Method and system for communication and collaboration between a patient and healthcare professional

• US 8,010,717 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NICE North America LLC
• Original Assignee: Imetribus Incorporated
• Inventors: Evans, Junius, Higgins, Rose, Pettus, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Cobanoglu; Dilek B
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOLINA, ANITA C
• Application Number:
  US10/417,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,057 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 600/300, 710 15- 16
• US Class Current: 710/16
• 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 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and platforms for enhancing collaboration and communication between a patient and his healthcare team are described. A personal health record is created for a patient and maintained by a service provider. The health record is updated with self-monitored or remote device readings. These readings are sent, in a secure format that insures patient privacy, to the service provider and inserted into a health record via a computer connected to the Internet or via a telephone line without the use of a computer, i.e., by directly connecting an intermediate device to a phone outlet. Other health and wellness data may be written to the health record via a computer or via conventional means. By enhancing collaboration between patients and their healthcare teams, patients are more likely to improve their health conditions, particularly chronic conditions, and reduce healthcare costs.

Claims

1. A method of collaboration between a consumer and a healthcare provider comprising:

i) connecting a self monitoring device to an intermediate data linking device via a device specific adapter with a specific resistor value;

ii) dividing the fixed resistor value of the device specific adaptor by the data linking device resistance to produce an analog voltage which identifies a cable type of the self monitoring device;

iii) using the analog voltage to identify the connected self monitoring device and determining the way health data from the self monitoring device will be transmitted,

wherein the data linking device transmits a cable type value corresponding to the cable type to a remote database, and the remote database transmits device configuration instructions, based on the cable type, to the intermediate data linking device to configure a multiplexer in the intermediate device to an appropriate output level and appropriate bit rate to enable communication with the self monitoring device;

iv) transmitting health data from the self monitoring device to the remote database;

v) receiving at the remote database the health data from the self monitoring device;

vi) transmitting a second set of health data to the database,

wherein the second set of health data is caused to be transmitted by a provider;

vi) storing the health data from the health monitoring device and the health data from the provider in a personal health record.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the personal health record is maintained in the database by a third party.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising executing an online healthcare data management program to update the personal health record at the database.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising allowing a healthcare provider to access the personal health record if the consumer has granted authority.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising enabling the consumer to grant authority to access a personal health record corresponding to the consumer to one or more healthcare providers.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising pushing data to a consumer, the data originating from a healthcare provider, the data including relevant health data to the consumer.

7. A method of collaboration between a consumer and a healthcare provider comprising:

i) connecting a self monitoring device to an intermediate data linking device via a device specific adapter with a specific resistor value;

ii) dividing the fixed resistor value of the device specific adaptor by the data linking device resistance to produce an analog voltage which identifies a cable type of the self monitoring device;

iii) using the analog voltage to identify the connected self monitoring device and determining the way health data from the self monitoring device will be transmitted;

wherein the data linking device transmits a cable type value corresponding to the cable type to a remote database, and the remote database transmits device configuration instructions, based on the cable type, to the intermediate data linking device to configure a multiplexer in the intermediate device to an appropriate output level and appropriate bit rate to enable communication with the self monitoring device;

iv) transmitting health data from the self monitoring device to the remote database;

v) receiving at the remote database the health data;

vi) storing the health data in a personal health record in the remote database; and

vii) examining the health data, stored in the remote database.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the personal health record is maintained in the remote database by a third party.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising executing an online healthcare data management program to update the personal health record at the remote database.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising allowing a healthcare provider to access the personal health record if the consumer has granted authority.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising enabling the consumer to grant authority to access a personal health record corresponding to the consumer to one or more healthcare providers.

12. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising pushing data to a consumer, the data originating from a healthcare provider, the data including prompts for the consumer to act, notifications to the consumer of developments relating to a condition, alerts, reminders, and personalized messages.

13. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising pushing data to a patient, the data based on the patient demographics or on data contained in a corresponding personal health record.