Maintaining person's medical history in self-contained portable memory device

• US 8,195,479 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LMG 3 Marketing and Development Corporation
• Original Assignee: LMG 3 Marketing and Development Corporation
• Inventors: Moran, Jr., Albert, Lubell, Michael, Guinta, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): RANGREJ, SHEETAL
• Application Number:
  US11/779,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20080015904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD

Abstract

A method of recording, updating, and accessing a person'"'"'s medical history over time includes the steps of maintaining the person'"'"'s medical history in a portable memory device that includes both the medical history and a program that stores medical records in a secure database in the portable memory device, updates the medical records in the secure database, and provides access to the medical records in the secure database. The program is executable using any electronic device having a processor that is capable of accessing the portable memory device. Using the method, a person is able to record, update, and access that person'"'"'s medical history without the need for special software, and without the need for access to a website or to a database of medical records, that is external to the memory device.

Claims

1. A method of recording, updating, and accessing a person'"'"'s medical history over time, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a portable, hand carried nonvolatile memory device comprising machine-readable memory wherein the device further contains software comprising machine-executable instructions constituting a program executable by an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device and using the software contained on the device, the method comprising the steps of,

(i) storing medical records in a secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device,

(ii) updating the medical records in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device, and

(iii) providing access to the medical records in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the portable, hand carried memory device; and

(b) maintaining a person'"'"'s medical history in the device over time by,

(i) storing a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a),

(ii) updating a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a), and

(iii) accessing medical information contained in the secure database via the program while the device is connected to an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a);

(c) wherein said steps (b) (i), (b) (ii), and (b) (iii) are performed using one or more electronic devices each having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps (b)(i), (b)(ii), and (b)(iii) are performed without the requirement of communicating over the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said steps (b)(i), (b)(ii), and (b)(iii) are performed using software on the hand carried device without the requirement of accessing a database of medical records external to the hand carried device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the person—

whose medical history is recorded, updated, and accessed—

carries the memory device on his or her person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the person whose medical history is recorded, updated, and accessed performs one or more of said steps (b) (i), (b)(ii), and (b) (iii).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a healthcare provider further performs one or more of said steps (b)(i), (b)(ii), and (b)(iii).

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of copying medical information from the secure database on the memory device to a patient'"'"'s medical record at a physician'"'"'s office or at a hospital.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure database is encrypted.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure database includes information pertinent to the treatment of the person, comprising:

(a) personal information including name, address, phone, and emergency contact information;

(b) emergency medical information including medical alerts, blood type, allergies

(c) current medical information including primary physician contact, medical conditions, medications, and treatments;

(d) historical medical information including a log of medical office visits, physicians, images from medical scans, a log of vital statistics, immunizations, and surgeries; and

(e) insurance information including referral letters.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b)(i) of storing a medical record comprises inputting medical information into the program.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (h) (i) of storing a medical record comprises inputting medical information into the program by scanning, keying, or downloading.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b)(i) of storing a medical record comprises importing medical information into the program from various file formats.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b)(ii) of updating a medical record comprises appending medical information to a medical record without deleting any medical information existing in the medical record.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b) of maintaining a person'"'"'s medical history excludes deleting a medical record from the secure database.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein an electronic device having a processor and capable of accessing the memory device for performing the method of step (a) comprises a general computer, and wherein said step (b) (iii) of accessing comprises exporting a medical record from the secure database to the general computer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said step (b)(iii) of accessing comprises printing and displaying medical information from one or more medical records in the secure database.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the program further performs the steps of dating and time stamping added medical information and the identification of the party adding the medical information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the program further performs the steps of generating a report of medical information added to the secure database, the report including the party that added the medical information and the date and time that such medical information was added to the secure database.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the device comprises a USB memory device, a flash memory device, or a memory stick.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the method performed by the program further comprises the step of displaying a person'"'"'s medical history when the device is connected to a general computer.

21. A method of maintaining a person'"'"'s permanent medical history over time on one'"'"'s person, comprising the steps of:

(a) carrying on one'"'"'s person a handheld memory device comprising machine-readable memory wherein the handheld device contains software comprising machine-executable instructions constituting a program executable by a general computer using the software contained on the handheld device comprising the steps of,

(i) storing medical records of the person in a secure database in the machine-readable memory of the handheld memory device,

(ii) updating the medical records of the person in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the handheld memory device, and

(iii) providing access to the medical records of the person in the secure database in the machine-readable memory of the handheld memory device;

(b) storing a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program on the handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of the person;

(c) updating a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program on handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of the person;

(d) accessing medical information contained in the secure database via the program on the handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of the person;

(e) storing a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program on the handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of a healthcare provider;

(f) updating a medical record in the secure database of the device via the program on the handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of a healthcare provider; and

(g) accessing medical information contained in the secure database via the program on the handheld memory device while the handheld memory device is connected to a general computer of a healthcare provider;

(h) wherein the combination of hardware and software of the device is sufficient to record, update, and access the person'"'"'s medical history using a general computer capable of accessing the memory device without the need for software that is specific to the program and without the need for access to a website or to a database of medical records that is external to the memory device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the handheld device comprises a USB memory device, a flash memory device, or a memory stick.