System for providing expert care to outpatients from a remote location

A method for providing expert critical care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:

• communicating over a network monitored patient data elements from monitoring stations, wherein the monitoring stations comprise instructions for obtaining the monitored patient data elements of the outpatients to a remote command center, wherein the remote command center comprises 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, wherein the rules applied by the rules engine identify existing or potential patient conditions that may warrant management by a health care provider;
• acquiring at the remote command center other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the medical conditions of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “patient data elements;” and
• using the rules engine to apply the rules to at least two patient data elements;
• determining when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied;
• and
• when the conditions of any one of the rules has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the rule with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, and
• wherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command the computerized patient care management system determines that an alert should be displayed.

The method of 31, wherein the patient monitoring station further comprises a computerized urgent consultation warning system and wherein the method further comprises:

• evaluating by the urgent consultation warning system the patient data elements using the urgent consultation warning system before receipt of the patient data elements at the storage device;
• determining by the urgent consultation warning system whether an event has occurred that warrants an urgent consultation;
• and
• when an urgent consultation is warranted, then the urgent consultation warning system instructing the communications scheduler to establish communications between the storage device and the communications interface to send the stored patient data elements to the remote command center.

A system for providing expert care from a remote location to outpatients located at outpatient care locations (OPCLs) comprising:

• a network;
• patient monitoring stations located at the OPCLs for monitoring patient data elements from outpatients, wherein the monitored patient data elements comprise data elements indicative of a heart condition of the outpatients and wherein each patient monitoring station comprises a communications interface that transmits the monitored patient data elements to a remote command center via the network;
• and
• the remote command center connected to the network, wherein the remote command center comprises a rules engine, wherein the rules engine comprises rules comprising conditions, and wherein the remote command center comprises instructions which when executed by the remote command center cause the remote command center to:
• receive the monitored patient data elements from the OPCLs;
• acquire other patient data elements, wherein the other patient data elements are indicative of the heart condition of the outpatients and wherein the monitored patient data elements and the other patient data elements are collectively referred to as “patient data elements;”
• utilize the rules engine to apply rules in accordance with the requirements of the to at least two patient data elements;
• determine when the conditions of any one of the rules have been satisfied;
• and
• when the conditions of the any one of the rule has been satisfied, taking an action in accordance with the any one of the rules with respect to a particular one of the outpatients to whom the any one of the rules applies, and
• wherein the monitoring and determining when the conditions of the any one of rules has been satisfied occurs in an automated fashion at the remote command center by the computerized patient care management system determines that the action should be taken.