FR2814837A1 - GROUP-LEVEL DATA ANALYSIS AND BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT USE REPORT - Google Patents

Abstract

Biomedical equipment data (114) is collected for various parts of a medical facility (12), such as installation sites (30, 32, 34), and the parts are logically associated into groups (26, 28). Groups can reflect locations of sites in political or tax jurisdictions, as well as administrative and equivalent areas. Data is available for analysis (150) and report generation (158) to generate reports for use by facility management in the management, monitoring and inventory planning of the facility. equipment, including according to site and group specific considerations.

Description

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  GROUP-LEVEL DATA ANALYSIS AND REPORT ON

  THE USE OF BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT

  The present invention relates generally to the field of medical equipment, such as the equipment used in medical diagnostic installations. In particular, the invention relates to a technique for analyzing and reporting the performance of a range of equipment by logical grouping in order to improve the management, analysis and

decision.

  In the field of medical diagnostic equipment and systems, many techniques have been used and are currently available for analyzing the performance of equipment. In modern medical facilities, this equipment can include a wide range of components, both in technical and cost terms. These can include simple items of equipment and buildings, more complex diagnostic and monitoring systems, and disposable items used in medical care. In a broader sense, the resources of the establishment also include human resources, in particular medical care personnel, such as doctors, nurses, clinicians, technicians, etc. Conventional techniques for analyzing and reporting on the use of resources in a medical facility include both manual and automated techniques. In manual technique, the people involved in the use and maintenance of the equipment can keep simple files which can be compiled and analyzed subsequently, to examine a history of use, maintenance, replacement, etc. equipment. In addition, some establishments may allow, typically at a much more restricted level, automatic analysis of the equipment, for example by integrated error analysis systems, typically offered in advanced systems. In the first case, the report is typically quite slow, since the scattered information must be collected, combined, analyzed and reported in a conventional manner and in semi-automated ways. In the latter case, it is possible to obtain more complex current and forecast reports, but which are typically limited, in a fairly notable manner, to individual systems or zones of an establishment. Although current techniques for equipment usage analysis are useful, they are not a tool for a more complex analysis of a modern establishment. For example, larger or more integrated establishments may encompass a range of logical groupings that are extremely important in their overall management system. For example, a medical facility may include facilities in one or more political or tax jurisdictions, for example in various countries, states or even regions. The performance of the various sites included in these groups can be strongly affected by status and regulations within an individual group. On the one

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  similarly, forecasting or planning operations can be significantly affected by logical groupings. For example, considerations of taxes and investment in specific political or fiscal jurisdictions may be important for the replacement, use and transfer of equipment, and other decision-making. However, current techniques for monitoring and analyzing the performance of medical facility equipment do not

  allow or do not facilitate analysis on such bases.

  There is therefore a need for an improved technique for collecting, analyzing and reporting parameters for the use of medical equipment, which can take adequate account of logical groupings of establishments and equipment beyond the techniques available in current systems. There is a particular need for a technique which enables rapid and flexible reporting in accordance with various logical groupings such as political and tax jurisdictions, and across various establishments, sites, services, etc. The present invention provides a technique for the analysis of medical equipment designed to meet these needs. This technique provides for the collection of equipment usage data in a variety of ways, including both automatically and manually. The information collected is integrated into a centralized data directory, which may include individual directories located in various locations. The information is combined to allow searches or reports according to various logical groups, including political and tax jurisdictions. This technique can be used both in computer systems newly installed in these

  establishments, as well as in existing facilities.

  According to certain aspects of the technique, the information collected includes references to specific groups from which the information comes. Establishment sites located within specific tax jurisdictions may therefore be

  referenced to allow an association of usage files with the tax jurisdiction.

  Reports, generated on demand or scheduled regularly, can then be generated in an automated manner, and if desired, in a secure manner to provide an automatic analysis of the use of the equipment inside the particular logical group and between logical groups. Special treatment may also be provided for each logical group, including analyzes such as expected depreciation, replacement costs, income, etc. Data analysis may also include an analysis of human resource use, and may similarly take into account particular considerations of the group chosen for a human resource cost analysis within a group. and between groups, especially when the group is in

  relationship with individual political and fiscal jurisdictions.

  A method for managing a medical establishment including several installation sites, according to the invention, comprises the steps of: collecting inventory data representative of the equipment used in the plurality of installation sites of

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  the medical establishment, the data including an identification of the equipment and the site where the equipment is located; storage of inventory data in a database; division of sites into a plurality of logical groups; analysis of inventory data to identify at least equipment inventories by site and group; and generation of a report presenting equipment inventories by group. Advantageously, each group corresponds to a geographic or political area in which the installation sites are located. Advantageously, the groups are selected

  on the basis of financial or accounting regulations, or on the basis of tax laws.

  Advantageously, the inventory data are analyzed to identify at least o10 numbers of components by type of equipment for each site and group. In one embodiment, each site includes a plurality of services, the inventory data being analyzed to identify the inventory assigned to each service. Advantageously, the report is generated at a location distant from the medical establishment and is delivered to the establishment.

  medical via a configurable network link, including for example the Internet.

  Advantageously, the report comprises a plurality of pages presentable to a user,

  at least one of the pages including an inventory summary by group. In a mode of

  implementation, access to reference inventory data and compare the reference data to the inventory data of a group, the reference inventory data being selected on the basis of a profile of the medical establishment. Advantageously, the method further comprises an analysis of the inventory data to identify

  trends in equipment inventory.

  The invention also relates to a system for the management of biomedical equipment in a medical establishment, comprising: a database for storing data on the biomedical equipment, the data including data which are representative of the equipment used in the plurality of installation sites of the medical establishment, of sites in which the equipment is used, and of logical groups of sites; an analysis module for identifying related data parameters by group of sites; and a report module for generating reports on the parameters referenced by group. The database can be a centralized medical facility database and can include equipment data for all sites and groups in the facility. Optionally, the database can be stored in a plurality of storage devices. Preferably, the report module is located remotely from the medical establishment and transmits the report via a configurable network link, which may include, for example, the Internet. Advantageously, the report includes a plurality of pages presentable to a user, configured for presentation on a management station of the medical establishment. The system may further include a plurality of stations

  for the introduction of equipment data from the plurality of sites.

  Advantageously, the groups are selected on the basis of political or tax jurisdictions.

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  The invention will be better understood on studying the following detailed description of

  preferred embodiments, illustrated by the appended drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a dependent network for the collection and analysis of data in one or more medical establishments; Figure 2 is a flowchart showing exemplary control logic for the data collection and analysis system of the type shown in Figure 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of data files, including data associated with establishments, sites, services, groups and components, collected and processed according to the aspects of the present techniques; Figure 4 is a data flow diagram showing the multiple data sources used in the analysis and reporting of data on the biomedical equipment of an establishment; Figure 5 is a processing flowchart showing functional components for secure generation of reports based on collected equipment data, and for delivery of reports to a medical facility; Figure 6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary control logic for processing service and group data according to aspects of these techniques; Figure 7 is a flow diagram of an exemplary control logic for the analysis and processing of maintenance contracts; Figure 8 is a flow diagram of exemplary control logic for the equipment replacement planning operation; Figure 9 is a flow diagram of exemplary control logic for data analysis to determine possible personnel training areas; Figure 10 is a flow diagram of exemplary control logic for reporting based on analysis, which summarizes the previous figures; Figure 11 1 is an exemplary graphical user interface screen, such as a browser screen, for accessing analyzed data and virtual reports; and Figures 12-25 are exemplary report screens representing analysis reports on biomedical equipment that present data for departments, groups, sites, and individual components and types of equipment according to aspects of

the present technique.

  In connection with the drawings, and first of all in Figure 1, there is shown a dependent network 10 for monitoring, data collection, data analysis, and reporting on biomedical equipment of a or several medical establishments. As shown, the system 10 includes a plurality of establishments 12, 14 and 16, the details of which are shown only for the first establishment 12. According to aspects of the present technique, establishments in any number can be served by a topography such as that shown in Figure 1, or by various modified topographies using the techniques described below. The system 10 also includes at least one service provider 18 which maintains the biomedical equipment of the

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  establishes, collects and analyzes equipment data, and reports on equipment inventory, performance, etc. In the embodiment shown, the establishments and the service provider can be linked via a network 20, such as the Internet. In a general embodiment, the system can also authorize access to data reports to service engineers or technicians 22, and to remote clients 24. Service engineers and remote clients can, if appropriate, access or enter data via mobile computer systems, satellite computer terminals, etc. Within each establishment, several functional parts or subdivisions can be defined, and data can be collected and analyzed in accordance with these functional parts. In the embodiment of Figure 1, for example, establishment 12 includes two functional groups 26 and 28, and three installation sites 30, 32 and 34. Sites 30 and 32 form group 26 while site 34 forms group 28. As described below, the present technique facilitates centralized collection and storage of biomedical equipment data for individual sites,

  individual services within sites, establishments, and logical groupings.

  For example, when an establishment includes sites in geographically dispersed places, each site can be taken into account separately, the equipment data being however referenced by site and establishment, which allows a visualization of the data either for the site is for the establishment. Similarly, logical groupings can be specified, such as political subdivisions (e.g. state, region, city)

  or tax jurisdictions, the data being referenced in a corresponding manner.

  Within each site, various services and systems can be designated and linked together. A centralized database 36 is compiled including data relating to the biomedical equipment kept (for example owned, managed, rented) by the establishment. It will be noted that the database could be stored by any suitable storage device, and that multiple storage devices, as shown, can be provided for storing all or part of the database. of data, and to constitute a backup and a redundancy in the memorization. However, the centralized database globally forms, for the user, a central directory of biomedical equipment data which is accessible, can be processed, transferred, memorized, and kept for easy monitoring,

  management, planning and other decision making.

  In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the establishment 12 includes various services 38, 40 and 42 at the level of the site 30. Depending on the mission of the establishment, these services can include radiology services, emergency care, neonatal care facilities, tumor study centers, etc. Within each department, biomedical equipment is maintained to provide medical care to hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. In this context, biomedical equipment can include a wide range of disposable and non-disposable resources, such as devices

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  continuous monitoring of patients, input devices and indicators, etc. However, biomedical equipment can also globally include elements of equipment and buildings of the establishment, including beds, wheelchairs, computer systems, etc. In some departments, the equipment may also include imaging stations, scanners, probes, coil assemblies, etc. Each department's equipment is ready for use by nurses, clinicians, doctors and others

  users, as shown schematically at 44 in Figure 1.

  In addition to the biomedical equipment assigned to each service, the establishment may include other systems which are connected to the establishment's computer system. For example, a radiology service computer system (SIR) 46, a hospital computer system (SIH) 48, an image archiving and communication system (SACI) 50, and similar computer management systems can be provided. One or more management stations 52, such as a conventional computer workstation, are provided, preferably at each site, for examining reports and generated data as described below. Note that several of these management positions can be planned, including

  fully or partially authorized management stations within each department.

  Various services and systems inside the establishment can be provided with configurable network interfaces, such as modems or other network connections, to facilitate the

  transmission and reception of data via network links 54 and a network 20.

  The service provider 18, which can operate partially within the establishment itself, includes processing capacities for accessing, analyzing and reporting data collected by the establishments on the medical equipment. Note, however, that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the service provider 18 can maintain installations remotely from one or more of the establishments and from one or more of the installation sites, the data being transmitted between the establishments and the service providers via the network 20. In the embodiment represented in FIG. 1, the service provider 18 includes processing capacities divided into a first processing space 56 and a second processing space 58 As described below, in order to guarantee increased security of the data stored by the service provider, the processing space 58 can be separated from the space 56 to substantially prohibit access to the processing space 58 by users outside the service provider's system. In the present context, space 58 is used to store files of biomedical equipment, to process data from the files, and to export

  data files for reporting within the processing space 56.

  Consequently, the service provider 18 keeps one or more databases 60 and has processing capacities in the form of specific applications 62 intended for the storage, association, analysis and extraction of data from the database. Clients 64 can access applications to perform data manipulation functions at the service provider level. One or more servers 66 are connected to the applications 62 to receive data files used as a base

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  for generating equipment reports. Other applications 68 are used to format and process reports. Finally, a network interface 70 is provided, for example including a router, modems or similar network interface circuits, for receiving data and transmitting data and reports to medical establishments from the service provider. FIG. 2 represents an exemplary logic for accessing or collecting, storing and analyzing biomedical equipment data in a system of the type represented in FIG. 1. The operation illustrated in FIG. 2 can be logically divided into a data collection / storage / association sequence 74 and a population data analysis sequence 76. In sequence 74, data is collected on biomedical equipment within departments, sites, groups and establishments, either manually as indicated in 78 or by automatic acquisition. Any suitable data entry technique can be employed, typically including manual entry via a workstation, laptop, portable device, etc. Consequently, as shown in FIG. 2, an introduction can be made to the putting into service of the equipment during its initialization, as indicated in 80, or during a subsequent maintenance (i.e. when individual equipment components are maintained) as indicated in 82. Other data can be entered manually when the equipment components are used, as indicated in 84, or during specific maintenance requests as indicated in 86. Equipment data is entered manually, as indicated in 88, at any of these or other points in the operation of biomedical equipment. To limit access to the data entry system, and to guarantee the integrity of the data, an authorization and synchronization sequence 90 is preferably executed, for example password protection, so as to not allow entry. equipment data only by authorized personnel or authorized stations. Synchronization is performed to keep

  up-to-date equipment data once the introduction has been completed.

  As an alternative to the manual entry of data, an automatic data acquisition can be carried out as indicated at 92 in FIG. 2. The automatic data acquisition can include a interrogation of certain equipment, for example at regular intervals or in accordance with a regular schedule. We can thus follow the equipment connected to the network and monitor its performance thanks to the data stored at the level of the equipment and transmitted in step 92. After one or the other of steps 90 and 92, the data is stored as indicated in 94. As previously indicated, the data can be stored in one or more storage devices, but by being associated in a centralized database for the establishment. As mentioned above, the centralized database can be physically located in one or more of the establishment's sites, or off site, such as at the location of the

service provider 18.

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  In a step 96, the data collected on the biomedical equipment are associated in the centralized database in accordance with any number of logical references. The data itself preferably includes references which facilitate or constitute the association, as indicated in 98. The data of a component can therefore include both the identification of the component, the model of the component, including the name of the manufacturer and model, and a type of component, typically indicated by the function of the equipment. The data also preferably include a reference representative of the establishment, the site in which the components are located, the services to which the components are assigned, if they are, and the name of the group which logically associates the services or sites. The maintenance data for each component preferably also includes a reference to maintenance agreements or contracts for partial or total coverage of the components, including an original warranty and after-sales service contracts or subscriptions. Relevant dates are preferably included, such as the date of purchase or entry into service, maintenance dates, and expiration or renewal dates for the coverage of maintenance contracts. In addition, specific service history information may be included when individual components have been serviced regularly or on demand. This maintenance history data may also include error codes, records of maintenance requests submitted by the establishment or users, breakdown records, breakdown time records, replacement records of subcomponents, etc. The population data analysis sequence 76 allows a comparative analysis or a profile study of specific establishments and groups of establishments in accordance with characteristics of use of the equipment or other considerations. When the service provider has access to the equipment files of several establishments, the files are preferably analyzed to identify common points between the establishments, sites, services and groups. This analysis may include a consideration of the types of establishments, the types of services, the types of equipment used, and the characteristics of use (for example the number of components, the performance imposed on the components, replacement or replacement records. interview, etc.). This analysis makes it possible to identify characteristic profiles corresponding to establishments, sites, services or typical groups, which can be used as a basis for comparing a particular establishment by inventory and use of equipment for the purpose of comparative analysis. Note that the comparative analysis preferably gives profiles which do not identify any individual establishment, but which only identify a larger group of establishments (such as a group of 20 or more) considered to be representative of a profile. particular. The profiles, defined in a step 102, can therefore include reference data 104 such as numbers of equipment components, details of the equipment, demographic data and financial profiles. In a step 106, the profiles and the corresponding reference data are stored, preferably in the database of the service provider, for later use in comparative analysis and maintenance planning as described below. . The biomedical equipment files stored in the centralized database therefore form a set of data or structure which allows and facilitates an analysis by establishment, site, service, group, component, type of component, and other reference characteristics. The database records can be considered to form a multidimensional matrix data structure which establishes mutual relationships between these various aspects of the data on the components of the equipment, as shown in Figure 3. As shown in the In FIG. 3, the data file 108 for an establishment 12 can therefore include references 110 to specific installation sites in which the equipment components are found. Service records

  112 additional specify the service to which equipment components are assigned.

  For each service and site, inventory files are therefore kept for each component as identified 114, including identification and maintenance information of the type described above. In addition, site, service, and component records can be combined by group names 116. When the service provider can access records from other institutions, these can form an additional database such as shown in Figure 3, allowing group analysis

  establishments to establish the profiles mentioned above.

  Note that the present technique not only provides a centralized database for keeping records of medical facility equipment, but also incorporates a wide range of sources of information both at the facility and other levels. sources accessible to a service provider. FIG. 4 schematically represents an example of the types of information sources which are integrated by the present technique. As described below, an analysis module 118 is provided either at the establishment level, or preferably at the service provider level for access to and analysis of the equipment files. The analysis module can incorporate a range of analysis algorithms, search techniques and software applications to obtain useful management data from component records. Overall, the analysis module performs totals, statistical analysis, and associations of equipment components by site, department, establishment, group and manufacturer, as well as by any other reference provided in the component files. The analysis module extracts this information from the establishment's database 36, as well as from other establishment computer systems, such as SIR 46, SIH 48, any SACI 50 present in the establishment. , or other computer systems of the establishment. As mentioned above, the centralized database 36 of the establishment can itself obtain information from various sources, generally identified 120 in FIG. 4, such as systems for entering data from a service, fixed or mobile data entry devices, laptop computers of a service engineer or

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  maintenance staff, etc. Similarly, the analysis module 118 accesses information from the population databases 60, for example for a comparative analysis, and has a financial, demographic or other entry 122 which can include public sources, such as research databases, specifically industrial databases, etc. Based on the analysis performed by the analysis module 118, a report module 124 is provided for generating and delivering representative reports

  component files, and analysis of the component files.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the report processing flow diagram, generally marked 126, linked to the operation of the analysis and report modules of FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, the secure database 60 of the service provider is kept in the secure processing space 58. Among the software applications 62 used in the secure processing space 58, a report generation application 128 is part of the report module generally identified 124 in FIG. 4 Periodically or on demand, the report generation application 128 accesses the data file 108 (see for example Figure 3) of the establishment, and calculates or obtains all the related data not already contained in the file in view a

  use in one or more management reports to be transmitted to the medical establishment.

  In the example shown in Figure 5, the data folder includes information that is specific to an establishment, specific to a site, specific to a service and specific to a group. In addition, the database 60 can also include data representative of known populations of medical establishments, sites, groups or components, as well as previously calculated data which are specific to a profile. As mentioned above, profiles generated from data from known populations can classify establishments and other logical groupings by size, demographic data, etc. The reporting application 128 generates a data file 130 containing data or data fields, which is then exported via

  a fire stop 132 towards the processing space 56.

  Inside the processing space 56, other hardware or software components are provided to transform the data file 130 into one or more report files. Thus, in the embodiment shown, the applications 68 operated inside the processing space 56 include a Web agent 134 which is capable of placing data from the file 130 in a predefined report model. In addition, web content introduced to generate the report is provided in one or more files 136. By integrating the data file and the web content in the predefined report model, a report file 138 is generated which can be adapted to a presentation in any suitable manner, such as an HTML page on a conventional web browser. The file of

  report 138 is then memorized and is ready to be delivered via a web server 66.

  In one embodiment, the web server 66 transmits the report file 138 via a configurable network link, such as the Internet, and through a firewall 140. At the level of the medical establishment 12, and typically at the level of A management station 52, a client browser application 142 facilitates viewing and navigation in various parts of the report, as described in more detail later. Other applications 144 may be available for handling the report, formatting the report, printing on paper, etc. As mentioned above, the present technique allows an analysis of biomedical equipment data by various functional parts of a medical establishment, for example by department or by group. The data stored in the centralized database and which the service provider accesses are therefore referenced by the functional parts, typically a service to which the equipment components are assigned, or a site and a group in which the components are located. Figure 6 shows exemplary steps of control logic for processing data to generate reports on equipment by department, group, site, or other

logical division.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in a step 148 an access is made to the data of the centralized database, and in a step 150 the data are analyzed for the logical subdivision, for example the service or the group. In a presently preferred embodiment, the data is analyzed to identify the number of each model and type of component, as well as to determine usage parameters (for example the duration of use or the operations carried out), breakdowns, error codes, trends, etc. In addition, current data can be analyzed with historical data stored in the centralized database, or in a historical database, to identify trends in these parameters over time. The analysis performed in step 150 can therefore identify increases or decreases in the number of equipment components, increases or decreases in errors, failures, etc. In a step 152, the data generated by the analysis of the step 150 are stored for later use in the generation of a report to the medical establishment as described below. In a step 154, all or some of the data initially collected, or derived from the original data, can be compared with reference data on similar establishments which correspond to predefined profiles as described above. The data can themselves serve as the basis for the selection of a comparable profile after the comparison in step 154, as indicated in step 156. On the basis of the selected profile, it is possible to generate parameters for comparative analysis which may allow an overview of the inventory, performance, use and maintenance of the establishment's biomedical equipment compared to comparable establishments defined by the profile. In a step 158, a report is generated in accordance with the service, the site and the group name as described above with regard to the

figure 5.

  This technique also allows a detailed analysis of the coverage of medical equipment by maintenance contracts. As indicated by the control logic 160 summarized in FIG. 7, the processing of the stored data for the identification of a

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  coverage by maintenance contracts begins at a step 162 of data access. In a step 164, the equipment files are analyzed by maintenance file, to identify the identification of the equipment, its type, any guarantees, contracts and current maintenance subscriptions, etc. Note that this information may include designations by department, site, group, or any other appropriate subdivision of the establishment as summarized in Figure 6. The data records thus obtained are

  stored in a step 166 for the generation of a report in a step 168.

  An additional functionality of the present technique allows an analysis of the equipment data to program or plan an equipment replacement, an increase in inventory, reductions in inventory, maintenance, etc. FIG. 8 summarizes an exemplary logic of the planning operation, generally identified 170. The operation begins with access to the data at a step 172, followed by an analysis of the data by parameters such as the date of entry into service, the maintenance file, financial files, performance files, etc. For example, the replacement of specific components of biomedical equipment can be scheduled at the end of a predetermined period after their entry into service, for example in accordance with amortization schedules, at a scheduled rotation of the equipment, etc. In addition, maintenance records can be used to forecast anticipated equipment replacement needs. Similarly, records of error or fault codes can be used as a basis for forecasting the possible replacement of components. If desired, anticipated variations in demographic data can also be used in the analysis of step 174, for example to plan future increases or reductions in inventory in accordance with anticipated needs of the establishment. It will also be noted that, if desired, the alternative planning operation of Figure 8 can be performed for specific departments, sites, groups and other functional parts of the establishment. In step 176, based on the analysis in step 174, numbers and types of equipment components to be replaced are calculated and stored. If desired, these forecasts can include anticipation of replacement costs, for example based on the current costs of the components to be replaced. In step 178, a

  planning report is generated based on analysis and replacement options.

  Another type of operation that can be facilitated by the present technique concerns the identification of potential training needs, on the basis of the use of the components of biomedical equipment. FIG. 9 represents steps of an exemplary control logic for carrying out this operation, generally marked 180. The operation begins at a step 182 of accessing the component data in the centralized database. In a step 184, the data are analyzed to identify factors which may be indicative of a need for staff training. For example, these factors may include recorded errors, breakdowns, maintenance or procedure requests, etc. In addition to identifying specific components and indicative training parameters, the data can also be analyzed to identify operators or users.

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  who can benefit from additional training. In a step 186, the data are combined to identify training needs by factors such as the equipment manufacturer, the type of component, the service, the installation site, etc. Based on the analyzes of steps 184 and 186, training needs are identified in step 188, and a report reflecting the possible needs is generated in step 190. As mentioned above, the report generated in step 190 , which can be generated in accordance with Figure 5, can indicate specific training needs for specific equipment or specific types of equipment, and can identify specific services, sites, groups or even specific users who can benefit from the training . In the optional step, the concrete training can be programmed as indicated in a step 192. The various analyzes and report generation steps described above, executed globally in the secure manner summarized in FIG. 5, make it possible to generate reports which can be transmitted by various means to the administrative decision-makers of the medical establishment. FIG. 10 illustrates a presently preferred mode of transmission of the reports via a configurable network. The operation, generally identified 194, begins with the generation of the report in a step 196. In a step 198 the report is stored, for example by generation of a data file and combination of the data file with a report model for generate one or more report files. The report can be transmitted directly to the medical establishment in an electronic manner, for example by connection to a configurable network, as indicated in 200. According to a variant, in a step 202 a notice can be sent to the establishment, by example via the configurable network,

  indicating to the establishment that the report is available for download.

  The establishment can then withdraw the report at any time that suits it. Once the report has been sent to the medical establishment, it can be loaded and viewed on an administrative workstation, as indicated in a step 204. It will be noted that these reports can be generated separately or in combination. In addition, in one embodiment, the single report file can include a wide range of "virtual reports" which each include details or pages that can be presented to the user and which provide specific information relating to components, services, sites, groups, etc. The reports provided by this technique can be formatted in any suitable way. However, in one embodiment, the reports are generated electronically, and are transmitted to the medical establishment via a connection to a configurable network, for example in the form of HTML pages which can be opened.

  and viewed by a conventional web browser or other presentation application.

  Figures 11-25 show exemplary pages of reports generated by logic such as that described above on the basis of information collected in a database.

  centralized data of a medical establishment.

  FIG. 11 represents a summary or navigation page accessed by a

  conventional web browser to view other pages of a report. Such as

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  mentioned above, the report submitted in accordance with the previous techniques may include a wide range of data subdivided and combined so as to present

  information on equipment components, groups or sites etc. individual.

  In the present embodiment, the page represented in FIG. 11, generally marked 201, allows navigation through the various "virtual reports". The page preferably includes graphical user interface keys or buttons 203 that a user can select to navigate through the more detailed reports. In the embodiment shown, such virtual buttons are provided for an activity report.

  summary 205, group reports 206, inventory analysis 208, analysis of

  interview cover 210, performance analysis 212, planning analysis 214, and training analysis 216. Other tools may be provided, such as a help tool 218, as well as auxiliary navigation tools 220 allowing the user

  directly access virtual reports or navigate in or exit the report.

  As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various additional tools (not shown) may be provided, such as tools for reviewing previous pages, advancing to next pages, printing pages, searching in pages, etc.

  Figure 12 shows an exemplary page of accessible demographic summary

  by the summary activity report tool 205 in Figure 11. As mentioned above, the

  biomedical equipment data can be analyzed according to facility demographics to represent factors such as population groups within the facility (e.g. inpatients and outpatients), as well than the equipment used for patient care. In the

  summary page 222 of figure 12, a presentation in graphic summary 224 gives a

  indication of patient demography in the establishment concerned. Also as mentioned above, when a trend analysis is performed on the database

  collected current and historical, a trend graph 226 can be presented.

  Also as mentioned above, if desired, equipment data collected for the establishment, site, group or service can be compared with profile data of known populations of similar establishments, virtual buttons 228 allow '' access detailed comparative analysis reports of the establishment concerned in relation to the selected profile. In the embodiment shown, this comparative analysis is accessible from page 222 for a comparison of the duration of

  equipment, investment, and recorded service failures.

  Figure 13 shows a summary table of comparative analysis of

  faults accessible by one of the virtual buttons 228 in FIG. 12. Such as

  shown in Figure 13, the summary page 230 gives specific details of

  equipment categories, indicated in a category column 232. When the collected equipment data is compared to similar data for a selected profile, the collected data can be classified according to various intervals of

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  classification 234, to give an indication of whether the performance of the equipment of the establishment concerned is included or not in the statistical performance interval which corresponds to the profile of the establishment. In addition, a column 236 can give a summary of the performance (eg failures) of equipment components which are covered by maintenance contracts. In the embodiment of FIG. 13, a column 238 gives other details of the reference interval, which correspond to the intervals of the selected profile of the establishment. other

  comments and status data can be shown in an additional column 240.

  The biomedical equipment component data can also be summarized to analyze an inventory on bases such as by department, by group, by site, etc. The

  Figure 14 shows an inventory summary page by service, accessible by a

  virtual button 208 of the page shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 14, this inventory data can be summarized on one page 242 through the use of graphical techniques such as a graphical summary by service 244. Graphing techniques can present data in any suitable way, such as the pie chart shown in Figure 14, bar graphs, line graphs, and any other useful data presentation tool . In the

  embodiment shown in Figure 14, the inventory summary page allows

  classification or sorting according to a range of memorized parameters of the equipment. As an example, this classification can include the type of equipment, the manufacturer of the equipment, the group to which the establishment or installation sites belong, the site

  in which the equipment is located, etc., as indicated by the grouping tools 246.

  Sorting tools 248 can also be provided, for example for the presentation of the details of the equipment by serial number, control number, etc. As mentioned above, when the equipment data is analyzed over a period of time, for example by reference to numbers of components and historical performance of the equipment, trend analysis tools 252 can be provided, for example. example for

  a presentation of summary pages of variations by month, by department, by equipment,

  by category, etc. In addition, depending on the status of the equipment, tools 254 can be provided to access pages presenting an inventory of the equipment classified by title or by owner. Finally, when a comparative analysis is carried out in relation to establishment profiles and comparison with known establishment profiles, tools 256

  comparative analysis can be provided for a presentation of these comparisons.

  For example, Figure 15 provides a page summarizing trends or inventory changes over a 12-month period, showing both new equipment and

  the equipment removed from an establishment, accessible by a virtual button 252 in FIG. 14.

  Page 256 of summary of inventory changes presents a graphic summary 258 of

  inventory changes. Note that the graphic presentation can also present these variations by department, site, group, or any other desired functional part of the establishment. In the embodiment of Figure 15, the information is also

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  presented in a table showing numerical values of the variations appearing in the graphical presentation. If desired, other specific details can be provided on other pages, for example to give an indication of the specific equipment or types of equipment that have been removed or acquired. Figure 16

  represents an exemplary page of detailed summary by service, accessible by another

  virtual button 252 in FIG. 14. The trend page 262 by service also gives a graphic indication 264 of the variations in equipment by service, as well as a presentation

  266 in numerical values showing the variations.

  As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the various presentations of the inventory, trends in the inventory, the investment corresponding to the inventory, etc. can be offered on various bases. For example, in the pages shown in Figures 14, 15 and 16, numbers of equipment components are shown. However, by reference to the financial records of the establishment or of a manufacturer, specific investment figures can be illustrated in a similar way. Still with reference to the financial records of the individual components, and to provisions of the tax administration (which are for example referenced by the group names of the installation sites), the data presented in the reports may indicate book values of the equipment, updated depreciation of equipment, anticipation of depreciation or book values, etc. Comparison of inventory data with similar data from establishment profiles gives the opportunity to compare and benchmark the performance of the equipment in the specific establishment. FIG. 17 represents a page for comparative analysis of numbers of equipment components, accessible by a virtual tool 156 from the page in FIG. 14. With respect to the establishment profile selected for the establishment concerned, the information of benchmarking can compare factors such as the number of equipment components, the investment corresponding to the equipment, equipment performance, equipment failures, etc. In addition, information may be presented in accordance with various divisions or parts

  of the establishment, such as departments, groups, sites, or by sub-

  modalities as shown in Figure 17. In the embodiment of Figure 17, the

  page 268 of comparative analysis presentation includes a category 270 for the sub-

  equipment category, as well as an interval classification column 272 indicating whether or not the basis of the comparison is included in the statistical interval which corresponds to the profile. A current number column 274 is provided for each sub-modality, as well as a reference interval column 276 corresponding to the specific profile selected. Other information such as a comment on the status can be proposed in a column 278. By way of example, in a present embodiment, when the population of the profile is insufficient to form a reliable basis for statistical comparison (for example , less than 20 establishments), a comment may appear in column 278

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  stating that this explained the indication "no status" in the benchmarking presentation. As described above, the present technique also provides an extremely

  useful for analyzing the maintenance coverage of an establishment's biomedical equipment.

  Figure 18 shows an exemplary report page summarizing the interview coverage

  of this equipment. Summary page 280 conveniently provides a graphical summary

  282 of the level of coverage by maintenance contracts for specific biomedical equipment. This page also offers tools 284 allowing the user to navigate to more detailed pages summarizing trends in maintenance coverage, in particular maintenance contracts which will span a desired period and summaries of periods. during which maintenance coverage will expire. Other presentations of data 286 can be proposed to summarize numbers or quantities of various types

  of equipment which are covered by maintenance contracts.

  Figure 19 shows an exemplary detailed report of a cover of

  biomedical equipment through maintenance contracts, accessible from the summary page

  in Figure 18. In the example in Figure 19, detailed information is provided

  on a summary page 288, and can be sorted in various ways depending on

  the analysis desired by the user. By way of example, designations or references can be proposed by service 290 to which the equipment is assigned, by installation site 292 where the equipment is located, or by group 294 to which the site belongs. Information can also be presented by type of equipment 296, and by equipment manufacturer 298. If desired, more detailed reports for each of these classifications can be provided.

  accessible from the contents page. Other details 298 may be indicated, such as

  manual numbers, modem numbers, etc. If desired, dates of acquisition of the equipment can be indicated in a column 300, in particular when these dates serve as the basis for a guarantee or other maintenance cover. As indicated in 302, detailed identification numbers may be given to specifically identify items of equipment, as well as reference codes used by the establishment to designate the equipment. In addition, if desired, specific identifications of service providers 304 and expiration and renewal dates 306 of the maintenance contracts with the providers can be indicated. These summaries therefore provide establishment decision-makers with powerful tools for grouping and analyzing the coverage of specific equipment by maintenance contracts, and for

  anticipate necessary modifications or renewals of this coverage.

  Equipment data stored in the establishment's centralized database can also be analyzed to identify parameters indicative of equipment performance. These factors may include use of the equipment (for example, number of days or equipment use cases), error codes, downtime, number of outages, etc. Figure 20 shows a page

  308 copy of performance summary, accessible by a virtual button 212 from

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  the main page of figure 11. In the exemplary embodiment of figure

  , the summary page presents a graphical summary 310 of equipment failures

  specific by service. Similar layouts are available for other group names, for example by equipment manufacturer, equipment site, site groups, etc., as indicated by the graphic buttons 312 in Figure 20. Tools 314 of specific detailed analysis can also be provided, for example to access virtual report pages summarizing the causes of failures, repair histories, categories of failures, etc. As mentioned above, performance data can be compared to similar data corresponding to establishment profiles derived from a known population of establishments, and benchmarking pages can be presented through navigation tools 316, for example to present a comparative analysis of failures, a comparative analysis of failures, etc.

  As an example, figure 21 represents a page of summary of the performances of

  equipment (referenced by breakdowns) for a specific service of an establishment. The

  page 318 of the service summary, in the embodiment shown, indicates

  references of the equipment manufacturer as well as the designation of the equipment as indicated in 320. A summary of faults 322 is presented, including a number of faults and a summary of performance over a desired analysis period, for example a year . Specific equipment identifications are indicated in columns 324, to allow tracking of problematic individual components of the equipment, which may be useful in analysis, replacement planning and the like. Finally, additional details such as service life, and statistics such as average failure time, and average uptime, can be summarized as shown in 326. Other details can be accessed by detailed pages such as that shown in FIG. 22. Detailed page 328 of FIG. 22 can present the performance information by functional part of the establishment, for example by department as indicated in 330, as well as a detailed analysis , such as a number of failures

as shown in 332.

  To provide assistance in equipment management, forecasting, financial planning, etc., this technique offers data collection and reporting by analyzing the potential needs of an establishment, both in terms of equipment. new and equipment removed. These forecasting tools can be based on an analysis of the equipment data stored in the centralized database, and on factors such as the date of entry into service of the equipment, the expected life of the equipment , the equipment depreciation period, anticipated demographic increases in the establishment, etc. FIG. 23 represents an exemplary planning page 334, accessible by a virtual button 214 from the main page of FIG. 11. As shown in FIG. 23, these pages can present forecasts by functional part of the establishment in the form of 'a graph 336. These presentations can, as

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  previously, be divided by any appropriate functional part of the establishment, for example by department, site, group, or as shown in Figure 23

  by sub-modality. The summary page can allow further navigation to

  suggestions for changes to inventory as indicated in 340, as well as to

  benchmarks of equipment modification suggestions such as

  indicated in 342, which present comparisons of suggestions for modification of inventory in equipment to other establishments of the same profile. Summaries in

  table of data appearing on the page can be obtained as shown in 338.

  Finally, Figures 24 and 25 show more detailed summaries accessible from the page shown in Figure 23. As shown in these figures, a detailed planning page 334 summarizes suggestions for specific equipment modifications.

  biomedical, for example divided by functional part 346, in this case by sub-

  modality. Current numbers of equipment components (or equipment values) can be presented as shown in 348, as well as summaries of additions to, removals from, and net inventory changes, as summarized in 350. Pages even more detail can be proposed, such as the long-term detailed forecast page 352 shown in Figure 25, for example. A graphical summary of forecasts 354 may be presented, and a forecast may be divided by any appropriate functional part of the establishment, by sub-modality in the example of Figure 25. Although the invention is likely to various modifications and variations, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and described in detail herein. It will however be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular forms described. The invention rather encompasses all modifications,

  equivalents and variants consistent with its spirit and scope.

2814837

Claims (20)

  1. A method for the management of a medical establishment including several installation sites, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: collection (88, 92) of inventory data (114) representative of the equipment used in the plurality of installation sites (30, 32, 34) of the medical establishment (12), the data including an identification of the equipment and of the site in which the equipment is located; storing (94) inventory data in a database (36); dividing the sites (30, 32, 34) into a plurality of logical groups (26, 28); analyzing (150) inventory data (114) to identify at least equipment inventories per site (30, 32, 34) and group (26, 28); and generating (154) a report (138) presenting equipment inventories by group.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each group (26, 28) corresponds to a geographical or political area in which the sites are located installation (30, 32, 34).   3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the groups (26, 28) are   selected on the basis of financial or accounting regulations.   4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that the groups (26, 28) are   selected on the basis of tax laws.   5. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the inventory data are analyzed to identify at least numbers of components (274) by type of equipment   for each site (30, 32, 34) and group (26, 28).   6. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each site (30, 32, 34) includes a plurality of services (38, 40, 42), and in that the inventory data (114) are   analyzed to identify the inventory assigned to each service.   7. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the report (138) is generated in a place (18) remote from the medical establishment (12) and is delivered to the medical establishment via   a configurable network link (20).   8. Method according to claim 7, characterized in that the network link (20) includes the Internet. 9. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the report (138) comprises a plurality of pages presentable to a user, at least one of the pages (200, 222)   including an inventory summary by group.   10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an access (148) to data (60) of reference inventory, and a comparison (154) of the data of   reference to the inventory data of a group. 21 2814837   11. Method according to claim 10, characterized in that the reference inventory data (60) are selected (156) on the basis of a profile of the medical establishment (12). 12. The method of claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises an analysis of the inventory data to identify trends in the equipment inventory. 13. System for managing biomedical equipment in a medical establishment (12), characterized in that it comprises: a database (36) for storing data (114) on the biomedical equipment, the data including data that is representative of the equipment used in the plurality of installation sites (30, 32, 34) of the medical establishment, of the sites in which the equipment is used, and of logical groups (26, 28 ) sites; an analysis module (118) for identifying related parameters of the data by group (26, 28) of sites; and a report module (124) for generating parameter reports referenced by group (26, 28).   14. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the database (36) is a centralized database of the medical establishment (12) and includes data   equipment for all the sites (30, 32, 34) and groups (26, 28) of the establishment.   15. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the database is   stored in a plurality of storage devices.   16. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the report module (124) is located at a distance (18) from the medical establishment (12) and transmits the report via a link configurable network (20).   17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that the network link (20) includes the Intemrnet. 18. The system of claim 13, characterized in that the report includes a plurality of pages (200, 222) presentable to a user, configured for a   presentation on a management station (52) of the medical establishment.   19. The system of claim 13, characterized in that it further comprises a plurality of input stations (120) for the introduction of equipment data from   the plurality of sites (30, 32, 34).   20. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the groups (26, 28) are   selected on the basis of political or tax jurisdictions.