EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROTOCOLS

• US 20130173305A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 07/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund II, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Rivet, Dennis J., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,581 B2
• 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 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a status or decision (processing or transmitting a medical record or other resource, e.g.) conditionally. Such signaling may be partly based on one or more symptoms, regimen attributes, performance indicia (compliance indications, e.g.), privacy considerations (patient consent, e.g.), contextual considerations (being in or admitted by a care facility, e.g.), sensor data, or other such determinants. In some contexts this may trigger an incentive being manifested (as a dispensation of an item, e.g.), an intercommunication (telephone call, e.g.) beginning, a device being configured (enabled or customized, e.g.), data distillations being presented or tracked, or other such results.

Claims

1. A healthcare information management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for identifying a first health regimen associated with a first individual, the first health regimen including one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with a time interval;

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for causing a countdown timer to indicate a remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in a vicinity of the first individual; and

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for signaling a Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual.

2. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data-handling medium including an electrical node having a voltage level manifesting the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual, the one or more healthcare-related tasks including an intercom activation or including a call switch reset, the time interval being at most 30 minutes.

3. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

a data-handling medium including a ferromagnetic element having a polarity manifesting the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual, the one or more healthcare-related tasks including an administration of medicine, the time interval being less than 30 hours.

7. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the countdown timer, configured to display a shrinking manifestation of the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual.

10. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

exercise equipment, the first health regimen including an exercise component, the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval including a usage of the exercise equipment.

13. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the transistor-based circuitry having the event-sequencing structure configured for causing the countdown timer to indicate the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including an electrical node bearing a voltage level sequence manifesting the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks.

17. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the transistor-based circuitry having the event-sequencing structure configured for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol comprising at least one of the one or more healthcare-related tasks; and

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

18. The healthcare information management system of claim 1, further comprising:

the transistor-based circuitry having the event-sequencing structure configured for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition of the first individual; and

transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

4-6. -6. (canceled)

8-9. -9. (canceled)

11-12. -12. (canceled)

14-16. -16. (canceled)

19-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A healthcare information management system comprising:

one or more articles of manufacture including

means for identifying a first health regimen associated with a first individual, the first health regimen including one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with a time interval;

means for causing a countdown timer to indicate a remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in a vicinity of the first individual; and

means for signaling a Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual.

39. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol comprising at least one of the one or more healthcare-related tasks; and

means for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

40. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition of the first individual; and

means for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

41. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic, the individual being or not being the first individual.

42. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, the individual being or not being the first individual.

43. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to the first individual entering a service zone.

44. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a second hospital.

45. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for retrieving a medical treatment record of the first individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the first individual.

46. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set.

47. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device, the wireless device being associated with the first individual.

48. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for obtaining an explicit indication whether or not a record of treating a medical condition in the first individual with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol including at least one of the one or more health-related tasks.

49. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for initiating a telephone call between the first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with the first health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available.

50. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to the first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with the first health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call.

51. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated with an indication of the first individual.

52. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for determining whether a medical device is in a vicinity of another device, the other device being the device associated with the first individual.

54. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment, the first health regimen including the first medical treatment.

55. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle, a device associated with the first individual including the passive wireless transponder and being wearable by the first individual.

57. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive, the second element referring to the first individual.

58. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for transmitting a real-time notification to a second individual as an automatic response to an interface on or near the first individual detecting a particular event relating to the first individual.

59. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order that associates the medical equipment with the first individual is received and until an indication is received that the first individual is in a vicinity of the medical equipment.

84. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle, a device associated with the first individual including the passive wireless transponder and being wearable by the first individual;

means for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a second hospital;

means for retrieving a medical treatment record of the first individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the first individual; and

means for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic, the individual being or not being the first individual.

85. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to the first individual entering a service zone;

means for detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device, the wireless device being associated with the first individual;

means for triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive, the second element referring to the first individual;

means for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to the first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with the first health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call; and

means for retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set.

86. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition of the first individual and as a function of a therapeutic protocol comprising at least one of the one or more healthcare-related tasks;

means for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay;

means for responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment, the first health regimen including the first medical treatment; and

means for initiating a telephone call between the first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with the first health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available.

87. The healthcare information management system of claim 38, further comprising:

the means for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

means for contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, the individual being or not being the first individual;

means for determining whether a medical device is in a vicinity of another device, the other device being the device associated with the first individual;

means for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order that associates the medical equipment with the first individual is received and until an indication is received that the first individual is in a vicinity of the medical equipment; and

means for obtaining an explicit indication whether or not a record of treating a medical condition in the first individual with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol including at least one of the one or more health-related tasks.

53. (canceled)

56. (canceled)

60. A healthcare information management method comprising:

identifying a first health regimen associated with a first individual, the first health regimen including one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with a time interval;

causing a countdown timer to indicate a remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in a vicinity of the first individual; and

invoking transistor-based circuitry having an event-sequencing structure configured for signaling a Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual.

66. The healthcare information management method of claim 60, further comprising:

the invoking the transistor-based circuitry having the event-sequencing structure configured for signaling the Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual including at least

obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the first individual has been treated at a second hospital.

61-65. -65. (canceled)

67-82. -82. (canceled)

83. An article of manufacture for healthcare information management comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output manifesting an occurrence of

identifying a first health regimen associated with a first individual, the first health regimen including one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with a time interval;

causing a countdown timer to indicate a remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in a vicinity of the first individual; and

signaling a Boolean indication of whether or not any of the one or more healthcare-related tasks associated with the time interval were performed within the time interval after the countdown timer has indicated the remaining portion of the time interval associated with the one or more healthcare-related tasks visibly in the vicinity of the first individual.