System and method for delivering medical examination, treatment and assistance over a network
First Claim
1. A method for providing a covering physician service via a network, the method comprising:
- informing a patient of a practicing physician of the availability of the plurality of patient terminals and referring the patient to one of the patient terminals upon agreement of the patient;
receiving at a call center, the call center enabling any of a first plurality of physician terminals to be in audio-visual communication over the network with any of a second plurality of patient terminals, a call from the patient at the patient terminal and routing the call to an available physician at one of the physician terminals so that the available physician may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient; and
permitting the available physician to make an assessment of the patient and to treat the patient.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for providing a covering physician service includes informing a patient of a practicing physician of the availability of the plurality of patient terminals and referring the patient to one of the patient terminals upon the agreement of the patient. A call from the patient at the patient terminal is received at a call center. The call center enables any of a first plurality of physician (or other health care practitioner) terminals to be in audio-visual communication over the network with any of a second plurality of patient terminals. The call is routed to an available physician or other health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals so that the available physician may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient. The available physician or health care practitioner is permitted to make an assessment of the patient and to treat the patient.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method for providing a covering physician service via a network, the method comprising:
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informing a patient of a practicing physician of the availability of the plurality of patient terminals and referring the patient to one of the patient terminals upon agreement of the patient;
receiving at a call center, the call center enabling any of a first plurality of physician terminals to be in audio-visual communication over the network with any of a second plurality of patient terminals, a call from the patient at the patient terminal and routing the call to an available physician at one of the physician terminals so that the available physician may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient; and
permitting the available physician to make an assessment of the patient and to treat the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for providing a covering physician service via a network, the method comprising:
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informing a patient of a practicing physician of the availability of the plurality of patient terminals and referring the patient to one of the patient terminals upon agreement of the patient;
receiving at a call center, the call center enabling any of a first plurality of health care practitioner terminals to be in audio-visual communication over the network with any of a second plurality of patient terminals, a call from the patient at the patient terminal and routing the call to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient; and
permitting the available health care practitioner to make an assessment of the patient and to treat the patient. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network, the method comprising:
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providing a call center enabling any of a first plurality of health care practitioner terminals to be in audiovisual communication over the network with any of a second plurality of patient terminals;
receiving a call at the call center from a patient at one of the patient terminals and routing the call to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals, so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient; and
permitting the available health care practitioner to make an assessment of the patient and to conduct an examination of the patient over the network, including by a visual study of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network, the system comprising:
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a first plurality of health care practitioner terminals, each of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals including a display device;
a second plurality of patient terminals in audiovisual communication over a network with any of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals;
a call center in communication with the patient terminals and the health care practitioner terminals, the call center routing a call from a patient at one of the patient terminals to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals, so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient; and
a protocol database resident on a digital storage medium, accessible to each of the health care practitioner terminals, the protocol database containing a plurality of protocol segments such that a relevant segment of the protocol may be displayed in real time on the display device of the health care practitioner terminal of the available health care practitioner for use by the available health care practitioner in making an assessment of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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34. A system according to claim 34, wherein the third party is one or more of a primary care physician, specialist, hospital, emergency room, ambulance service, clinic or pharmacy.
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43. A system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network, the system comprising:
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a first plurality of health care practitioner terminals, each of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals including a display device;
a second plurality of patient terminals in audiovisual communication over a network with any of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals; and
a call center in communication with the patient terminals and the health care practitioner terminals, the call center routing a call from a patient at one of the patient terminals to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals, so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient.
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44. A system for delivering medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment services from a physician to a patient over a network, the system comprising:
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a first plurality of health care practitioner terminals, each of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals including a display device;
a second plurality of patient terminals in audiovisual communication over a network with any of the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals, each of the second plurality of patient terminals including a camera having pan, tilt and zoom modes, such modes being controlled from the first plurality of health care practitioner terminals; and
a call center in communication with the patient terminals and the health care practitioner terminals, the call center routing a call from a patient at one of the patient terminals to an available health care practitioner at one of the health care practitioner terminals, so that the available health care practitioner may carry on a two-way conversation with the patient and visually observe the patient.
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Specification