Methods and apparatus for facilitated, hierarchical medical diagnosis and symptom coding and definition

• US 20030181790A1
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Commwell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Commwell Incorporated
• Inventors: Levshin, Alexander, David, Daniel, David, Zipora, Mikhlin, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/276,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20030181790A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/002 Monitoring the patient using a local or closed circuit, e.g. in a room or building A61B5/0017 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1038 Measuring plantar pressure during gait
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/112 Gait analysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/25 Recognition of walking or running movements, e.g. gait recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Patient pre-screening is facilitated through a system of hierarchically linked catalogues, each comprising at least one condition-descriptive entry. The hierarchy of linked catalogues is essentially tree structure in which the content of the lower-level catalogues is dependent upon particular entries in upper-level catalogues. In one embodiment, the uppermost catalogue comprises a model display of a male or female. In general, a condition-descriptive entry from an uppermost catalogue is selected. The selected condition-descriptive entry from the uppermost catalogue determines at least one lower-level catalogue that is subsequently displayed By traversing the linked catalogues in this manner, a concise diagnosis or symptom description may be quickly and accurately generated. In one embodiment of the present invention, diagnoses arrived at through the hierarchical structure include an ICS-9 code, thereby facilitating implementations of databases.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating medical pre-screening, the method comprising steps of:

providing an uppermost catalogue of a plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues, wherein each of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises at least one medical condition-descriptive entry;

receiving an indication of a selected uppermost condition-descriptive entry from the uppermost catalogue; and

providing at least one additional lower catalogue of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues based on the selected uppermost condition-descriptive entry.

2. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each catalogue of plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises a menu.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the uppermost catalogue comprises a body systems catalogue and the at least one condition-descriptive entry included therein corresponds to at least one body system entry.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selected uppermost condition-descriptive entry corresponds to a selected body system entry, and wherein the at least one additional lower catalogue comprises a subsystems catalogue and the at least one condition-descriptive entry included therein corresponds to at least one subsystem entry based on the selected body system entry.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a step of:

receiving an indication of a selected subsystem entry from the subsystems catalogue,

wherein the step of providing the at least one additional lower catalogue further comprises providing a diagnosis catalogue based on the selected subsystem entry,

and wherein the at least one condition-descriptive entry included in the diagnosis catalogue corresponds to at least one diagnosis entry based on the selected subsystem entry.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each of the at least one diagnosis entry comprises an ICD9 code.

8. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 7.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the uppermost catalogue comprises a model display of either a male model or a female model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the uppermost catalogue comprises a body parts catalogue and the at least one condition-descriptive entry included therein corresponds to at least one body part entry.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the selected uppermost condition-descriptive entry corresponds to a selected body part entry, and wherein the at least one additional lower catalogue comprises a symptoms catalogue and the at least one condition-descriptive entry included therein corresponds to at least one symptom entry based on the selected body part entry.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising a step of:

receiving an indication of a selected symptom entry from the symptoms catalogue,

wherein the step of providing the at least one additional lower catalogue further comprises providing a general qualifier catalogue based on the selected symptom entry,

and wherein the at least one condition-descriptive entry included in the general qualifier catalogue corresponds to at least one general qualifier entry based on the selected symptom entry.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of providing the at least one additional lower catalogue further comprises providing a special qualifier catalogue based on the selected symptom entry,

and wherein the at least one condition-descriptive entry included in the special qualifier catalogue corresponds to at least one special qualifier entry based on the selected symptom entry.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 13.

38. The method of claim 1, 15 or 25 in combination with a method for remote monitoring of a subject including the steps of acquiring the medical condition entry from a remote monitoring site and transmitting information from a subject located at the information to a central record keeping site.

15. In a computer system comprising a display and a user interface selection device, a method for facilitating medical record generation, the method comprising steps of:

providing, on the display, a plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues, wherein each of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises at least one medical condition-descriptive entry;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, selection information corresponding to user selections from a portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues, wherein the at least one condition-descriptive entry included in each lower-level catalogue of the portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues is based on the user selections relative to at least one higher-level catalogue of the portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues; and

providing, on the display, a diagnosis based on the user selections.

16. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 15.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein each catalogue of plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises a menu.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the diagnosis comprises an ICD9 code.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising steps of:

providing, on the display, a problem input mechanism;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, an indication of user selection of the problem input mechanism; and

providing, on the display and responsive to the indication of user selection of the problem input mechanism, a patient problem list comprising the diagnosis.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 19.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the patient problem list comprises a severity field, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving severity level information relative to the diagnosis; and

providing, on the display, the patient problem list comprising the severity level information for the diagnosis.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 21.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the patient problem list comprises an onset date field, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving onset data information relative to the diagnosis; and

providing, on the display, the patient problem list comprising the onset date information for the diagnosis.

24. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 23.

25. In a computer system comprising a display and a user interface selection device, a method for facilitating medical record generation, the method comprising steps of:

providing, on the display, a plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues, wherein each of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises at least one medical condition-descriptive entry;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, selection information corresponding to user selections from a portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues, wherein the at least one condition-descriptive entry included in each lower-level catalogue of the portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues is based on the user selections relative to at least one higher-level catalogue of the portion of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues; and

providing, on the display, a qualified symptom description based on the user selections.

26. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 25.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one catalogue of the plurality of hierarchically linked catalogues comprises a model display of either a male model or a female model.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising a step of:

receiving, via the user interface selection device, an indication of a selected portion of the model display.

29. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 28.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising a step of:

providing, on the display, an enlarged display of the selected portion.

31. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 30.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising steps of:

providing, on the display, a symptom input mechanism;

receiving, via the user interface selection device, an indication of user selection of the symptom input mechanism; and

providing, on the display and responsive to the indication of user selection of the symptom input mechanism, a patient complaint list comprising the qualified symptom description.

33. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 32.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the patient problem list comprises a severity field, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving severity level information relative to the qualified symptom description; and

providing, on the display, the patient complaint list comprising the severity level information for the qualified symptom description.

35. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 34.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the patient problem list comprises an onset date field, the method further comprising steps of:

receiving onset data information relative to the qualified symptom description; and

providing, on the display, the patient complaint list comprising the onset date information for the qualified symptom description.

37. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 36.