Systems and methods for sensor-enhanced health evaluation

• US 8,358,214 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hartford Fire Insurance Company (The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Amigo, Andrew J., Gingrave, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEHRAVARI, PETER CYRUS
• Application Number:
  US12/793,350
• Publication Number:
  US 20100241465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/573.1, 340/517, 340/521, 705/4, 705/2
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• 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 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Systems and methods are discussed for providing sensor enhanced safety, recovery, and activity evaluation systems. Sensors that monitor user activity and behavior are worn by a user and/or placed in the user environment. Data from the sensors are processed to obtain a safety, recovery, and/or activity evaluation. Based on the evaluation, recommendations or adjustments to the terms of an insurance policy covering the user, the user'"'"'s employer, or a facility providing health care to the user to accurately reflect the risks associated with the user, employer, and/or facility.

Claims

1. An activity evaluation system for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

at least one sensor configured to monitor an activity level of an individual associated with and distinct from an insured entity;

an activity evaluation module configured to;

collect activity level-related data, the activity level-related data being data indicative of one or more of horizontal body position, vertical body position, body movement, body orientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement and movement distance of the individual, from the at least one sensor;

analyze the collected activity level-related data to determine an activity evaluation indicative of the activity level of the individual; and

output the activity evaluation;

an output device configured to provide feedback that is based at least in part on the activity evaluation;

a communications module configured to communicate at least one of the collected data and the activity evaluation to a server operated by an insurance company providing insurance to the insured entity; and

a business logic processor configured to adjust an insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity based on at least one of the collected data and the activity evaluation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting an insurance-related parameter comprises adjusting a term of an insurance policy covering the insured entity, and adjusting the term comprises adjusting at least one of a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with the insurance policy, costs of the services, rating plan parameters, and dividend plan parameters based on at least one of the collected data and the activity evaluation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting an insurance-related parameter comprises adjusting a renewal decision of an insurance policy covering the insured entity based on at least one of the collected data and the activity evaluation.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is worn by the individual, and is configured to provide a notification if the at least one sensor is removed from the individual.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device provides real-time feedback to at least one of the individual and the insured entity, the feedback comprises at least one of a visual, audio, or tactile stimulus.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the individual is an employee of the insured entity, the at least one sensor is worn by the employee, and the activity level is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the employee.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the insured entity is a healthcare facility and the individual is an elderly person who is a patient at the healthcare facility, the at least one sensor is worn by the elderly person, and the activity level is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the elderly person.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the feedback is a treatment regimen recommendation for the elderly person.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the output device provides feedback to a caregiver associated with the insured entity.

10. An activity evaluation system for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

a server configured to receive activity evaluation data derived at least in part from at least one sensor monitoring the activity level of an individual associated with and distinct from an insured entity, the activity evaluation data being based at least in part on data indicative of an activity level of the individual, the data indicative of an activity level of the individual being data indicative of one or more of horizontal body position, vertical body position, body movement, body orientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement and movement distance of the individual; and

a business logic processor configured to adjust an insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity based at least in part on an analysis of the received data by an activity evaluation module.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the analysis of the received data comprises calculating a correlation between the data indicative of an activity level of the individual of the activity evaluation data and an insurance risk.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the business logic processor is configured to adjust an insurance related parameter by adjusting a term of an insurance policy covering the insured entity based on the data indicative of an activity level of the individual of the activity evaluation, and wherein adjusting the term comprises adjusting at least one of a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with the insurance policy, costs of the services, rating plan parameters, and dividend plan parameters.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the business logic processor is configured to adjust an insurance-related parameter by adjusting a renewal decision of an insurance policy covering the insured entity.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the individual is an employee of the insured entity, the at least one sensor is worn by the employee, and the activity evaluation data is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the employee.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the insured entity is a healthcare facility and the individual is an elderly person who is a patient at the healthcare facility, the at least one sensor is worn by the elderly person, and the activity evaluation data is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the elderly person.

16. A method for evaluating activity for use in managing an insurance-related process, comprising:

receiving by a server activity evaluation data derived at least in part from at least one sensor monitoring the activity of an individual associated with and distinct from an insured entity, the evaluation data comprising data indicative of an activity level of the individual comprising data indicative of one or more of horizontal body position, vertical body position, body movement, body orientation, frequency of movement, duration of movement and movement distance of the individual; and

adjusting by a business logic processor an insurance-related parameter associated with the insured entity based at least in part on an analysis of the received data by an activity evaluation module.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the analysis of the received data comprises calculating a correlation between the data indicative of an activity level of the individual of the activity evaluation data and an insurance risk.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting an insurance related parameter comprises adjusting a term of an insurance policy covering the insured entity based on the data indicative of an activity level of the individual of the activity evaluation, and wherein adjusting the term comprises adjusting at least one of a premium, a deductible, a limit, services associated with the insurance policy, costs of the services, rating plan parameters, and dividend plan parameters.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting an insurance-related parameter comprises adjusting a renewal decision of an insurance policy covering the insured entity.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the individual is an employee of the insured entity, the at least one sensor is worn by the employee, and the activity evaluation data is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the employee.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the insured entity is a healthcare facility and the individual is an elderly person who is a patient at the healthcare facility, the at least one sensor is worn by the elderly person, and the activity evaluation data is at least partially representative of the physical activity of the elderly person.