In many commercial endeavors, a plurality of computer applications share a set of data. For example, in the field of medicine, a user can input the same information describing a particular patient to multiple computer applications. The information can be patient information (such as name, sex, social security number, primary physician, medical history, drug interactions, etc.), user information (such as user identification, password, etc.), encounter or visit information (such as date, encounter number, name of treating physician, etc.), observation information (such as diagnosis, blood test results, etc.), financial information (such as insurance coverage, billing history, etc.), or other types of information. The user's task historically entailed repeatedly entering the same data describing the patient into multiple computer applications. This practice of repeatedly entering the same data for multiple computer applications not only applies to the medical field, but also extends to other fields.
The healthcare industry recognizes the need for managing and sharing data, and in 1999, the Health Level Seven (HL7) published the first Clinical Context Object Workgroup (CCOW) standard (hereafter “the CCOW standard”) for context management. The CCOW standard defines a context management architecture (CMA) and processes for managing information describing a subject across a range of clinical and other healthcare-related computer applications. The nature of the CCOW standard is described, for example, in HL7 Context Management Standard, Version 1.5, which was rectified in May 2004.
While the CCOW standard allows context and data sharing, a user still must repeatedly enter the same information into multiple computer applications. For example, following a patient visit, a nurse may have to use the same login information and enter the same patient identification information into three or four different computer applications. Repeatedly entering the same information into multiple applications can be burdensome and time consuming.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method and a system that allows users to easily repeat tasks to streamline workflow and that also allows users to reduce the time wasted on redundant tasks.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “comprise,” “include,” “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. The term “coupled,” as used herein, is defined as directly or indirectly coupled in an electrical or non-electrical manner.