in carrying out several of their patient care responsibilities is provided herein. According to some embodiments, a tool is specifically provided for facilitating the caregiver's rounding duties with his or her duties to ensure that the patient's bed is in a desired configuration. This tool can be particularly helpful in situations where the desired configuration of the bed is deemed to have, or it otherwise treated as having, a lower priority than the other duties assigned to a caregiver. According to other embodiments, the tool may additionally assist the caregiver with performing still other duties, such as reminding the caregiver to perform certain activities, evaluating one or more aspects of the patient's health (e.g. whether the patient is at risk for falls, bed sores, and/or other undesirable conditions); documenting one or more aspects of the patient's care, and/or other duties. In some embodiments, the tool combines bed status data with rounding data so that the caregiver is reminded of undesirable bed states while he or she is carrying out his or her rounding duties. More particularly, the tool may provide an alert to the caregiver of an undesirable bed configuration while the caregiver is using the rounding function of the tool, thereby allowing the caregiver to perform both rounding and bed compliance duties at the same time, as well as eliminating the need for the caregiver to access and/or utilize a separate tool for ensuring the beds are in a desired state. In order to better ensure that the bed is configured to a desired state, the rounding functions of the tool may be rendered partially or wholly inoperative when a bed is not configured to the desired state. These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be apparent to one skilled in the art in light of the following written description.

According to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided for assisting caregivers to perform their rounding duties. The caregiver assistance system includes a rounding server and a bed. The rounding server is configured to execute a caregiver assistance application that monitors caregiver rounding tasks. The bed communicates with the caregiver assistance application and comprises a litter frame, a support deck, a display, a sensor, a memory, a transceiver, and a controller. The support deck is supported on the litter frame and adapted to support a patient thereon. The sensor is adapted to detect a caregiver's presence adjacent the bed. The memory contains an identifier uniquely identifying the bed. The transceiver communicates with the caregiver assistance application, and the controller communicates with the display, the memory, and the sensor. The controller is adapted to automatically display an image on the display in response to the sensor detecting the caregiver's presence. The image includes the identifier.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the sensor is a short range wireless transceiver adapted to detect a short range wireless transceiver carried by the caregiver.

In some embodiments, the image includes the identifier encoded in at least one of a QR code or a bar code.

The bed, in some embodiments, is adapted to transmit a message to the caregiver assistance application in response to displaying the image on the display. The message may include the identifier and a time at which the caregiver's presence was detected.

In some embodiments, the controller is adapted to display a current time with the image. Alternatively, or additionally, the controller may further be adapted to display a compliance indicator in the image. The compliance indicator indicates whether the bed is currently compliant with a predefined state or not.

In some embodiments, the sensor is adapted to receive a unique code from the short range wireless transceiver carried by the caregiver. The unique code uniquely identifies the caregiver and/or a mobile electronic device carried by the caregiver.

The bed is adapted to transmit a message to the caregiver assistance application that includes the unique code, in some embodiments.

The bed, in some embodiments, includes a caregiver control panel having a plurality of controls adapted to be activated by a caregiver. In such embodiments, the sensor may be adapted to detect when a user activates a control on the caregiver control panel.

In some embodiments, the controller stops displaying the image a predetermined amount of time after the caregiver's presence is no longer detected.

The caregiver assistance application is adapted to use the image to update a rounding task for a patient associated with the bed, in some embodiments.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided that comprises a bed, a server, and an electronic device. The bed includes a litter frame, a support deck, a memory having a bed ID stored therein, a sensor, and a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit the bed ID and status data from the sensor to the server. The server is configured to execute a caregiver assistance application and to receive the bed ID and status data from the bed. The electronic device includes a display and a user input. The electronic device is configured to communicate with the caregiver assistance application and to perform the following: (i) display rounding information on the display, the rounding information relating to a patient associated with the bed; (ii) display the status data on the display; (iii) receive rounding data via the user input from a caregiver associated with the bed; (iv) capture verification data verifying that the caregiver is physically present adjacent the bed; and (v) forward the rounding data to the caregiver assistance application.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided that comprises a bed and a server. The bed includes a litter frame, a support deck, a memory having a bed ID stored therein, a sensor, and a transceiver. The transceiver is configured to transmit the bed ID and status data from the sensor to the server. The server is configured to execute a caregiver assistance application and to receive the bed ID and status data from the bed. The caregiver assistance application is configured to communicate with a remote electronic device comprising a display, a user input, and a web browser configured to be able to access a particular Uniform Resources Locator (URL) associated with the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is further configured to cause the electronic device to perform the following after accessing the particular URL: (i) display rounding information on the display, the rounding information relating to a patient associated with the bed; (ii) display the status data on the display; (iii) receive rounding data via the user input from a caregiver associated with the electronic device and the bed; and (iv) capture verification data verifying that the caregiver is physically present adjacent the bed.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be further configured to forward the verification data to the caregiver assistance application in response to the caregiver manipulating the user input.

In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to capture a current state of the status data from the sensor in response to receiving the rounding data from the electronic device. In such embodiments, the caregiver assistance application may further be configured to forward both the current state of the status data and the rounding data to an electronic medical records (EMR) server.

The electronic device, in some embodiments, includes a camera and the verification data includes image data taken with the camera of at least a portion of the bed. The image data may include an image of a code that is displayed on a display of the bed. Regardless of the specific form of the image data, the electronic device is configured to forward the image data to the caregiver assistance application in response to the caregiver manipulating the user input. The caregiver assistance application analyzes the image data to determine if the image data meets a criterion. The criterion includes one or more characteristics intended to verify that the image data was taken in the vicinity of the patient's bed, such as an identification of the bed, an identification of the caregiver, a timestamp, etc. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to forward a first set of data to an electronic medical records (EMR) server if the image data meets the criterion and a second set of data to the EMR server if the image data does not meet the criterion. The second set of data is different from the first set of data.

In some embodiments, the bed is adapted to display a Quick Response (QR) code or a bar code, and an image of this code serves as the verification data. Additionally or alternatively, the code may include data indicating at least one of a time or an identifier of the bed.

The electronic device is configured to display the status data simultaneously with the rounding data on the display, in at least some embodiments. Such display may include displaying a non-compliance indication to the caregiver if the status data from the bed does not match a desired state.

In some embodiments, the electronic device is further configured to issue a reminder to the caregiver to change a setting on the bed in order to cause the status data to match the desired state. The reminder is issued prior to forwarding the rounding data to the caregiver assistance application.

The electronic device is configured, in some embodiments, to receive a caregiver command to change the setting on the bed and to send the caregiver command to the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is configured to then send the caregiver command to the bed so that the setting on the bed is changed. The command, in some embodiments, is a command to arm an exit detection system of the bed, or to arm a compliance monitoring feature of the bed.

In some embodiments, the rounding information displayed on the display of the electronic device includes a patient question intended to be asked of the patient by the caregiver. In such embodiments, the rounding data may include an answer to the patient question.

The electronic device is configured in some embodiments to automatically append a current date and time to the rounding data sent to the caregiver assistance application, thereby relieving the caregiver of the task of documenting a time at which the rounding information was gathered.

In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to store the rounding information in a location identified via at least one Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and the electronic device is a browser enabled device configured to receive the rounding information from the caregiver assistance application by accessing the URL.

The electronic device is further configured in some embodiments to receive a room identifier from the caregiver and to forward the room identifier to the caregiver assistance application. In response to this room number, the caregiver assistance application associates the room identifier with a specific patient.

The electronic device is portable, in at least some embodiments, and configured to communicate wirelessly with the caregiver assistance application. In some such embodiments, the portable electronic device is a smart phone or a tablet computer.

The portable electronic device may include a camera configured to simultaneously capture an image of the bed and an image of the caregiver. In such embodiments, the portable electronic device is further configured to forward both the bed image and the caregiver image to the caregiver assistance application.

In some embodiments, the bed includes a first near field transceiver and the electronic device includes a second near field transceiver. In such embodiments, the verification data includes data communicated from the bed to the electronic device via the first and second near field transceivers.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided that includes a server and a portable electronic device. The server is configured to execute a caregiver assistance application that receives status data indicating a current state of a bed. The portable electronic device includes a display and a user input. The portable electronic device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the caregiver assistance application and to perform the following functions: (i) display rounding information on the display that is related to a patient associated with the bed; (ii) display the status data on the display; (iii) capture verification data verifying that a caregiver using the portable electronic device is physically present adjacent the bed; and (iv) forward rounding data to the caregiver assistance application.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided that includes a server configured to execute a caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application receives status data indicating a current state of a bed and communicates with a remote electronic device. The remote electronic device includes a display, a user input, and a web browser configured to be able to access a particular Uniform Resources Locator (URL) associated with the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is further configured to cause the electronic device to perform the following after it accesses the particular URL: (i) display rounding information on the display that is related to a patient associated with the bed; (ii) display the status data on the display; and (iii) capture verification data verifying that a caregiver using the portable electronic device is physically present adjacent the bed.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the rounding information includes a patient question and the rounding data includes an answer to the patient question.

The verification data may be forwarded by the portable electronic device to the caregiver assistance application in response to the caregiver manipulating the user input.

In some embodiments, the portable electronic device includes a camera and the verification data includes image data taken with the camera of at least a portion of the bed. The image data may include a code and/or an identifier of a particular bed.

The portable electronic device may further be configured to display the status data simultaneously with the rounding information on the display. Alternatively or additionally, the portable electronic device may be configured to display a non-compliance indication to the caregiver if the status data from the bed does not match a desired state. In some embodiments, the non-compliance indication is displayed simultaneously with the rounding information on the display.

The portable electronic device is further configured in some embodiments to issue a reminder to the caregiver to change a setting on the bed in order to cause the status data to match the desired state.

In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to automatically capture a current state of the status data from a sensor positioned on the bed in response to receiving the rounding data from the portable electronic device. The caregiver assistance application captures the current state of the status data by sending a request to a bed server in which the current state of the status data is stored and/or by reading a previously received current state from within a memory accessible to the caregiver assistance application. After capturing the current state of the status date, the caregiver assistance application is configured to forward both the current state of the status data and the rounding data to an electronic medical records (EMR) server.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system is provided that includes a server and a portable electronic device. The server is configured to execute a caregiver assistance application and to receive status data and bed configuration data. The status data indicates a current state of a bed and the bed configuration data indicates a desired state of the bed. The caregiver assistance application determines if the current state of the bed is or is not in compliance with the bed configuration data. The portable electronic device wirelessly communicates with the caregiver assistance application and includes a display and a user input. The portable electronic device further configured to perform the following: (i) display rounding information on the display related to a patient associated with the bed; (ii) receive a non-compliance message from the caregiver assistance application if the current state of the bed is not in compliance with the bed configuration data; (iii) display a non-compliance indication on the display if the portable electronic device receives the non-compliance message; (iv) receive rounding data via the user input from a caregiver associated with the bed; and (v) display a message on the display indicating that that the rounding data will not be forwarded to an electronic medical record of the patient's until the caregiver performs at least one of the following: (a) acknowledges the non-compliance message; or (b) changes the current state of the bed to match the desired state of the bed.

According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a caregiver assistance system comprises a server configured to execute a caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application receives status data indicating a current state of a bed and bed configuration data indicating a desired state of the bed. The caregiver assistance application determines if the current state of the bed is or is not in compliance with the bed configuration data. The caregiver assistance application is configured to communicate with a remote electronic device comprising a display, a user input, and a web browser configured to be able to access a particular Uniform Resources Locator (URL) associated with the caregiver assistance application. The caregiver assistance application is further configured to cause the electronic device to perform the following after accessing the particular URL: (i) display rounding information related to a patient associated with the bed on the display; (ii) receive a non-compliance message from the caregiver assistance application if the current state of the bed is not in compliance with the bed configuration data; (iii) display a non-compliance indication on the display if the portable electronic device receives the non-compliance message; (iv) receive rounding data via the user input from a caregiver associated with the bed; and (v) display a message on the display indicating that that the rounding data will not be forwarded to an electronic medical record of the patient's until the caregiver performs at least one of the following: (a) acknowledges the non-compliance message; or (b) changes the current state of the bed to match the desired state of the bed.

According to other aspects of the present disclosure, the portable electronic device is further configured to withhold the forwarding of the rounding data to the caregiver assistance application until the caregiver performs at least one of (a) or (b). Alternatively, the caregiver assistance application may be configured to withhold forwarding the rounding data to an electronic medical record server until the caregiver performs at least one of (a) or (b).

In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, multiple beds and/or multiple portable electronic devices may be included that are in communication with the server. The caregiver assistance application keeps track of which beds are associated with which rooms and/or caregivers. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to only supply bed status information for beds that are positioned in particular rooms assigned to a particular caregiver. That is, not all users of the caregiver assistance application are able to access the bed status data and/or patient data for all beds and/or all patients within the healthcare facility. Instead, the caregiver assistance application includes a log-in process that identifies a particular user. The caregiver assistance application then automatically limits that particular user's access to patient and/or bed information according to that person's credentials and/or work assignment. In this way, a first caregiver assigned to patient A, B, and C is not typically able to access information about patient D and/or patient D's bed. Similarly, a second caregiver assigned to patients D, E, and F is not typically able to access information about patients A, B, or C. In some embodiments, the caregiver assistance application is configured to allow users to share information and/or swap assignments, thereby permitting different users to view different patient and/or bed data.

Before the various embodiments disclosed herein are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the claims are not to be limited to the details of operation or to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein are capable of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways not expressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may be used in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed as limiting the claims to any specific order or number of components. Nor should the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scope of the claims any additional steps or components that might be combined with or into the enumerated steps or components.

