PORTABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS

• US 20110208530A1
• Filed: 02/19/2010
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telemedicine International LLC
• Original Assignee: Telemedicine International LLC
• Inventors: NEBBE, NATHAN JOSEPH, FITZHUGH, WILLIAM JORDAN
• Application Number:
  US12/709,225
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208530A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/2
• 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: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Described herein is a novel method for remote communication between a patient and physician. The described method of communication includes a portable storage medium which includes software and patient data. The software is designed to regularly prompt the patient to answer a series of questions relating to his medical care, then transfers that software to the patient'"'"'s physician through a network connection. The described method also includes a method to store individual patient data in a manner that it is easily accessible to medical personnel in case of emergency without the need for the patient to provide a name, address, username, or password to the treating personnel.

Claims

1. A method for remote diagnosis of a patient comprising:

providing a portable media storage device containing a patient'"'"'s health care record;

providing software on the portable media storage device;

providing a server in network communication with said portable media storage device;

querying the patient regarding an issue of health concern;

receiving answers from the patient;

uploading the answers to the server;

notifying a physician through the server of the patient'"'"'s answers;

receiving the physician'"'"'s instructions from the server; and

displaying the instructions to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the portable media storage device comprises a USB flash drive.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein notification of the physician comprises one of the following:

email;

text message;

beeper;

printed communication;

facsimile;

or other electronic means.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of receiving the communications to the software.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising the step of providing patient information on the portable media storage device.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of communicating the instructions to a physician local to the patient.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of providing the local physician with decryption software.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of providing the patient data on the portable media storage device to the local physician.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the patient data comprises emergency treatment information.

10. A method of treating a remotely located patient comprising the steps of:

providing a portable storage medium;

assigning a unique patient identifier to the portable storage medium;

assigning a diagnostic program to the unique patient identifier;

providing the portable storage medium to a patient identified by the unique patient identifier;

receiving diagnostic information from the portable storage medium;

determining treatment information corresponding to the received diagnostic information;

transmitting the treatment information to the portable storage medium.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the portable storage medium comprises a USB flash drive.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of instructing the patient to regularly provide health updates to the portable storage medium.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the diagnostic information is transmitted to the physician through a central server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the treatment information is transmitted to the portable storage medium through a central server.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the diagnostic information comprises answers to questions relating to the patient'"'"'s specific health concern.

16. A method of receiving remote treatment comprising:

providing a portable storage medium;

assigning a unique patient identification with the portable storage medium;

providing the portable storage medium to a patient corresponding to the unique patient identification;

connecting the portable storage medium to an internet capable computer;

loading software from the portable storage medium;

providing a series of questions from the software to the patient;

answering the series of questions;

transmitting answers to the series of questions to a central server;

receiving treatment information from the central server.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the portable storage medium comprises a flash drive.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of selecting an option to answer a series of questions.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the portable storage medium comprises confidential patient information.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising the step of providing the patient data to an emergency physician.