System and method for caregiver shift change

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020090804-A1
Application number	US-201916540202-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2019
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 19, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A caregiver shift change system and method for a healthcare facility includes a patient bed in a patient room and a high-accuracy locating system that includes locating tags. A first tag is coupled to a first caregiver and a second tag is coupled to a second caregiver. The high-accuracy locating system further has a number of transceivers within the healthcare facility to receive tag data from the tags. The high-accuracy locating system also includes a computer coupled to the transceivers to receive the tag data and to process the tag data to determine a location of each tag within the healthcare facility. The caregiver shift change system and method also includes a server that determines whether a successful caregiver shift change has occurred based on locations of the first and second tags being, for a predetermined period of time, within a threshold proximity of each other and within a zone defined around the patient support apparatus in the patient room.

First claim

1 . A caregiver shift change system for use in a healthcare facility having a plurality of patient rooms, the caregiver shift change system comprising:
a patient support apparatus in a first patient room of the plurality of patient rooms; a high-accuracy locating system including a plurality of locating tags, a first tag of the plurality of tags being coupled to a first caregiver, a second tag of the plurality of tags being coupled to a second caregiver, the high-accuracy locating system further having a plurality of transceivers mounted within the healthcare facility and configured to receive tag data from the plurality of tags, and at least one computer coupled to the plurality of transceivers to receive the tag data therefrom and process the tag data to determine a location of each tag of the plurality of tags within the healthcare facility; and a server configured to determine whether a successful caregiver shift change has occurred based on locations of the first and second tags being, for a predetermined period of time, within a threshold proximity of each other and within a zone defined around the patient support apparatus in the first patient room.

2 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the high-accuracy locating system operates according to an ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

3 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one computer uses two way ranging and time difference of arrival data (TDOA) techniques to determine the location of each tag of the plurality of tags.

4 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one computer uses the tag data from only a subset of the plurality of transceivers to determine the location of each tag of the plurality of tags.

5 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 4 , wherein the subset is determined based on signal strength of signals that include the tag data and that are communicated between each tag of the plurality of tags and one or more transceivers of the plurality of transceivers.

6 . The caregiver shift chance system of claim 5 , wherein the subset comprises at least three transceivers from the plurality of transceivers having highest signal strength values as compared to others of the plurality of transceivers.

7 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold proximity is about three feet.

8 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the zone defined around the patient support apparatus is defined as an area within about three feet of the patient support apparatus.

9 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the zone defined around the patient support apparatus is defined as an area within about six feet of a third tag of the plurality of tags mounted to the patient support apparatus.

10 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the zone defined around the patient support apparatus is defined by a set of X and Y coordinates within the first patient room as mapped within the at least one computer.

11 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the zone defined around the patient support apparatus is defined as any area within the first patient room that is beyond a threshold distance from a doorway of the first patient room.

12 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 1 , wherein the patient support apparatus includes a sensor that senses a presence of a patient on the patient support apparatus and the server is configured to determine whether a successful caregiver shift change has occurred only when the patient is present on the patient support apparatus as sensed by the sensor.

13 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 12 , wherein the patient support apparatus includes communication circuitry configured to transmit sensor data from the sensor for receipt by the server.

14 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor comprises a weight sensor of a weigh scale system of the patient support apparatus.

15 . A caregiver shift change system for use in a healthcare facility having a plurality of patient rooms, the caregiver shift change system comprising:
a high-accuracy locating system including a plurality of locating tags, a first tag of the plurality of tags being coupled to a first caregiver, a second tag of the plurality of tags being coupled to a second caregiver, and a third tag of the plurality of tags being coupled to a patient, the high-accuracy locating system further having a plurality of transceivers mounted within the healthcare facility and configured to receive tag data from the plurality of tags, and at least one computer coupled to the plurality of transceivers to receive the tag data therefrom and process the tag data to determine a location of each tag of the plurality of tags within the healthcare facility; and a server configured to determine whether a successful caregiver shift change has occurred based on locations of the first and second tags being, for a predetermined period of time, within a threshold proximity of each other and within a zone defined around the third tag in a patient room of the healthcare facility.

16 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 15 , wherein the high-accuracy locating system operates according to an ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.

17 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one computer uses two way ranging and time difference of arrival data (TDOA) techniques to determine the location of each tag of the plurality of tags.

18 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one computer uses the tag data from only a subset of the plurality of transceivers to determine the location of each tag of the plurality of tags.

19 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 18 , wherein the subset is determined based on signal strength of signals that include the tag data and that are communicated between each tag of the plurality of tags and one or more transceivers of the plurality of transceivers.

20 . The caregiver shift chance system of claim 19 , wherein the subset comprises at least three transceivers from the plurality of transceivers having highest signal strength values as compared to others of the plurality of transceivers.

21 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 15 , wherein the threshold proximity is about three feet.

22 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 15 , wherein the zone defined around the third tag is defined as an area within about three feet of the third tag.

23 . The caregiver shift change system of claim 15 , wherein the zone defined around the third tag is defined as an area within about six feet of the third tag.

Assignees

• Hill Rom Services Inc

Inventors

• Robinson Andrew S
• Baker Steven D
• Smith Bradley T
• Agdeppa Eric D
• Wells Pamela
• Hassey Laura A
• Myers Thomas A

Classifications

• G16H40/40

  for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades · CPC title

• G16H10/60

  for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records · CPC title

• G16H40/20 Primary

  for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms · CPC title

• G16H80/00

  ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring · CPC title