Method and system for printing medical labels

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/201,048, filed May 1, 2000.

[0003] The present invention relates to a method and system for printing medical labels, particularly using a hand-held, portable instrument communicating wirelessly with a printer.

[0004] Physicians and other medical office personnel are responsible to produce a number of medical documents associated with patient care. Examples of such documents are prescriptions, lab orders, referrals, prior authorizations, medical charts, billing forms, disability applications and patient correspondence, all requiring specific medical data to be entered in writing thereon. These data typically reside in a fixed location, such as a central computer, and must be selected, assembled and hand written or typed onto the medical document, a time consuming and error prone process.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for decreasing the time and effort required of the physician or other medical office personnel to enter medical data onto the medical documents.

[0006] The method for printing medical documents of the present invention solves the aforementioned problems and meets the aforementioned needs by providing a hand-held computer, a printer and a wireless data communication interface for communicating between the hand-held computer and the printer.

[0007] Medical data are organized in the computer into predetermined type files. Preferably, the type files are organized into data pertaining to patients, addresses, doctors, diagnoses, medications, and laboratory procedures. The computer preferably presents the type files on a display thereof, and a user selects from among the type files, preferably by touching the display.

[0008] The data are further preferably organized into sub-files hierarchically associated with the type files. The sub-files are preferably identified by a predetermined limited number of the alphanumeric characters found in a selected portion of the data. Preferably, the user enters selected characters into the computer, and the computer responds by presenting all matching sub-files on the display. The user selects from among the sub-files, preferably by touching the display. The method also provides for entering new data into the computer.

[0009] The computer communicates selected data to the printer over the wireless communications interface and the printer prints the data on a label. The label is applied or affixed to a medical document, for preparing the medical document.

[0010] Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved method and system for preparing medical documents.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels for application or affixation to medical documents.

[0012] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for increased speed of preparing the medical documents.

[0013] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for increased accuracy in preparing the medical documents.

[0014] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for the aforementioned objectives while providing for greater legibility than is ordinarily provided by hand-writing on the medical documents.

[0015] It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for increased ease of preparing medical documents.

[0016] It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for portable use.

[0017] It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for printing medical labels that provides for the aforementioned objects at minimal cost.

[0018] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawings.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus for use according to the present invention.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of a display according to the present invention.

[0021] A method and system for preparing medical documents according to the present invention is adapted particularly for use by a physician or other medical office or hospital personnel (hereinafter “user” or “medical user”). Referring to FIG. 1, a preferred embodiment of the invention generally employs a hand-held portable computer 10 which includes an associated display 12, a printer 16 and a wireless data communication interface 18 between the computer and the printer. The wireless data communications interface communicates data by electromagnetic radiation, e.g., light and radio waves, or by sound waves. Preferably, the wireless communications interface communicates data by infrared light.

[0022] The computer 10 is preferably a “palm-top” or hand-held personal computer, which has been found to provide adequate performance along with maximum portability and minimum cost. The computer 10 is preferably employed to store medical data files as discussed below in its memory. However, the computer 10 may communicate with a remote computer in which data files are stored, including a computer accessed via the Internet, without departing from the principles of the invention. In that circumstance, an additional wireless data communications interface may be required to maintain the portability afforded by the invention.

[0023] The printer 16 is preferably portable and carried with the computer 10 for mobile use. However, the printer may be a stationary printer without departing from the principles of the invention. For purposes herein, a portable printer is distinguished in providing for battery operation.

[0024] The aforementioned apparatus is employed to call up or produce selected data, output the data to a printer and print the selected data on one or more labels. Labels are applied, attached or affixed (hereinafter “applied”) to a medical document, typically a prescription. Preferably, the labels are adhesive backed to facilitate this application. Medical documents may include containers such as pill containers in addition to the examples of medical documents provided above under the heading “Background of the Invention.”

[0025] The method provides for efficiently calling up particular data sought by the user (hereinafter “medical data”) with a minimum number of actions required. The medical data are first provided to the computer 10, typically by downloading the data from another, main computer, which may be local or accessed via the Internet.

[0026] The medical data are organized into predetermined type files, each type file containing particular types of medical data. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, six type files include, respectively, patient identification, general names and addresses, doctor identification, diagnosis, medications, and laboratory data.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 2, in the preferred embodiment of the invention, the medical data type files are represented on the display 12 by pointers that indicate the name of the type file to the user, and the location of the file to the computer. For example, the patient identification data type file may be located by a pointer that is represented on the display by the words “patient identification.” The display is preferably touch sensitive, so that the user may select the desired pointer by the single action of touching the display, such as with a finger or stylus. However, other output or input means known in the art, such as voice recognition means, may be employed for, respectively, identifying data for selection or selecting the data where appropriate programming and hardware adaptations are provided.

[0028] Some examples of particular medical data that may be contained in the medical data type files are provided hereafter for the purpose of illustration.

[0029] The patient identification type file may include the following fields: the patient's name, the current date, the patient's account number, the patient's date of birth, the patient's telephone number, the patient's insurance carrier and type, and the patient's insurance identification number. This data type file is useful for preparing, e.g., a patient intake medical document.

[0030] The name and address type file may include the following fields: name, street address, city, state and zip. The name and address type file may include patients' names and addresses, doctor's names and addresses, and health care providers' names and addresses. The name and address type file may be used, for example, in preparing correspondence.

[0031] The doctor identification type file may include: the doctor's name, the doctor's specialty, the doctor's business address, phone and fax number. The diagnosis type file may include diagnoses and the corresponding ICD-9 codes. The medications type file may include specific medications and instructions for use.

[0032] The laboratory data type file may include frequently ordered lab tests and ordering codes. Further, the laboratory type file preferably includes one or more fields for entering new data, e.g., physical findings and results. An input data field may be accessed by selecting a menu item or icon corresponding to an instruction to the computer to treat further entries as data to be entered into the input data field, or the input data field may be accessed without requiring any additional action where the user follows a defined protocol, as will be readily appreciated by those of ordinary programming skill.

[0033] As the laboratory data type file provides for entering data, it may be used whenever it is desired to capture data that is not already present on the computer 10. For this purpose, the computer may provide for selecting a “data entry” option independently of locating lab test data, so that the laboratory data type file may have general applicability. Alternatively, one or more dedicated files may be provided for entering new data into the computer.

[0034] In addition to organizing the data into type files, the data is preferably organized further into medical data sub-files within the type files. The user may specify a type file and a sub-file, and a limited number of choices from which the user may select particular desired data are presented on the display 12. This feature further provides for selecting desired medical data with a minimum number of actions.

[0035] The sub-files are preferably organized according to a predetermined limited number of alphanumeric characters that are found in a selected data field in the type file. For example, where the patient field is selected as being the identifying field in the patient identification type file, all of the data associated with John Smith, Mary Smithers and Joe Smiley may be organized into a sub-file entitled “patients. smi,” employing the first three characters of the patients' last names.

[0036] The user indicates his or her choice of sub-file to the computer by entering the alphanumeric characters that would be present in the identifying field of the desired data, e.g., by entering the letters “smi” in the example above. To receive this entry, the display 12 preferably presents an alphanumeric keypad 22; however, any other input means known in the art may be employed, including a mechanical keypad or voice recognition means.

[0037] The computer responds to the user's entry by locating the appropriate sub-file and presenting indicia identifying the data on the display 12. For example, in response to the user's entry of the “patient” data type file and the characters “smi,” the computer locates the sub-file “patients.smi” and presents the names John Smith, Mary Smithers and Joe Smiley on the display for selection.

[0038] As an alternative to pre-organizing the medical data of the type files into sub-files, the computer may search the pertinent field in the data type file, using the entered alphanumeric characters as search criteria. For example, to find all of the patients having last names beginning with “smi,” the computer may search the “patient name” fields in the patient identification type file.

[0039] In the preferred embodiment of the invention, all of the data associated with the user's selection is communicated by the computer 10 to the printer 16 for printing on a label to be applied to the medical document. For example, selecting John Smith from the “.smi” sub-file of the patient identification type file results in printing John Smith's name, account number, date of birth, telephone number, insurance carrier and type, insurance identification number, and today's date on the label.

[0040] Where the printer 16 is portable, the computer 10 and the printer may be carried by the medical user on his or her travels or rounds, providing an outstanding advantage in the medical office or hospital environment. Because the computer and portable printer are battery powered and employ a wireless data communications interface, minimal physical set-up is required, providing for extreme ease of use in the medical office and hospital environment, as well as a typically low cost.

[0041] It is to be recognized that, while a particular method and system for printing medical labels has been shown and described as preferred, other configurations and methods could be utilized, in addition to those already mentioned, without departing from the principles of the invention.

[0042] The terms and expressions which have been employed in the foregoing specification are used therein as terms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, it being recognized that the scope of the invention is defined and limited only by the claims which follow.