User centered method of assessing physical capability and capacity for creating and providing unique care protocols with ongoing assessment

• US 7,169,085 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Therapypro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Therapy Pro Incorporated
• Inventors: Christensen, Paul, Killin, James P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richman; Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US11/233,755
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 482 1- 9, 482900-902, 600/300, 600/481, 600/484, 600/587, 600/595, 434/247
• US Class Current: 482/8
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 482/90 Ergometer with feedback to load or with feedback comparison

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for assessments, which can be self-conducted or performed with the assistance of a healthcare provider. The system and method assist a user to interact with a user-centered system utilizing the musculo-skeletal system as a basis for generation a protocol for treatment for wellness, general health, diseases, pre employment physical capacity tests, prevention of repetitive stress, absence management, worker'"'"'s compensation cost control, disease management, conditions, and athletics. The system and method disclosed assist the user in performing both physical or function capability assessment as well as physical or functional capacity assessment.

Claims

1. A method for user centered self-assessment of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the user'"'"'s targeted portion of the musculo-skeletal structure;

electronically providing to the user at least one required physical action based on the targeted portion of the musculo-skeletal structure in order to determine the user'"'"'s physical capability;

evaluating the user'"'"'s physical capacity based on a plurality of questions related to performance of the required physical action, wherein the responses to at least some of the questions have an assessment value;

automatically analyzing the assessment values using an algorithm to determine a phase level for the user from a plurality of different phase levels associated with the user'"'"'s targeted portion of the musculo-skeletal structure; and

automatically determining at least one exercise protocol based on the phase level assigned to the user for improving the physical capacity.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a post surgical exercise protocols using time based evaluations that occur post surgery.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein the step of generating the post surgical exercise protocol includes the step of reevaluating the user'"'"'s physical capacity by repeating at least one time the steps of evaluating, analyzing and determining in order to provide the user with an updated post surgical exercise protocol reflective of the user'"'"'s improved physical capacity.

4. The method according to claim 2 further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow prior to surgical action.

5. The method according to claim 2 further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow after surgical action.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of gathering each response through a portable communication device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of gathering each response using a remote connection to a central location, wherein the remote connection is through a virtual private network established over the Internet.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising repeating at least one time the steps of determining, providing, evaluating, automatically analyzing and automatically determining, wherein the patient is provided with information sufficient to illustrate performance over time relative to previous results and to provide an updated protocol.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the step of storing the user'"'"'s related demographical information, medical history, the assessment values and the phase level.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the different phase levels has a different exercise protocol associated therewith.

11. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of reevaluating the user'"'"'s physical capacity by repeating at least one time the steps of evaluating, analyzing and determining in order to provide the user with an updated exercise protocol.

12. The method according to claim 1 further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow.

13. A method of providing to a user a self-assessment for treatment of one of a plurality of physical conditions comprising the steps of:

providing, at a central location, a list of medical and physical conditions and, for each physical condition an assessment that includes a plurality of questions, each question relating to an aspect of the physical condition, wherein;

at least one of the questions requiring the person to perform a physical exercise and provide an answer relating to the results of the physical exercise, and

at least other ones of the questions relate to general physical capabilities concerning the person'"'"'s immediate past physical condition;

forwarding, from a remote location chosen by the user that is different from the central location, an assessment request for the one physical condition;

transmitting, from the central location to the remote location, the assessment for the one physical condition;

recording, at the remote location, the answers to each of the plurality of questions for the one physical condition; and

determining, based upon the answers and an algorithm that includes weights attributed to at least certain ones of the answers, a result of the assessment, wherein the result of the assessment includes a plurality of exercises directed toward improving the physical condition.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising repeating a plurality of times the steps of providing, forwarding, transmitting, recording, and determining, wherein each time the step of providing occurs, presenting the user with information sufficient to illustrate performance over time that includes previous results.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of presenting modifies the presented menu each time based upon the results from the previous performance of the certain ones of the plurality of exercises, thereby ensuring that substantially different results will result in a different combination of exercises being presented.

16. The method according to claim 13, after the steps of providing, forwarding, transmitting, recording, and determining are repeated the plurality of times, further including the steps of:

re-testing functional capability and physical capacity of the patient at the remote location, and wherein at least some of the results from the re-testing are electronically recorded and transmitted to the central location; and

determining, at the central location, using at least the re-testing results and predetermined algorithms that relate test results to conditions, a revised assessment of the patient'"'"'s condition.

17. The method according to claim 13 wherein the step of determining is performed in substantially real-time.

18. The method according to claim 13 further including the step of electronically communicating to the remote location the result of the assessment.