Method and system for monitoring remote services

• US 10,095,839 B1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At Homes FMS LLC, FMS, LLC, @Home FMS LLC
• Original Assignee: FMS, LLC
• Inventors: Fetzner, James P., Rieger, Louis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kanaan, Maroun P
• Application Number:
  US13/667,340
• Time in Patent Office: 2,167 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2, 705 3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus (or a System) that facilitates the communication of health care or other information and tasks between and among clients (e.g., patients), providers/employees/suppliers (e.g., caregivers), State Agencies (or insurance providers), and other third party agencies. The providers can then be located in the client homes to provide health and/or medical or other services to the clients.

Claims

1. A method for using a computer system including a server system and a computerized terminal for verifying provider services provided by a provider to a client in the client'"'"'s home, said computerized terminal configured with a computer for executing software instructions stored in memory to perform said method comprising the steps of:

providing a client computerized terminal that remains in the client'"'"'s home and that is configured to verify it is located in the client'"'"'s home;

executing software instructions on the computerized terminal to provide a first user interface on the client computerized terminal adapted for accepting time information from the provider providing health services to the client at the client'"'"'s home;

providing the computerized terminal with hardware comprising at least one interface configured to capture one or more physical features in a region of the computerized terminal by collecting data about said one or more physical features including data that physically identifies the client and data that physically identifies location of the computerized terminal at the client'"'"'s home, wherein said hardware includes a GPS device, a biometric sensor, and/or a camera;

executing software instructions on the computerized terminal to provide a second user interface on the computerized terminal for displaying provider time worked based on the provider entered time information, aid second user interface configured for accepting information indicating client confirmation that the health services were received and that the client time worked is accurate;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to generate validation information that uniquely identifies the client from the data that physically identifies the client from at least one of the one or more physical features;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to generate verification information from the data that physically identifies location of the computerized terminal at the client'"'"'s home from at least one of the one or more physical features, said verification information configured for verifying that the computerized terminal is located in the client'"'"'s home during the steps of accepting the time information and capturing the validation information;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to send the time information, the validation information, and the verification information to a remotely located server system connected to the computerized terminal via a communication network;

the remotely located server system having a computer for executing instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of using said verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the computerized terminal at the client'"'"'s home;

the remotely located server system having the computer execute additional instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of using said validation information for confirming that the client received the health services; and

subsequent to a successful verifying and confirming, using the computer of the remotely located server system remotely connected to said terminal via a communication network to execute additional instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of automatically generating and formatting an electronic bill configured for sending to a provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the validation information is derived from physical features including one or more photographs taken by the terminal in the client'"'"'s home.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more photographs are taken of one or more objects or rooms in the client'"'"'s home.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the verification information is derived from physical features including features indicating the location of the client'"'"'s home.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer server performs the verifying step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said bill is used for determining a paycheck amount for the provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of regularly synchronizing the computerized terminal with the computer server, wherein if said step of synchronizing fails, triggering a process for trouble checking.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said regularly synchronizing is done every day at night.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of performing a client enrollment process prior to using the computerized terminal for accepting time information related to services provided to the client, wherein said enrollment process includes using information about the client that is provided by an external agency database that communications with the computer server via a network connection.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said external agency database is a database provided for use by an insurance company.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said external agency database is a database provided for use by a government agency.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said client enrollment process includes the steps of the computer server electronically filling out one or more government forms and the computer server electronically transmitting said one or more government forms to a government agency.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of enrolling the provider using the computerized terminal located at the client'"'"'s home, wherein said enrolling includes engaging the services of the provider for providing the health services to the client.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of the remotely located computer system warning the provider about a risk of exceeding a predetermined services threshold.

15. The method of claim 1, further providing a task interface screen on the user terminal configured to record which and at what time tasks of the health services occurred.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a new task interface on the client computer configured to accept information about a new health services task that the provider provides to the client that was not originally a task assigned to the provider wherein subsequent to accepting the information about the new health services task, an indication that the task was added is provided for display by the client computerized terminal.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more physical features includes a radio signal detected in the client'"'"'s home that indicates a location of the computerized terminal in the client'"'"'s home.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface configured to capture one or more physical features in a region of the computerized terminal is a biometric interface and wherein at least one of the one or more physical features includes a biometric feature of the client.

19. A method for using a computer system including a server system and a computerized terminal for verifying provider services provided by a provider to a client in the client'"'"'s home, said method comprising the steps of:

storing client information in a centralized database in the server system;

executing software instructions on the computerized terminal to provide a client computerized terminal located in the client'"'"'s home and that is configured to verify it is located in the client'"'"'s home;

executing software instructions on the computerized terminal to connect the computerized terminal to the centralized database via a communication network for updating the computerized terminal for the client utilizing the client information stored in the centralized database;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to perform the step of providing an enrollment interface on the computerized terminal for enrolling the provider using the computerized terminal, wherein said enrolling step includes an engagement step of the client using the enrollment interface for engaging the services of the provider for providing the health services to the client in the client'"'"'s home, said engagement step including the step of using the enrollment interface for collecting additional information from the client regarding the health services to be performed with said additional information being entered into said computerized terminal using the enrollment interface for electronically capturing and storing said additional information in said centralized database;

using the client computerized terminal executing additional software instructions to perform the step of generating a user interface for accepting affirmation/refusal from the client using the enrollment interface for verifying that the client engaged the services of the provider for providing the health services;

providing the computerized terminal with hardware comprising at least one interface configured to capture one or more physical features in a region of the computerized terminal, wherein said hardware includes a GPS device, a biometric sensor, and/or a camera;

executing software instructions on the computerized terminal to capture data about one or more physical features in a region of the computerized terminal that physically identifies location of the computerized terminal at the client'"'"'s home using the interface of the hardware of the computerized terminal;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to generate verification information indicating a location of the computerized terminal using the data about the one or more physical features;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to verify its location in the client'"'"'s home during the step of enrolling the client using the verification information;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to send information to update the centralized database via the communication network to capture the client enrollment affirmation/refusal;

using the computerized terminal executing additional software instructions to perform the step of capturing medical services information when the provider is providing the health services to the client for storing in the centralized database;

using the computerized terminal executing additional software instructions to perform the step of receiving validation information input from the client for verifying that the health services were provided to the client, said validation including using the verification information that verifies that the client entered the validation information while the client computerized terminal is located in the client'"'"'s home; and

subsequent to a successful verifying, using the computer of the remotely located server system remotely connected to said terminal via a communication network to execute additional instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of automatically generating and formatting an electronic bill configured for sending to a provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of using the computerized terminal when the provider is providing the health services to the client includes the step of providing a time entry interface on the computerized terminal adapted for accepting time information from the provider providing health services to the client at the client'"'"'s home.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the steps of:

the computerized terminal collecting the validation information for also verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home;

using said validation information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal at the client'"'"'s home; and

using said validation information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal at the client'"'"'s home.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of, subsequent to a successful verifying, using the computer server remotely connected to said terminal via the communication network for formatting an electronic bill according to a predetermined format acceptable to a payment agency separate from the provider.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of the computerized terminal collecting verification information for use in verifying that the enrollment step was accomplished with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein

said computerized terminal regularly synchronizes the client computerized terminal connected over a communication network with a remotely located computer server configured with software instructions for verifying and storing information about the provider provision of the health services to the client, wherein, if said step of synchronizing fails, a process for trouble checking is implemented.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of using the computerized terminal for supporting providing the health services to the client includes the step of providing a time entry interface on the computerized terminal adapted for accepting time information from the provider providing health services to the client at the client'"'"'s home.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the steps of:

the computerized terminal using at least one of said one or more physical features for generating verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home;

sending said verification information to the remotely located server system via the communication network;

said server system using said verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal at the client'"'"'s home; and

said server system using said validation information for verifying that the client received the health services.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of, subsequent to a successful verifying, using a computer server remotely connected to said terminal via a communication network for formatting an electronic bill according to a predetermined format acceptable to a payment agency separate from the provider.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

providing an enrollment interface for enrolling the provider using the computerized terminal, wherein said enrolling step includes the step of the client engaging the services of the provider for providing the health services to the client in the client'"'"'s home, said engaging step including the step of collecting information from the client regarding the health services to be performed; and

using the computerized terminal for verifying that the client engaged the services of the provider for providing the health services.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of the computerized terminal using at least one of said one or more physical features for generating verification information for use in verifying that the enrollment step was accomplished with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of for supporting providing the health services to the client includes the step of providing a time entry interface on the computerized terminal adapted for accepting time information from the provider providing health services to the client at the client'"'"'s home.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the steps of:

the computerized terminal using data about at least one of said one or more physical features for generating verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home;

sending said verification information to the remotely located server system via the communication network;

said server system using said verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal at the client'"'"'s home; and

said server system using said validation information for verifying that the client received the health services.

32. A method for using a computer system including a server system and a computerized terminal for verifying provider services provided by a provider to a client in the client'"'"'s home, said computerized terminal configured with a computer for executing software instructions stored in memory to perform said method comprising the steps of:

providing a first user interface on the computerized terminal adapted for accepting time information from the provider providing health services to the client at the client'"'"'s home;

providing the computerized terminal with biometric hardware including an interface configured to capture biometric data about a biometric feature of the client;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to convert the biometric data into validation information uniquely identifying the client, wherein said validation information also includes information indicating client confirmation that the health services were received;

the computerized terminal having additional hardware including an interface configured to capture location data about one or more physical features in a region of the computerized terminal;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to generate verification information from the location data, said verification information used for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal located at the client'"'"'s home;

the computerized terminal executing software instructions to send the time information, the validation information, and the verification information to a remotely located server system connected to the computerized terminal via a communication network;

the remotely located server system having a computer for executing instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of using said verification information for verifying that the time information accepted from the provider was entered with the terminal at the client'"'"'s home;

the remotely located server system having the computer for execute additional instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of using said validation information for confirming that the client received the health services; and

subsequent to a successful verifying and confirming, using the computer of the remotely located server system remotely connected to said terminal via a communication network to execute additional instructions stored by said server system to perform the step of automatically generating and formatting an electronic bill configured for sending to a provider.