Method and Apparatus for Coordinating Healthcare of Patients

• US 20130124226A1
• Filed: 11/10/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Murthy Gedala
• Original Assignee: Murthy Gedala
• Inventors: Gedala, Murthy
• Application Number:
  US13/674,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124226A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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

Methods and systems for coordinating care of patients are disclosed, including enrolling a patient onto a communication facilitator application; storing an electronic record pertaining to the patient; establishing a patient healthcare team group for sending and receiving messages; storing a list of one or more members of the patient healthcare team group in the electronic record; receiving from the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group a message directed to one or more members of the patient healthcare team group; checking if the message is a permitted communication between the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group and the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group; and if the message is a permitted communication, directing the message to the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for coordinating care of patients, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processors;

system memory coupled to the one or more processors;

one or more non-transitory memory units coupled to the one or more processors; and

communication facilitator code stored on the one or more non-transitory memory units that when executed by the one or more processors are configured to perform a method, comprising;

enrolling a patient onto a communication facilitator;

storing an electronic record pertaining to the patient on the one or more non-transitory memory units;

establishing a patient healthcare team group for sending and receiving group messages within and/or between the patient and the patient healthcare team group, the patient healthcare team group being associated with the patient;

storing a list of one or more members of the patient healthcare team group in the electronic record;

receiving from the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group a message directed to the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group;

checking if the message is a permitted communication between the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group and the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group; and

if the message is a permitted communication, directing the message to the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing dates and times of one or more follow up appointments of the patient in the electronic record.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the method further comprises sending an appointment reminder message for the dates and times of the one or more follow up appointments.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing a medication list of the patient in the electronic record.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the method further comprises sending a medication reminder message, wherein the medication reminder message includes the name and amount of medication and time that the patient should take the medication.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing discharge instructions of the patient in the electronic record.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises sending the discharge instructions to a PCP of the patient.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the patient healthcare team group comprises at least one of:

a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, and a case manager.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the message comprises at least one of:

a text message, a voice message, a picture message, a video message, and an email message.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises placing a phone call to the patient such that the patient is presented with caller identification of the communication facilitator instead of caller identification of the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group.

11. A method for coordinating care of patients, the method comprising:

a computer system, which includes one or more processors, system memory coupled to the one or more processors, one or more non-transitory memory units coupled to the one or more processors, and communication facilitator code stored on the one or more non-transitory memory units;

enrolling a patient onto a communication facilitator;

storing an electronic record pertaining to the patient on the one or more non-transitory memory units;

establishing a patient healthcare team group for sending and receiving group messages within and/or between the patient and the patient healthcare team group, the patient healthcare team group being associated with the patient;

storing a list of one or more members of the patient healthcare team group in the electronic record;

receiving from the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group a message directed to the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group;

checking if the message is a permitted communication between the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group and the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group; and

if the message is a permitted communication, directing the message to the patient or the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group.

12. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising storing dates and times of one or more follow up appointments of the patient in the electronic record.

13. The method of claim 12, the method further comprising sending an appointment reminder message for the dates and times of the one or more follow up appointments.

14. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising storing a medication list of the patient in the electronic record.

15. The method of claim 14, the method further comprising sending a medication reminder message, wherein the medication reminder message includes the amount of medication and time that the patient should take the medication.

16. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising storing discharge instructions of the patient in the electronic record.

17. The method of claim 16, the method further comprising sending the discharge instructions to a PCP of the patient.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the patient healthcare team group comprises at least one of:

a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, and a case manager.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the message comprises at least one of:

a text message, a voice message, a picture message, a video message, and an email message.

20. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising placing a phone call to the patient such that the patient is presented with caller identification of the communication facilitator instead of caller identification of the one or more members of the patient healthcare team group.