Methods, systems, and devices for managing medical images and records
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-8065166-B2
Publication Date
2011-11-22
Expiration Date
Abstract
The disclosure herein provides methods, systems, and devices for managing, transferring, modifying, converting and/or tracking medical files and/or medical system messages. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may generally be based on requesting medical files at a first medical facility, identifying the requested medical files at a second medical facility, initiating a secure network connection between the first and second medical facility, modifying a header portion of the medical files based on patient identification information created by the first medical facility, and other processing steps.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to electronically transferring medical files from a source medical facility to a destination medical facility by receiving, at a remote server at the source medical facility, an electronic communication to transfer at least one medical file associated with a patient. The electronic communication comprises patient information, a destination patient identification, and a first encryption key for establishing a secure network connection, and it is received from a main server system configured to receive from the destination medical facility a request for the at least one medical file. The method locates and retrieves the at least one medical file from a medical data electronic storage repository stored at or accessible by the source medical facility.
The invention establishes a secure network connection between the source medical facility and the destination medical facility using paired encryption keys comprising at least the first encryption key, and it transfers the at least one medical file over the secure network connection. A header portion of the at least one medical file is modified by removing a first patient identification assigned by the source medical facility and replacing it with a second patient identification assigned by the destination medical facility. The secure network connection is terminated by the remote server after said transferring.
In additional embodiments, the transfer is coordinated by a destination-accessible system, where receiving and secure-network connection establishment are performed using paired encryption keys, and the medical file is received from the source-accessible system and then stored at the destination medical facility. The invention further includes storing a record of the transfer in a transaction history database. In other embodiments, modifying the header portion includes replacing a first accession number with a second accession number assigned by the destination medical facility and replacing a medical procedure code or name with a standardized intermediary code mapped from a standardized mapping table, and it can include file format conversion and medical messaging using Health Level Seven compliant messages.
The disclosed system and program embodiments implement the same patient-identification header modification concept with permission-based, user authorization workflows. The document also describes generating transaction history or an audit trail, including audit trail data in a tag or in an image file, and it describes capturing and verifying HIPAA release forms, providing central authentication, and enabling request/approval workflows with additional storage and recordkeeping such as release forms and billing records.
Claims Coverage
Independent claim coverage includes five independent claims (clm-00001, clm-00031, clm-00060, clm-00076, clm-00102) plus independent computer-readable medium claims (clm-00122, clm-00140, clm-00159). Across these independent claims, the method/system features are centered on electronically transferring medical files using encryption keys and secure network connections, modifying a header portion to replace source-assigned patient identification with destination-assigned patient identification, obtaining user authorization, and storing or recording transfer activity in a transaction history database, with additional independent-medium coverage for the same core steps.
Secure transfer with received transfer request
Receiving by a remote server at the source medical facility an electronic communication to transfer at least one medical file associated with a patient from the source medical facility to the destination medical facility, wherein the electronic communication comprises at least patient information, a second patient identification, and a first encryption key for establishing a secure network connection and is received from a main server system configured to receive from the destination medical facility a request for the at least one medical file.
Locating and retrieving medical files from source repository
Locating the at least one medical file on a medical data electronic storage repository stored at or accessible by the source medical facility by accessing the medical data electronic storage repository, obtaining authorization from a user to transfer, and retrieving the at least one medical file stored on the medical data electronic storage repository.
Paired-key secure network connection and header patient identifier replacement
Accessing a secure network connection between the source medical facility and the destination medical facility using paired encryption keys comprising at least the first encryption key, and modifying a header portion of the at least one medical file to remove a first patient identification and replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, where the first patient identification is assigned by the source medical facility and the second patient identification is assigned by the destination medical facility.
Sending over secure connection and terminating the connection
Sending the at least one medical file over the secure network connection to the destination medical facility and terminating the secure network connection after said transferring.
Receiving, paired-key connection, authorization, header replacement, and storing
Receiving by a first computer system the at least one medical file from a second computer system over the secure network connection using paired encryption keys, terminating the connection after said receiving, obtaining authorization from a user to store the at least one medical file on a medical data electronic storage repository at or accessible by the destination medical facility, modifying a header portion to replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, and storing the at least one medical file on the medical data electronic storage repository.
Coordinated instructions between destination-accessible and source-accessible systems with transaction logging
Receiving by a first computer system a first electronic communication from a second computer system to transfer at least one medical file, sending a second electronic communication to a third computer system to instruct the third computer system to send the at least one medical file comprising patient information and a first encryption key, sending a third electronic communication to the second computer system to instruct it to receive the at least one medical file comprising a second encryption key, causing generation of a secure network connection between the second and third computer systems using the first and second encryption keys, causing modifying of a header portion to replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, causing transferring over the secure network connection, causing terminating after said transferring, and storing a record of the transfer in a transaction history database.
Destination repository system modules for request management, secure communications, header filtering, and authorization-based storage
Providing a computer system with modules comprising: a request management module configured to process an electronic communication comprising at least patient information and a first encryption key, a communications module configured to access a secure network connection using the first encryption key and a second encryption key and receive the at least one medical file over the secure network connection, a filter module configured to modify a header portion to remove a first patient identification and replace it with a second patient identification, an authorization module configured to receive authorization from a user to store the at least one medical file on a medical data electronic storage repository, and a storage module configured to store the at least one medical file based on the authorization.
Programmed medium secure transfer with header patient identifier replacement
Receiving by a suitably programmed computer system accessible by the source medical facility an electronic communication comprising at least patient information, a second patient identification, and a first encryption key, locating the at least one medical file on a medical data electronic storage repository by accessing the repository, obtaining authorization from a user, retrieving the at least one medical file, accessing a secure network connection between the source medical facility and the destination medical facility using paired encryption keys comprising at least the first encryption key, modifying a header portion to remove a first patient identification and replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, sending the at least one medical file over the secure network connection, and terminating the secure network connection after said transferring.
Non-transitory medium for receiving, paired-key secure connection, header replacement, and storing
Receiving by a suitably programmed computer system an electronic communication to receive at least one medical file comprising at least patient information and a first encryption key, accessing a secure network connection between the destination-accessible first computer system and a second computer system at or accessible by the source medical facility using paired encryption keys comprising at least the first encryption key, receiving the at least one medical file over the secure network connection, terminating after said receiving, obtaining authorization to store the at least one medical file on a medical data electronic storage repository, modifying a header portion to replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, and storing the at least one medical file on the medical data electronic storage repository.
Non-transitory medium coordinated instructions with transaction logging
Receiving by the suitably programmed computer system a first electronic communication from a second computer system accessible by the destination medical facility, sending a second electronic communication to a third computer system accessible by the source medical facility instructing the third computer system to send the at least one medical file with patient information and a first encryption key, sending a third electronic communication to the second computer system with patient information and a second encryption key, causing generation of a secure network connection using the first and second encryption keys, causing modifying of a header portion to replace the first patient identification with the second patient identification, causing transferring over the secure network connection, causing terminating after said transferring, and storing a record of the transfer in a transaction history database.
Across the independent claims, the core inventive concept is secure, permission-based electronic transfer of medical files between a source and destination medical facility using encryption keys and a secure network connection, combined with modifying a header portion to replace source-assigned patient identifiers with destination-assigned patient identifiers. Additional independent coverage includes destination-side receiving and storing, coordinated instruction messaging between systems, and recording transfer events in a transaction history database, with the computer-system and computer-readable medium claims reciting module/code-based implementations of the same core workflow.
Stated Advantages
Modifies a header portion by replacing patient identifiers so that each facility uses its own patient identification for identifying the patient.
Tracks transfer activity by storing a record of the transfer in a transaction history database and/or generating an audit trail.
Documented Applications
Permission-based on-demand electronic transfer of medical images/records/messages between source and destination medical facilities coordinated via a main server system and client-server modules.
Support for radiology-based system interoperability including PACS, RIS, HIS, and image server repositories for locating and retrieving medical files.
Use of standardized mapping tables for procedure code/name normalization via a standardized intermediary code during transfer header modification.
Use of HL7 compliant messaging in medical messaging or communication associated with the transfer workflow.
Generation of accession number handling and transfer auditing using transaction history and audit trail data (including audit trail data in tags or image-file audit trail data).
Consent and compliance artifact handling including HIPAA release form capture/verification as part of authorization and recordkeeping during transfer.
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