Resource monitoring system for processing location related information in a healthcare enterprise

A method for managing location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a first profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations within a first physical structure, said plurality of locations being available to accommodate a patient for different purposes, said first profile identifies a hierarchical organization of locations within a healthcare enterprise for at least one of (a) hosting a patient encounter with a healthcare enter rise involving patient and healthcare enterprise interaction, and (b) accommodating a patient for a variable duration;
• storing said first profile and an associated date of validity of said first profile;
• incorporating in said first profile attributes including,
• a location type identifier, and
• a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition and identifying a level of care indicative of frequency and urgency of clinician intervention in patient care supported by a location including rooms supporting patient treatment and patient stay suitable for a patient having said particular medical condition;
• and
• establishing a second profile incorporating information from said first profile, said second profile comprising information identifying a plurality of locations within a second physical structure derived by modifying said first physical structure.

A method for processing location related information for use in facilitating movement of a patient in a healthcare enterprise, comprising the steps of:

• establishing a profile comprising information identifying a hierarchical organization of locations enabling a search to identify locations available for use by a patient for different purposes within a healthcare enterprise and including rooms for, (a) hosting a patient encounter with a healthcare enterprise involving patient and healthcare enterprise interaction supporting patient treatment, and (b) accommodating a patient during an inpatient stay;
• storing said profile and an associated date of validity of said profile;
• incorporating in said profile attributes including,
• a location type identifier, and
• a location characteristic of clinical significance influencing availability of a particular location to a patient having a particular medical condition and identifying a level of care indicative of the urgency of clinician intervention in patient care supported by a location including rooms supporting patient treatment and patient stay suitable for a patient having said particular medical condition;
• filtering search results identifying candidate locations in response to a business process type associated with the search;
• and
• employing said profile in providing a user with an indication of location availability in response to user command.