Assessment of episodes of illness

• US 7,702,526 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Original Assignee: George Mason Intellectual Properties, Inc.
• Inventors: Alemi, Farrokh, Prudius, Valentin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gottschalk; Martin A
• Application Number:
  US10/054,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,008 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 600/300, 600/393, 600/529
• US Class Current: 705/3
• 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 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An episode classification system including a multitude of diagnosis records. Each of the diagnosis records includes diagnoses information, time of diagnoses information, and patient information. A patient grouper generates at least one patient group by grouping patient records having similar patient information. A diagnosis grouper generates at least one diagnosis group from a patient group by grouping patient records from a patient group that have similar diagnosis information. An episode analyzer includes a probability analyzer, an episode grouper, and a severity analyzer. The probability analyzer performs probability calculations capable of generating a probability value using at least two of the diagnosis records as input entries. The probability value represents the probability that the input entries belong to a single episode. The episode grouper groups diagnosis records determined to belong to a single episode. The severity analyzer performs episode severity calculations capable of generating an episode severity value.

Claims

1. An episode classification system comprising:

a. a multitude of diagnosis records, each of said diagnosis records including;

i. diagnosis information;

ii. time of said diagnosis information; and

iii. patient information;

b. a patient grouper for generating at least one patient group by grouping patient records having similar said patient information;

c. a diagnosis grouper for generating at least one diagnosis group by grouping diagnosis records with similar said diagnosis information from said patient group;

d. an episode analyzer including;

i. a probability analyzer for performing probability calculations that are capable of generating a value that is proportional to a probability that shows whether at least two of said multitude of diagnosis records being used as input entries belong to a single episode, wherein said episode is a group of diagnoses on the same patient that describes the course of a given illness, and wherein a single probability calculation;

a. operates on a pair of said diagnosis records;

b. is a function of;

i. a similarity value, said similarity value representing the similarity between said pair of said diagnosis records; and

ii. a time between diagnosis value, said time between diagnosis value representing the time between said pair of said diagnosis records; and

c. includes a probability numerator divided by a probability denominator, said probability numerator set to said similarity value times a first constant, and said probability denominator set to the quantity of a second constant times said time between diagnosis value plus one;

ii. an episode grouper for grouping said diagnosis records determined to belong to said single episode; and

iii. a severity analyzer for performing episode severity calculations, said episode severity calculations capable of generating an episode severity value.

2. The episode classification system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said diagnosis records is an anchor diagnosis record.

3. The episode classification system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said diagnosis records is a trigger diagnosis record.

4. The episode classification system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said diagnosis records is a stopping point diagnosis record.