# US 10,504,044 B2 · Method to view schedule interdependencies and provide proactive clinical process decision support in day view form

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- Number: US 10,504,044 B2
- Document ID: US10504044B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/206,447
- Filed: 2018-11-30
- Published: 2019-03-28
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2005-11-15
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Christopher D. Johnson; Kunter Seref Akbay; Onur Ilkin Dulgeroglu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504044B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/063116: {Schedule adjustment for a person or group}
- G06Q 10/06: Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
- G06Q 10/1093: Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
- G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
- G16H 30/20: for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
- G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

A system and method for use in managing and preparing for scheduled procedures that are characterized as being interdependent and variable. The disclosed method enables schedule risk management and provides a look-ahead capability along with process diagnostics to isolate specific assets and tasks that can be managed to reduce schedule risk. The method facilitates review of upcoming tasks by the process stakeholders for education as to where the schedule risks reside and in an emulation mode for review and improved scheduling going forward. Clinical workflow is integrated such that process stakeholders and assets are directed in such a way as to keep on, reduce delay risk or recover the schedule.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
at least one memory to store instructions; and
at least one processor to execute the instructions to implement at least:
a simulator to simulate allocation and operation of resources to execute tasks using the resources to complete a protocol in a dynamic environment, the simulator to at least:
determine relationships between the resources and the tasks to be executed using the resources, the relationships including a probability density function calculated to estimate a duration for completion of the tasks using the resources;
generate, based on the relationships and associated probably density function, decision support rules defining a lower specification limit and an upper specification limit bounding adjustable set points for task completion based on the probability density function;
convert the tasks and decision support rules into critical path logic to be executed with respect to the resources, the critical path logic executable by the simulator to determine a schedule and associated schedule risk based on the tasks, the resources, and the decision support rules; and
when the schedule risk falls outside bounds established by the lower specification limit and the upper specification limit of the decision support rules, modify the schedule using the critical path logic to generate a modified schedule of tasks for the resources to execute to complete the protocol;
a scheduler to provide the modified schedule to at least one of the resources; and
a scheduler interface to facilitate interaction with the simulator to at least one of replay, play forward, or edit the modified schedule.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment includes a clinical environment.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment includes a networked environment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduler interface is to visualize variation in the schedule.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scheduler interface is to facilitate interaction with the simulator to determine a cause of the variation based on interdependencies between the resources.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is to be included in at least one of a patient kiosk or a provider kiosk.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduler interface is to enable interaction using at least one of a slider or a dial to adjust virtual time to at least one of replay or play forward at least one of the schedule or the modified schedule.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the upper specification limit or the lower specification limit is to be adjustable based on at least one of an alert or feedback.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the critical path logic is to include resource equipment prognostics to calculate the schedule risk.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the resources include at least one of a shared device or a shared service to be provided at multiple points in the environment.

### Claim 11

A storage device or storage disk including instructions which, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
simulate allocation and operation of resources to execute tasks using the resources to complete a protocol in a dynamic environment by:
determining relationships between the resources and the tasks to be executed using the resources, the relationships including a probability density function calculated to estimate a duration for completion of the tasks using the resources;
generating, based on the relationships and associated probably density function, decision support rules defining a lower specification limit and an upper specification limit bounding adjustable set points for task completion based on the probability density function;
converting the tasks and decision support rules into critical path logic to be executed with respect to the resources, the critical path logic executable by the simulator to determine a schedule and associated schedule risk based on the tasks, the resources, and the decision support rules; and
when the schedule risk falls outside bounds established by the lower specification limit and the upper specification limit of the decision support rules, modifying the schedule using the critical path logic to generate a modified schedule of tasks for the resources to execute to complete the protocol;
provide the modified schedule to at least one of the resources; and
facilitate interaction with the simulator to at least one of replay, play forward, or edit the modified schedule.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the environment includes a clinical environment.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the environment includes a networked environment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to facilitate interaction with the simulator by visualizing variation in the schedule.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, are to facilitate interaction with the simulator to determine a cause of the variation based on interdependencies between the resources.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is to be included in at least one of a patient kiosk or a provider kiosk.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the interaction with the simulator is to use at least one of a slider or a dial to adjust virtual time to at least one of replay or play forward at least one of the schedule or the modified schedule.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein at least one of the upper specification limit or the lower specification limit is to be adjustable based on at least one of an alert or feedback.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the critical path logic is to include resource equipment prognostics to calculate the schedule risk.

### Claim 20 (depends on 11)

The storage device or storage disk of claim 11, wherein the resources include at least one of a shared device or a shared service to be provided at multiple points in the environment.