Health care information management apparatus, system and method of use and doing business

摘要

A set of coupled computerized systems with methods that can allow a health care practitioner preferably to track clinical data about a patient, to link diagnostic and procedural code charges at the point of care, and to exchange such data with clinicians responsible for the cross-coverage of management responsibilities. Data may be captured on handheld computer devices (or directly by an Internet or client application) and transmitted to a coupled web server which warehouses and distributes data elements to the billing office of the practitioner. The web server may provide additional functionality for moving patient data, such as demographic, medication, and evaluation records, between office-based computer systems and the handheld. Hospital-managed data systems with Internet viewing permissions may also be queried for web server-effectuated transfer of patient data to the handheld device to augment clinical care and charge capture. Identifier-free data may be aggregated across multiple health care practitioners participating in the system, so that their administrative and clinical performance may be compared to others of the same specialty or in the same geographic region. Data on and between platforms may be encrypted and an audit trail may be generated in compliance with federal standards.