A method in a computer system for constructing, in response to input from a user using a window-based user interface, a formula for producing a textual patient information string from a selected time-indexed medical data variable having a value for each of a plurality of times, the method comprising the steps of: receiving input via the window-based user interface specifying a period of time during which the medical data variable is to be analyzed; displaying via the window-based user interface names of a plurality of functions capable of aggregating a plurality of values into a single value; receiving input via the window-based user interface indicating that the user selected the name of a selected function from the displayed function names; receiving input via the window-based user interface specifying a manner of manipulating a single value to produce a textual string conveying patient information; and based upon the receiving steps, creating a formula that specifies: identifying values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable having times within the specified period of time, applying the selected function to the identified values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable to aggregate the identified values into a single value, and manipulating the single value in the specified manner to produce a textual string conveying patient information based on the values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable, such that the formula may be used to generate and display a textual string conveying patient information based on the values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein the selected time-indexed medical data variable is one of a plurality of time-indexed medical data variables each having a name, further including the steps of: displaying via the window-based user interface the names of the plurality of time-indexed medical data variables; and receiving via the window-based user interface input indicating that the user selected the name of the selected time-indexed medical data variable from the displayed variable names. view more

An apparatus for constructing, in response to input from a user using a window-based user interface, a formula for producing a textual patient information string from a selected time-indexed medical data variable having a value for each of a plurality of times, the method comprising the steps of: a formula construction subsystem for constructing a formula for producing a displayable textual patient information string from a selected time-indexed medical data variable; a display device coupled to the formula construction subsystem to display via the window-based user interface names of a plurality of functions capable of aggregating a plurality of values into a single value; an input device coupled to convey to the formula construction subsystem from the user: input specifying a period of time during which the medical data variable is to be analyzed, input indicating that the user selected the name of a selected function from the displayed function names, and input specifying a manner of manipulating a single value to produce a textual string conveying patient information; and a memory coupled to the formula construction subsystem to store a formula that specifies: identifying values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable having times within the specified period of time, applying the selected function to the identified values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable to aggregate the identified values into a single value, and manipulating the single value in the specified manner to produce a textual string conveying patient information based on the values of the selected time-indexed medical data variable. view more

The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the selected time-indexed medical data variable is one of a plurality of time-indexed medical data variables each having a name, and wherein the display device is also coupled to display the names of the plurality of time-indexed medical data variables, and wherein the input device is also coupled to convey input indicating that the user selected the name of the selected time-indexed medical data variable from the displayed variable names. view more

The method of claim 1 wherein step (e) comprises the steps of: (e)(1) receiving an instruction from the user to link an indicated linked-from possible result value among the possible result values for the new parameter to other parameters within the patient information hierarchy; (e)(2) in response to step (e)(1), displaying a representation of the patient information hierarchy showing the parameters contained therein; and (e)(3) receiving one or more indications each indicating that an indicated parameter contained within the patient information hierarchy displayed in step (e)(2) has been selected as a linked-to parameter by the user. view more

The method of claim 1, further including the steps of, for a particular patient: displaying the linked-from parameter; receiving a result value for the linked-from parameter; determining whether the received result value is a linked-from possible result value; and in response to determining that the received result value is a linked-from possible result value, displaying each of the linked-to parameters that are linked to the linked-from possible result value. view more

A method in a computer system for designing, under the control of a user, a patient information hierarchy, the patient information hierarchy containing a plurality of parameters that may be displayed in conjunction with a particular patient, the parameters including both result parameters that may have a result value for each patient and encapsulating parameters that each identify and encapsulate one or more other parameters to represent them together at a higher conceptual level, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an instruction to create a first result parameter that may have a result value for each patient, the instruction specifying a parameter name and a data type; (b) in response to step (a), creating within the patient information hierarchy a first result parameter having the parameter name and data type specified in the instruction received in step (a); (c) receiving an instruction to create a second result parameter that may have a result value for each patient, the instruction specifying a parameter name and a data type; (d) in response to step (c), creating within the patient information hierarchy a second result parameter having the parameter name and data type specified in the instruction received in step (c); (e) receiving an instruction to create a first encapsulating parameter and for encapsulating one or more other parameters to represent them together at a higher conceptual level, the instruction specifying a parameter name and a list of encapsulated parameters, the specified list of encapsulated parameters including the first result parameter and excluding the second result parameter; (f) in response to step (e), creating within the patient information hierarchy a first encapsulating parameter having the parameter name and the list of encapsulated parameters specified in the instruction received in step (e); (g) receiving an instruction to display the patient information hierarchy for a particular patient in a user-selected flowsheet, the user-selected flowsheet including the second result parameter and the first encapsulatory parameter; and (h) in response to step (g), displaying a list of parameters including the first encapsulating parameter and the second result parameter and excluding the first result parameter. view more

A method in a computer system for designing and maintaining the contents of a patient information hierarchy comprised of a plurality of parameters that may contain result values for a particular patient, the patient information hierarchy having associated with it one or more flowsheets for displaying and modifying the result values of parameters for a particular patient, each flowsheet being comprised of one or more flowsheet groups that specify a subset of the parameters of the patient information hierarchy, the method comprising the steps of: (a) associating predetermined result values with a plurality of the parameters specified by a selected flowsheet group of a selected flowsheet; (b) receiving an instruction from the user to display the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for a specified patient; (c) in response to step (b), displaying the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for the specified patient; (d) receiving an instruction from the user to set to the predetermined result values the result values for the specified patient of the displayed the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet; and (e) in response to step (d), for each parameter specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet with which a predetermined result value is associated, storing the predetermined result value in conjunction with the parameter for the specified patient. view more

A method in a computer system for designing and maintaining the contents of a plurality of named parameters identified by parameter identifiers that may contain result values for a particular patient, the parameters being arranged in a patient information hierarchy, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving instructions from a user to create a parameter having a first name at a first location in the patient information hierarchy and a second location in the patient information hierarchy, the instructions further specifying that the parameter having the first name is a global parameter; (b) in response to step (a), creating parameters at the first and second locations in the patient information hierarchy that are both identified by a first parameter identifier; (c) receiving instructions from a user to create a parameter having a second name at a third location in the patient information hierarchy and a fourth location in the patient information hierarchy, the instructions further specifying that the parameter having the second name is a local parameter; (d) in response to step (c), creating a parameter at the third location in the patient information hierarchy that is identified by a second parameter identifier and creating a parameter at the fourth location in the patient information hierarchy that is identified by a third parameter identifier, wherein the second and third parameter identifiers are distinct. view more

The method of claim 11 wherein each result value contained by a parameter is stored in a row of a result table containing the parameter identifier that identifies the parameter, further including the steps of: (e) receiving a first result value for the parameter having the first name at the first location in the patient information hierarchy; (f) in response to step (e), storing the first result value in a row of the result table containing the first parameter identifier; (g) receiving a second result value for the parameter having the first name at the second location in the patient information hierarchy; (h) in response to step (g), storing the second result value in a row of the result table containing the first parameter identifier; (i) receiving a third result value for the parameter having the second name at the third location in the patient information hierarchy; (j) in response to step (i), storing the third result value in a row of the result table containing the second parameter identifier; (k) receiving a fourth result value for the parameter having the second name at the fourth location in the patient information hierarchy; and (l) in response to step (k), storing the fourth result value in a row of the result table containing the third parameter identifier. view more

The method of claim 12, further including the steps of: (m) after step (e), receiving an instruction to display the result value for the parameter having the first name at the first location in the patient information hierarchy; (n) in response to step (m), retrieving the first result value from the row of the result table containing the first parameter identifier; (o) after step (g), receiving an instruction to display the result value for the parameter having the first name at the second location in the patient information hierarchy; (p) in response to step (o), retrieving the second result value from a row of the result table containing the first parameter identifier; (q) after step (i), receiving an instruction to display the result value for the parameter having the second name at the third location in the patient information hierarchy; (r) in response to step (q), retrieving the third result value from a row of the result table containing the second parameter identifier; (s) after step (k), receiving an instruction to display the result value for the parameter having the second name at the fourth location in the patient information hierarchy; and (t) in response to step (s), retrieving the fourth result value from a row of the result table containing the third parameter identifier. view more

A method in a computer system for designing and maintaining the contents of a patient information hierarchy comprised of a plurality of parameters that may contain result values for a particular patient, the patient information hierarchy having associated with it a flowsheet for displaying and modifying the result values of a subset of the parameters of the patient information hierarchy for a particular patient, the subset of the parameters that may be displayed and modified using the flowsheet including a parameter of a patient note type, having a result value comprising an author name field, a time field, and a note text field, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an instruction from the user to display parameter result values for a selected patient using the flowsheet; (b) in response to step (a), displaying parameter result values for the selected patient using the flowsheet such that the result value of the parameter of the patient note type is displayed in an abbreviated form in conjunction with the other parameters in the subset, such that at least a portion of the author name field is displayed; (c) receiving an indication that the user has selected the result value of the parameter of the patient note type is displayed in an abbreviated form; and (d) in response to step (c), displaying the entire contents of the result value of the parameter of the patient note type, such that the complete contents of the author name, time and note text fields are displayed. view more

A method in a computer system for designing and maintaining the contents of a patient information hierarchy comprised of a plurality of parameters that may contain result values for a particular patient, the patient information hierarchy having associated with it one or more flowsheets for displaying and modifying the result values of parameters for a particular patient, each flowsheet being comprised of one or more flowsheet groups that specify a subset of the parameters of the patient information hierarchy, a selected flowsheet group of a selected flowsheet further specifying a parameter placeholder not associated with any particular parameter, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving an instruction from the user to display the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for a specified patient; (b) in response to step (a), displaying the parameters and the parameter placeholder specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for the specified patient; (c) receiving an instruction from the user to replace the parameter placeholder with a selected parameter of the patient information hierarchy; (d) in response to step (c), replacing the parameter placeholder specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for the specified patient with the selected parameter; and (e) after step (d), displaying the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for the specified patient, including the selected parameter and excluding the parameter placeholder. view more

The method of claim 15, further including the steps of: after step (d), receiving a result value for the selected parameter for the selected patient; and storing the received result value in conjunction with the selected parameter for the selected patient, and wherein step (e) includes the step of displaying the received result value in conjunction with the selected parameter. view more

The method of claim 15 wherein the parameter placeholder encapsulates an encapsulated parameter, and wherein step (b) also displays the encapsulated parameter.

The method of claim 15 wherein the parameter placeholder encapsulates a second parameter placeholder, and wherein step (b) also displays the second parameter placeholder, further including the steps of: (f) receiving an instruction from the user to replace the second parameter placeholder with a second selected parameter of the patient information hierarchy; (g) in response to step (f), replacing the second parameter placeholder with the second selected parameter; and (h) after step (g), displaying the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet for the specified patient, including the second selected parameter and excluding the second parameter placeholder. view more

The method of claim 15 wherein the selected parameter is an encapsulating parameter encapsulating one or more encapsulated parameters, and wherein step (e) includes the step of displaying the encapsulated parameters of the selected parameter.

The method of claim 10 wherein the associating step associates with the plurality of the parameters specified by the selected flowsheet group of the selected flowsheet normal result values for these parameters.