DE10135203A1 - Automised service agreement management method for biomedical apparatus provides report on service agreement cover by analysis of stored service agreement data for individual components - Google Patents

Abstract

The service agreement management method has identification and service agreement cover data for a number of biomedical components stored in a central databank (36,60), with analysis of the stored data for the individual components, for identifying the component groups provided with service cover and delivery of a report for the service agreement cover for the biomedical apparatus. An Independent claim for a system for monitoring service agreement cover for biomedical apparatus is also included.

Description

The present invention relates generally to the Field of medical equipment and maintenance and Support for such plants and their equipment. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for automatic access and management of Support and maintenance contracts for such Equipment and facilities by reference to Service personnel and systems collected ongoing data.

Modern medical facilities cover a wide range of equipment and systems used to provide a high quality medical care are required. Such systems include both the physical Operating facility of the facility that is used to accommodate the Patients, diagnostic equipment and Utility provider is required as well Equipment, systems and units used in the Provision of supply and management of the Medical plant business operations used become. Caused by the complexity of both physical operating system used in medical Supply used specialized equipment as well the area of maintenance and support Many medical facilities are currently contracting with one or more service providers for maintenance and Support of the physical operating system and Diagnostic equipment from. In a typical facility can e.g. B. outside contractors for individual Systems of a physical operating system or a single contractor can do the job supervision of maintenance of physical Plant using a wide range of Resources in the execution of the contract  accept agreed services. Similarly, individuals can Suppliers are contractually obliged Diagnostic equipment including at the Patient care of equipment used, Imaging equipment, facility infrastructure, etc. to maintain. Caused by the very technical and specialized The nature of many of these systems can be determined by a medical Annex a number of such contracts can be concluded. Furthermore, plants with various positions, departments, Specializations etc. separate agreements with individual contractors for maintenance and Close equipment supervision.

The role of hospital administrators in maintaining the physical plant and of Equipment assets in good working order is often quite demanding, especially at larger medical facilities. As above a significant number of Service providers for individual tasks at the Passage support (via support) and maintenance of the Plant are contractually obliged. The service contracts often require separate management, negotiation and Update and can not in a simple and straightforward way to overlap. For example can be a number of different monitoring or Diagnostic systems are used by a facility taking separate contracts for maintenance or replacement allowed are. The contracts can have different initial or have and may have renewal dates Contract terms that have a new look and require update. Furthermore, under certain circumstances It may be desirable to give it to an individual Contractor or a limited number of To enable contractors to carry out the maintenance and the  Support systems, even systems different manufacturers or brands, too oversee in order for coordinated maintenance and To provide support.

Hospital information systems (HIS) are not currently good for support and maintenance contract management suitable. Such systems offer data management such as for the generation of accounts based on services provided to patients and Procedures. Maintenance and support data, however typically separated from service providers saved, with in some cases little feedback for the facility is provided. Furthermore, yourself then when feedback from different manufacturers is provided for the facility, this Information rarely, if ever, on one linked in such a way that they are comprehensive Overview of the outstanding contracts, the need for a renewal of contracts or even through existing or potential contracts covered Provide assets.

Therefore, there is in the field of medical diagnostics a considerable need for a simple system for Tracking and managing service and Support agreements including contractual Agreements, participation, pay-per-use Agreements, etc. There is a special one in the field Need for a system that is already through the Facility collected, but not on a usable one Way linked various data for evaluation existing contracts, their coverage and possible Improvements to maintenance and maintenance agreements  Support of physical operating systems and Can integrate equipment.

The present invention provides a method for automated contract management for medical Diagnostic systems ready to respond to this need is designed. The procedure can be broad However, the range of scenarios used is particularly powerful when it comes to integrated or varied practices including different departments, Equipment, components, etc. is applied. The procedure can be used with existing HIS installations and can also be used in newly designed or installed Information systems are used and integrated. Similarly, under known circumstances, the method can be like for example by manually entering maintenance and support activities and automated Operational data collection procedures data collected in Claim.

According to certain refinements of the method, individual components, systems or equipment Data collected and with information about current Support agreements for equipment with Provide cross references. The asset managers can thus both on information about a current as well as a access future coverage to service providers contact and upcoming renewals of contracts predict. The system offers something similar Asset management team various options and one Combination or separation of service providers to logical Ways to improve efficiencies, improved Responsiveness, reduced costs or others Improvements in overall plant management too to reach.  

Show it:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a service system for collecting and analyzing data in one or more medical facilities.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary control logic for the collection and analysis of the data system of the type illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of data records which comprise data linked to facilities, positions, departments, groups and components, which are collected and processed in accordance with the configurations of the present methods;

Figure 4 is a data flow diagram illustrating multiple data sources used in analyzing and reporting biomedical equipment data from facilities;

Figure 5 is a flow diagram showing functional components for the safe production of reports illustrated based on collected data and equipment for delivery of the information on a medical device.

Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary control logic at a department and group data processing according to embodiments of the present method;

Fig. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary control logic for the service agreement analysis and processing;

Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary control logic for equipment replacement and planning processing;

Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary control logic for the analysis of data to determine possible areas for personnel training;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating exemplary report delivery control logic based on analysis summarizing the preceding figures; FIG.

FIG. 11 is an exemplary screen of a graphical user interface such as a browser screen for access to analyzed data and virtual reports; and

Fig. 12-25 exemplary report screens that illustrate an analysis report for biomedical equipment, the data for departments, groups, organizations and individual equipment components and types according to embodiments illustrating the present method.

Referring to the drawing and first referring to FIG. 1, a service system 10 for monitoring, data collection, data analysis and reporting related to biomedical equipment at one or more medical facilities is shown. As illustrated, system 10 includes a plurality of devices 12 , 14 and 16 , the details of which are shown only for first device 12 . In accordance with embodiments of the present method, any number of devices can be serviced by a topography such as that illustrated in FIG. 1 or various modified topographies using the methods described below. The system 10 further includes at least one service provider 18 that services the biomedical equipment of the facilities, collects and analyzes data about the equipment, and provides reports on the equipment inventory, performance, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the devices and service provider may be connected via a network 20, such as the Internet. In a general implementation, the system can also provide access to records by field technicians or technicians 22 and by remote clients 24 . The field technicians and remote clients can access or enter data via mobile computer systems, remote computer terminals, etc., when appropriate.

A variety of functional sections or subsections can be defined in each facility, and data can be collected and analyzed according to such functional sections. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 includes z. B. the device 12 two function groups 26 and 28 and three plant locations 30 , 32 and 34 . The positions 30 and 32 form the group 26 , while the position 34 forms the group 28 . As described below, the present method facilitates the collection and centralized storage of biomedical equipment data for individual sites, individual departments within the sites, facilities, and logical groupings. For example, if a facility has locations in geographically dispersed locations, each location can be considered separately, but reference is made to the equipment data according to location and facility, which enables an overview of either the location or the facility. Similarly, logical groupings, such as those according to political sub-departments (e.g. state, country, city) or fiscal or tax jurisdiction, can be determined and the data can be referenced accordingly.

A variety of departments and systems can be identified and linked in each position. A centralized database 36 is assembled that includes data related to biomedical equipment maintained (e.g., owned, managed, leased) by the facility. Note that the database may be stored on any suitable storage device and, as shown, multiple storage devices may be provided to store all or part of the database or to provide a backup copy and redundancy in storage. In general, however, the centralized database provides the user with a central archive of accessible, accessible, processed, transferred, stored, and maintained biomedical equipment data to facilitate tracking, management, planning, and other decision-making.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the device 12 at the location 30 comprises a variety of departments 38 , 40 and 42 . Depending on the mission of the facility, these departments may include radiology departments, emergency care facilities, newborn care facilities, oncology units, etc. Each department maintains biomedical equipment to provide medical care for inpatients and outpatients. In the present context, the biomedical equipment can include a wide range of disposable and non-disposable resources such as patient monitors, input and readout devices, etc. In general, however, the biomedical equipment may also include elements of the facility's physical facility including beds, wheelchairs, computer systems, etc. For certain departments, the equipment may also include imaging stations, scanners, probes, coil assemblies, etc. Each department's equipment is available for use by nurses, clinicians, doctors and other users, as indicated schematically by reference numeral 44 in FIG. 1.

In addition to that assigned to each department biomedical equipment can set up include additional systems in the Facility information system are involved.

For example, a radiology department information system (RIS) 46 , a hospital information system (HIS) 48 , an image archiving and communication system (PACS) 50, and similar information management systems may be provided. One or more management stations 52, such as a known computer workstation, are preferably provided at each location for reviewing reports and data generated as described below. Note that a variety of such management stations, including wholly or partially released management stations, can be provided in each department. Various departments and systems in the facility are provided with configurable network interfaces, such as modems or other network connections, to facilitate the sending and receiving of data via network connections 54 and the network 20 .

The service provider 18 , which may operate partially within the facility itself, includes processing capabilities for accessing, analyzing, and reporting on data collected by the facility about the biomedical equipment. It should be noted, however, that in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, service provider 18 may maintain facilities that are remote from one or more of the facilities and one or more of the facility locations, with network 20 having data between the facilities and the service providers be transmitted. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the service provider 18 includes processing capabilities that are divided into a first processing space 56 and a second processing space 58 . As described below, the processing space 58 to maintain increased security for data stored by the service provider may be separate from the space 56 to significantly limit access to the processing space 58 by users outside of the service provider system. In the present context, space 58 serves to store biomedical equipment data sets, to process data from the data sets and to export data files for generating reports in processing space 56 . Thus, a database or multiple databases 60 are maintained by the service provider 18 , processing capabilities being provided in the form of specific applications 62 for storing, linking, analyzing and extracting data from the database.

Clients 64 can access the applications to perform data handling functions at the service provider. One or more servers 66 are connected to applications 62 for receiving data files used as the basis for generating equipment reports. Additional applications 68 are used for formatting and processing the reports. Finally, a network interface 70 , including, for example, a router, modems, or similar network interface circuitry, is provided for receiving data and for sending data and reports from the service provider to the medical facilities.

FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary logic for accessing or collecting, storing and analyzing biomedical equipment data in a system of the type illustrated in FIG. 1. The processing illustrated in FIG. 2 can be broken down into a data collection / storage / association sequence 74 and an inventory data analysis sequence 76 can be logically divided. In sequence 74 , data for biomedical equipment in departments, offices, groups and facilities are collected either manually, as indicated at reference number 78 , or by an automatic acquisition. Any suitable data entry method can be used, typically including manual entry via a workstation, laptop computer, palm-sized device, etc. Thus, as illustrated in Figure 2, the input may be by installing the equipment at its initialization, as indicated at 80 , or by subsequently performing services (ie while services are being performed on individual equipment components), as indicated by reference numeral 82 . Other data may be entered manually while using the equipment components, as indicated at 84 , or for specific service requirements, as indicated at 86 . Thus, at each of these or other points in the operation of the biomedical equipment, the data related to the equipment is manually entered, as indicated at 88 . To restrict access to the data entry system and to maintain the integrity of the data, an authorization and synchronization sequence 90 is preferably implemented, such as, for example, by means of a password protection which only allows authorized personnel or authorized stations to enter equipment data. As soon as the input has been carried out, a synchronization is carried out to maintain current equipment data.

As an alternative to manual data entry, some automatic data acquisition may be performed, as indicated at 92 in FIG. 2. Automatic data collection may include cyclical polling of certain equipment, such as at regular intervals or according to a regular schedule. Networked equipment can thus be tracked and their performance monitored by data stored in the equipment and transmitted in step 92 . After either step 90 or step 92 , the data is stored as indicated at 94 . As noted above, the data can be stored on one or more storage devices, but the data is linked in a centralized database for the device. Again, the centralized database may be physically at one or more of the facility locations or outside of a location such as a location of the service provider 18 .

In a step 96 , the data collected for the biomedical equipment is linked in the centralized database according to a number of logical references. The data itself preferably includes references that facilitate or include the linkage, as indicated by reference numeral 98 . Thus, the component data can include both the identification of the component, the component model including its manufacturer and model name, and a component type typically specified by the function of the equipment. The data preferably also includes a reference that represents the facility, the location where the components are located, the departments to which the components are assigned, if assigned, and the group designation for logically linking the departments or locations. The service data for each component also preferably includes a reference to service agreements or contracts for full or partial coverage of the components, including original warranty dates and service contracts or post-purchase contracts. Relevant data such as, for example, the date of purchase or entry into the service, data relating to the performance of services and expiry or renewal data for the service agreement coverage are preferably contained. Specific past service information may also be included if services have been performed regularly for individual components or if services have been performed on a demand-dependent basis.

Such past data can also Error codes, entered by the facility or users  Service request records, outage records, Downtime records, subcomponent replacement records etc. include.

The inventory data analysis sequence 76 enables assessment or profiling of specific facilities and groups of facilities according to equipment usage characteristics and other considerations. If the service provider has access to equipment records for a range of facilities, the records are preferably analyzed to identify commonalities between the facilities, agencies, departments and groups. Such analysis may include consideration of facility types, department types, equipment types used, and usage properties (e.g., number of components, component power imposed, replacement or service records, etc.). Based on the analysis, distinctive profiles are identified that correspond to typical facilities, offices, departments or groups that can be used as a basis for the comparison of a specific facility according to the equipment inventory and the use for evaluation purposes. It should be noted that a rating analysis preferably results in profiles that do not identify a single institution, but only identify larger groups of institutions (such as groups of 20 or more institutions) that are considered representative of a particular profile. The profiles defined in a step 102 can thus include reference data 104 such as, for example, equipment numbers, equipment details, demographics and financial profiles. In a step 106 , the profiles and corresponding reference data for future reference in the evaluation and service planning are preferably stored in the database for the service provider as described below.

The biomedical equipment datasets stored in the centralized database thus form a dataset or structure that enables and facilitates analysis according to institution, job, department, group, component, component type and other reference features. The database records can be viewed as forming a multidimensional data matrix structure that relates these various aspects of the equipment component data, as illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, a data record 108 for a device 12 can thus include references 110 to specific plant locations at which equipment components are located. Additional department records 112 determine the department to which equipment components are assigned. Records for each department and location are then maintained for each component at reference number 114 , including identification and service information of the type described above. Furthermore, the job, department and component data records can be linked according to group designations 116 . If additional facility records are available to the service provider, these can form similar databases as illustrated in Fig. 3, which allows analysis of groups of facilities to establish the profiles listed above.

It should be noted that the present method is not only a centralized database for the maintenance of Equipment records of medical facilities provides, but a wide range of Sources of information both at the facility and at  integrated sources available for a service provider.

Fig. 4 illustrates schematically an example of the source of information types that are integrated by the present method. As described below, an analysis module 118 is provided for accessing and analyzing the equipment records either at the facility or preferably at the service provider. The analysis module can comprise a number of analysis algorithms, search methods and software applications for deriving usable administrative data from the component data records. In a general sense, the analysis module performs counts, a statistical analysis and links of the equipment components according to position, department, facility, group and manufacturer as well as according to other references provided in the component data sets. The analysis module obtains such information from the facility database 36 as well as from other facility information systems such as the RIS 46 , HIS 48 , any PACS 50 present at the facility, or other facility information systems. Again, the central facility database 36 may again receive information from various sources, generally identified by reference numeral 120 in FIG. 4, such as departmental data entry systems, stationary or mobile data entry devices, field technician or service personnel laptops, etc. Similarly, analysis module 118 accesses information from inventory databases 60 as well as financial, demographic, and other input 122 , which may include publicly available sources such as searchable databases, industry-specific databases, etc., for comparison, for example, when evaluating.

Based on an analysis carried out by the analysis module 118 , a report module 124 is provided for generating and delivering reports representing the component data records and an analysis derived from the component data records.

Fig. 5 4. How is a schematic representation of the reporting work flow, generally indicated by reference numeral 126 for the operation of the analysis and reporting module according to FIG. In FIG. 5 is shown, the secure database is maintained 60 of the service provider in the secure processing space 58 , Among the software applications 62 operating in the secure processing room 58 is a report generation application 128 , which forms part of the report module generally shown at reference numeral 124 in FIG. 4. On a periodic basis or on request, the reporting application 128 accesses the data set 108 (see, e.g., FIG. 3) for the facility and does not compute or derive related data already contained in the data set to be combined in one Use administrative report or reports to be submitted to the medical facility. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5, the data set includes information that is institution-specific, job-specific, department-specific, and group-specific. In addition, the database 60 can also include data representative of known stocks of medical institutions, positions, groups or components, as well as precalculated data which are profile-specific. As stated above, the profiles generated based on known inventory data can categorize facilities and other logical groupings according to location, demographics, etc. The report generation application 128 creates a data file 130 comprising data or data fields, which is then exported to the processing space 56 via a firewall 132 .

In the processing chamber 56, additional hardware and software components for translating the data file 130 in a report file or several report files are provided. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, applications 68 in processing room 56 include a web agent 134 that is configured to place data from file 130 in a predefined report template. Other web content and other input to generate the report are provided in one or more files 136 . By integrating the data file and the web content in the predefined report template, a report file 138 is generated which can be set up for display in a suitable manner, for example as an HTML page on a known web browser. The report file 138 is then saved and is available for distribution via a web server 66 .

In a current implementation, web server 66 transmits report file 138 over a configurable network connection, such as the Internet, and through a firewall 140 . At medical facility 12 and typically at management station 52 , a client browser application 142 facilitates viewing and navigation through various parts of the report, as described more fully below. Additional applications 144 may be available for handling the report, formatting the report, printing hard copies, etc.

As stated above, the present method enables analysis of biomedical equipment data according to various functional sections of a medical facility, such as according to department or group. The data stored in the centralized database and accessed by the service provider is thus referenced according to the functional sections, typically a department to which equipment components are assigned or a location and group in which the components are located. Fig. 6 illustrates exemplary steps in the control logic for processing the data to generate reports about equipment according department, group, spot or other logical division.

As shown in FIG. 6, the data from the centralized database is accessed in step 148 and in step 150 the data is analyzed according to the desired logical subdivision, such as the department or group. In a presently preferred embodiment, the data is analyzed to identify the number of each component model and type, and to determine usage parameters (e.g., time used or operations performed), failures, error codes, trends, etc. Furthermore, current data can be analyzed together with past data stored in the centralized database or in a past database in order to identify trends in these parameters over time. Thus, the analysis performed in step 150 can identify increases or decreases in the number of equipment components, increases or decreases in errors, failures, etc. In step 152 , the data generated by the analysis of step 150 is stored for later use in generating a report to the medical facility as described above. In a step 154 , all or some of the data originally collected or derived from the original data can be compared to reference data for similar devices according to predefined profiles as described above. The data itself can serve as the basis for selecting a comparable profile after comparing step 154 , as indicated at step 156 . Based on the selected profile, assessment parameters can be generated that can provide an overview of the equipment inventory, performance, use, and service in biomedical equipment of the facility with comparable facilities as defined by the profile. In step 158 , a report is generated according to the department, job and group designation as described above with reference to FIG. 5.

The present method also enables a detailed analysis of the service agreement coverage for biomedical equipment. As indicated by control logic 160 summarized in FIG. 7, processing of the stored data to identify a service agreement coverage begins in a step 162 in which the data is accessed. In a step 164 , the equipment records are analyzed according to the service record to identify the identification of the equipment, its type, any guarantees, service agreements and participation, etc. Note that this information may include designations by department, agency, group, or other suitable subdivision of the facility, as summarized in FIG. 6. The resulting data summaries are stored in a step 166 for generating a report in a step 168 .

An additional functionality of the present method makes it possible to analyze the equipment data for scheduling or planning a replacement of equipment, an expansion of the inventory, reductions in the inventory, a provision of services, etc. Exemplary logic in planning processing is summarized in FIG. 8 and is generally designated by reference numeral 170 . Processing 170 begins with access to the data in step 172 , which is followed by an analysis of the data according to parameters such as the service entry date, the service record, financial records, performance records, etc.

For example, specific biomedical equipment components can be provided for replacement after a predetermined time after they are put into operation, such as depreciation plans, planned addition and departure of equipment, etc. Service records may also provide a prediction of anticipated replacement needs for the equipment. Similarly, fault codes or failure records can serve as the basis for predicting possible replacement of the components. If appropriate, analysis of step 174 may also use anticipated changes in demographic information, such as to plan for future expansions or reductions in inventory based on an anticipated facility need. It should also be noted that, if necessary, the replacement and planning processing shown in Fig. 8 can be performed for specific departments, positions, groups and other functional sections of the facility. In step 176 , based on the analysis of step 174, numbers and types of equipment replacement are predicted and stored. If necessary, these predictions may include consideration of expected replacement costs, such as based on current replacement unit costs. In a step 178 , a planning report is generated based on the analysis and replacement options.

Another type of processing that can be facilitated by the present method is directed to identifying a potential training need based on use of the biomedical equipment components. Fig. 9 illustrates steps in an exemplary control logic for executing this processing is, as is generally indicated by reference numeral 180. Processing begins in a step 182 in which data for the components from the centralized database is accessed. In step 184 , the data is analyzed to identify factors that may indicate a need for personal training. Such factors can include logged errors, downtime, service or procedure requests, etc. In addition to identifying the specific components and training parameters, the data can also be analyzed to identify specific operators or operators or users who can benefit from additional training. In a step 186 , the data is linked to identify training needs according to factors such as the equipment manufacturer, component type, department, facility location, etc. Based on the analysis performed in steps 184 and 186 , a training need is identified in step 188 and a report reflecting a possible need is generated in step 190 . Again, the report generated in step 190 , which may be generated as shown in FIG. 5, may indicate specific training needs for specific equipment or types of equipment and may identify specific departments, locations, groups, or even specific users who may benefit from the training. As an optional step, actual training can be scheduled as indicated at step 192 .

The various analysis and reporting steps described above, generally performed in the secure manner summarized in FIG. 5, can generate reports that can be communicated to the medical facility's decision makers by various means. Figure 10 illustrates a currently preferred way of transmitting the reports over a configurable network. The process, indicated generally by reference number 194 , begins with the generation of the report, as indicated by reference number 196 . At step 198 , the report is saved, such as by creating a data file and combining a data file with a report template to create a report file or files. The report can be electronically transmitted directly to the medical facility, such as via a configurable network connection, as indicated by reference number 200 . Alternatively, a message may be sent, such as through the configurable network, to the device that notifies the device that the report is available for download, as indicated at step 202 . The facility can then retrieve the report at an appropriate time. Once transmitted to the medical facility, the report can be loaded onto a management workstation and viewed there, as indicated at step 204 . Note that the above reports can be generated separately or in combination. Furthermore, in one embodiment, a single report file may include a wide range of "virtual reports" each comprising details or pages viewable by a user with specific information regarding components, departments, positions, groups, etc.

The reports provided by the present method can be appropriately formatted. However, in one embodiment, the reports are generated electronically and transmitted to the medical facility via a configurable network connection, such as in the form of HTML pages that can be opened and viewed in a known web browser or other display application. Figs. 11 to 25 illustrate exemplary pages of such reports, for example, the logic described above and are generated based on collected in a centralized database of a medical device information by a logic as shown.

Fig. 11 illustrates a survey or navigation page is accessed in a known additional Web browser for viewing report pages. As noted above, the report provided in accordance with the above methods may include a wide range of data that is divided and linked in such a way as to represent information for individual equipment components, groups, locations, etc. In the present exemplary embodiment, the page illustrated in FIG. 11 and generally designated by reference numeral 200 provides for navigation through the various “virtual reports”. The page preferably includes tabs or buttons 202 of a graphical user interface that can be selected by a user to navigate through the more detailed reports. In the illustrated embodiment, such virtual keys are provided for a run overview 204 , group reports 206 , an inventory analysis 208 , a service coverage analysis 210 , a performance analysis 212 , a planning analysis 214 and a training analysis 216 . Additional aids or tools, such as a help tool 218 and alternative navigation tools 220, can be provided that allow the user direct access to virtual reports or to navigate in or exit from the report. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various additional tools (not shown) may be provided, such as tools for checking previous pages, advancing to other pages, printing pages, browsing pages, etc.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary demographics overview page that can be accessed via the execution overview tool 204 of FIG. 11. As noted above, the biomedical equipment data can be analyzed according to demographic information for the facility to represent such factors as population groups in the facility (e.g., inpatients and outpatients) as well as the equipment used for patient care. In the overview page 222 according to FIG. 12, a graphic overview display 224 provides an indication of the patient demography of the device in question. As noted above, when performing a trend analysis based on current and past collected data, a trend graph 226 may also be provided. As noted above, equipment data collected for the facility, location, group, or department may be compared to profile data for known populations for similar facilities, and detailed evaluation reports may be accessed via virtual keys 228 that the facility in question may use Compare selected profile. In the illustrated embodiment, such an assessment is available via page 222 for comparing equipment usage time, investment, and fault records.

FIG. 13 illustrates a fault assessment summary table that is accessed via one of the virtual keys 228 of FIG. 12. As illustrated in FIG. 13, the overview page 230 provides specific details for equipment categories as accessed in a category column 232 . When comparing the equipment data collected with similar data for a selected profile, the data collected can be classified according to different classification ranges 234 to provide an indication of whether the equipment performance of the facility in question falls within or out of the statistical performance range for the facility profile , Furthermore, an overview of the equipment performance (e.g. faults) for equipment components covered by service agreements can be provided as indicated in a column 236 . In the embodiment of FIG. 13 additional detail for the reference range corresponding to ranges for the selected profile of the device are provided in a column 238th Additional comments and status data can be provided in an additional column 240 .

The biomedical equipment component data can also be summarized for analysis of the inventory on such bases as department, group, job, etc. Fig. 14 illustrates one side of the inventory summary by department, to a virtual button 208 11 illustrated page is accessed from the in Fig.. As shown in FIG. 14, such inventory data can be summarized in a page 242 by using graphical methods such as a graphical overview by department 244 . The graphical methods can represent the data in a suitable manner, such as through the pie chart illustrated in FIG. 14, bar charts, line charts, or other useful data presentation tools. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14, the inventory overview page enables classification or sorting according to a number of parameters stored for the equipment. For example, such classification may include the type of equipment, the equipment manufacturer, the group to which the facility or location belongs, the location where the equipment is located, etc., as indicated by group tools 246 . Additional sorting tools 248, such as for viewing equipment details according to a serial number, control number, etc., may be provided. As noted above, when analyzing equipment data over a period of time, such as by reference to past equipment numbers and performance, trend tools 252 may be provided, such as to view summary pages showing changes by month, department, equipment, categories, etc. Furthermore, depending on the equipment title status, tools 254 may be provided for accessing pages that represent the equipment inventory according to title or ownership classifications. Finally, when performing a rating analysis by referencing device profiles and comparing with profiles for known devices, rating tools 256 may be provided to display such comparisons.

FIG. 15 shows an example of a page that summarizes inventory trends or changes over a period of 12 months, whereby both new equipment and equipment that has been removed or removed from the market are specified for a facility, with a virtual key 252 from FIG. 14 the page is accessed. The inventory change summary page 256 provides a graphical overview 258 of the inventory changes. It should be noted that the graphical representation may also represent such changes by department, job, group or other desired functional section of the facility. In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 15, the information is also shown in a table which specifies numerical count values for changes shown in the graphic representation. Additional specific details may be offered through additional pages as needed, such as to provide an indication of the specific equipment or types of equipment that have been withdrawn or purchased. FIG. 16 illustrates an exemplary page of a detailed overview by department that is accessed via an additional virtual button 252 shown in FIG. 14. Department trend page 262 also provides a graphical representation 264 of equipment changes per department and a numerical count 266 reflecting the changes.

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the various representations of inventory, inventory trends, inventory investment, etc. can be provided on different bases. For example, equipment numbers are shown on the pages illustrated in Figures 14, 15 and 16. However, by referring to the financial records for the facility or from a manufacturer, specific investment representations can be illustrated in a similar manner. Furthermore, by referring to the financial records for individual components and to regulations for the tax authority (which are referred to e.g. by the group names for the job locations), data shown in the reports can be book values for the equipment, a previous depreciation for the equipment , depreciation or estimated book values, etc.

Comparing inventory data with similar facility profile data provides an opportunity to compare and evaluate specific facility performance. FIG. 17 illustrates an equipment count rating page accessed via a virtual tool 256 from the FIG. 14 page. When compared to the facility profile selected for the facility of interest, the evaluation information can compare such factors as equipment numbers, equipment investment, equipment performance, equipment malfunctions, etc. Furthermore, the information can be represented according to various parts or functional sections of the device, such as departments, groups, positions or, as illustrated in FIG. 17, according to subunits. In the embodiment of FIG. 17, an evaluation presentation page 268 includes a category 270 for the equipment subunit and an area classification column 272 that indicates whether the basis for the comparison was within or outside a statistical area for the profile. A column of the actual number 274 is provided for each subunit and a reference range column 276 for the selected specific profile. Other information such as comments or status can be provided in a column 278 . For example, in a present embodiment where the profile inventory is insufficient to provide a reliable statistical basis for comparison (e.g., fewer than 20 facilities), a comment may be provided in column 278 indicating that this is the reason for is an indication "no status" in the evaluation display.

As described above, the present method also provides an extremely useful tool for analyzing the service coverage of biomedical equipment of the facility. Fig. 18 illustrates an exemplary report page that summarizes the service coverage for such equipment. An overview page 280 conveniently provides a graphical overview 282 for the level of service agreement coverage of specific biomedical equipment. The page also provides tools 284 that allow the user to navigate to more detailed pages that summarize trends in service coverage, particularly service agreements that span a desired time period, and overviews of periods during which service coverage expires. Additional data representations 286 may be provided to summarize numbers or quantities of various types of equipment covered by the service agreements.

FIG. 19 illustrates an exemplary detailed report of a service agreement coverage for biomedical equipment that is accessible from the overview page illustrated in FIG. 18. In the example of FIG. 19, detailed information is provided in an overview page 288 and can be sorted in many ways depending on the analysis desired by the user. For example, labels or references may be provided by departments 290 to which the equipment is assigned, by location 292 where the equipment is located, or by group 294 to which the location belongs. The information can also be presented by equipment type 296 and equipment manufacturer 298 . If necessary, more detailed reports for each of these classifications can be accessed from the overview page. Additional details 298 such as manual numbers, model numbers, etc. may be provided. If necessary, purchase data for the equipment can be provided in a column 300 , in particular if such data serve as the basis for a guarantee or other service coverage. Detailed identification numbers may be provided, as indicated at reference number 302 , which specifically identify parts of the equipment and reference codes used by the device to designate the equipment. Furthermore, if necessary, specific identifications of service providers 304 as well as expiry and renewal data 306 for service agreements with the providers can be combined. Such summaries thus provide powerful tools for grouping and analyzing service coverage agreements for specific equipment and predicting changes or renewals to such coverage for facility decision makers.

The equipment data stored in the centralized database for the facility can also be analyzed to identify parameters indicating equipment performance. Such factors may include equipment usage (e.g., the number of days or cases the equipment was used), error codes, downtime, number of failures, etc. FIG. 20 illustrates an example performance summary page 308 that can be accessed via a virtual button 212 from the main page of FIG. 11. In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 20, the overview page provides a graphical overview 310 of specific equipment failures by department. Similar representations are available for other group names such as equipment manufacturers, equipment locations, job groups, etc., as indicated by the graphical keys 312 in FIG. 20. Tools for specific in-depth analysis 314 may also be provided, such as for accessing virtual report pages that summarize failure causes, past repairs, failure categories, etc. As noted above, performance data can be compared to similar data for facility profiles derived from known facility inventory and navigation tools can display 316 assessment pages such as to provide a failure assessment, a failure assessment, etc.

Fig. 21 illustrates an example of an overview page for the equipment performance (with respect to failures) for a specific department of a device. A department summary page 318 in the illustrated embodiment provides references to the equipment manufacturer and equipment designation as indicated by reference number 320 . Failure summary information 322 is provided that includes a number of failures and a summary of performance over a desired analysis, such as a year. Specific identifications for the equipment are provided in columns 324 , which allow tracking of problematic equipment components useful in analysis, replacement, and similar planning. Finally, additional details such as the time on duty and statistical information such as the average repair time and the average trouble-free time can be summarized, as indicated by reference numeral 326 . Detailed details can be accessed through detailed pages such as illustrated in FIG. 22. A detailed page 328 of FIG. 22 may present the performance information by functional portion of the facility, such as departments, as illustrated at 330 , along with a detailed analysis, such as a number of failures, as indicated at 332 .

To assist in equipment management, forecasting, financial planning, etc., the present method provides data collection and reporting by analyzing a potential need for the facility, both in terms of newly acquired equipment and equipment that has been withdrawn from circulation. Such predictive tools can be based on an analysis of the equipment data stored in the centralized database and factors such as the date the equipment entered service, the expected life of the equipment, the depreciation period for the equipment, increases in anticipated demographics for the facility etc. based. FIG. 23 illustrates an exemplary prediction planning page 334 that is accessed via a virtual button 214 from the main page in FIG. 11. As illustrated in FIG. 23, such pages can present predictions by functional portion of the facility in graphical form 336 . Such representations can, as stated above, be subdivided into a suitable functional section of the device, such as departments, positions, groups or, as illustrated in FIG. 23, into subunits. The overview page may allow additional navigation to suggested inventory changes as indicated at reference number 340 , as well as rating overviews for proposed equipment changes as indicated at reference number 342 , the comparisons of the proposed changes in equipment inventory compared to other facilities of provide similar profiles. Tabular overviews of the data provided in the page can be summarized, as indicated by reference number 338 .

In addition, more detailed overviews are shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, which can be accessed through the page illustrated in FIG. 23. As illustrated in these figures, a detailed planning page 344 may summarize specific changes proposed for biomedical equipment, such as broken down by functional section 346 , in this case the subunit. Current equipment numbers (or equipment values) may be provided as indicated at reference number 348 , as well as summaries of additions to, discards from, and net changes in inventory as summarized at reference number 350 . More detailed pages as shown in FIG. 25 may also be provided, such as by long-term detailed prediction 352 . A graphical overview 354 may be provided for the prediction, and a prediction may be subdivided according to a suitable functional section of the device, in the example according to FIG. 25 of the subunit.

While the invention has various modifications and alternative forms are accessible in the drawings specific embodiments shown and thereby described in detail. However, it goes without saying that the invention is not specific to the disclosed Shapes should be limited. Rather, the invention is intended cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives, within the scope of the content and scope of protection of the Invention as covered by the following appended claims.

According to the invention, biomedical equipment inventory data ( 114 ) for a medical facility ( 12 ) are collected for analysis and reporting purposes and stored in a centralized database ( 36 , 60 ). The data includes identification of inventory items and takes on departments ( 38 , 40 , 42 ), positions ( 30 , 32 , 34 ), groups ( 26 , 28 ), manufacturers and other relevant information for each component (C1, C2,. .) Reference. Reference is made to contractual or similar service agreements, guarantees, participation and the like, which enables a detailed analysis of the service coverage. Coverage can be analyzed ( 164 ) and reported ( 168 ) according to classifications such as equipment type, department, job, group, manufacturer, service provider, expiration of service agreements, etc.

Claims (21)

1. A method of monitoring a service agreement coverage of biomedical equipment at a medical facility ( 12 ), comprising the steps of:
Storing ( 28 , 92 , 94 ) identification and service agreement coverage data ( 114 ) for a variety of biomedical equipment components (C1, C2, ... ) Of the medical device in a central database ( 36 , 60 );
Analyzing ( 96 , 164 ) the data to identify groups ( 282 , 290 , 296 , 298 , 304 ) of equipment components covered by service agreements; and
Generate ( 168 ) a report ( 138 ) including data ( 280 , 288 ) representing the service agreement coverage for the equipment components. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the groups comprise equipment of a predetermined type ( 296 ). The method of claim 1, wherein the groups include equipment assigned to different departments ( 290 ) of the medical facility. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises data ( 114 ) representing the flow ( 306 ) of existing service agreements. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device ( 12 ) includes a plurality of geographically dispersed facility locations ( 30 , 32 , 34 ) and wherein the data ( 114 ) includes locations at which the equipment components are located. The method of claim 1, wherein the groups include categories ( 286 ) of service agreement coverage. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the central database ( 36 , 60 ) is remote from the medical facility. The method of claim 1, wherein the report ( 138 ) includes listings of the equipment component type ( 296 ), service agreement coverage ( 286 ), and service agreement flow ( 306 ). The method of claim 1, wherein the report is generated ( 18 ) from the medical device ( 12 ) and transmitted to the medical device via a configurable network connection ( 20 ). 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network connection ( 20 ) comprises the Internet. 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing data representing the past service history ( 82 , 88 , 94 ) for at least a portion of the equipment components. 12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising storing the data representing the expected rejection ( 258 , 260 ) of at least part of the equipment components. The method of claim 1, wherein the coverage data includes data identifying specific service agreements ( 304 , 306 ) for equipment components covered by service agreements. 14. A system for monitoring a service agreement coverage for biomedical equipment at a medical facility, comprising:
a central database ( 36 , 60 ), which is configured to store component data ( 114 ), the identification and
Service agreement coverage data for a variety of data representing biomedical equipment components (C1, C2,...) Used by the medical facility ( 12 );
a data analysis module ( 118 ) configured to identify service agreement coverage groups from the component data; and
a report generation module ( 124 ) configured to generate a report of the service agreement coverage. The system of claim 14, wherein the medical facility ( 12 ) includes a plurality of compartments ( 38 , 40 , 42 ) and the groups include compartments in which equipment components are used. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein the medical facility comprises a plurality of geographically dispersed facility locations ( 30 , 32 , 34 ) and the groups include locations where the equipment components are located. The system of claim 14, wherein the report ( 138 ) is generated at a location ( 18 ) remote from the medical facility ( 12 ) and wherein the system further includes a network interface ( 70 ) for transmitting the report ( 138 ) to the medical facility ( 12 ) via a configurable network connection ( 20 ) which is accessed by the interface. 18. The system of claim 17, wherein the network connection ( 20 ) comprises the Internet. The system of claim 14, further comprising a plurality of data entry stations ( 44 , 46 , 48 , 52 , 120 ) for entering service data when a service is performed on the equipment components. The system of claim 14, wherein the central database ( 36 , 60 ) is stored on a plurality of storage devices. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein at least one of the storage devices ( 60 ) is removed from the medical device ( 12 ).