System and method for facilitating compliance and persistency with a regimen

• US 20050159977A1
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pharmacentra LLC
• Original Assignee: Pharmacentra LLC
• Inventors: Berman, Daniel, Chandler, Royce, Hambrick, Christopher, Green, Barry
• Application Number:
  US10/758,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20050159977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating compliance and persistency with a regimen, such as a medical regimen. An individual provides the system with contact information which is used by the system to address the issue of forgetfulness as a regimen failure source by providing a self-directed contact facility that facilitates regimen compliance with updates on contact days, time intervals, and channels specified by the individual. The system may also employ a comprehensive reporting apparatus that facilitates the monitoring of the individual'"'"'s compliance with regimen.

Claims

1. A readable media having instructions for facilitating compliance with a regimen, the instructions performing steps comprising:

identifying if an individual is eligible for a regimen contact based on an expressed contact management preference set forth in a database record associated with that individual;

identifying a channel by which the individual is to be contacted;

selecting a contacting media to be used when contacting the individual considering the channel identified and a schedule of the regimen;

attempting to contact the individual via the identified channel using the selected contacting media; and

updating a touch history table within a database wherein the touch history table is utilized to track;

which individuals are to be contacted, whether a contact procedure has been utilized in connection with that individual, and results of an attempted contact.

2. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the contacting media comprises a production file.

3. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions identify if a selected individual record indicates that the individual has opted out of the process in a prior contact event.

4. The readable media as recited in claim 2, wherein the instructions post the production file via a virtual private network to either a secured FTP or secured BBS folder.

5. The readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the production file is imported to a predictive dialer application that works in connection with a telephone network interface whereby the contact may be administered in the manner that has been defined by the individual.

6. The readable media as recited in claim 4, wherein the production file is imported to a distribution application that works in connection with a computer network interface whereby the contact may be administered in the manner that has been defined by the individual.

7. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions operate at predefined times to update compliance tracking data.

8. The readable media as recited in claim 7, wherein compliance tracking data is updated by processing returned disposition files from a day'"'"'s contact campaigns;

posting dispositions to the touch history table; and

posting batch summary reports to provide a comprehensive reconcilement of contact dispositions by contact type and disposition code.

9. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions attempt a further contact with the individual, by a channel specified by the individual, in the event that the individual was unable to be reached by a first attempt.

10. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause a physician of the individual to be notified that a scheduled, compliance checking contact went unanswered.

11. The readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the physician notification is transmitted by electronic mail.

12. The readable media as recited in claim 10, wherein the physician notification is performed using an IVR phone call.

13. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions provide a graphical user interface accessible via a Web site by which the individual may supply contact preferences.

14. The readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions cause a pharmacy to be contacted to auto refill a prescription for a drug in response to the instructions identifying that an individual'"'"'s record specifies an auto refill pharmacy and the individual is scheduled for a prescription refill based on a regimen dosage duration and a system calculated lag time.

15. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the calculated lag time is defined at a brand-level for the prescribed drug.

16. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the calculated lag time is define by a physician for the individual.

17. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the pharmacy is contacted via an email.

18. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the pharmacy is contacted via a facsimile transmission.

19. The readable media as recited in claim 14, wherein the instructions are adapted to capture retrieval confirmation information from the pharmacy.

20. A method for facilitating compliance with a regimen, comprising:

providing informational materials concerning the regimen including information that specifies one or more means by which an individual registers with a regimen compliance network;

accepting registration information from the individual by a means specified in the informational materials;

storing the registration information in a database associated with the regimen compliance network, the registration information including a contact management preference;

when the stored registration information identifies the individual as being eligible for a regimen contact, identifying a channel by which the individual is to be contacted, selecting a contacting media to be used when contacting the individual considering the channel identified, and attempting to contact the individual via the identified channel using the selected contacting media; and

updating a touch history table utilized to track;

which individuals are to be contacted, whether a contact procedure has been utilized in connection with that individual, and results of an attempted contact.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the instructional materials include a process code which is indicative a physician.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the process code is provided during individual registration and allows the regimen compliance network to establish physician normalization data.

23. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the regimen comprises a drug prescription.

24. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the contacting media comprises a production file.

25. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising determining if an individual'"'"'s record indicates that the individual has opted out of the process in a prior contact event.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the instructions post the production file via a virtual private network to either a secured FTP or secured BBS folder.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the production file is imported to a predictive dialer application that works in connection with a telephone network interface whereby the contact may be administered in the manner that has been defined by the individual.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the production file is imported to a distribution application that works in connection with a computer network interface whereby the contact may be administered in the manner that has been defined by the individual.

29. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising updating compliance tracking data at predefined times.

30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein compliance tracking data is updated by processing returned disposition files from a day'"'"'s contact campaigns;

posting dispositions to the touch history table; and

posting batch summary reports to provide a comprehensive reconcilement of contact dispositions by contact type and disposition code.

31. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising attempting a further contact with the individual, by a channel specified by the individual, in the event that the individual was unable to be reached by a first attempted contact.

32. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising causing a physician of the individual to be notified that a scheduled, compliance contact went uncompleted.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, comprising transmitting the physician notification by an electronic messaging system.

34. The method as recited in claim 32, comprising using an IVR phone call to provide the physician notification.

35. The method as recited in claim 32, comprising using a facsimile transmission to provide the physician notification.

36. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein a means by which an individual registers with the regimen compliance network comprises accessing a Web site by which information including contact preferences is electronically submitted for entry into the regimen compliance network.

37. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein a means by which an individual registers with the regimen compliance network comprises transmitting via mail information including contact preferences for entry into the regimen compliance network.

38. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein a means by which an individual registers with the regimen compliance network comprises phoning a representative of the regimen compliance network to supply information including contact preferences for entry into the regimen compliance network.

39. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising causing a pharmacy to be contacted to auto refill a prescription for a drug in response to identifying that an individual'"'"'s record specifies an auto refill pharmacy and the individual is scheduled for a prescription refill based on a regimen dosage duration and a system calculated lag time.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the calculated lag time is defined at a brand-level for a prescribed drug.

41. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the calculated lag time is define by a physician for the individual.

42. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising contacting the pharmacy via an email.

43. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising contacting the pharmacy via a facsimile transmission.

44. The method as recited in claim 39, comprising capturing retrieval confirmation information from the pharmacy.

45. The method as recited in claim 20, comprising registering a physician with the regimen compliance network and indicating a correspondence between registered individuals and registered physicians.