Abstract:
A method for providing a displayable task schedule of tasks to be performed on behalf of specific service tasks such as individuals by a particular worker of a plurality of workers is disclosed. In an embodiment, the method comprises receiving worker identification information; compiling a list of tasks to be performed by a worker in response to the received identification information based on a role assigned to the worker and a list of service tasks; and initiating display of the compiled list of tasks. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope of meaning of the claims.

Description:
PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority through U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/316,604 filed Aug. 31, 2001 for “A System And User Interface For Processing Task Schedule Information.” 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to project management systems in general. More specifically, the present invention relates to mechanisms for reconciling complex and overlapping responsibilities for complex tasks such as those found in a healthcare environment with task allocation models that may be supported by workflow engines. However, the present invention is equally applicable in other industries where complex task allocation is required.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    Prior art workflow engines permit manipulation of workflow processes, including defining individual work steps to be allocated to systems, individuals, groups of individuals or systems, or combinations thereof. For work steps delegated to systems, individuals, or groups, a desired task description is typically placed into a destination work list, e.g. a set of tasks to be accomplished, at least in part, by or for that system, individual, or group. Destination work lists may be defined at the time that the workflow process definition is created.  
           [0004]    Work steps are typically placed into a specific destination work list in response to an event such as the completion of a previous work step or the reception of a system message, rather than when an individual or system is ready to carry out the task associated with that work step.  
           [0005]    Prior art workflow models are insufficient for a complex industry such as healthcare. By way of example, in a healthcare system a task such as “dispense medication” may be defined within a workflow process named “medication administration.” However, at the time that the workflow process is defined, several degrees of uncertainty may exist including specifics regarding medication, a patient to whom the medication will be administered, a time when the administration is due, and the person who will be responsible at that time for administering the medication. It is preferable that a single process definition should be applicable to all instances of the process, e.g. a drug administration definition should be applicable to the administration of Drug A by nurse Jones on 4 West to patient Smith as well as the administration of Drug B by nurse Galloway to patient McCall on 3 South.  
           [0006]    Additionally, in healthcare many individuals may share responsibility for a single service task, and therefore it may be necessary to view the same service task within multiple work lists. For example, nurse Galloway may be on a team with two other nurses. While each nurse on the team may have primary responsibility for a select group of patients, the other two may have secondary responsibility to perform service tasks for those patients if the first nurse, e.g. Galloway, is not available. Therefore, all three nurses may need to see overlapping work items on their own work lists, although these items may need to be presented differently depending on whether the nurse has primary or secondary responsibility. Additionally, a head floor nurse, prior to assigning a new admission, may need to see all of her subordinate nurses&#39; pending tasks.  
           [0007]    Prior art workflow engines require an explicit association of work steps and work lists at the time a process is designed. Further, each prior art work step is typically delegated to its associated work list when a system event occurs, not when an individual or system is ready to carry out the service task associated with that work step. This mechanism is inadequate for complex industries such as healthcare. Using the example above, all medication administration work steps could be assigned to a group of nurses who may use a descriptor such as “floor nurse.” If a separate group were assigned for each nursing floor, then a separate workflow process would have to be defined for medication administration for each nursing unit. Even then, all of the nurses on each nursing floor would be exposed to all of the patients&#39; service tasks, and there would be no mechanism to explicitly assign service tasks to an appropriate, responsible nurse. Instead each nurse would have to search through the entire ward&#39;s nursing tasks to find her own.  
           [0008]    Some prior art systems allow for administrative oversight of running tasks, with the ability to manually reassign responsibility for a service task from one individual to another. However, the volume and complexity of doing this in a healthcare setting makes it impractical. By way of example and not limitation, role assignment in healthcare may require that each of the following occur independently: optimal processes are configured, workers are assigned roles (by way of example, IV nurse, floor nurse), roles are correlated with service tasks, and workers assume responsibility for patients. All of these factors taken in concert may determine the appropriate individual responsibility for the performance of a task.  
           [0009]    Additionally, some prior art workflow systems allow work items to be delegated to a “role.” This allows a service task to be assigned to an individual who will satisfy a role before the process instance is run. By way of example, this can support task delegation to an “officer of the day,” as a different officer could assume the role each day. However, this is also not sufficient for healthcare. By way of example, the responsibility for performing a task is not only related to which nurses will be working on “4 West” on a given day and on a given shift, but also upon which patients will be admitted and which nurses will have direct responsibility for which patients. Therefore, it is not possible at workflow process design time to determine which role the task needs to be delegated to.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0010]    The present invention comprises a method for providing a displayable schedule of service tasks to be performed by a particular worker of a plurality of workers, e.g. tasks to be undertaken for or on behalf of specific individuals or objects such as products, equipment, and/or supplies. In an embodiment, the method comprises receiving worker identification information; generating a compilation of service tasks to be performed by the identified worker based on a role or roles assigned to the worker and a list of individuals or objects associated with the worker; and initiating display of the compilation.  
           [0011]    In a further embodiment, the method comprises defining roles; defining work step types; creating work steps to be accomplished by workers; mapping work steps to the work step types; mapping work step types to roles; receiving identification information about a worker; assigning at least one role to the worker; generating a record of service tasks to be performed by the worker in response to the received identification information based on the at least one role, the performable tasks&#39; targeted service tasks, and the assigned relationship between the worker and those targeted service tasks; and initiating display of the compiled list of tasks.  
           [0012]    The scope of protection is not limited by the summary of an exemplary embodiment set out above, but is only limited by the claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a schematic of an exemplary system embodiment;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of an exemplary work list view and work lists;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a representative relationship flow model of an exemplary of the present invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0018]    The present invention may be used to allocate tasks among one or more appropriate workers in a complicated work environment. In general, throughout this description, if an item is described as implemented in software, it can equally well be implemented as hardware.  
         [0019]    Further, as used herein, “user,” “worker,” and “entity” are understood to interchangeably comprise a individual user or worker, a group or category of users or workers, a role or characteristic of one or more users or workers or groups, and/or a particular device or system such as a medical device or system. As used herein, a “service task,” i.e. service task  12 , comprises actions to be undertaken by or on the behalf of a worker, e.g. “4” in FIG. 1, or, in healthcare systems, a patient or both as well as items needed to satisfy a requirement for which worker  4  is responsible. For example, in a healthcare environment, service task  12  may include items associated with patient care needs, including the patient himself or herself, by way of example including: a physician order and its associated data; administration of laboratory tests and data associated with the laboratory tests; data associated with patient billing; therapy plans and actual therapy; medication administration and the medication, e.g. pills, shots, or bandaging; and the like; and combinations thereof. It is also understood that although a healthcare clinical information system is used as an exemplary system for illustration purposes, the present invention is applicable to systems involving processing of sequential tasks including in vertical markets in which a workflow engine is embedded within an OEM computer system.  
         [0020]    As further used herein, “record” is used herein to signify information or data material to a particular subject where the information or data are preserved in non-volatile, permanent, or tangible form such as in a computer file, disk, CDROM, DVD, or other electronic storage, or the like, or combinations thereof, that are accessible by a computer or other electronic or data processing system.  
         [0021]    Referring now to FIG. 1, a schematic overview of a workflow system embodiment of the present invention, the present invention provides a solution for embedding workflow engine technology within a comprehensive vertical software system in an OEM fashion. Although prior art workflow systems have ways to access work list items, additional useful ways may be desired to access work list items. For example, it may be desirable to access all of the individual work steps relating to a specific patient, constituting that patient&#39;s activity plan; all of the medication administration work steps for a specific patient, constituting that patient&#39;s medication administration record; and/or all of the medication administration work steps for all of a specific nurse&#39;s assigned patients, representing that nurse&#39;s medication administration task list. The inventors have recognized that it is advantageous to provide this kind of work list flexibility within healthcare in which tasks are assigned to individuals based upon dynamic, complex formulae. In an exemplary embodiment, a system for creating work flows according to the present invention comprises first computer  10  useful in designing and modifying a desired workflow process; second computer  20  where second computer  20  is operatively in communication with first computer  10 ; and third computer  30  where first computer  10  is operatively in communication with third computer  30 . Third computer  30  may act as a server and comprise a workflow engine (not shown in the figures) and database  32 . User  2 , if user  2  has the authority to design and modify a workflow process, may use first computer  10  to access third computer  30  to create, modify, and manipulate workflow process definitions  22  and work list views  40  (FIG. 2) to create a work step to be performed by worker  4  and the work list view  40  in which it is rendered. Worker  4  may use second computer  20  to access the system and receive a work list  22  tailored for that worker  4 . Accordingly, both first computer  10  and second computer  20  comprise input devices (not specifically shown in the figures) such as for entering data, e.g. identification of worker  4 , and output devices such as for displaying work lists  22 . As will be understood by those in the art, the input device may include a keyboard, a mouse, a biometric device, a card or badge reader, or the like, or combinations thereof. Similarly, the output device may include a display screen, a printer, a pager, a cell phone, a facsimile machine, or the like, a combination thereof.  
         [0022]    Computer  10  is useful to allow user  2  with appropriate rights to design and modify a workflow. Computer  10  communicates with a workflow engine (not shown in the figures) executing in a computer such as third computer  30  having access to a database such as  32 .  
         [0023]    Once implemented, the present invention allows user  2  with appropriate rights to create, modify, and manipulate workflow process definitions  22  and work list views  40  (FIG. 2) such as by mapping work item types, e.g. specific work tasks, to one or more general characteristics of one or more workers  4  who will execute the tasks defined in the workflow design, e.g. service task  12 . Additionally, a worker role  26  (FIG. 3) may be represented in the system by a generic code for a “virtual” role  27  (FIG. 3), i.e. a placeholder to be satisfied in real-time by a code representing a specific worker  4 . As used herein, a “role”  26 ,  27  may comprise a task, office, or job description for which a workflow administrator may wish to assign a work item, for example in a healthcare environment comprising nursing roles, administrative roles, physician roles, physician assistant roles, therapist roles, technician roles, and the like, or combinations thereof.  
         [0024]    As described more fully below and as will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the database arts, work list view  40  may be defined by a relationship between one or more tables in one or more databases that can be manipulated programmatically. Work lists  22  and work list views  40  (FIG. 2) may be associated with work flows, such as for institution  90 , that relate workers  4  to service tasks  12  and that may be the end result of work-related assignments for institution  90 , e.g. patient requirements such as medication to be taken, meals to be provided, drugs to be administered, or therapy to be administered, or the like, or combinations thereof.  
         [0025]    Because the workflow engine may be embedded in a vertical application system, workers  4  may access the features of the present invention through an interface associated with the vertical system. Accordingly, worker  4  may log into a system such as at computer  20  to access vertical system software and, once logged into that vertical system software, view a compiled record comprising work lists  22  associated with worker  4  on a display device, e.g. a display screen, a printer, pager, cell phone, or the like, or a combination thereof. It is understood that computer  10 , computer  20  and third computer  30  need not be separate computers but may be a single computer or computer system.  
         [0026]    Referring additionally to FIG. 2, an object schematic of a work list view, work list  22  may be created by examining worker data objects  24   b  related to worker  4 . In an exemplary embodiment, properties of worker data object  24   b  may include a user role property, e.g. userRoleID, which contains a value representing an actual user role  26  (FIG. 3) or a virtual role  27  (FIG. 3) that the specific worker  4  can satisfy. Worker data objects  24   b  may be queried using a unique user role  26  identifier for worker  4  as well as one or more virtual roles  27  that worker  4  may satisfy. For example, worker  4  may satisfy a virtual role  27  for a medication giver as well as a virtual role  27  for a physical therapist but not a virtual role  27  for a medication prescriber.  
         [0027]    Work item types may have additional descriptions such as at work step data object  24   d . These descriptions and other properties may be related to virtual role object  24   c  such as by a work item type identifier.  
         [0028]    In this exemplary health care example, a patient may be dynamically associated with worker  4  in real-time, such as shown at patient data object  24   a . For example, patient data object  24   a  may relate an actual patient with a specific worker  4 . Patients may additionally have needs or requirements directly or indirectly associated with those patients which one or more workers  4  need to address as part of a work assignment for worker  4 .  
         [0029]    One or more service tasks  12  will be retrievable based on worker data object  24   b  that is related into role data object  24   c  such as by the identifier of worker  4 . Work list  22  may then be created based using the patient data and data for worker  4 .  
         [0030]    Each work list  22  may further comprise a task identifier as well as an identifier of the responsible worker  4  (FIG. 1) to be assigned the service task. The identifier for worker  4  may be a generic code at creation, e.g. one for a virtual role  27 , and filled in with a code representing a specific worker  4  at runtime. Work lists  22  may therefore comprise work item types such as specific work tasks to be mapped to a general user characteristics. Using virtual roles  27 , specific workers  4  (FIG. 1) may be associated with one or more virtual roles  27  and then dynamically mapped into a virtual role  27  associated with work list  22  such as at runtime. Thus, virtual role  27  may act as a “place holder” to be satisfied by a specific worker  4  at the time when the task is to be performed. Additionally, one or more characteristics of the task to be performed, e.g. a patient identifier, may also be mapped dynamically to worker  4 .  
         [0031]    By way of example and not limitation, in an exemplary health care embodiment, a virtual role  27  may be associated with a predetermined type of work step. The actual work step, e.g. a step to effect a specific service task  12 , may, in turn, also be associated with a predetermined work step type. Further, both workers  4  and work steps may be independently associated with patients such as on an individual and/or group basis. Using these associations, worker  4  may be assigned a subset of work steps based upon virtual role  27  and patient associations.  
         [0032]    One or more work lists  22  may be accessed through one or more work list views  40 . Such work list views  40  may access a single data collection (such compiled records of work lists  22  contained in database  32  in FIG. 1) using numerous methods as will be familiar to those of ordinary skill in the database arts, e.g. SQL joins, filters, and the like.  
         [0033]    In the operation of an exemplary embodiment, referring now to FIG. 4, a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment, a displayable task schedule concerning service tasks  2  to be performed by a particular worker  4  of a plurality of workers  4  is created by receiving identification information reflective of worker  4 ; compiling a record identifying service tasks  12  to be performed by worker  4  in response to the received identification information and based at least partially on at least one of a role  26  assigned to the worker  4 , a service task  12  associated with the identified worker  4 , and/or a predetermined relationship between the identified worker  4  and the intended a target beneficiary of the service task  12 ; and initiating display of the compiled record at a display device. The displayable compiled record may be formatted for display as a schedule of service tasks  12  that may be performed by at least one worker  4  of a plurality of workers  4 .  
         [0034]    Accordingly, one or more worker roles  26  are defined by user  2  with appropriate authority to define worker roles  26 . User  2  with appropriate authority to define work step types also defines one or more work step types. Additionally, user  2  with appropriate authority to create a work step creates a work step to be accomplished by worker  4 , and user  2  with appropriate authority to map work steps to work step types maps the work step to a work step type. Each of these users  2  above may be the same user  2  or may be a plurality of users  2 , each of whom has differing authority.  
         [0035]    Work step types are mapped to worker roles  26 , 27 . Accordingly, when worker  4  wish to use the present invention, worker  4  provides identification information about the worker  4  which is received into the system, whereupon user role  26  is assigned to worker  4  and a record comprising descriptions of service tasks  12  to be performed by worker  4  in response to the received identification information is compiled, based on the user role  26  assigned to worker  4 . The record may then be formatted for display at a display device, e.g. computer  20 .  
         [0036]    User  2  with appropriate rights, such as an administrator, explicitly defines  100  one or more worker roles  26  (FIG. 3). When a new work step  50  (FIG. 3) is created  110 , the new work step  50  is registered and assigned  120  a work item type (not shown in the figures) by the work step definition creator, e.g. user  2 . In a currently preferred embodiment, this is an explicit operation required for each new work step  50 . By way of example and not limitation, in a typical embodiment, user  2  (FIG. 1) acting as a workflow designer may configure one or more work steps such as “dispense medication” within a process design such as at computer  10  (FIG. 1).  
         [0037]    In a currently preferred embodiment, user  2  acting as a workflow designer (shown in FIG. 1) creates workflow processes utilizing work steps  52  (FIG. 3) that have been pre-configured. If workflow designer user  2  identifies a new work step  52 , the new work step  52  may be registered with an associated work step type  50 . Further, as discussed herein below, when worker  4  signs on and requests work list  22 , work list view  40  may be dynamically constructed which matches one or more worker roles  26 , 27  associated with worker  4  to appropriate work steps  52 , e.g. for service tasks  12  (FIG. 1) associated with patient requirements. If the workflow engine needs to escalate a task to worker  4 , it may examine the work task type and one or more work detail characteristics, e.g. an associated patient ID, and then query for roles  26 ,  27  associated with the task type. Once the query is answered, a system using an embodiment of the present invention identifies an individual worker  4  associated both with that role  26 , 27  and that work detail characteristic.  
         [0038]    Workflow engines may be associatable with work flows such as for a target process, e.g. one involving institution  90  (FIG. 1). Accordingly, users  2  may explicitly define roles  26 , 27  such as for institution  90  (FIG. 1) and then explicitly map work task types  50  onto these roles  26 , 27  either automatically or manually  130 . In a preferred embodiment, an automated method of mapping is consistent with manual processes. For example, a new work task type  50  may be defined based upon an existing work task type  50 , automatically inheriting the role relationships of the parent work task  50 .  
         [0039]    By separating the correlation between work steps  50  and roles  26 , 27  from a workflow configuration, the present invention allows tasks to be reassigned to accommodate new delivery models without impacting workflow configurations. By way of example and not limitation, an institution  90  (FIG. 1) such as a hospital may implement a new service task  12  such as pulse oximetry. Based upon their roles  26 ,  27  as well as the relationship(s) between roles  26 , 27  and service tasks  12  to be accomplished, hospital  90  decides which workers  4  will be needed to provide service task  12  when it is ordered, e.g. respiratory therapy, nursing, or both. By way of further example and not limitation, when an attending doctor requests work list  22 , the doctor (worker  4 ) may be presented with a list of service tasks  12 , e.g. tasks appropriate for that physician, but which are further limited to service tasks  12  for those patients for whom the doctor is then responsible.  
         [0040]    Once work steps  50  are defined and assigned, individual workers  4  (FIG. 1) may be dynamically mapped  140  into roles  26 , 27  such as by using relational database techniques or object queries. By way of further example, each individual healthcare worker  4  may explicitly assume responsibility  150  for one or more individual service tasks  12  such as patient care responsibility (FIG. 1). However, such responsibilities may be implemented with a single service task  12  such as an item needed to satisfy a patient care requirement; with a group of service tasks  12  such as patient care responsibility for the group; or on an abstraction such as a nursing unit, department, or other level that can be resolved to a group of service tasks  12  such as patient care responsibility for all of the patients contained within the group. Worker  4 , e.g. a, doctor or a nurse, may then assume responsibility for a group of service tasks  12  such as at a shift change. Workers  4  may also assume responsibility for a plurality of groups of service tasks  12 , e.g. a respiratory therapist may assume responsibility for groups of patient requirements on several floors in hospital  90 . Moreover, an individual worker  4  may also assume responsibility such as in an oversight or team capacity. Using virtual roles  27 , user roles  26 , and other data such as data relating to work steps  50  and service tasks  12  such as patient requirements, the present invention may capture assignment of service tasks  12 , create a mapping between patients and workers  4 , and use the mapping to present appropriate work items to worker  4 . By way of example, in an exemplary hospital embodiment, such mapping may correspond to a nurse signing on to a system of the present invention, e.g. as a “floor nurse” on “4 West” or as an “ICU nurse” in a “surgical ICU” section. Once signed in, the nurse may use a user interface appropriate for both the contextual setting and her role (not shown in the figures) to request  160  a work list  22 . By linking the user, e.g. the nurse, to a role  26 , e.g. “ICU nurse,” the present invention is able to provide appropriate work lists  22  that show those tasks appropriate for that user&#39;s role.  
         [0041]    When worker  4  requests work list  22  such as at step  160 , the present invention may examine  170  the worker role  26  of worker  4  and then map worker  4  to work task types  50  associated with that worker role  26 . Such an examination may further entail examining service tasks  12  currently assigned to worker  4  and creating a work list view  40  from master work list  23  (FIG. 3) to show only those tasks appropriate to the worker role  26  of that worker  4  that pertains to service tasks  12  for whom that worker  4  has responsibility.  
         [0042]    Once the mapping is completed, the present invention may compile a record identifying or otherwise encapsulating identification of service tasks  12  for worker  4  as work list  22 . The compiled work list  22  may comprise service tasks  12  that are currently due and service tasks  12  that are predicted to become due after other service tasks  12  have been completed. Service tasks  12  may be predicted by using (1) all future assignments or requirements specified in a workflow definition that are mapped to certain work types  50  and service tasks  12 ; (2) only those future assignments or requirements specified in the workflow definition that are mapped to certain work types and service tasks  12  and that will become due when the (previously defined) default conditional alternatives are assumed to become true; and/or (3) only those future tasks specified in the workflow definition that are mapped to certain work types and service tasks  12 , and that will become due when the most likely conditional alternatives are assumed to become true.  
         [0043]    Accordingly, using the present invention, process design may be isolated from task allocation. Further, systems using the present invention may provide support for multiple dimensions of responsibility for determining task delegation as well as support for explicit assumption of dynamic responsibilities, such as patient care. Further, systems using the present invention may provide support for team based responsibility and multiple levels of oversight. Given its dynamic allocation, systems using the present invention may provide for reallocation of task responsibility, including those tasks in the midst of completion.  
         [0044]    In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention is consistent with a complex environment such as healthcare. In healthcare, services are provided to patients. These services are amenable to management with workflow engine technology. Typically, the services require the involvement of many different individuals and many different departments. The services selected, and therefore the work steps required, are chosen based upon the patient&#39;s needs. However, in complex work environments, one or more particular workers  4  may act in multiple roles. By way of example and not limitation, worker  4  can be a nurse with his or her own group of patients; a nurse who is a member of a team, seeing work tasks for her team member&#39;s patients; and/or a head nurse, viewing all of the tasks for her subordinate nurses&#39; patients. The flexibility allows a work list  22  to be constructed based upon the multiple factors inherent in complex environment such as healthcare. It also permits the development of complex work lists  22  which are assembled from multiple views  40  and which can render items from different views  40  in an easily recognizable manner. For example, a nurse who is a member of the nursing team could have the work items for her own patients rendered in bold, and those of her team members in italics. This may be accomplished by numerous equivalent means, such as by dynamically creating a work list  22  based upon the correlation between the user&#39;s role(s), user&#39;s patient responsibilities, the work items, and the targeted patients.  
         [0045]    Workflow engines can provide coordination of many constituent work steps. However, in some situations various entities such as departments or group supervisors tasked with fulfilling the service requests choose which individuals will perform them. This creates a far more flexible system, comprising:  
         [0046]    Support for dynamic reallocation of responsibilities;  
         [0047]    Provision for multilevel, team based task assignment;  
         [0048]    Allowing work list items to be viewed in multiple different contexts; and  
         [0049]    The present invention further provides a mechanism for designing workflow processes in healthcare in a generic fashion, while supporting their specific implementation.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 3 is a schematic flow of an embodiment showing relationships between certain components of the present invention. Referring additionally to FIG. 1, in an exemplary embodiment, in response to the received identification information, the system, using the workflow engine, compiles a record that includes a list of service tasks  12  to be performed by worker  4 . Compiled records may be used to provide work list  22  that is also based at least partially on one or more worker roles  26 , 27  and a list of service tasks  12  associated with worker  4 . Once the record is compiled, display of the compiled work list  22  may be initiated at a display device for worker  4 .  
         [0051]    As shown additionally in FIG. 2 and discussed above, relationships between work item data object  24   d , role data object  24   c , worker data object  24   b , and patient data object  24   a  allow creation of work list  22  for a worker  4  from the compiled record. Additionally, actual work steps  52  may also be defined using work step types  50  encapsulated in work step data object  24   d . For example, patient requirements  12  may be retrieved from patient data object  24   a  and merged into a master work list  23 , e.g. at database  32  (FIG. 1). Once created, master work list  23  may then be manipulated such as by using work list views  40  to create a set of tasks tailored to worker  4 . This allows the same work list item to be viewed in many different contexts, such as those pertaining to team nursing described above.  
         [0052]    Accordingly, a displayable task schedule comprising one or more activities to be performed on or for one or more specific, service tasks  12  by a particular worker  4  (FIG. 1) may be created and manipulated. In part, the present invention may be used to provide separation between workflow process design and task delegation logic, and permit workflow processes to be configured based upon their optimal performance without requiring direct knowledge of the individual workers  4  who will ultimately perform the tasks, at the time the process is defined and the workflow task is designed.  
         [0053]    In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention separates the tasks of workflow process design from those tasks entailed in assigning responsibility to individuals. Workflow designer  2  may configure the work step without prior knowledge of the individual, role, group or skill who will ultimately be assigned to perform the task, e.g. worker  4 . In one embodiment, the responsibility for performing the task may be assigned at task execution time.  
         [0054]    It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated above in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the principle and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.