Methods and systems for monitoring and enhancing patient compliance with a health treatment program

• US 20070015974A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iMetrikus, Inc.
• Original Assignee: iMetrikus, Inc.
• Inventors: Higgins, Rose, Olive, Brett, Bailey, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US11/432,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20070015974A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for enabling and supporting patient compliance with a health treatment program or with health-related instructions from a caregiver are described. An interactive feedback loop is implemented that enhances and improves on present methods of monitoring and supporting patient compliance with treatment programs, particularly for patients with chronic conditions. A patient enters various types of data (e.g., biometric readings, diary entries, responses to surveys and health assessments, etc.) to a health data management system that includes a patient compliance monitoring system. The patient is encouraged to enter as much data as is practical and as frequently as possible. The feedback loop of the present invention provides compliance messages to the patient in a timely manner that are responsive to the data entered by the patient. The messages are customized, supportive, and timely. The system can also implement a reward scheme in which patients who go beyond their prescribed treatment program or consistently stay within a compliance range obtain direct financial benefits or rewards. The system also allows patients to sends feedback on the messages he or she receives from the system. This feedback can be used to measure the effectiveness of a treatment program or of the monitoring system itself. Healthcare professionals play an active role in tailoring and “signing off” the compliance-related messages that the patient receives.

Claims

1. A method of encouraging a patient to follow a treatment plan, the method comprising:

receiving health-related data from the patient at a compliance monitoring system;

analyzing the data to determine whether the patient is compliant with the treatment plan stored at the compliance monitoring system;

sending content to the patient wherein the content is derived from whether the patient is compliant with the treatment program; and

enabling the patient to respond to the content by sending a feedback message to the compliance monitoring system.