Method and apparatus for obtaining and storing medical history records

• US 20040243586A1
• Filed: 05/27/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frank Hugh Byers
• Original Assignee: Frank Hugh Byers
• Inventors: Byers, Frank Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,016 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/100
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A system and method for taking a medical history uses a questionnaire database in which answers to questions are correlated with subsequent questions. The answers given for the medical history provide a path through the database and a compact form for storage of the medical history. A computerized system is used to access the database for creating or retrieving a medical history.

Claims

1. A method of creating and utilizing a medical history, comprising the steps of:

presenting a user with a questionnaire having a plurality of questions and associated responses, wherein each of the associated responses identifies a next one of a plurality of questions;

receiving a selection from the user;

presenting a next question based upon the selected response; and

storing in the medical history a value representing the selected response.

2. The method of creating and utilizing a medical history according to claim 1, wherein the associated responses to each of the plurality of questions are ordered;

and wherein the storing step includes storing an ordinal value corresponding to the selected response

3. The method of creating and utilizing a medical history according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the values stored in the medical history;

determining a question and response corresponding to each of the stored values based upon the questionnaire; and

presenting the question and response.

4. The method of creating and utilizing a medical history according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

linking at least one response with a set of additional information; and

providing the additional information to a user when the at least one response is selected.

5. The method of creating and utilizing a medical history according to claim 4, further comprising the step of determining a category for the user;

and wherein the providing step provides information applicable to the category of the user.

6. The method of creating and utilizing a medical history according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

associating at least one physical test with at least one response; and

recommending that a patient have at least one physical test done when at least one response is selected.

7. A method of storing information, comprising the steps of:

presenting a user with a questionnaire having a plurality of questions and associated responses, wherein each of the associated responses identifies a next one of a plurality of questions;

receiving a selection from the user;

presenting a next question based upon the selected response; and

storing a set of values representing the selected responses.

8. The method of storing information according to claim 7, wherein the associated responses to each of the plurality of questions are ordered;

and wherein the storing step includes storing an ordinal value corresponding to the selected response