Method and Device for Assisting Users in Reporting Health Related Symptoms and Problems

• US 20090300550A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stiftelsen Communicare
• Original Assignee: Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet HF
• Inventors: Ruland, Cornelia
• Application Number:
  US12/227,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20090300550A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/841
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof

Abstract

The present invention discloses a device, a method and software for mapping health related symptoms and problems with the aim of collecting and structuring information related to sick person'"'"'s health related symptoms and problems. A device is disclosed which comprises hardware and a graphical user interface (GUI) for user interaction. The device also comprises software implementing an interactive questionnaire for graphically presenting health related symptoms and problems to a user and registering the user'"'"'s response via the GUI, as well as software implementing a report generator for generating a report that maps health related symptoms and problems based on the response from the user.

Claims

1. A device for mapping health related symptoms and problems, the device comprising:

a memory;

an electronic processor;

a display;

a graphical user interface (GUI);

a pointing device for user interaction via the GUI;

software implementing an interactive questionnaire for presenting health related symptoms and problems to a user and registering the user'"'"'s response via the GUI,

the interactive questionnaire being configured to graphically present and perform a main character and a storyline, wherein the storyline consists of a number of categories related to at least physical health, mental health, and everyday life, and wherein the main character can be controlled to go through the storyline by the user;

software implementing a report generator for generating a report that maps health related symptoms and problems based on the response from the user.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the interactive questionnaire is further configured to:

graphically present, in each category, the main character in one or more scenes, each scene presenting a number of potential health related symptoms and/or problems;

provide a graphical object for each potential health related symptom or problem;

for each said graphical object, provide a link to an explanatory illustration of the symptom or problem and a response option allowing the user to select a degree to which the symptom or problem is relevant; and

register each selection made by the user.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the report generator is configured to, present the registered responses in one or more reports listing connected categories, symptoms and/or problems, and user responses.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the display and the pointing device are provided by a touch sensitive display.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a battery rendering the device fully portable.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the memory and electronic processor can store and recall previous responses from the user, and wherein the report generator can generate a report of the development of the user'"'"'s responses to symptoms and/or problems over time.

7. A software program for mapping health related symptoms and problems, to be executed on an electronic processing device with a display, a pointing device and a graphical user interface (GUI), the software program comprising:

an interactive questionnaire for presenting health related symptoms and problems to a user and registering the user'"'"'s response via the GUI,

the interactive questionnaire being configured to graphically present and perform a main character and a storyline, wherein the storyline consists of a number of categories related to at least physical health, mental health, and everyday life, and wherein the main character can be controlled to go through the storyline by the user;

a report generator for generating a report that maps health related symptoms and problems based on the response from the user.

8. The software program according to claim 7, wherein the interactive questionnaire is further configured to:

graphically present, in each category, the main character in one or more scenes, each scene presenting a number of potential health related symptoms and/or problems;

provide a graphical object for each potential health related symptom or problem;

for each said graphical object, provide a link to an explanatory illustration of the symptom or problem and a response option allowing the user to select a degree to which the symptom or problem is relevant; and

register each selection made by the user.

9. The software program according to claim 7, wherein the report generator is configured to present the registered responses in a report, the report lists connected categories, symptoms and/or problems, and user responses.

10. A method for mapping health related symptoms and problems, the method is to be carried out on an electronic processing device with a display, a pointing device and a graphical user interface (GUI), the method comprising the steps of:

graphically presenting and performing a main character and a storyline consisting of a number of categories related to at least physical health, mental health, and everyday life, wherein the main character is controlled to go through the storyline by a user via the GUI;

presenting potential health related symptoms and problems in each category and allowing the user to respond the presented symptoms and problems via the GUI; and

presenting the response from the user to the presented symptoms and problems in a report, the report listing connected categories, symptoms and/or problems, and response.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

in each category, graphically presenting the main character in one or more scenes, each scene presenting a number of potential health related symptoms and/or problems;

for each potential health related symptom or problem, presenting a graphical object for the symptom or problem;

linking each graphical object to an explanatory illustration of the symptom or problem and a response option that allows the user to respond with a degree to which the symptom or problem is relevant.