SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS FOR USE IN GATHERING AND PROVIDING HEALTHCARE INFORMATION

• US 20110288887A1
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastodon, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mastodon, LLC
• Inventors: Duke, Janet K., Duke, David O., Byron-Alton, Linda, Jauregui, Joe Cockrill
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,530 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• 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 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method for presenting a favored treatment includes querying, via an electronic device, a patient regarding a healthcare issue; providing, to the patient via the electronic device, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue; receiving, from the patient via the electronic device, an indication of a preferred treatment; and effecting printing of a document based on information input by the patient via the electronic device. The document includes an identification of the preferred treatment of the patient.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a favored treatment, the method comprising:

(a) querying, via an electronic device, a patient regarding a healthcare issue;

(b) providing, to the patient via the electronic device, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue;

(c) receiving, from the patient via the electronic device, an indication of a preferred treatment; and

(d) effecting printing of a document based on information input by the patient via the electronic device;

(e) wherein the document includes an identification of the preferred treatment of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred treatment of the patient is the favored treatment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of effecting printing of a prescription for the preferred treatment of the patient.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing, to the patient via the electronic device, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue comprises presenting a video to the patient via the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises a step of presenting, to the patient via the electronic device, other treatments.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the preferred treatment of the patient is not the favored treatment, and wherein the document includes an identification of the favored treatment.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the document further includes information regarding one or more disadvantages of the preferred treatment of the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more disadvantages were identified based at least in part on information input by the patient via the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the document further includes information regarding one or more advantages of the favored treatment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises steps of:

(a) querying, via the electronic device, a patient regarding information for calculating third party benefit information;

(b) determining third party benefit information for the patient; and

(c) presenting determined third party benefit information to the patient.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the document includes information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the document includes information regarding billing for counseling for the healthcare issue.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the document comprises a checklist including information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the document includes an indication of an amount of time to spend discussing a certain healthcare issue with the patient.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the document is configured for use in billing.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes a step of updating a medical record of the patient based on information input by the patient via the electronic device.

17. A system for a healthcare environment comprising:

(a) one or more electronic devices disposed in a healthcare environment, each electronic device including software loaded thereon configured to,

(i) allow a user to input information associated with a visit to a healthcare service provider, and

(ii) present to a user a favored treatment in response to information input by a user indicating the existence of a particular healthcare issue; and

(b) a base station configured to,

(i) receive information from the one or more electronic devices, and

(ii) effect printing of a document based on information received from the one or more electronic devices.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the base station is configured to effect printing of a prescription based on information received from the one or more electronic devices.

19. A method for advertising a treatment comprising:

(a) configuring, by a party, one or more electronic devices for use in electronic check-in in a healthcare environment, the configuring including configuring the devices to favor a treatment associated with the party and to present information associated with such favored treatment to a user in response to an indication of a particular healthcare condition; and

(c) providing the one or more electronic devices to a second party, the second party being a healthcare service provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the favored treatment is a drug.