Interactive system for tracking and improving health and well-being of users by targeted coaching

• US 20040267565A1
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: James A. Grube
• Original Assignee: James A. Grube
• Inventors: Grube, James A.
• Application Number:
  US10/739,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267565A1
• 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 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method for expert health coaching of individuals to improve their health, fitness and wellness through interactive Internet access which provides the user with an ongoing interactive coaching health assessment through selected health fitness weighted criteria and individually tailored feedback. Online prompts are presented to the user to complete a daily questionnaire on a variety of particularly defined health behaviors, including exercise, nutrition, sleep habits, and stress management. The data from the daily questionnaire are captured in a database and a daily score is calculated based on the input and weighted criteria. A coach is assigned to each individual and the personally assigned coach tracks the assigned individuals'"'"' progress daily via the coaching management module. The coach emails the assigned individuals with positive reinforcement, pats on the back or friendly prompts to do better, as appropriate.

Claims

1. A method for expert health coaching of individuals to improve their health, fitness and wellness through interactive Internet access, comprising:

(a) generating periodic electronic prompts on the remote computers of individuals to complete a comprehensive questionnaire on a variety of health behaviors;

(b) collecting and storing the individual'"'"'s responsive input data in a database;

(c) calculating a periodic score based on the input data and weighted criteria;

(d) tracking the user'"'"'s periodic scores over time; and

(e) providing personal electronic feedback to the remote computers of said individuals users on a periodic basis.

2. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 1, wherein said comprehensive questionnaire comprises topical questions including at least four requisite topics:

Physical Activity, Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management, and Sit Down Meal.

3. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 2, wherein said comprehensive questionnaire comprises a fifth topic comprising questions relating to a personal challenge to ensure that the user is goal setting.

4. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 3, wherein an individual'"'"'s answers to said questionnaire are assigned a particular point value, and said calculating step comprises multiplying each point value by a weighted score dependant on topic and question, and by compiling the weighed point values over time into a rolling average overall life practice index.

5. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 4, wherein the daily weighted score and rolling average life practice index is displayed to each user each time they respond to one of said electronic prompts.

6. A method for expert health coaching of individuals to improve their health, fitness and wellness through interactive Internet access, comprising:

(a) generating daily electronic prompts on the remote computers of individuals to complete a comprehensive questionnaire on a variety of health behaviors;

(b) collecting and storing the individual'"'"'s responsive input data in a database;

(c) calculating a daily score based on the input data and weighted criteria;

(d) tracking the user'"'"'s daily scores over time; and

(e) providing personal electronic feedback to the remote computers of said individuals users on a daily basis.

7. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 6, wherein said comprehensive questionnaire comprises topical questions including at least four requisite topics:

Physical Activity, Sleep, Nutrition, Stress Management, and Sit Down Meal.

8. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 7, wherein said comprehensive questionnaire comprises a fifth topic comprising questions relating to a personal challenge to ensure that the user is goal setting.

9. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 8, wherein an individual'"'"'s answers to said questionnaire are assigned a particular point value, and said calculating step comprises multiplying each point value by a weighted score dependant on topic and question, and by compiling the daily weighed point values over time into a rolling average overall life practice index.

10. The method for expert health coaching of individuals according to claim 9, wherein the daily weighted score and rolling average life practice index is displayed to each user on a daily basis.

11. A system for expert health coaching of subscribers to improve their health, fitness and wellness through interactive Internet access, comprising:

(a) subscriber registration and validation software;

(b) at least one online questionnaire form for prompting subscribers to input personal health fitness information on a periodic basis;

(c) a database for storing the periodically-entered personal health fitness information;

(d) a ranking module for ranking the cumulative health fitness information of members and for compiling progress;

(e) a coach management module for allowing personal trainers to identify subsets of members who attain various positive or negative milestones and to generate electronic communications to those subsets sets that address the positive or negative milestone.