METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INTEGRATED HEALTH SYSTEMS

• US 20100049546A1
• Filed: 05/15/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Soar BioDynamics, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Soar BioDynamics, Ltd.
• Inventors: Neville, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Methods, business methods, and systems are provided herein for integrated healthcare. As the amount of medical information increases rapidly, including information from multiple biomarkers, analysis and management of that information becomes more and more important to extract meaningful conclusions from the information. Statistical and computational methods are described herein that have been created for the methods and systems for integrated healthcare. For example, a computer system is described extracts significance over time of PSA and fPSA biomarker tests for prostate health.

Claims

1. A method of performing a course of medical action for a medical condition of a subject comprising:

a) obtaining a first value of at least one biomarker from a subject;

b) sending said first value to a computer system that calculates a first plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of medical conditions of said subject using said first value, wherein said plurality of medical conditions comprises at least a first and second medical condition;

c) receiving said first plurality of posterior probabilities;

d) performing a first course of medical action for the first medical condition based on said first plurality of posterior probabilities;

e) observing a result of said first course of medical action;

f) obtaining a second value of at least one biomarker from said subject;

g) sending said second value and said result of said first course of the medical action to said computer system that calculates a second plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of said plurality of medical conditions of said subject, wherein said calculation uses said at second value and said result;

h) receiving said second plurality of posterior probabilities; and

i) performing a second course of medical action for the second medical condition based on said second plurality of posterior probabilities.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first or second value is a PSA value or fPSA value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said subject is a human.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer system comprises a device for network communication, a storage unit, and a processor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said computer system comprises a Monte Carlo engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises entering said first and second values into a webpage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises using a device that transmits either or both of said first and second values to said computer system through a wireless network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second values are a first and second biomarker trend of biomarker values over a period of time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said computer system calculates each of said first plurality of posterior probabilities by relating:

a) a prior probability of a medical condition;

b) a probability of observing said first biomarker trend for an individual with said medical condition; and

c) a probability of observing said first biomarker trend for an individual without said medical condition.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of medical conditions are prostate medical conditions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said prostate medical conditions are selected from the group consisting of the following:

prostatitis due to inflammation, prostatitis due to infection, prostate cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, and no prostate disease.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving comprises viewing a display of said posterior probabilities.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said display is a display on an output device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said output device is selected from the group consisting of the following:

a computer, a webpage, an electronic medical record, a printout, and a personal electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first or second course of medical action is delivering medical treatment to said subject.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the medical treatment is selected from a group consisting of the following:

a pharmaceutical, surgery, organ resection, and radiation therapy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said pharmaceutical comprises a chemotherapeutic compound for cancer therapy.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second course of medical action comprises administration of medical tests.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second course of medical action comprises medical imaging of said subject.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second course of medical action comprises setting a specific time for delivering medical treatment.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second course of medical action comprises a biopsy.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first or second course of medical action comprises a consultation with a medical professional.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein said computer system calculates each of said second plurality of posterior probabilities by relating:

a) a prior probability of a medical condition, wherein said prior probability was calculated using subject information comprising said result of a course of medical action;

b) a probability of observing said second biomarker trend for an individual with said medical condition; and

c) a probability of observing said second biomarker trend for an individual without said medical condition.

24. A business method comprising:

a) receiving a first value of at least one biomarker of a subject;

b) calculating a first plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of medical conditions of said subject with a computer system using said a first value;

c) delivering said first plurality of posterior probabilities to a user;

d) receiving a second value of at least one biomarker of a subject and a result of a course of medical action taken by said user based upon said delivery of said first plurality of posterior probabilities;

e) calculating a second plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of medical conditions of said subject with said computer system using said a second value and said result of a course of the medical action; and

f) delivering said second plurality of posterior probabilities to said user.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first or second values are received from a user.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user is selected from the group consisting of the following:

a physician, a health care provider, a pharmacy, an insurance company, and the subject.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said first or second value is received from said user through a webpage.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said first or second value is received from said user through an electronic device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said first or second value is received from said user through an assay device.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the first or second values are received from a device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of the following:

a lab test device, a point-of-care assay device, a personal electronic device, an electronic medical record, and a computer system.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein said calculating is carried out by a Monte Carlo engine.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein said calculating is a Bayesian statistical calculation.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of medical conditions is at least four medical conditions.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein said biomarker value is from a PSA or fPSA assay.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein said plurality of medical conditions are selected from the group consisting of:

prostatitis due to inflammation, prostatitis due to infection, prostate cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, and no prostate disease.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein said result of a course of medical action is selected from the group consisting of the following:

a test result, a diagnosis, a cure, an effect, and no effect.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein said posterior probabilities are delivered to a user through an electronic medical record.

39. The method of claim 24, wherein said posterior probabilities are delivered to a user through a webpage.

40. The method of claim 24, wherein said posterior probabilities are delivered to a user through an electronic device with a display.

41. The method of claim 24, wherein said posterior probabilities are delivered to a user through a printout.

42. The method of claim 24, wherein said computer system comprises a processor, a storage unit, and a device for network communication.

43. The method of claim 24, wherein the method is carried out for a fee.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein each delivery of posterior probabilities is carried out for a fee.

45. The method of claim 24 further comprising suggesting a course of medical action to said user based on said posterior probabilities.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said suggesting is provided for a fee.

47. A method of delivering a probability that a subject has a medical condition to a user comprising:

a) calculating a plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of medical conditions of a subject having a biomarker trend, wherein said biomarker trend comprises biomarker values from said subject at more than one time, and wherein each of said plurality of posterior probabilities is calculated by relating;

i) a prior probability of the occurrence of each of said plurality of medical conditions; and

ii) a probability of observing said biomarker trend for an individual with each medical condition; and

iii) a probability of observing said biomarker trend for an individual without each medical condition; and

b) delivering said plurality of probabilities of said plurality of medical conditions to a user with an output device.

49. The method of claim 47 or 48, wherein said biomarker trend is a PSA trend or fPSA trend.

50. The method of claim 47 or 48, wherein said subject is a human.

51. The method of claim 47 or 48, wherein said plurality of medical conditions are prostate medical conditions.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said prostate medical conditions are selected from the group consisting of the following:

prostatitis due to inflammation, prostatitis due to infection, prostate cancer, benign prostate hyperplasia, and no prostate disease.

53. The method of claim 47 or 48, wherein said output device is selected from the group consisting of the following:

a computer, a webpage, an electronic medical record, a printout, and a personal electronic device.

48. A method of delivering a probability that a subject has a medical condition to a user comprising:

a) calculating a plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of medical conditions of a subject having a result of a course of medical action and having a biomarker trend, wherein said biomarker trend comprises biomarker values from said subject at more than one time, and wherein each of said plurality of posterior probabilities is calculated by relating;

i) a prior probability of the occurrence of each of said plurality of medical conditions, wherein said prior probability was calculated using subject information comprising said result of a course of medical action;

ii) a probability of said biomarker trend for an individual with each medical condition; and

iii) a probability of said biomarker trend for an individual without each medical condition; and

b) delivering said plurality of probabilities of said plurality of medical conditions to a user with an output device.

54. The method of claim 48, wherein said course of medical action is delivering medical treatment to said subject.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the medical treatment is selected from a group consisting of the following:

a pharmaceutical, surgery, organ resection, and radiation therapy.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein said pharmaceutical comprises a chemotherapeutic compound for cancer therapy.

57. The method of claim 48, wherein the course of medical action comprises administration of medical tests.

58. The method of claim 48, wherein the course of medical action comprises medical imaging of said subject.

59. The method of claim 48, wherein the course of medical action comprises setting a specific time for delivering medical treatment.

60. The method of claim 48, wherein the course of medical action comprises a biopsy.

61. The method of claim 48, wherein the course of medical action comprises a consultation with a medical professional.

62. A method of delivering a probability that a subject has a medical condition to a user comprising:

a) calculating a plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of a plurality of prostate medical conditions of a subject having a PSA value and an fPSA value, each at more than one time thereby having a PSA trend and an fPSA trend, wherein each of said plurality of posterior probabilities is calculated by relating;

i) a prior probability of a prostate medical condition; and

ii) a probability of observing said PSA trend and said fPSA trend for an individual with said prostate medical condition; and

iii) a probability of observing said PSA trend and said fPSA trend for an individual without said prostate medical condition; and

b) delivering said plurality of probabilities of said plurality of medical conditions to a user with an output device.

63. The method of claim 62 further comprising:

a) calculating a second plurality of posterior probabilities of the occurrence of said plurality of prostate medical conditions of a subject having a result of a course of medical action and having a new PSA value and a new fPSA value, each at more than one time thereby having a second PSA trend and a second fPSA trend, wherein each of said plurality of posterior probabilities is calculated by relating;

i) a prior probability of a prostate medical condition, wherein said prior probability was calculated using subject information comprising said result of a course of medical action; and

ii) a probability of observing said second PSA trend and said second fPSA trend for an individual with said prostate medical condition; and

iii) a probability of observing said second PSA trend and said second fPSA trend for an individual without said prostate medical condition; and

b) delivering said second plurality of probabilities of said plurality of medical conditions to the user with an output device.