GB2390184A

GB2390184A - Data acquisition & display system

Info

Publication number: GB2390184A
Application number: GB0214986A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin Cleaver
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2002-06-27
Filing date: 2002-06-27
Publication date: 2003-12-31
Also published as: GB0214986D0

Abstract

A acquisition and display system particularly suitable for controlling the movement of clients within a veterinary practice comprises an identification device coded with information identifying a particular individual; sensors (3) for sensing information from the identification device as the individual enters the practice building; and various displays (8,10,15) for providing messages to the individual in response to the detected presence of the individual and pre-recorded information relating to the intended purpose of the visit of the individual. The system may, for example, provide welcome messages to the individual, may alert professional staff to the arrival of the individual, may provide a waiting room display indicating the individuals who are in the waiting room and awaiting consultation, and may operate a call system calling individuals forward to a particular consultation room.

Description

1 2390184

DATA ACQUISITION DISPLAY SYSTEM

This invention relates to a data acquisition and display system and, in the preferred embodiment, provides a data acquisition and display system particularly of assistance in veterinary practices for controlling the movement of clients and providing critical data to clients and to veterinary staff.

Traditionally, the surgery based activities of a veterinary practice are organised using an appointment system. A client who wishes to see a member of the practice staff will generally telephone to make an appointment and will present themselves at a reception desk on arrival for the appointment. When the client identifies themselves to a receptionist the fact that that client is in the waiting room is signaled by some means by the receptionist to the member of the practice professional staff with whom the appointment has been made, and that member of staff will, when they are ready to see the client, call the client to a consultation room either by entering the waiting room and calling out the name of the client or the pet, or by using a public address system. In many veterinary practices data relating to clients is stored on a computer system and is accessible to receptionists and professional staff. In general, this data will be called up by the professional staff when the client arrives at the consultation room. I have now devised an improved system which, by appropriate use of data acquisition and data handling techniques considerably improves the handling of clients within the surgery.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention each client will be supplied with an identification device, which contains identification information relating to the client and/or their pet, and one or more sensors will be provided at me entrance to the surgery to collect information from the identification device as the

client enters the surgery. The data collected by the sensors is used to establish the fact that the client is at the surgery entrance.

The use of an identification device in combination with automatic sensors to identify the presence of a client at the entrance to the surgery can be utilized, in association with a suitable computer system, to improve considerably the handling of clients within the surgery practice.

As a first advantage, when the system according to the invention is deployed, it is no longer necessary for the clients to present themselves to a reception desk to announce their arnval. The reception desk area of veterinary surgery is traditionally an area of some difficulty. Often, several clients will arrive simultaneously with a variety of animals. Having a group of different people with different animals grouped in a confined area may be distressing for the animals and makes it difficult for the clients to talk without distraction to the receptionist. Further, the need to look up the details of clients and signal their arrival has traditionally occupied a substantial amount of receptionist's time. In large practices, this may necessitate the employment of several receptionists. Further, receptionists traditionally also deal with such matters as dispensing of drugs and receiving payments. Accordingly, the presence of several people with animals trying to announce their arrival to a receptionist may disrupt the other required duties of the receptionist.

With the preferred embodiment of the present invention as soon as the client enters the surgery their presence is automatically detected. This automatic detection can be used for a number of purposes, and in particular can immediately produce an appropriate indication on the screen of a receptionist that the relevant client has arrived. This information can also be conveyed automatically to the practitioner with whom the client has an appointment. The clients themselves do not need to speak to the receptionist, but if a client does approach the receptionist they can be greeted by name because the receptionist will already have details of the particular client and the purpose of their visit displayed on a screen in front of them. The information may also be used to display a welcome message to a client on a screen positioned adjacent to the entrance or reception area. The welcome message may include an instruction such as "Please wait in the waiting room" or "Please go straight to Treatment Room 1" or the like.

The acquisition of the ID data of the client may be achieved automatically by means of sensors located adjacent the entrance doorway to the surgery, or may require the client to present their card to an appropriate reader. The former is preferred since it does not require any action by the client. This is particularly desirable if the client is trying to deal with a dog or carry a pet in a carrier.

Preferably, suitable means are provided for confirming to the client that their presence has been noted. This means may comprise a welcome screen as indicated above or may simply comprise the client and details of their appointment being displayed on a monitor in a waiting area. For example, a monitor can be provided with a scrolling display which provides details of each of those clients who are waiting to see a practitioner. The screen could include additional information - for example the pet's name, the client's arrival time, the appointment time, and the expected time when the client will be able to see the practitioner with whom they have an appointment.

Preferably, the system is set up such that only those clients who have identity devices and have appointments will be able to activate the automatic system.

In a further preferred embodiment a monitor, keypad and reader system may be available for use by clients within a waiting area. Such a system could enable clients to view data associated with their pet, for example, the client may be able to view such information as vaccination booster dates, due date for worming and flea treatment, weight records, etc. In a further development of the invention the identity device will, in addition to containing identity information relating to the client, contain information about the pet or pets of the client. For example, the card may include a microchip which would allow important clinical history to be recorded. It is envisaged that the data on the microchip would be updated either automatically or by inserting the card into an appropriate reader at the end of each visit. The data could, for example, include such items as clinical history. This would be particularly valuable if the client has to consult a different veterinary practice, for example as a result of moving or when on holiday.

Preferably, the identification device includes, in addition to electronically stored information, certain basic details - for example the name of the client, the name

of their pet or pets, emergency telephone numbers, client registration numbers and the like.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the identity card will be a credit card size multi-functional card incorporating an REID chip for contactsless reading by appropriate sensors.

In one possible further development to the invention the data displayed to clients either on arrival or in the waiting area could include a photograph of the relevant pet. This data could, for example, be used to call a client forward to a consultation. By displaying both the name of the client and a photograph of the pet the inherent ambiguity often present if only a name of the client or a name of the pet is used to call the client forward to a consultation room is avoided.

It is envisaged that information gathered by the computer system may be used to run a loyalty or reward system and/or to provide automatic discounts.

The invention will be better understood from the following description of a

preferred embodiment thereof given by way of example only reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein the single figure illustrates schematically a veterinary practice.

Referring to the drawing, a veterinary practice is carried on within a building 1 having an entrance 2. Clients arriving at the practice will pass through the entrance 2 into the building 1. Sensors 3 are provided adjacent the entrance so as to read an identity device carried by the client. As outlined above, the identity device is preferably a creditcard sized multi-functional card incorporating an RFID chip for contactless reading. As an alternative to the sensors 3 a card reader unit 4 may be provided either adjacent the entrance or, as illustrated, at a reception desk. However, this option is not preferred because of the difficulty that use of such a unit imposes on the client.

Data gathered by the sensors 3 or reader unit 4 is supplied over an appropriate cable or wireless link 5 to a central processor and data store 6. On receipt of data over the link 5 the central processor 6 identifies the client associated with the received data and verifies that that client has an appointment within a pre-determined period of arrival of the client. If no such appointment exists an appropriate signal will be sent

to a reception deslc 7 so that the reception staff are alerted to the arrival of the client and may greet them with an appropriate welcome.

Assuming that the client in question does have an appointment a suitable welcome message is displayed on a monitor 8. This monitor is visible to reception staff and may also be visible to the client. If the client is expected and there are no queries relating to their visit the monitor may display a welcome message followed by a legend "Please wait in waiting area" or the like. Under these circumstances, there is no requirement for the client to speak to the receptionist and the client may proceed immediately to a waiting area 9. Waiting area 9 includes a monitor 10 displaying details of the clients who are in the waiting area. This monitor may, for example, display a scrolling image giving details of each client who is waiting, the professional with whom they have an appointment, the time of the appointment, and the likely time when they will be called forward. The waiting area may also have an interactive unit it which may be used by waiting clients to check details such as due dates for vaccination, etc as outlined above.

Information relating to the arrival of the client will be relayed from the central processing unit 6 via a link l 2 to consultation rooms l 3. In general, a client will have an appointment with a particular individual practitioner, in which case, information as to the arrival of that client will be relayed only to that practitioner. When the practitioner is ready to see the client they will send an appropriate signal over a link 13 to the CPU 6 which will cause a further monitor is located in the waiting area to display a waiting room call. This call may include such information as the name of the client, a photograph of the pet, and instructions as to which of the consultation rooms 13 the client is to proceed to.

Each of the consultation rooms is furnished with a reader-writer unit 16 to allow the identity device to be updated with information at the end of each visit. At the end of each visit the updated data will be sent via the link 14 to the CPU and will be displayed to a receptionist who will typically deal with such matters as drug dispensing, the making of further appointments, and bill payment.

Whilst the invention has been described with particular reference to a veterinary practice' it should be appreciated that the invention is of more general

applicability and may, for example, be used in any business or profession in

which members of the public visit the premises of those operating the business.

Claims

1. A data acquisition and display system for use in a business in which individuals present themselves to a particular location for consultation with one of a group of advisers located at the location, the system comprising an identification device which in use is caused by an individual and which contains information identifying the individual and/or a pet owned by the individual; one or more sensors provided at the entrance to the location to collect infonnation from the identification device as the individual passes through the entrance; and means responsive to the sensor for providing a visua] indication of the arrival of the individual.

2. A data acquisition and display system according to Claim 1 wherein a

reception desk is provided within the location and the indication of the arrival of the individual is presented on a display for reading by a receptionist located at the reception desk.

3. A data acquisition and display system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein a monitor is provided which is viewable by the individual and a welcome message is displayed on the monitor in response to information collected by the or each sensor.

4. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein a plurality of separate consulting rooms are provided within the location and Information relating to the arrival of the individual is displayed in the consulting room of the advisor to be consulted by the individual.

5. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein the location includes a waiting area and a display is provided in the waiting area which is operable, in response to a signal provided by a receptionist or by an advisor who is to be consulted to call the individual to a particular consulting room.

6. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein the location includes a waiting area and a monitor is provided in the waiting area indicating the names of the individuals known to be within the waitmg area.

7. A data acquisition and display system according to Claim 6 wherein the monitor indicates the appointment time of each individual and/or likely time when each individual will be seen.

8. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein the waiting area includes electronic means enabling an individual to consult records relating to the individual held on the central database of an organization.

9. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein the identification device is a card incorporates an REID chip for contactless reading by the or each sensor.

10. A data acquisition and display system according to any preceding claim wherein the identification device incorporates a chip for carrying information relating to the individual and/or their pet.

11. A data acquisition and display system according to Claim 10 wherein the chip is reprogrammable to update the information relating to the Individual and/or the pet after a consultation.

12. A data acquisition and display system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

13. A method for controlling the movement of clients and providing data relating to chents within a business in which the clients present themselves to a particular location to consult a particular advisor within the location, the method comprising, providing the individuals with an identification device which contains identification nfonnation relating to the individual, reading the identification device as the

g individual enters the location; using a central processing unit to generate one or more displays dependent upon the identity of the individual and pre-recorded information relating to the particular visit of the individual, and presenting the or each display to the individual to control the movement of the individual within the location.