System, apparatus, and methods for developing and delivering health information

• US 7,542,912 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 06/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advance Decisions LLC
• Original Assignee: Advance Decisions LLC
• Inventors: Durand, Whitney
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frenel; Vanel
• Application Number:
  US09/616,472
• Time in Patent Office: 3,245 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 705/4, 705/1, 705/26, 705/400, 705/8
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

An individual is enabled to develop medical contingency plans that are automatically activated if the individual is rendered unable to assert his or her own will by an injury or a medical condition. Medical information and health information are assembled and advance directives are formulated in a manner that combines systematic guidance to optimize contingency plan effectiveness and individual autonomy to permit individuals to design their own plan. When a participating individual is rendered unable to assert his or her own will by an injury or medical emergency, identification information and instructions carried by the individual enable responding care givers to access enforceable documents that direct medical care and address personal needs. The documents produced are designed to overcome mitigating factors associated with the urgency of the individual'"'"'s condition, institutional policy, conflicting family member opinions, information transmission difficulties, the attitudes of treating physicians, language discrepancies, and the governmental rules in effect where the emergency happens.

Claims

1. A method of providing a plurality of participants with an ability to effect choices about future care of said participants, said method comprising:

receiving from an input user, via an interactive user interface accessible through an internet connection, raw data relevant to the future care of a participant should said participant prior to death become incapacitated;

providing via said interface guidance information comprising at least one input form, said at least one input form comprising electives available to said participant regarding said future care, and reference information associated with said available electives;

analyzing said available electives in response to input by said input user to provide via said interface analysis information regarding said future care to allow informed choices of said electives to be made;

receiving from said input user via said interface at least one election of at least one of said electives;

providing said input user an identification instrument comprising a unique identification parameter corresponding to said participant;

storing in a computer-readable registry end-of-life information and said unique identification parameter in a form of an information set corresponding to said participant, said end-of-life information comprising said received raw data and said at least one election;

receiving a request from an output user identifying an occurrence of an incapacitated state in said participant;

verifying that said request includes said unique identification parameter;

if so, generating an information product derivative of said information set comprising said participant'"'"'s election corresponding to said incapacitated state, said information product being generated in a form that is enforceable in a jurisdiction from which said request was received; and

communicating said information product to an output recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said analysis information is selected from the group consisting of:

a. a measurement of an outcome for at least one of said participant'"'"'s choices regarding care;

b. a prediction of an outcome for at least one of said participant'"'"'s choices regarding care;

c. a comparison of alternative choices regarding said participant'"'"'s care; and

d. interaction of drugs identified by participant in said end-of-life information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said first providing step further comprises providing a second input form to said user for subsequent submission.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said second input form is selected from a group consisting of an executable document and an election form.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said end-of-life information is selected from a group consisting of:

a. an authorization to rely on a copy of an original document;

b. an authorization to rely on a summary of an original document;

c. a designation of at least one medication;

d. a designation of at least one allergy;

e. a designation of at least one health condition;

f. a designation of at least one person to be contacted in case of emergency;

g. a designation of at least one physician;

h. emergency health information;

i. an end-of-life choice;

j. an advance directive;

k. a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order;

l. a document signed by a physician concerning medical care associated with an end-of-life condition;

m. an authorization to donate an organ;

n. output recipient information;

o. enforcement information;

p. medical information; and

q. a portion of an item selected from the group a through p, above.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein when said end-of-life information is an end-of-life choice, said end-of-life choice is a choice selected from the group consisting of:

a. a palliative care choice;

b. a comfort care choice;

c. a residence choice;

d. a religious choice; and

e. a spiritual choice.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein when said end-of-life information is an advance directive, said advance directive is an advance directive selected from the group consisting of:

a. a living will;

b. a medical power of attorney;

c. a selection of an end-of-life condition response;

d. a selection of medical treatment; and

e. a refusal of medical treatment.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said guidance information comprises:

a designation of at least one end-of-life condition; and

a designation of at least one end-of-life condition response, wherein said input user can choose at least one of said at least one end-of-life response for response to at least one of said at least one end-of-life condition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said information product is selected from a group consisting of:

a. an authorization to rely on a copy of an original document;

b. an authorization to rely on a summary of an original document;

c. a designation of at least one medication;

d. a designation of at least one allergy;

e. a designation of at least one health condition;

f. a designation of at least one person to be contacted in case of emergency;

g. a designation of at least one physician;

h. emergency health information;

i. an end-of-life choice;

j. an advance directive;

k. a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order;

l. a document signed by a physician concerning medical care associated with an end-of-life condition;

m. an authorization to donate an organ;

n. output recipient information;

o. enforcement information;

p. medical information;

q. a summary of an information product selected from the group consisting of a through p, above;

r. a copy of an information product selected from the group consisting of a through q, above; and

s. a report concerning said end-of-life information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said information set comprises said end-of-life information stored in a standardized form.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating step comprises translating said information set into an information product in a language other than that native to said input user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating step comprises generating an information product legally enforceable in a jurisdiction other than that in which said participant resides.

13. A method of providing a participant with an ability to effect choices about future care of said participant should said participant prior to death become incapacitated, said method comprising:

providing via an interactive user interface accessible through an internet connection guidance information comprising at least one input form, said at least one input form comprising electives available to said participant regarding said future care, and reference information associated with said available electives;

analyzing said available electives in response to input by said input user to provide via said interface analysis information regarding said future care to allow informed choices of said electives to be made;

receiving from said input user via said interface at least one election of at least one of said electives;

storing in a computer-readable registry end-of-life information in a form of an information set corresponding to said participant, said end-of-life information comprising said at least one election;

upon receiving a request from an output user identifying an occurrence of an incapacitated state in said participant, generating an information product derivative of said information set comprising said participant'"'"'s election corresponding to said incapacitated state; and

communicating said information product to an output recipient.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said analysis information is selected from a group consisting of:

a. a measurement of an outcome for at least one of said participant'"'"'s choices regarding care;

b. a prediction of an outcome for at least one of said participant'"'"'s choices regarding care;

c. a comparison of alternative choices regarding said participant'"'"'s care; and

d. interaction of drugs identified by participant in said end-of-life information.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising providing a second input form to said user for subsequent submission, wherein said input form is selected from the group consisting of an executable document and an election form.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said end-of-life information is selected from the group consisting of:

a. an end-of-life choice;

b. an advance directive;

c. a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order; and

d. an authorization to donate an organ.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein when said end-of-life information is an end-of-life choice, said end-of-life choice is a choice selected from the group consisting of:

a. a palliative care choice;

b. a comfort care choice;

c. a residence choice;

d. a religious choice; and

e. a spiritual choice.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein when said end-of-life information is an advance directive, said advance directive is an advance directive selected from the group consisting of:

a. a living will;

b. a medical power of attorney;

c. a selection of an end-of-life condition response;

d. a selection of medical treatment; and

e. a refusal of medical treatment.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said guidance information comprises:

a designation of at least one end-of-life condition; and

a designation of at least one end-of-life condition response, wherein said input user can choose at least one of said at least one end-of-life response for response to at least one of said at least one end-of-life condition.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said information product is selected from a group consisting of:

a. an end-of-life choice;

b. an advance directive;

c. a Do-Not-Resuscitate Order;

d. an authorization to donate an organ;

e. a summary of an information product selected from the group consisting of a through d, above;

f. a copy of an information product selected from the group consisting of a through e, above; and

g. a report concerning said end-of-life information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein said generating step comprises translating said information set into an information product in a language other than that native to said input user.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein said generating step comprises generating an information product legally enforceable in a jurisdiction other than that in which said participant resides.