Methods and Systems for Medication Management

• US 20080238666A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carespeak Communications, Inc. (Optimizerx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carespeak Communications, Inc. (Optimizerx Corporation)
• Inventors: Loncar, Srdjan
• Granted Patent: US 7,956,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s compliance with a medication regimen may include identifying a patient, identifying a medication prescribed to the patient and determining one or more intake times associated with the medication. For each intake time, an alert reminding the patient to take the medication may be generated, and the alert may be transmitted to a mobile device associated with the patient. Receipt of the alert by the mobile device may trigger one or more of an audible alarm, a visual alarm and a tactile alarm on the mobile device. If an indication of compliance is not received from the mobile device within a predefined period of time, a caregiver associated with the patient may be notified.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s compliance with a medication regimen, the method comprising:

identifying a patient;

identifying a medication prescribed to the patient;

determining one or more intake times associated with the medication; and

for each intake time;

generating an alert reminding the patient to take the medication,

transmitting the alert to a mobile device associated with the patient, wherein receipt of the alert by the mobile device triggers one or more of an audible alarm, a visual alarm and a tactile alarm on the mobile device, and

if an indication of compliance is not received from the mobile device within a predefined period of time, notifying a caregiver associated with the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating an alert comprises generating an alert comprising one or more of the following:

a name of the medication;

a dosage of the medication;

a form of the medication;

an image of the medication;

a link to an image of the medication;

a name of a prescribing physician;

a phone number of the prescribing physician;

a name of a dispensing pharmacy;

a phone number of the dispensing pharmacy; and

an embedded link to one or more of the phone number of the prescribing physician and the phone number of the dispensing pharmacy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the alert comprises transmitting the alert via one or more of the following:

a GPRS data packet;

an email;

a text message;

a multimedia message;

a one-way SMS message; and

a two-way SMS message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein notifying a caregiver associated with the patient comprises:

identifying the caregiver associated with the patient; and

sending a message to the caregiver, wherein the message comprises one or more of the following;

a GPRS data packet;

an email;

a text message;

a multimedia message;

a one-way SMS message; and

a two-way SMS message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an expected intake number, wherein the expected intake number represents a number of times the patient is to take the medication in a predefined period of time;

determining an actual intake number, wherein the actual intake number represents a number of times the patient has confirmed taking the medication in the predefined period of time; and

if the actual intake number exceeds the expected intake number, notifying one or more of the patient and a caregiver associated with the patient.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein notifying comprises sending one or more of the following to a mobile device associated with one or more of the patient and a caregiver:

an email;

a text message;

a multimedia message;

a one-way binary SMS message; and

a two-way binary SMS message.

7. A method of verifying compliance with a health regimen, the method comprising:

identifying a patient;

identifying an action to be performed by the patient;

identifying a time at which the action is to be performed;

sending an alert to a mobile device associated with the patient at the identified time, wherein the alert is configured to instruct the patient to perform the action;

receiving, from the mobile device, within a predefined period of time, a measurement associated with the action; and

if the measurement is not within a predefined range, notifying one or more of the patient and a caregiver.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the measurement comprises receiving one or more of the following:

a glucose level;

a blood pressure; and

a weight.

9. A method of locating one or more members registered with a health manager, the method comprising:

maintaining, by a computing device, a database comprising a plurality of members registered with a health manager;

receiving, by a computing device, a search query comprising one or more search criteria, wherein the search criteria comprise one or more of the followings

a name,

a diagnosis,

an illness,

address information,

a geographic region;

for each member in the plurality of members;

comparing the one or more search criteria to a profile associated with the member, wherein the profile comprises one or more of the following;

a name associated with the member,

a diagnosis associated with the member,

an illness associated with the member,

address information associated with the member, and

a geographic region associated with the member,

determining whether the member satisfies the search query based on the associated profile, and

if so, identifying the member as a match; and

displaying the profile of each identified member to a user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein displaying the profile of each identified member comprises displaying one or more of the following:

an embedded link to an email address associated with the member; and

an embedded link to a phone number associated with the member.

19. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more identified members; and

initiating communication between the user and the one or more identified members.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving a selection of one or more identified members; and

displaying information received from the user in an area that is accessible to the one or more identified members.

11. A method of confirming compliance with a medication alert, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device, an alert to take a medication, wherein the alert is received at an intake time associated with the medication;

in response to receiving the alert;

triggering one or more of an audible alarm, a visual alarm and a tactile alarm on the mobile device, and

displaying information associated with the alert to a patient on a display screen of the mobile device;

receiving, by the mobile device, confirmation of compliance; and

transmitting the confirmation of compliance to a computing device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the confirmation of compliance is verified; and

if so;

receiving one or more instructions to disable the audible alarm, and disabling the audible alarm.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving notification if an actual intake number exceeds an expected intake number, wherein the actual intake number represents a number of times the patient has confirmed taking the medication a predefined period of time, wherein the expected intake number represents a number of times the patient is directed to take the medication in the predefined period of time;

displaying the notification on the display screen of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving an alert comprises receiving one or more of the following:

a text message;

a multimedia message;

a one-way binary SMS message; and

a two-way binary SMS message.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein an alert comprises one or more of the following:

a name of the medication;

a dosage of the medication;

a form of the medication;

an image of the medication;

a link to an image of the medication;

a name of a prescribing physician;

a phone number of the prescribing physician;

a name of a dispensing pharmacy;

a phone number of the dispensing pharmacy; and

an embedded link to one or more of the phone number of the prescribing physician and the phone number of the dispensing pharmacy.

16. A method of verifying compliance with a health regimen, the method comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device at an intake time, an alert reminding a patient to perform an action associated with a health regimen;

receiving, by the mobile device, a measurement associated with the action, wherein the measurement is provided by the patient;

transmitting the measurement to a computing device within a predefined period of time; and

displaying a notification to the patient if the measurement is outside a predefined range.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein receiving an alert comprises receiving one or more of the following:

a text message;

a multimedia message;

a one-way binary SMS message; and

a two-way binary SMS message.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein an alert comprises one or more of the following:

a name of the medication;

a dosage of the medication;

a form of the medication;

an image of the medication;

a link to an image of the medication;

a name of a prescribing physician;

a phone number of the prescribing physician;

a name of a dispensing pharmacy;

a phone number of the dispensing pharmacy; and

an embedded link to one or more of the phone number of the prescribing physician and the phone number of the dispensing pharmacy.