Medical decision system including interactive protocols and associated methods

• US 8,165,897 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beraja IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Esther Beraja, Isidoro Beraja, Matilde Beraja, Roberto Beraja, Victor Beraja
• Inventors: Beraja, Roberto, Beraja, Victor, Beraja, Esther, Beraja, Isidoro, Beraja, Matilde
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHNG, JOY POH AI
• Application Number:
  US12/614,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/20 relating to practices or guidelines

Abstract

An interactive protocol system for a medical decision system includes a plurality of medical related information databases containing medical related information and rules, a patient information database including patient information, a medical practices database including information relating to medical practices, a questions database including questions to be presented to a user relating to medical care, and an answers database including answers related to the respective questions in said questions database. The medical practices database may include a plurality of protocols. Each of the plurality of protocols may include a different plurality of narrowing questions to be presented to the user. The questions may relate to at least one of the plurality of protocols and may be presented to the user based on the answers to the questions provided by the user. The narrowing questions in at least one of the plurality of protocols may be answered by the user to provide the user an indication relating to medical practices.

Claims

1. An interactive protocol system for a medical decision system comprising:

a plurality of medical related information databases including medical related information and rules required for a user to make a medical related decision;

a patient information database including patient information;

a medical practices database including information relating to medical practices;

a questions database including questions to be presented to a user relating to medical care; and

an answers database including answers related to the respective questions in said questions database, wherein the user provides at least one of an answer included within the answers database and a customized answer, wherein the customized answer includes the medical related information presented by the user related to the respective question in the questions database, and wherein the answers are compared to the rules contained within the plurality of medical related information databases;

wherein the plurality of medical related information databases, said patient information database, said medical practices database, said questions database and said answers database are stored on at least one of a computer readable medium and a computer memory, and are accessible by a user using a user interface;

wherein the medical practices database includes a plurality of protocols, and wherein each of the plurality of protocols includes a different plurality of narrowing questions to be presented to the user, and wherein the questions relating to at least one of the plurality of protocols are presented to the user based on the answers to the questions provided by the user, and wherein the narrowing questions in at least one of the plurality of protocols are to be answered by the user to provide the user an indication relating to medical practices;

wherein the answers inputted by the user using the user interface to the questions that are not in compliance with the rules generates an error message and prompts re-presentation of the questions using the user interface, wherein the error message is presented to the user using the user interface and indicates noncompliance of the answers to the questions with the rules, wherein presentation of the error message by the system to the user using the user interface prevents the user from entering information necessary to make the medical related decision, wherein entry of an answer in response to the question that is in compliance with the rules is required for presentation of another narrowing question, and wherein the answer that prompts presentation of questions relating to one of the plurality of protocols is in compliance with the rules prior to presentation of the protocol;

wherein the answers to the questions are compared to the rules using a processor that executes instructions to make a determination of whether the answers entered by the user using the user interface are in compliance with the rules and to determine whether or not to present the error message to the user on the user interface; and

wherein the user is presented with an option using the user interface to enable the user to enter the information necessary to make the medical related decision upon entering a predetermined number of answers that relates to the number of additional narrowing questions presented to the user on the user interface.

2. An interactive protocol system according to claim 1 wherein the rules are at least one of insurance reimbursement rules, medical practice rules, medical diagnosis rules, medical procedures rules, medication rules, testing rules and medical therapy rules.

3. An interactive protocol system according to claim 1 wherein the indication relating to medical practices is at least one of a diagnosis, a medical related recommendation, a medical procedure, a medication to be prescribed, a series of medical related procedures, a medical test, and an indication relating to insurance reimbursement.

4. An interactive protocol system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of medical related information databases includes medical analysis information used to make a medical related decision;

wherein the medical related decision includes at least one of a prescribed medication, a medical test, a medical procedure recommendation, and a medical treatment recommendation; and

wherein the indication relating to medical practices provides the user information necessary to make the medical related decision.

5. An interactive protocol system according to claim 1 wherein the indication relating to medical practices is a medical related decision selected from a plurality of medical related decisions stored on at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases;

and further comprising a selectable override command to be selected by the user to allow the user to override the error message and make the medical related decision, the override command requiring entry of a reason for selection thereof by the user.

6. An interactive protocol system according to claim 5 wherein the medical related decision is based on a comparison of the rules stored on at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases with the answers to the questions.

7. An interactive protocol system according to claim 5 wherein the selected medical related decision represents one of a plurality of best practices;

and

wherein a best practice is defined as a best available medical related decision as determined by at least one medical professional peer and as updated on the plurality of medical related information databases.

8. An interactive protocol system according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of medical related information databases are automatically updated with the best practices.

9. An interactive protocol system according to claim 1 wherein the user enters patient information into the patient information database responsive to a prompted indication using said at least one user interface.

10. An interactive protocol system according to claim 9 further comprising a duplication prevention system to prevent presentation of a prompted indication requiring entry of patient information that is currently stored in the patient information database.

11. An interactive protocol system according to claim 9 wherein information entered by the user using said at least one user interface includes at least one of medical history information, medication information and insurance information;

and wherein the information entered by the user is entered into at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases and the patient information database.

12. A method of making a medical related decision using an interactive protocol system including a plurality of medical related information databases including medical related information and rules required for a user to make a medical related decision, and a medical practices database including a plurality of protocols, the plurality of medical related information databases being stored on at least one of a computer readable medium and a computer memory and accessible by a user using a user interface, the method comprising:

presenting the user with at least one question relating to medical care stored on a questions database;

prompting the user for an answer relating to the at least one question;

determining at least one of the plurality of protocols to be presented to the user based on the answers to the questions;

presenting the user with additional narrowing questions relating to the at least one protocol from the questions database to be answered;

providing the user an indication relating to medical practices based on the respective answers to the narrowing questions; and

wherein the answers to the questions include at least one of an answer included within the answers database and a customized answer, and wherein the customized answer includes the medical related information presented by the user related to the respective question in the questions database;

wherein the answers inputted by the user using the user interface to the questions that are not in compliance with the rules generate an error message, and prompts re-presentation of the question using the user interface, wherein the error message is presented to the user using the user interface and indicates noncompliance of the answers to the questions with the rules, and wherein presentation of the error message by the system to the user using the user interface prevents the user from entering information necessary to make the medical related decision;

wherein entry of an answer in response to the at least one question that is in compliance with the rules is required for determining at least one of the plurality of protocols to be presented to the user;

wherein entry of an answer in response to the at least one question that is in compliance with the rules is required for presenting the user with additional narrowing questions;

wherein entry of an answer that prompts presentation of additional narrowing questions relating to one of the plurality of protocols that is in compliance with the rules is required prior to presentation of the protocol;

wherein the answers to the questions are compared to the rules using processor that executes instructions to make a determination of whether the answers entered by the user using the user interface are in compliance with the rules and to determine whether or not to present the error message to the user on the user interface; and

wherein entry of answers relating to the additional narrowing questions that are in compliance with the rules is required prior to the user being enabled to enter the information necessary make the medical related decision using the user interface.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the rules are at least one of insurance reimbursement rules, medical practice rules, medical diagnosis rules, medical procedures rules, medication rules, testing rules and medical therapy rules.

14. A method according to claim 12 wherein providing the indication further comprises providing at least one of a diagnosis, a medical related recommendation, a medical procedure, a medication to be prescribed, a series of medical related procedures, a medical test stored on one of the plurality of medical related information databases and an indication relating to insurance reimbursement.

15. A method according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of medical related information databases includes medical analysis information used to make the medical related decision;

wherein the medical related decision includes at least one of a prescribed medication, a medical test, a medical procedure recommendation, and a medical treatment recommendation; and

wherein the indication relating to medical practices provides the user information necessary to make the medical related decision.

16. A method according to claim 12 wherein the indication relating to medical practices is a medical related decision selected from a plurality of medical related decisions stored on at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases;

and further comprising allowing the user to override the error message and resume making the medical related decision, and requiring entry of a reason for entering the override of the error message by the user.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the medical related decision is based on a comparison of the rules stored on at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases with the answers in the answers to the questions.

18. A method according to claim 16 wherein the selected medical related decision represents one of a plurality of best practices;

and wherein a best practice is defined as a best available medical related decision as determined by at least one medical professional peer; and

further comprising updating the best practices on the plurality of medical related information databases.

19. A method according to claim 12 further comprising using the at least one user interface to enter patient information into a patient information database responsive to a prompted indication.

20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising preventing presentation of a prompted indication requiring entry of patient information that is currently stored in the patient information database.

21. A method according to claim 19 wherein information entered by the user using the at least one user interface includes at least one of medical history information, medication information and insurance information;

and wherein the information entered by the user is entered into at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases and the patient information database.

22. A method of making a medical related decision using an interactive protocol system including a plurality of medical related information databases including medical related information and rules required for a user to make a medical related decision, and a medical practices database including a plurality of protocols, the plurality of medical related information databases being stored on at least one of a computer readable medium and a computer memory and accessible by a user using a user interface, the method comprising:

presenting the user with at least one question relating to medical care stored on a questions database;

prompting the user for an answer relating to the at least one question;

determining at least one of the plurality of protocols to be presented to the user based on the answers to the questions;

presenting the user with additional narrowing questions relating to the at least one protocol from the questions database to be answered;

entering patient information into a patient information database using the at least one user interface responsive to a prompted indication; and

preventing presentation of a prompted indication requiring entry of patient information that is currently stored in the patient information database;

wherein the answers to the questions include at least one of an answer included within the answers database and a customized answer, and wherein the customized answer includes the medical related information presented by the user related to the respective question in the questions database; and

wherein the answers inputted by the user using the user interface to the questions that are not in compliance with the rules generate an error message and prompts re-presentation of the questions using the user interface, wherein the error message is presented to the user using the user interface and indicates noncompliance of the answers to the questions with the rules, and wherein the presentation of the error message by the system to the user using the user interface prevents the user from entering information necessary to make the medical related decision;

wherein entry of an answer in response to the at least one question that is in compliance with the rules is required for determining one of the plurality of protocols to be presented to the user;

wherein entry of an answer in response to the at least one question that is in compliance with the rules is required for presenting the user with additional narrowing questions;

wherein entry of an answer that prompts presentation of additional narrowing questions relating to one of the plurality of protocols that is in compliance with the rules is required prior to presentation of the protocol;

wherein the answers to the questions are compared to the rules using a processor that executes instructions to make a determination of whether the answers entered by the user using the user interface are in compliance with the rules and to determine whether or not to present the error message to the user on the user interface; and

wherein entry of answers relating to the additional narrowing questions that are in compliance with the rules is required prior to the user being enabled to enter the information necessary to make the medical related decision using the user interface.

23. A method according to claim 22 wherein the rules are at least one of insurance reimbursement rules, medical practice rules, medical diagnosis rules, medical procedures rules, medication rules, testing rules and medical therapy rules.

24. A method according to claim 22 further comprising providing the user an indication relating to medical practices based on the respective answers to the narrowing questions of the selected medical related decision;

and further comprising allowing the user to override the error message and resume making the medical related decision, and requiring entry of a reason for entering the override of the error message by the user.

25. A method according to claim 24 wherein providing the indication further comprises providing at least one of a diagnosis, a medical related recommendation, a medical procedure, a medication to be prescribed, a series of medical related procedures, a medical test stored on one of the plurality of medical related information databases, and an indication relating to insurance reimbursement.

26. A method according to claim 24 wherein the plurality of medical related information databases includes medical analysis information used to make the medical related decision;

wherein the medical related decision includes at least one of a prescribed medication, a medical test, a medical procedure recommendation, and a medical treatment recommendation; and

wherein the indication relating to medical practices provides the user information necessary to make the medical related decision.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein the selected medical related decision represents one of a plurality of best practices;

and wherein a best practice is defined as a best available medical related decision as determined by at least one medical professional peer; and

further comprising updating the best practices on the plurality of medical related information databases.

28. A method according to claim 26 wherein the selected medical related decision is based on a comparison of the rules stored on at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases with the answers to the questions.

29. A method according to claim 22 wherein information entered by the user using the at least one user interface includes at least one of medical history information, medication information and insurance information;

and wherein the information entered by the user is entered into at least one of the plurality of medical related information databases and the patient information database.