Systems and Methods of Providing Patient Apps

• US 20170011182A1
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Published: 01/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Whitehurst, Todd K.
• Granted Patent: US 10,733,266 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines
• 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 of selection of health related applications and treatment and diagnosis using health related applications are provided herein. Methods include selection of a first set of health related apps by a physician for use in treatment or diagnosis of a health condition, selection of an app from the first set by the patient with a first portable device. In one aspect, the applications are provided and managed by a service providers and include regulated health related apps. In some methods, the system communications with an insurer so as to indicate to a patient an insurance related attribute associated with each app to facilitate selection by the patient. In another aspect, methods include communication of health data elements obtained with the first portable device to the health service provider for tracking or analysis and subsequent communication between any of the first portable device and the service provider, insurer and physician.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient, the method comprising:

identifying a first set of applications relating to a treatment of the patient in response to a physician input into a physician associated computing system, each application of the set being configured for operation on a first portable computing device of the patient;

displaying on a graphical user interface of the first portable computing device one or more indicators of one or more applications of the first set;

selecting an application from the one or more indicators displayed on the graphical user interface in response to an input received with the first portable computing device;

receiving the selected application with the first portable computing device; and

initiating communication of a plurality of health data elements associated with the patient to the selected application or a medical service provider associated with the selected application after receiving the application on the first portable computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of applications comprising alternatively selectable prescribed applications identified using the physician computing system in response to a physician prescribing any of the first set of applications, and further comprising receiving, with the first portable computing device of the patient, data identifying the first set of applications from the physician computing system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more applications are a subset of the set of applications identified based on an attribute of the patient or treatment.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the attribute comprises any of:

an insurance coverage of the patient, an age, a gender, a race, a demographic, a geographical location, and type of treatment.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the one or more indicators of the one or more applications includes displaying additional information including any of a co-pay, a cost, a third-party service provider name or affiliation, a reimbursement status, and an incentive associated with each of the one or more applications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first set of applications is based on a network of covered medical service providers associated with the physician.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first set of applications includes one or more applications by FDA regulated service providers.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of health data elements communicated to the medical service provider comprises any of:

a user input entered by the user on the graphical user interface of the first portable computing device, an output of one or more sensors associated with the first portable computing device, an electronic medical record maintained by the physician, or any combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein communication of the plurality of health data elements includes data received from an output of one or more sensors associated with the first portable computing device, wherein the one or more sensor includes one or both of a wearable sensor and a specialized auxiliary sensor, each in communication with the first portable computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensor devices detect any of:

activity level, activity tracking, respiration, body temperature, heart wellness data, hydration levels, perspiration, blood glucose, salinity, sleep cycles, posture, O2 levels, muscle engagement, or any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the one or more sensor devices is an FDA regulated device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensor devices comprises a cardiac sensor or an activity level sensor for treatment of a cardiac condition.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensor devices comprises an O2 level sensor for treatment of chronic lung disease.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensor devices comprises a blood glucose meter for treatment of diabetes.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more sensor devices are configured to automatically communicate sensor data to the first portable computing device over a duration of time.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating a health data analysis output that is processed by the selected application to the physician.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving, with the first portable computing device, an instruction from the physician regarding the treatment, the instruction being based on the communication of the health data analysis output.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portable computing device comprises a first-party application framework through which the one or more applications are displayed to the patient and selected with the first portable computing device.

19. A method of treating a patient, the method comprising:

identifying, in response to a physician input into a physician computing device, a first set of alternatively selectable prescribed applications relating to a diagnosis or treatment of the patient;

displaying, on a user interface of a portable computing device of the patient, a set of indicators corresponding to the prescribed applications of the first set;

selecting, in response to input received by the patient with the portable computing device, a prescribed application from among the first set;

receiving the selected prescribed application with the portable computing device of the patient in response to the selecting by the patient; and

initiating communication selectively between the portable computing device of the patient and a computing system of a medical service provider associated with the selected prescribed application, and in response to the selecting by the patient, a plurality of health data elements associated with the patient.

20-41. -41. (canceled)