Computerized system for tracking health conditions of users

• US 7,720,696 B1
• Filed: 02/26/2007
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mk3sd Limited
• Original Assignee: Mk3sd Limited
• Inventors: Berger, Mark, Berger, Helen Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Koppikar; Vivek D
• Application Number:
  US11/679,029
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 600300-301
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A computerized system of tracking health conditions of users associated with a client for diagnosing sleep apnea through forming an encrypted web based questionnaire. The user inputs information such as company personal information, individual personal information, health information, and personal health information. This information is then electronically compiled and a health screening service report is outputted such as witnessed sleep apnea, self admitted sleep apnea, body mass index of each user, and summary of results of a sleep test.

Claims

1. A computerized system for tracking health conditions and diagnosing sleep apnea of a plurality of users associated with a client, the system comprising:

a. a server comprising;

(i) a data storage; and

(ii) a processor in communication with the data storage;

b. an encrypted web based questionnaire resident on the server, wherein the web based questionnaire comprises computer instructions for receiving input information from a user, wherein the input information comprises;

(i) company employee information;

(ii) personal health information that includes a prior health condition of the user, a prior operation of the user, a medication taken by the user, user self admitted sleep apnea, user reported diabetes, user reported emphysema or lung disease, user reported asthma, user reported depression, user reported snoring, user reported heart burn, user reported frequent urination at night;

witnessed sleep apnea of the user, excessive daytime sleepiness of the user, and restless sleep reported by the user; and

(iii) individual personal information that includes gender of the user, social security number of the user, the age of the user, the weight of the user, the height of the user, the date of birth of the user;

c. computer instructions stored on the data storage to display the encrypted web based questionnaire resident on the server and to accept input information from the encrypted web based questionnaire from the user;

d. computer instructions stored on the data storage to categorize the user into one of six categories based on the input information, wherein the categories comprise a male witnessed apnea positive category, a female witnessed apnea category positive, a males excessive daytime sleepiness positive with negative witnessed apnea category, a female excessive daytime sleepiness positive with negative witnessed apnea category, a male witnessed apnea negative and excessive daytime sleepiness negative category, and a female witnessed apnea negative and excessive daytime sleepiness negative category;

e. computer instructions stored on the data storage to perform an odds ratio calculation in combination with a linear regression model on the personal health information and the individual personal information to determine a rating that relates to the risk of sleep apnea for the user having input information in the category of males excessive daytime sleepiness positive with negative witnessed apnea;

f. computer instructions on the data storage to perform an odds ratio calculation on the personal health information and the individual personal information to determine a rating that relates to the risk of sleep apnea for the user having input information in the category of female excessive daytime sleepiness positive with negative witnessed apnea;

g. computer instructions on the data storage to perform an odds ratio calculation on the personal health information and the individual personal information to determine a rating that relates to the risk of sleep apnea for the user having input information in the category of male witnessed apnea negative and excessive daytime sleepiness negative;

h. computer instructions on the data storage to perform an odds ratio calculation on the personal health information and the individual personal information to determine a rating that relates to the risk of sleep apnea for the user having input information in the category of female witnessed apnea negative and excessive daytime sleepiness negative; and

i. computer instructions stored on the data storage to allow a client to generate a list and view the status of a plurality of users, wherein the list displays each user'"'"'s risk of sleep apnea, a means to contact each user, and an indication of whether the user has been scheduled for a sleep study

j. wherein the odds ratio calculation in combination with a linear regression model comprises exploring models with main effects and pair-wise interactions with two or more of the following variables;

body mass index, age, hypertension, diabetes, heartburn, heart conditions, snoring, asthma, depression, frequent urination at night and painful sleep.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is a commercial truck driver, chemical pant employee, a bus driver, a cab driver, a boat pilot, a railroad engineer, a railroad conductor, a boat captain, a military person, a law enforcement person, a emergency response person, a medical professional, a driller, a miner, an operator of heavy machinery, or combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the company employee information comprises:

a name of a company, a driver number, a location, a date of hire, or combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client is a commercial carrier.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the encrypted web based questionnaire further comprises a situational questionnaire, and wherein the situational questionnaire comprises gender related questions.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions stored on the data storage to generate a web based health screening service report for the plurality of users.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the web based health screening service report comprises:

a. a rating that indicates a positive predictive value for each user of the plurality of users, wherein the rating is a numerical score;

a rating of high, medium, or low;

or combinations thereof;

b. a self admitted sleep apnea section, which separates a self-identified set of users from the plurality of users who indicated they had sleep apnea;

c. a body mass index section, which identifies a body mass index for each user from the plurality of users;

d. a summary of results of a sleep test section for a set of sleep study participants from the plurality of users, wherein the sleep test section displays an apnea/hypopnea index, an oxygen saturation nadir, an oxygen desaturation index, or combinations thereof for the sleep study participants;

e. a periodic limb movement section, which indicates a presence of stereotypical limb movements associated with EEG arousal during the sleep test;

or

f. combinations thereof.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the web based health screening service report further comprises a search field allowing the client to locate each user of the plurality of users by name, by employee information, by social security number, or combinations thereof.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions on the data storage to display survey rankings on a screen to allow an administrator to view the results of the encrypted web based questionnaire for each user of the plurality of users, wherein the screen allows the administrator to locate the user by social security number, driver number, last name, or combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions on the data storage to allow an administrator to select a user from the plurality of users, and wherein the user is individually associated with a health screening survey results screen for specific to that user, and wherein the health screening survey results screen comprises:

a. change buttons to allow the administrator to change personal and company information on the health screening survey results screen; and

b. a comments section that allows the administrator to enter comments regarding the user.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one filter or at least one sort menu, allowing an administrator to filter or sort the plurality of users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one filter comprises:

probability of sleep apnea, administrative status, date of hire, date of entry, or combinations thereof.