Table of Contents

Device

The Device data model is used to send discrete continuous physiological monitoring data to a patient's chart (e.g., heart rate, estimated blood loss). This is useful when an EHR system is maintaining the link from the device to the patient. The app sending the device data back to the EHR system needs to include the device ID to save the data back to the patient's chart. There are two types of device patient association in the EHR: a) Static: If a device is not movable and is set in a single patient room, it can be assumed that any patient in that room is using the device when data comes back for it. No manual step is needed for association of the device to the patient, only validation of the data by a nurse to file it to the chart; b) Dynamic: If a device is mobile and moves from room to room, typically a user generally manually associates the device with a patient in the EHR system before data flows to that chart and can be validated.

The Device data model is almost identical to the Flowsheets data model except for one key difference: the Device data model requires a device ID to match the results with the patient's chart while the Flowsheets model (and almost every other data model) requires a patient ID. The Device data model also differs from the Results data model in that the device data is continuous, whereas results are generally a one-time outcome of an order. Check out the Results data model if you're interested in results from an ordered test. Typically, EHR systems that support device data offer an HL7v2 ORU interface or API to file the data.