Modular analysis and standardization system

Abstract

An information management system produces a standard bill of resources based on bills of resources that include a list of resources to be utilized in performing a procedure. The system includes a general purpose computer system with storage means, processing means, display means, and input means. Information management software installed on the general purpose computer includes node software objects providing a health care information management function, including a clinical pathway node software object, a case management node software object, and a standardization review node software object. The clinical pathway node software object creates clinical pathway module software objects, including resource software objects and container software objects. The standardization review node software object selects bills of resources from a known universe of bills of resources, and develops models corresponding to the selected bills of resources, where the models include values which correspond to a number of units of given resources from the selected bills of resources. The standardization review node software object mathematically manipulates the models to highlight similarities and dissimilarities of defined characteristics in the models, expresses the manipulated models in a format in which a relative position of each of the manipulated models may be determined, where the relative position of each of the manipulated models reflects the degree of similarity or dissimilarity to the other manipulated models, analyzes the selected bills of resources based upon the expression of the manipulated models, and produces the standard bill of resources based on the analysis of the selected bills of resources.