Remote command center for patient monitoring

A method for providing alerts at a remote command center, wherein the remote command center has access to a database, the method comprising:

• obtaining patient data elements from monitoring stations located in geographically separate health care locations (HCLs), wherein the monitoring stations comprise instructions for obtaining monitored patient data elements,
• communicating the monitored patient data elements to the database via a network, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements comprising the monitored patient data elements and other patient data elements associated with medical conditions of the HCL patients;
• receiving at the remote command center alerts, wherein the alerts are provided by a computerized patient care management system, which system utilizes a rules engine to apply rules, repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements according to the rules of the rules engine whenever the patient care management system is in operation, wherein the rules applied by the rules engine identify existing or potential patient conditions that may warrant management by a health care provider, and
• wherein the computerized patient care management system:
• uses information generated by the rules engine to determine if an alert should be provided, and
• provides alerts to be concurrently displayed at the remote command center for all patients for whom the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed at that time.

A system for providing at a remote command center alerts about a plurality of ICU patients located in geographically separate ICUs, comprising:

• a network;
• the remote command center;
• an audio system comprising instructions for obtaining audio of the ICU patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs and for communicating the audio via the network;
• a video system comprising instructions for obtaining video of the ICU patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs and for communicating the video via the network,
• wherein the audio obtained from the audio system and the video obtained from the video system are received at the remote command center, and
• monitoring stations located in the geographically separate ICUs, wherein the monitoring stations comprise instructions for obtaining data elements from patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs (monitored patient data elements) and for communicating the monitored patient data elements to a database via the network;
• and
• wherein the network is connected to the remote command center and wherein the network is configured to provide the remote command center access to:
• a database that comprises stored patient data elements comprising the monitored patient data elements and other patient data elements associated with medical conditions of the ICU patients;
• a computerized patient care management system, wherein the computerized patient care management system comprises instructions for:
• accessing patient data elements from the stored patient data elements in the database;
• utilizing a rules engine to apply rules repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements according to the rules of the rules engine whenever the patient care management system is in operation, wherein the rules applied by the rules engine identify existing or potential patient conditions that may warrant management by a health care provider;
• using information generated by the rules engine to determine if an alert should be provided at the remote command center;
• and
• providing alerts to be concurrently displayed at the remote command center for all patients for whom the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed at that time.

A method for providing at a remote command center alerts about a plurality of ICU patients located in geographically separate ICUs, wherein the remote command center has access to a database, the method comprising:

• obtaining patient data elements from monitoring stations located in the geographically separate ICUs, wherein the monitoring stations obtain data elements from patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs (monitored patient data elements);
• communicating the monitored patient data elements to the database via a network, wherein the database comprises stored patient data elements comprising the monitored patient data elements and other patient data elements associated with medical conditions of the ICU patients;
• obtaining audio of the ICU patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs;
• obtaining video of the ICU patients who are located in the geographically separate ICUs,
• accessing at the remote command center the audio and the video of the patients in the geographically separate ICUs;
• displaying at the remote command center alerts, provided by a computerized patient care management system, which system utilizes a rules engine to apply rules, repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements according to the rules of the rules engine whenever the patient care management system is in operation, wherein the rules applied by the rules engine identify existing or potential patient conditions that may warrant management by a health care provider, and
• wherein the computerized patient care management system:
• uses information generated by the rules engine to determine if an alert should be provided, and
• provides alerts to be concurrently displayed at the remote command center for all patients for whom the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed at that time;
• and
• wherein the alerts are concurrently displayed at the the remote command center for all patients for whom the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed at that time.

A system for simultaneously managing information associated with the care of patients in geographically separate health care locations comprising:

• a computerized patient care management system comprising access to a database and a rules engine;
• a network in communication with the geographically separate health care locations and a remote command center over which patient data elements relating to patients in the geographically separate health care locations can be received by the computerized patient care management system via the network, and over which patient data elements, and alerts can be communicated to the remote command center via the network;
• patient data elements stored in the database, which patient data elements comprise data elements obtained from patient monitoring stations that monitor patients located in the geographically separate health care locations and data elements associated with medical conditions of the patients located in the geographically separate health care locations;
• wherein the computerized patient care management system further comprises instructions for:
• utilizing the information generated by the rules engine associated with the patients in the geographically separate health care locations to determine if an alert should be communicated to the remote command;
• wherein the rules engine applies rules repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements according to the rules of the rules engine whenever the patient care management system is in operation to identify existing or potential patient conditions and
• communicating alerts to be concurrently available at the remote command center, via the network, for all patients in the geographically separate health care locations for which the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be available at that time.

A system for simultaneously managing information associated with the care of patients in geographically separate ICUs comprising:

• a computerized patient care management system comprising access to a database and a rules engine;
• a network in communication with the geographically separate ICUs and a remote command center over which patient data elements relating to patients in the geographically separate ICUs can be received by the computerized patient care management system via the network, and over which patient data elements, and alerts can be communicated to the remote command center via the network;
• patient data elements stored in the database, which patient data elements comprise data elements obtained from patient monitoring stations that monitor patients located in the geographically separate ICUs and data elements associated with medical conditions of the patients located in the geographically separate ICUs;
• wherein the computerized patient care management system further comprises instructions for:
• utilizing the information generated by the rules engine associated with the patients in the geographically separate ICUs to determine if an alert should be communicated to the remote command;
• wherein the rules engine applies rules repeatedly and automatically to at least two patient data elements to identify existing or potential patient conditions;
• and
• communicating alerts to be concurrently available at the remote command center, via the network, for all patients in the geographically separate ICUs for which the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be available at that time.