System And Method For Corroborating Transitory Changes In Wellness Status Against A Patient Population

• US 20090192362A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Sweeney, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US12/352,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192362A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/80 for detecting, monitoring or modelling epidemics or pandemics, e.g. flu

Abstract

A system and method for corroborating transitory changes in wellness status against a patient population through remote patient care is provided. A population that includes patients under remote patient care is managed. Physiometry for each patient over corresponding temporal periods is regularly obtained and contains recorded physiological measures. A wellness status for each patient is determined. The physiometry is evaluated against historical data maintained for the patient over a predetermined temporal period. Each difference in the physiometry and the historical data that exceeds a testing metric is flagged as a transitory change. Profiles of the patients in the population, which are similar, for those patients presenting corresponding transitory changes are correlated. A cumulative transitory change for the correlated patients is generated. The transitory change of each patient is corroborated against the cumulative transitory change to determine one of a match and deviation in wellness statuses.

Claims

1. A system for evaluating transitory changes in status during remote patient care, comprising:

a database configured to store physiometry comprising recorded physiological measures, which has been regularly obtained for a population comprising patients under remote patient care; and

a server, comprising;

an evaluation module configured to evaluate the physiometry to ascertain a wellness status of each patient, and to observe a transitory change in the wellness status of one of the patients;

a correlation module configured to correlate a profile of the one patient to a set of other patients in tie population, who each have a profile similar to the one patient; and

a corroboration module configured to corroborate the transitory change of the one patient against a cumulative transitory change observed in the wellness statuses for the set of other patients.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an analysis submodule configured to evaluate the recorded physiological measures against historical data of the one patient; and

a testing submodule configured to test each difference in the physiometry against a testing metric, and to flag each difference that exceeds the testing metric as the transitory change.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wellness status is determined as one of an onset, progression, regression, and absence of a patient condition.

4. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an action module configured to undertake an action in respect of the one patient upon a divergence of the transitory change of the one patient and the cumulative transitory change for the set of other patients.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein hysteresis is applied to the action in proportion to a degree of the transitory change.

6. A method for evaluating transitory changes in status during remote patient care, comprising:

regularly obtaining physiometry comprising recorded physiological measures for a population comprising patients under remote patient care;

evaluating the physiometry to ascertain a wellness status of each patient;

observing a transitory change in the wellness status of one of the patients;

correlating a profile of the one patient to a set of other patients in the population, who each have a profile similar to the one patient; and

corroborating the transitory change of the one patient against a cumulative transitory change observed in the wellness statuses for the set of other patients.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

evaluating the recorded physiological measures against historical data of the one patient;

testing each difference in the physiometry against a testing metric; and

flagging each difference that exceeds the testing metric as the transitory change.

8. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

determining one of an onset, progression, regression, and absence of a patient condition as the wellness status.

9. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

undertaking an action in respect of the one patient upon a divergence of the transitory change of the one patient and the cumulative transitory change for the set of other patients.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising:

applying hysteresis to the action in proportion to a degree of the transitory change.

11. A system for corroborating transitory changes in wellness status against a patient population through remote patient care, comprising:

a monitoring module configured to manage a population comprising patients under remote patient care, and to regularly obtain physiometry for each patient over corresponding temporal periods;

a database comprising the physiometry maintained as recorded physiological measures;

an evaluation module configured to determine a wellness status for each patient, comprising;

an analysis submodule configured to evaluate the physiometry against historical data maintained for the patient over a predetermined temporal period; and

a testing submodule configured to flag each difference in the physiometry and the historical data that exceeds a testing metric as a transitory IS change;

a correlation module configured to correlate profiles of the patients in the population, which are similar, for those patients presenting corresponding transitory changes, and to generate a cumulative transitory change for the correlated patients; and

a corroboration module configured to corroborate the transitory change of each patient against the cumulative transitory change to determine one of a match and deviation in wellness statuses.

12. A system according to claim 11, further comprising:

an action module configured to take action for each patient with the deviation in wellness status.

13. A system according to claim 12, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising modifying programming parameters, prescribing medication, adjusting a treatment regimen, requesting a patient visit, and generating an alert of the status of the one patient.

14. A system according to claim 11, wherein each transitory change is determined as one or more of an average, mean, median, and standard deviation.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein a match in wellness status is attributed to extrinsic factors affecting the correlated patients.

16. A system according to claim 11, wherein the physiometry is selected from the group comprising physiological measures, parametric data, and environmental data.

17. A system according to claim 11, wherein the physiometry is provided from one or more of an implantable medical device and external medical device.

18. A method for corroborating transitory changes in wellness status against a patient population through remote patient care, comprising:

managing a population comprising patients under remote patient care;

regularly obtaining physiometry for each patient over corresponding temporal periods and comprising recorded physiological measures;

determining a wellness status for each patient, comprising;

evaluating the physiometry against historical data maintained for the patient over a predetermined temporal period; and

flagging each difference in the physiometry and the historical data that exceeds a testing metric as a transitory change;

correlating profiles of the patients in the population, which are similar, for those patients presenting corresponding transitory changes;

generating a cumulative transitory change for the correlated patients; and

corroborating the transitory change of each patient against the cumulative transitory change to determine one of a match and deviation in wellness statuses.

19. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

taking action for each patient with the deviation in wellness status.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising modifying programming parameters, prescribing medication, adjusting a treatment regimen, requesting a patient visit, and generating an alert of the status of the one patient.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining each transitory change as one or more of an average, mean, median, and standard deviation.

22. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

attributing a match in wellness status to extrinsic factors affecting the correlated patients.

23. A method according to claim 18, wherein the physiometry is selected from the group comprising physiological measures, parametric data, and environmental data.

24. A method according to claim 18, wherein the physiometry is provided from one or more of an implantable medical device and external medical device.