Abstract:
A method for transcribing medical information may include receiving input assigning each of a plurality of user profiles to at least one of a plurality of work pools, receiving a plurality of jobs each including demographic information, a priority indicator, and a digital audio file, assigning each of the jobs to one of the plurality of work pools based on the job&#39;s priority indicator and demographic information, distributing each of the assigned jobs to one of the assigned user profiles active within the assigned job&#39;s work pool, receiving, for each of the assigned jobs, a transcription of the job&#39;s digital audio file, generating, for a selected user profile, quality metrics indicative of an accuracy of transcriptions input, and outputting a visual representation of the quality metrics.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,031,998 to Archbold discloses a system that includes one or more “HOME”s where there is a (1) “DAD” computer and software system for human User interaction to initiate Jobs (Transcription, Translation, Data Entry, and Transaction Creation) and to utilize voice-mail through real-time voice and tone signal input and (2) “HIS” computer and software system for keeping the databases used to process Jobs and for keeping the statistical records of jobs for analysis, general ledger, payroll and billing. In addition, the system includes one or more “MOM”s where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of a global communication network (e.g. Internet) that (1) receives Job packets from its HOMEs, (2) selects Scribes for work (e.g. transcription), (3) generates messages in the form of E-Mail and Voice-Mail to specified users for information or action, (4) updates the status of the Job Record and transfers that updated Record to a SUPERMOM, and (5) implements all the details of job processing steps and logic that has been controlled by Human Supervisors. The system may further include a “SUPERMOM” where there is a software system server on a computer set on the backbone of the global computer network (e.g. Internet) that receives Job Packets from MOMs where portions of the job are spread over two or more MOMs; SUPERMOM directs and transfers that job data; receives Job Record updates and maintains a Site for on-line internet job tracking inquiries; SUPERMOM selects Scribes for Jobs that are not able to find an available Scribe within their own MOM&#39;s HOMEs, collects the statistical and financial data from all the HOMEs, and provides general top level management decision making information. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0002]    A system for transcribing medical information includes one or more computers configured to receive input assigning each of a plurality of user profiles to at least one of a plurality of work pools based on user profile criteria, to receive a plurality of jobs each including demographic information, a priority indicator, and a digital audio file of patient medical information, and to assign each of the jobs to one of the plurality of work pools based on the job&#39;s priority indicator and demographic information. The one or more computers are further configured to distribute each of the assigned jobs to one of the assigned user profiles active within the assigned job&#39;s work pool based on the assigned job&#39;s priority indicator, to receive, for each of the assigned jobs, a transcription of the job&#39;s digital audio file input by a user associated with the job&#39;s assigned user profile, to generate, for a selected user profile, quality metrics indicative of an accuracy of transcriptions input by the user associated with the selected user profile, and to output a visual representation of the quality metrics. 
         [0003]    While example embodiments in accordance with the invention are illustrated and disclosed, such disclosure should not be construed to limit the invention. It is anticipated that various modifications and alternative designs may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an embodiment of a medical transcription system. 
           [0005]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows user profiles being assigned to work pools. 
           [0006]      FIG. 3  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows jobs being received by the application server. 
           [0007]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of the database server of  FIG. 1  and shows records within a database. 
           [0008]      FIG. 5  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows jobs being assigned to work pools. 
           [0009]      FIG. 6  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows jobs being assigned to active user profile  1  within work pool  1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 7  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows the assigned jobs of user profile  1  ordered by their turn-around time. 
           [0011]      FIG. 8  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows transcribed audio files being received by the application server. 
           [0012]      FIG. 9  is another block diagram of the application server of  FIG. 1  and shows quality indicators displayed by the application server. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0013]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a transcription system  10  may include a plurality of clients (computers, workstations, etc.)  12   a,    12   b,  etc. ( 12   n ) and a plurality of servers (computers, workstations, etc.)  14   a,    14   b,  etc. ( 14   n ) connected, in a known fashion, by a communications cloud  16  (e.g., Internet, etc.) Hence, the clients  12   n  may communicate with the serves  14   n  via the cloud  16 ; the servers  14   n  may communicate with each other and with the clients  12   n  via the cloud  16 . 
         [0014]    The clients  12   n  and servers  14   n  may be geographically remote from each other. In some embodiments, the clients  12   n  may be located in, for example, India, while the servers  14   n  may be located in the United States. In other embodiments, some of the clients  12   n  and servers  14   n  may be located in one country while other of the clients  12   n  and servers  14   n  may be located in another country. Other arrangements are also possible. 
         [0015]    As will be discussed in detail below, the system  10  facilitates the transcription of medical information received in an audio format. Generally speaking, the servers  14   n  may receive, inter alia, audio files of medical information from hospitals, clinics, individuals, etc. These audio files may be managed and stored via the servers  14   n.  Medical transcriptionists may access the audio files stored on the servers  14   n  and input textual transcriptions, via applications on the clients  12   n,  to the servers  14   n.  Quality personnel may access the audio files and corresponding transcriptions stored on the servers  14   n  via the clients  12   n  to check the accuracy of the same. The servers  14   n,  based on these checks, may generate and output quality metrics associated with the transcriptions. 
         [0016]    The servers  14   n,  in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , include an HL7 server  14   a,  application server  14   b,  database server  14   c,  and file server  14   d.  Other and/or different servers  14   n  may be used in other embodiments. 
         [0017]    The HL7 server  14   a  receives information, via the cloud  16 , from hospitals, clinics, etc. via an HL7 feed as known in the art. This information, as will be discussed in detail below, may include files of medical information, demographic information relating to the source of the information, and a priority assigned to the information. Information may also be received in any known/suitable fashion. For example, one or more of the servers  14   n  may be configured to receive medical information phoned in from the hospitals, clinics, etc. Other scenarios are also possible. 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a plurality of user profiles  18   a,    18   b,    18   c,    18   d,  etc. ( 18   n ) and work pools  20   a,    20   b,    20   c,  etc. ( 20   n ) have been created within the application server  14   b.  As discussed below, each of the user profiles  18   n  may be assigned to one or more of the work pools  20   n  to facilitate the transcription of medical information. 
         [0019]    Each of the user profiles  18   n  is associated with a medical transcriptionist. That is, information about a particular medical transcriptionist&#39;s proficiency, experience, etc. may define their user profile. The medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   a,  for example, may have 2 years of experience and particular expertise in transcribing medical information from cardiologists. The medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   b,  for example, may have 6 years experience and expertise in transcribing information from a wide array of medical specialists (including cardiologists) as well as family doctors. The medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   c,  for example, may have 2 months experience and proficiency only enough to transcribe information from nurse practitioners. 
         [0020]    Each of the work pools  20   n  has criteria that define the types of user profiles that may be assigned to it. Work pool  20   a,  for example, may require that its assigned user profiles have at least 3 years experience and expertise in transcribing medical information from cardiologists. Such a requirement may be necessary if medical information to be transcribed by members of the work pool  20   a  is received primarily from cardiology care providers. Hence, a work pool&#39;s criteria may be dictated by the type and/or source of medical information its members are to transcribe. The work pool  20   b,  for example, may require that its user profiles have at least 5 years experience. Other and/or different criteria may, of course, be used. 
         [0021]    User profiles  18   n  may be assigned to the work pools  20   n  based on the criteria defining the work pools  20   n.  Using the examples described above, user profiles  18   a,    18   b  have been assigned to work pool  20   a  because each of them has the requisite skills and experience required by the work pool  20   a:  each of the user profiles  18   a,    18   b  has at least 3 years experience and expertise in transcribing medical information from cardiologists. User profile  18   b  has been assigned to work pool  20   b  because the user profile  18   b  has at least 5 yeas experience, etc. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , information received from clinics, individuals, etc. is represented as jobs  22   a,    22   b,    22   c,  etc. ( 22   n ). Each of the jobs  22   n  includes, in the embodiment of  FIG. 3 , a text file  24   x,  demographic information  26   x,  and audio file  28   x.  As will be discussed below, a data structure may be created within the database server  14   c  illustrated in  FIG. 1  to manage the information contained within the jobs  22   n.    
         [0023]    The text files  24   x  may include a turn-around time or other priority indicator (e.g., 8 hours, high, low, type of information within the text file  24   x,  etc.) The turn-around time, in this example, is the desired time by which the source of the information, such as a hospital, needs to have the transcribed medical information made available to them. Of course, the text files  24   x  may include any other suitable information. 
         [0024]    The demographic information  26   x  may include particulars relating to a patient as well as the clinic, physician, etc. treating the patient. For example, the demographic information  26   a  may include the patient&#39;s name and age as well as the attending physician&#39;s name, etc. Of course, other and/or different information may be included. 
         [0025]    The audio file  28   x  may include, as mentioned above, medical information about a patient to be transcribed. (Multiple jobs may spring from the same audio file if, for example, information from several patients is included is a single audio file.) The audio file  28   x  may be parsed from its job  22   x  and stored on the file server  14   d  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the database server  14   c  has created, within a database  30 , records  32   a,    32   b,    32   c,  etc. ( 32   n ) for each of the jobs  22   n.  (Each of the records  32   n  corresponds to one of the jobs  22   n .) Each of the records  32   n  may include the number of the corresponding job  22   x,  an assigned identifier, text from the text file  24   x  of the job  22   x,  the demographic information  26   x  of the job  22   x,  and a location on the file server  14   d  illustrated in  FIG. 1  where the audio file  28   x  of the job  22   x  is stored, etc. 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , the application server  14   b  may assign each of the jobs  22   n  to one of the work pools  20   n  based on, for example, the demographic information contained within each of the jobs  22   n.  For example, the jobs  22   n  from a particular clinic or practice group may be assigned exclusively to work pool  20   a.  The jobs  22   n  from a particular physician may be assigned to work pool  20   c,  etc. Other suitable methodologies, however, may be used to assign the jobs  22   n  to the work pools  20   n.    
         [0028]    As discussed above, the criteria that define which types of user profiles  18   n  are assigned to particular work pools  20   n  may depend on the source of the jobs  22   n.  Hence, the use of work pools  20   n,  in certain embodiments, may ensure that the jobs  22   n  requiring particular expertise are handled by user profiles  18   n  having that expertise. 
         [0029]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the user profiles  18   a,    18   b  assigned to the work pool  20   a  may be active or inactive. This depends on, for example, whether the medical transcriptionists associated with the user profiles  18   a,    18   b  are logged in to the application server  14   b  via one of the clients  12   n  illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In the example of  FIG. 6 , the medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   a  has logged in to the application server  14   b.  Hence, the user profile  18   a  is active. The medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   b  has not logged in to the application server  14   b.  Hence, the user profile  18   b  is inactive. 
         [0030]    The application server  14   b  may assign the jobs  22   a,    22   b  within the work pool  20   a  to the active user profile  18   a.  (The inactive user profile  18   b  is not assigned any jobs as its corresponding medical transcriptionist is not logged in to the application server  14   b .) If there are several active user profiles within a particular work pool, the application server  14   b  may distribute jobs between them using any suitable methodology. For example, jobs may be distributed equally among all the active profiles, etc. 
         [0031]    Referring now to  FIG. 7 , the application server  14   b  has ordered the jobs  22   a,    22   b  assigned to the user profile  18   a  based on the priority indicator. The job  22   b,  in this example, has the higher priority (shorter turn-around time) and is thus ordered first. The medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   a  is expected to work on the jobs  22   a,    22   b  in the order they are assigned. 
         [0032]    In certain embodiments, the medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   a  may access the database  30  illustrated in  FIG. 4  to determine the location of the audio files  28   a,    28   b  on the file server  14   d  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , and retrieve them accordingly. In other embodiments, the audio files  28   a,    28   b  may be automatically provided to the medical transcriptionist associated with the user profile  18   a  in any suitable fashion. Other scenarios are also possible. 
         [0033]    Referring now to  FIG. 8 , the application server  14   b  receives transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  of the audio files associated with the jobs  22   a,    22   b.  The transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  may be text files of any format and stored in any suitable fashion. 
         [0034]    Quality personnel having access to the application server  14   b,  via the clients  12   n  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , may access the transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  and corresponding audio files  28   a,    28   b,  and check the accuracy of the transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  using known techniques. For example, the quality personnel may correct errors (grammar, spelling, missed words, etc.) in the transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  and/or otherwise annotate the transcriptions  34   a,    34   b  as necessary. 
         [0035]    The application server  14   b,  based on the quality checks discussed above, may determine quality metrics associated with particular user profiles. As an example, in response to a selection of the user profile  18   a,  the application server  14   b  may determine a percentage accuracy of all of the transcriptions entered by the user profile  18   a  during a specified time period based on, for example, the number of corrections entered by the quality personnel. The number of corrected words divided by the total number of words in a particular transcription, for example, may yield a percentage accuracy for that transcription. The application server  14   b  may then average the percentage accuracies for all of user profile  18   a &#39;s transcriptions. Other techniques, however, may also be used. Each correction may, for example, be assigned a weight less than 1 (e.g., 0.1, 0.25, etc.). The sum of these weights (for all corrections in one or more transcriptions) may be divided by the total number of lines (in the one or more transcriptions). This quotient may be subtracted from 1 and multiplied by 100 to yield a percentage accuracy. 
         [0036]    Referring now to  FIG. 9 , the application server  14   b  may report (display, print, etc.) the accuracy information determined as described above. 
         [0037]    In other embodiments, in response to a specified percentage accuracy, the application server  14   b  may determine those user profiles that are either above or below the specified accuracy. For example, if the specified accuracy is 99%, the system may identify the user profile  18   a  as having an average accuracy less than 99% (in the example of  FIG. 9 , the user profile  18   a  has an average accuracy of 98%). These features may be used to track the performance and progress of the various user profiles. 
         [0038]    As apparent to those of ordinary skill, the algorithms disclosed herein may be deliverable to a processing device in many forms including, but not limited to, (i) information permanently stored on non-writable storage media such as ROM devices and (ii) information alterably stored on writeable storage media such as floppy disks, magnetic tapes, CDs, RAM devices, and other magnetic and optical media. The algorithms may also be implemented in a software executable object. Alternatively, the algorithms may be embodied in whole or in part using suitable hardware components, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), state machines, controllers or other hardware components or devices, or a combination of hardware, software and firmware components. 
         [0039]    While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. The words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.