System and method for delivering integrated health care

• US 20020194022A1
• Filed: 04/05/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Florence Comite
• Original Assignee: Florence Comite
• Inventors: Comite, Florence
• Application Number:
  US10/116,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194022A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/90 relating to alternative medicines, e.g. homeopathy or oriental medicines
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for delivering integrated health care to a patient, in which an embodiment of the system includes a site coordinator that creates a health portfolio for the patient, a nurse practitioner that answers questions raised by the patient concerning treatment, one or more allopathic specialists that review the health portfolio and propose allopathic treatments for the patient, a complementary-alternative medicine manager that provides the patient with information on complementary-alternative treatments, one or more complementary-alternative medical providers that review the health portfolio and propose complementary-alternative treatments for the patient, and a physician that reviews the health portfolio, evaluates the proposed allopathic treatments and the proposed complementary-alternative treatments, presents the proposed allopathic and complementary-alternative treatments to the patient, and consults with the patient to establish a treatment plan for the patient. The nurse practitioner manages the allopathic specialists. The complementary-alternative medicine manager manages the complementary-alternative medical providers.

Claims

1. A system for delivering integrated health care to a patient comprising:

(a) a site coordinator that creates a health portfolio for the patient;

(b) a nurse practitioner that answers questions raised by the patient concerning treatment;

(c) one or more allopathic specialists that review the health portfolio and propose allopathic treatments for the patient, wherein the nurse practitioner manages the one or more allopathic specialists;

(d) a complementary-alternative medicine manager that provides the patient with information on complementary-alternative treatments;

(e) one or more complementary-alternative medical providers that review the health portfolio and propose complementary-alternative treatments for the patient, wherein the complementary-alternative medicine manager manages the one or more complementary-alternative medical providers; and

(f) a physician that reviews the health portfolio, evaluates the proposed allopathic treatments and the proposed complementary-alternative treatments, presents the proposed allopathic and complementary-alternative treatments to the patient, and consults with the patient to establish a treatment plan for the patient.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the health portfolio includes at least one of past medical records, medical history questionnaires completed by the patient, a comprehensive physical examination report, laboratory results, diagnostic results, a health maintenance calendar, laboratory comparison studies, and educational materials.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the site coordinator, the nurse practitioner, the one or more allopathic specialists, the complementary-alternative medicine manager, the one or more complementary-alternative medical providers, and the physician operate out of a single medical site.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the medical site is located within a distance proximate to one of a hospitality facility, a planned community, a medical facility, and a diagnostic center.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a database that stores the health portfolio, wherein the database is remotely accessible to the patient through a computer network.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more allopathic specialists include at least one of a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist, a physical therapist, a medical specialist, and a local primary care physician of the patient.

7. The system of claim I, wherein the one or more complementary-alternative medical providers include at least one of a lifestyle counselor, a behavioral health specialist, a Chinese medicine professional, a hypnotherapist, a chiropractor, a naturopathy specialist, a biofeedback therapist, and an energy work specialist.

8. A method for delivering integrated health care to a patient comprising:

collecting medical history information of the patient;

reviewing the medical history information to identify any additional medical information needed;

conducting an interview of the patient to obtain the additional medical information;

identifying consultations beneficial to the patient, wherein the identified consultations include allopathic consultations by allopathic providers and complementary-alternative medicine consultations by complementary-alternative medicine providers;

providing the patient with the identified consultations at a single medical site; and

providing a patient with a report of the results of the identified consultations.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the patient with ongoing care in accordance with the report.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing the patient with remote online access to the report.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the report includes at least one of past medical records, medical history questionnaires completed by the patient, a comprehensive physical examination report, laboratory results, diagnostic results, a health maintenance calendar, laboratory comparison studies, and educational materials.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein collecting medical history information comprises receiving answers through an online questionnaire submitted remotely by the patient.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the allopathic providers include a physician and at least one of a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist, a physical therapist, a medical specialist, and a local primary care physician of the patient.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the complementary-alternative providers include at least one of a lifestyle counselor, a behavioral health specialist, a Chinese medicine professional, a hypnotherapist, a chiropractor, a naturopathy specialist, a biofeedback therapist, and an energy work specialist.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein after conducting the interview and before identifying the consultations, the method further comprises arranging one of a laboratory and a diagnostic test of the patient and receiving results of the test.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein identifying consultations comprises holding an integrated team conference among the allopathic providers and the complementary-alternative medicine providers, wherein participants of the integrated team conference evaluate the medical history information and the additional medical information and select consultations associated with the participants'"'"' disciplines.

17. The method of claim 8, wherein the identified consultations include one or more of an integrated medical review, a comprehensive physical examination, an electrocardiogram with interpretation, a nutrition consultation, a lifestyle consultation, an exercise physiology evaluation, a bioelectrical impedance analysis, an elective consultation, a laboratory test, and a diagnostic test.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein the medical site is located within a distance proximate to one of a hospitality facility, a planned community, a medical facility, and a diagnostic center.

19. The method of claim 8, wherein the medical site is located on the premises of one of a hotel, resort, spa, and fitness club.

20. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the patient with a report includes meeting with the patient to discuss the results of the identified consultations.

21. A system for delivering health care to a patient comprising:

(a) a medical site that provides the patient with allopathic consultations and complementary-alternative medicine consultations; and

(b) a hospitality facility, wherein the medical site is located on the premises of the hospitality facility.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the medical site comprises:

(i) an allopathic medical facility, wherein the allopathic medical facility includes a nurse practitioner, a physician, and an allopathic medical team; and

(ii) a complementary-alternative medicine facility, wherein the complementary-alternative medicine facility includes a complementary-alternative medicine manager and a complementary-alternative medicine team.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the allopathic medical team includes one or more of a nutritionist, an exercise physiologist, a physical therapist, and a medical specialist.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the complementary-alternative medicine team includes one or more of a lifestyle counselor, a behavioral health specialist, a Chinese medicine professional, a hypnotherapist, a chiropractor, a naturopathy specialist, a biofeedback therapist, and an energy work specialist.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the medical site and the hospitality facility share administrative functions, wherein the functions include one or more of front desk reception, reservations, and scheduling.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the hospitality facility comprises one of a hotel, resort, spa, and fitness club.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein documenting comprises assembling a health portfolio that includes one or more of the questionnaire answers, a comprehensive physical examination report, laboratory test results, diagnostic test results, a health maintenance calendar, laboratory comparison studies, and educational materials.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising delivering ongoing care to the patient by updating the health portfolio and providing the patient with remote secure online access to the health portfolio.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein delivering ongoing care comprises one of managing a health issue identified during the visit, researching a health issue that arises after the visit, and administering behavior modification programs.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the medical site is located on the premises of a hospitality facility.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein scheduling further comprises scheduling a visit to the hospitality facility.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein identifying comprises holding at the medical site an integrated team conference among allopathic providers and complementary-alternative medicine providers, wherein participants of the integrated team conference evaluate the questionnaire answers and the medical records and identify consultations associated with the participants'"'"' disciplines.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the questionnaire is an online questionnaire remotely completed by the patient.

27. A method for delivering integrated health care to a patient comprising:

scheduling an appointment for the patient to visit a medical site;

receiving answers to medical information questions through a questionnaire completed the patient;

collecting medical records of the patient;

reviewing and summarizing the questionnaire answers and the medical records;

interviewing the patient before the visit to accomplish at least one of outlining preliminary recommendations for the visit, obtaining additional medical information, and arranging for one of a laboratory test and a diagnostic test to be conducted before the visit;

identifying allopathic and complementary-alternative medicine consultations to provide during the visit;

providing the allopathic and complementary-alternative medicine consultations during the visit to the medical site;

documenting results of the consultations; and

meeting with the patient to review the results.