Method and system for providing pre and post operative support and care

• US 7,171,371 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2000
• Issued: 01/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The SMG Trust
• Original Assignee: The SMG Trust
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOPPIKAR, VIVEK D
• Application Number:
  US09/725,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20010021910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 705/10, 705/26, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for providing support and care to persons considering or undergoing a medical procedure. The system includes a means for a provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding the persons to and from the persons and medical practitioners. Similarly, means for the provider to; provide information and positive reinforcement to the persons regarding said medical procedure being considered or undergone; to schedule and coordinate medical consultations and said medical procedure between said persons and said medical practitioners, and to receive, process, and deliver care orders and medicaments from said medical practitioners to said persons are also includes.

Claims

1. A system for providing support and care to persons considering or undergoing a medical procedure, comprising:

means for a third party provider to receive, process, and provide information between at least one person and at least one medical practitioner;

means for the third party provider to pre-qualify financing for at least one medical procedure under consideration by said person by said third party provider using said information;

means for financing said medical procedure by said third party provider;

means for paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party provider;

means for said third party provider to provide information and positive reinforcement to said persons regarding said medical procedure being considered or undergone,

means for said third party provider to schedule and coordinate medical consultations and said medical procedure between said person and said medical practitioners; and

means for said third party provider to receive, process, and deliver care orders and medicaments from said medical practitioners to said persons.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for said third party provider to monitor said persons'"'"'adherence to said medical practitioner'"'"'s care orders, medical consultation and medical procedure schedules and medicament prescriptions.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

means for said third party provider to schedule said medical procedure between said person and medical practitioner; and

means for said third party provider to receive, process, and deliver care orders and medicaments from said medical practitioner to said person.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for said third party provider to request and obtain said persons'"'"'insurer or other third party payor authorization for payment of said medical consultations and procedures.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for processing data regarding sales of medicaments and completion of financing transactions for said medical procedure by said medical practitioner and processing of payments due to said medical practitioner based on said sales of medicaments and financed procedures.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person further comprises a network of computer systems.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person further comprises a voice telephony system permitting communication between said medical practitioner and said patient.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person further comprises a facsimile communications system permitting communication between said medical practitioner and said patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person to and from said person and said medical practitioner further comprises a structured query protocol designed to allow said medical practitioner to assess said person'"'"'s physical and psychological/psychiatric characteristics in order to identify said person'"'"'s needs for medical care.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person to and from said person and said medical practitioner further comprises a structured query protocol designed to allow said medical practitioner to assess said person'"'"'s physical and psychological/psychiatric characteristics in order to identify said person'"'"'s needs for information regarding said medical procedure.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person to and from said person and said medical practitioner further comprises a structured query protocol designed to allow said medical practitioner to assess said person'"'"'s physical and psychological/psychiatric characteristics in order to identify said person'"'"'s needs for positive reinforcement.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to provide information and positive reinforcement to said person regarding said medical procedure being considered or undergone comprises a website accessible via a network of computer systems connected by common protocols, said website having a searchable database containing information regarding said medical procedure being considered, and wherein information is provided without obligation or requiring person using the system to disclose their identites or other personal information, thereby fostering a sense of comfort and trust in the person considering undergoing said medical procedure.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said information provided through said website comprises a written narrative of personal experiences of other persons who have undergone the medical procedure under consideration.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for accessing a live attendant that can provide additional information, assist with selection of a medical practitioner and coordinate scheduling of an initial consultation with the medical practitioner which has been selected based upon a request by said person using the system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for said third party provider to provide information and positive reinforcement to said person regarding said medical procedure being considered or undergone further comprises kits assembled and delivered to said person containing said information.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said kits include information regarding said medical practitioner who will perform said medical procedure.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said kits include information regarding self-care measures for said person to undertake.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein said kits include medicaments to be used by said person.

19. A system for a third party provider to provide pre and post procedure support and care to persons considering or undergoing medical procedures, comprising:

a system representative terminal for said third party provider to receive, process, and provide information between at least one person and at least one medical practitioner, the system representative terminal having a central processing unit and a system representative modem,

a main processing unit communicating with said central processing unit of said system representative terminal,

a communications server interconnected to said main processing unit,

a communications server modem interconnected to said communications server,

a medical practitioner terminal for said medical practitioner to receive, process, and provide information regarding said person to and from said third party provider, the medical practitioner terminal having a central processing unit, and

a medical practitioner terminal modem interconnected to said medical practitioner terminal'"'"'s central processing unit and communicating with said system representative modem interconnected to said system representative terminal'"'"'s central processing unit to allow for information transfer between said medical practitioner terminal and said system representative terminal,

at least a first information processing algorithm, operable on the main processing unit for a third party lender to pre-qualify financing for at least one medical procedure under consideration by said person,

at least a second information processing algorithm, operable on the main processing unit for financing by said third party lender said medical procedure,

at least a third information processing algorithm, operable on the main processing unit for paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party lender.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising

a display device interconnected to said central processing unit of said system representative terminal,

a printer interconnected to said central processing unit of said system representative terminal,

a display device interconnected to said central processing unit of said medical practitioner terminal and

a printer interconnected to said central processing unit of said medical practitioner terminal.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising a web server interconnected to said communications server to provide for communications between said system representative terminal, said medical practitioner terminal and said person through an Internet connection.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising one or more third party payor terminals, each having a central processing unit with a modem interconnected thereto to provide for communications between said system representative terminal, said medical practitioner terminal and said third party payor terminals.

23. A method executing on a web server for a third party provider to provide pre and post procedure support and care to persons considering or undergoing medical procedures, the method for said third party provider comprising the steps:

receiving, processing and providing information between at least one person and at least one medical practitioner,

pre-qualifying, by a third party provider, financing for at least one medical procedure under consideration by at least one medical procedure for said person,

financing said medical procedure by said third party provider,

paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party provider,

storing the received, processed and provided information regarding said person in a database maintained on a system representative terminal,

providing information and positive reinforcement to said person regarding the procedure being considered or undergone,

scheduling and coordinating medical appointments and procedures between said person and said medical practitioner,

receiving, processing and delivering care orders and medicaments from said medical practitioner to said person, and

monitoring said person'"'"'s adherence to medical practitioner'"'"'s care orders, appointment and procedure schedules and medicament prescriptions.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of providing information and positive reinforcement to said person regarding the procedure being considered or undergone comprises providing information via a searchable database accessible through an Internet website without obligation or requiring said person to disclose their identities or other personal information, thereby fostering a sense of comfort and trust in said person.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of providing information and positive reinforcement to said person regarding the procedure being considered or undergone further comprises providing a written narrative-of personal experiences of other persons who have undergone the medical procedure under consideration.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein said step of providing information and positive reinforcement to said persons regarding the procedure being considered or undergone further comprises providing access to a live attendant that can provide additional information, assist with selection of a medical practitioner and coordinate scheduling of an initial consultation with the medical practitioner which has been selected based upon a request by said person.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of providing information and positive reinforcement to said persons regarding the procedure being considered or undergone further comprises providing pre procedure and post procedure information and medicament kits assembled based on one or more particular needs and characteristics of said person.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein said step of providing information and positive reinforcement to said persons further comprises providing means for delivery of information about said medical procedures to customer bases of healthcare organizations and healthcare insurance companies and providing means for said customer bases to request additional information.

28. A method executing on a web server for a third party provider to deliver pre and post procedure support and care to patients undergoing medical procedures, the method of the third party provider comprising the steps of:

obtaining patient medical, demographic, psychological and financial/credit information prior to a patient undergoing at least one medical procedure,

storing patient medical, demographic, psychological and financial/credit information in a database maintained on a system representative terminal,

assessing said information to determine patient needs for information, support and financing for said medical procedure,

providing information regarding the procedure to be undergone, providing pre and post medical procedure medicaments and self-care orders,

providing positive reinforcement to said patient regarding said medical procedure, and

coordinating scheduling of medical consultations and said medical procedure between medical practitioners and said patient,

pre-qualifying, by a third party lender, financing for at least one medical procedure under consideration by at least one medical procedure for said person,

financing said medical procedure by said third party lender, and

paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party lender.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising the steps of obtaining patient financial information prior to the patient'"'"'s undergoing said medical procedure and assessing said information to determine patient needs for financing for said medical procedure.

30. A system for improving medical procedure outcomes, comprising:

means for a third party provider to receive, process and deliver care orders and medicament prescriptions from medical practitioners to patients,

means for said third party provider to receive, process and deliver medical status information from patients to medical practitioners,

means for pre-qualifying, by a third party lender, financing said medical procedure under consideration by said person by said third party lender using said information,

means for financing said medical procedure by said third party lender,

means for paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party lender, and

means for said third party provider to schedule and coordinate post-operative medical appointments between patients and medical practitioners and monitoring patient adherence to medical practitioners'"'"' care orders and medicament prescriptions.

31. A system for delivering pre and post operative support and care to patients and processing and managing information regarding patients and sales of products and services made to patients, comprising:

means for a third party provider to receive and process personal, medical and financial/credit data pertaining to said patient,

means for the third party provider to electronically transmit said patient'"'"'s personal and medical data to and from medical practitioners,

means for electronically transmitting said patient financial/credit data to a third party lender for pre-qualifying medical procedure financing application processing under consideration by said patient,

means for financing said medical procedure by said third party lender,

means for paying a portion of a fee charged by said medical practitioner for said medical procedure to said third party provider in exchange for said third party provider bringing together said person and said medical provider for said medical procedure which is financed by said third party lender,

means for the third party provider to schedule and coordinate medical consultation appointments and medical procedures between said patients and said medical practitioners, and for coordinating said medical practitioners'"'"' receipt of payment for said medical consultations and medical procedures through said third party lender upon patient credit and financing approval,

means for the third party provider to receive, process, and deliver pre and post medical procedure patient prescriptions for medicaments, procedure information and patient care orders from said medical practitioners to said patients, and

means for said third party provider to process data regarding sales of medicaments and completion of medical procedure financing transactions attributable to each said medical practitioner, and calculation of payments due to each said medical practitioner based on said sales and financings.