PROCESS OF INTERFACING A PATIENT INDIRECTLY WITH THEIR OWN ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS

• US 20090150188A1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Willis Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Patientlink Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Castille, Debra
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A process of allowing a patient to have limited input access to their electronic medical record including the steps of forming a basic patient medical record in a computer through entry of information using a keyboard, providing the patient with a machine readable medical questionnaire concerning their history, environment, symptoms, and other pertinent information for answering by the patient, interfacing the machine readable medical questionnaire with a scanner to send the data stream to a microprocessor and converting the patient'"'"'s answers to a protocol simulating the protocol from a party having authority to export data to the patient'"'"'s medical record, and transferring the protocol-arranged data into the patient'"'"'s medical record housed in a database through use of an interface engine.

Claims

1. A method of inputting information submitted by a patient into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record, the method comprising the steps of:

a) providing the patient with a questionnaire concerning the patient'"'"'s medical history, environment, symptoms, or other pertinent information for answering by the patient;

b) receiving the patient'"'"'s medical history, environment, symptoms, or other pertinent information from the patient in response to the questionnaire provided to the patient;

c) arranging the patient'"'"'s answers on the questionnaire into a data stream;

d) arranging the data stream into a defined data structure simulating the protocol structure from a party having authorization to export data to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record;

e) verifying that the arranged data stream is authorized to be imported into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

f) importing into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record the verified data stream, including the patient'"'"'s medical history, environment, symptoms, or other pertinent information provided by the patient on the questionnaire.

2. The method of claim 1, step (d) further comprising arranging the data stream into the defined data structure simulating the protocol of Health Level Seven (HL7).

3. The method of claim 1, step (d) further comprising arranging the data stream into the defined data structure simulating the protocol of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the questionnaire includes questions concerning the systems making up the human body.

5. A method of arranging health-related information submitted by a patient in response to a questionnaire for importation into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record, the method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving an at least partially completed questionnaire concerning the health-related information of the patient, said at least partially completed questionnaire being completed by the patient;

b) arranging the patient'"'"'s health-related information on the questionnaire into a data stream;

c) arranging the data stream into a defined data structure simulating the protocol structure from a party having authorization to export data to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

d) verifying that the arranged data stream is authorized to be imported into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

6. The method of claim 5, further including the step of communicating the arranged data stream to an electronic medical record interface.

7. The method of claim 6, further including the step of importing the verified data stream into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

8. The method of claim 5, step (c) further comprising arranging the data stream into the defined data structure simulating the protocol of Health Level Seven (HL7).

9. The method of claim 5, step (c) further comprising arranging the data stream into the defined data structure simulating the protocol of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials).

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the questionnaire includes questions concerning the systems making up the human body.

11. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for directing operation of a computer to arrange health-related information submitted by a patient for importation into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record, the computer program comprising:

a code segment executable by the computer for providing the patient with a questionnaire concerning health-related information of the patient;

a code segment executable by the computer for receiving an at least partially completed questionnaire from the patient;

a code segment executable by the computer for arranging the patient'"'"'s health-related information on the questionnaire into a data stream;

a code segment executable by the computer for arranging the data stream into a defined data structure simulating the protocol structure from a party having authorization to export data to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record; and

a code segment executable by the computer for verifying that the arranged data stream is authorized to be imported into the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

12. The computer program of claim 11, further including a code segment executable by the computer for communicating the formatted data to an electronic medical record interface.

13. The computer program of claim 12, further including a code segment executable by the computer for adding the information to the patient'"'"'s electronic medical record.

14. The computer program of claim 11, the code segment for arranging the data stream into a defined data structure operable to simulate the protocol of Health Level Seven (HL7).

15. The computer program of claim 11, the code segment for arranging the data stream into a defined data structure operable to simulate the protocol of ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials).