DATABASE FOR PRE-SCREENING POTENTIALLY LITIGIOUS PATIENTS

• US 20080071578A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fred HERZ Patents LLC
• Original Assignee: Fred HERZ Patents LLC
• Inventors: Herz, Frederick, Labys, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0635 Risk analysis of enterprise or organisation activities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/18 Legal services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records

Abstract

A database system stores information about potential patients that allows medical professionals to gauge the legal risk presented by the potential patients, giving the medical professionals the opportunity to avoid medical involvement with those individuals most prone to engaging in unwarranted legal actions. The database may also be used by insurance companies, legal services and other professional service providers to screen for potentially litigious customers. Information in the database is processed to provide a risk assessment score for each patient that is used for screening purposes.

Claims

1. A system that determines risk profiles of users for potential for litigiousness against potential service and/or product providers, comprising:

a database that stores information identifying users and service and/or product providers as well as litigation information relating to the users and service and/or product providers;

a risk assessment module that calculates a litigation risk profile for a designated user from the information stored in the database relating to the designated user'"'"'s past litigation history and risk factors that may indicate the potential litigious nature of the designated user; and

an interface that facilitates the input into the database of information identifying users, service and/or product providers, and litigation information relating to the users and service and/or product providers, that facilitates the query of the information stored in the database, and that displays determined litigation risk profiles.

2. A system as in claim 1, wherein the user is a potential patient, the database stores patient data, and the interface includes patient management software that queries the database for information regarding the potential patient and displays the determined litigation risk profile of the potential patient.

3. A system as in claim 2, wherein the database includes patient records including previous litigation history and/or insurance claims of the patient for medical services previously rendered.

4. A system as in claim 2, wherein the database includes records of doctors that refer potential patients, said doctors'"'"' records including information relating to malpractice cases previously or currently being faced by the referring doctor.

5. A system as in claim 2, wherein the database includes records of lawyers'"'"' involvement in malpractice cases.

6. A system as in claim 2, wherein the database includes records of judges'"'"' involvement in malpractice cases.

7. A system as in claim 2, wherein the database includes records of expert witnesses'"'"' involvement in malpractice cases.

8. A system as in claim 2, wherein the risk assessment module includes software that calculates the litigation risk profile for a potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and a predicted dollar amount of a monetary recovery for any ensuing lawsuit.

9. A system as in claim 2, wherein the risk assessment module includes software that calculates the litigation risk profile for a potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and an effect such a lawsuit would have on a designated doctor'"'"'s insurance premiums.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the risk assessment module includes a logit regression that generates a value indicative of said litigation risk profile for the designated user.

11. A method of determining risk profiles of users for potential for litigiousness against potential service and/or product providers, comprising the steps of:

searching a database for information relating to a potential user that is to receive a service and/or product from a service and/or product provider, said information including litigation information relating to the litigiousness of the potential user;

calculating a litigation risk profile for potential user from the litigation information stored in the database, said litigation information relating to the potential user'"'"'s past litigation history and risk factors that may indicate the potential litigious nature of the potential user; and

displaying the determined litigation risk profile.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein the potential user is a potential patient, the database stores patient data, and the searching step includes querying the database for information regarding the potential patient using patient management software.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk profile for the potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and a predicted dollar amount of a monetary recovery for any ensuing lawsuit.

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk profile for the potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and an effect such a lawsuit would have on a designated doctor'"'"'s insurance premiums.

15. A method as in claim 11, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating a logit regression that generates a value indicative of said litigation risk profile for the potential user.

16. A method of providing supplemental malpractice insurance and/or lower insurance premiums to professional service providers, comprising the steps of:

setting a litigation risk threshold for potential for litigiousness by recipients of services from professional service providers;

determining a litigation risk value of each recipient of services from a particular professional service provider, the litigation risk value establishing the potential for litigiousness of each recipient of services;

comparing the litigation risk value of each recipient of services from the particular service provider to the litigation risk threshold; and

providing supplemental malpractice insurance and/or lower insurance premiums to those professional service providers who do not provide professional services to service recipients having a litigation risk value that exceeds said litigation risk threshold.

17. A method as in claim 16, wherein determining a litigation risk value comprises the steps of:

searching a database for information relating to a potential recipient that is to receive a professional service from a service provider, said information including litigation information relating to the litigiousness of the potential recipient; and

calculating the litigation risk value for the potential recipient from the litigation information stored in the database, said litigation information relating to the potential recipient'"'"'s past litigation history and risk factors that may indicate the potential litigious nature of the potential recipient.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein the potential recipient of services is a potential patient, the database stores patient data, and the searching step includes querying the database for information regarding the potential patient using patient management software.

19. A method as in claim 17, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk value for the potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and a predicted dollar amount of a monetary recovery for any ensuing lawsuit.

20. A method as in claim 17, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk value for the potential patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and an effect such a lawsuit would have on a designated doctor'"'"'s insurance premiums.

21. A method as in claim 17, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating a logit regression that generates a value indicative of said litigation risk value for the potential patient.

22. A method of screening patients being referred to a specialist for specialty medical services, comprising the steps of:

determining a litigation risk value of a potential patient being referred to the specialist, the litigation risk value establishing the potential for litigiousness of the potential patient;

entering the litigation risk value of the potential patient onto a patient referral form; and

evaluating the referral of the potential patient for approval prior to acceptance by the specialist.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein determining a litigation risk value comprises the steps of:

searching a database for information relating to a potential referral patient, said information including litigation information relating to the litigiousness of the potential referral patient; and

calculating the litigation risk value for the potential referral patient from the litigation information stored in the database, said litigation information relating to the potential referral patient'"'"'s past litigation history and risk factors that may indicate the potential litigious nature of the potential referral patient.

24. A method as in claim 23, wherein the database stores patient data and the searching step includes querying the database for information regarding the potential referral patient using patient management software.

25. A method as in claim 23, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk value for the potential referral patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and a predicted dollar amount of a monetary recovery for any ensuing lawsuit.

26. A method as in claim 23, wherein the calculating step includes calculating the litigation risk value for the potential referral patient, the litigation risk profile including a probability of a lawsuit for treatment of a particular condition and an effect such a lawsuit would have on the specialist'"'"'s insurance premiums.

27. A method as in claim 23, wherein the calculating step includes the step of calculating a logit regression that generates a value indicative of said litigation risk value for the potential referral patient.