Generation and data management of a medical study using instruments in an integrated media and medical system

• US 8,429,547 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Research Solutions, LLC
• Original Assignee: Universal Research Solutions, LLC
• Inventors: Hussam, Ali Adel, Plummer, Otho Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/699,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,175 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753, 715/752, 715/763, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 715/763
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/3344 using natural language analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• 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 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

In general, a computer-implemented method is described for receiving one or more requests to generate a medical study, retrieving from one or more data repositories one or more medical study instruments, receiving a selection of a particular medical study instrument to use in the medical study, generating by one or more computers a list of one or more research collaborators invited to review the medical study, and generating by one or more computers a list of one of more participants invited to join the medical study.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprises:

retrieving a medical study instrument to use in the medical study, wherein the medical study instrument comprises a plurality of questions related to the medical study;

submitting, by one or more computers, the medical study instrument to an online review forum for validation of the medical study instrument;

receiving, in response to submission of the medical study to the online review forum, information specifying that the medical study instrument has been validated by the online review forum;

identifying, by the one or more computers based on received validation of the medical study instrument, one of more participants invited to join the medical study;

sending, by the one or more computers, messages inviting the one or more participants to join the medical study; and

in response to acceptance of one of the messages, by a particular participant, of an invitation to join the medical study,

presenting the validated medical study instrument to the particular participant, wherein answers to questions in the medical study instrument are associated with score values;

retrieving a scoring rule for the medical study instrument, with the scoring rule including a series of instructions for assigning a weighted value to one or more of the score values associated with the questions, and with the weighted value indicating an importance of a question to which the weighted value is assigned relative to other questions in the validated medical study instrument;

determining, based on the participant'"'"'s answers to the questions in the medical study instruments, score values for one or more of the questions; and

generating, based on execution of the scoring rule with the determined score values, a score for the medial study instrument.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a timeline, indicating, for one or more questions included in the selected medical study instrument, a question completion date.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating by one or more computers a customized medical study instrument by;

receiving one or more request messages indicating a type of question to be included in the customized medical study instrument, question text to be included in the customized medical study instrument and one or more answers to be included in the customized medical study instrument and associated with the question text.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a notification messaging indicating that one or more questions included in the medical study instrument need to be answered; and

sending the notification message to one or more participants of the medical study.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a dashboard comprising one or more real-time indicators of the medical study'"'"'s progress, instrument scoring, patient enrollment, timelines and patient reminders.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating by one or more computers a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a forum for review of the medical study instrument, the visual representation of the forum comprising;

one or more text boxes for reviewers to enter text, the text boxes associated with one or more questions included in the medical study instrument, and

a link between the one or more text boxes and an associated question, selection of the link causing the associated question to be rendered on the display device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

generating by one or more computers a multimedia module to explain one or more features of a particular question; and

generating a link between the particular question and the multimedia module.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving by one or more computers one or more responses to questions included in the medical study instrument;

retrieving by one or more computers one or more scoring rules; and

executing by one or more computers the one or more scoring rules to determine a score of the received responses.

9. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions for causing a computer to perform operations comprising:

retrieving a medical study instrument to use in the medical study, wherein the medical study instrument comprises a plurality of questions related to the medical study;

submitting, by one or more computers, the medical study instrument to an online review forum for validation of the medical study instrument;

receiving, in response to submission of the medical study to the online review forum, information specifying that the medical study instrument has been validated by the online review forum;

identifying, by the one or more computers based on received validation of the medical study instrument, one of more participants invited to join the medical study;

sending, by the one or more computers, messages inviting the one or more participants to join the medical study; and

in response to acceptance of one of the messages, by a particular participant, of an invitation to join the medical study,

presenting the validated medical study instrument to the particular participant, wherein answers to questions in the medical study instrument are associated with score values;

retrieving a scoring rule for the medical study instrument, with the scoring rule including a series of instructions for assigning a weighted value to one or more of the score values associated with the questions, and with the weighted value indicating an importance of a question to which the weighted value is assigned relative to other questions in the validated medical study instrument;

determining, based on the participant'"'"'s answers to the questions in the medical study instruments, score values for one or more of the questions; and

generating, based on execution of the scoring rule with the determined score values, a score for the medial study instrument.

10. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a timeline, indicating, for one or more questions included in the selected medical study instrument, a question completion date.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operation further comprise:

generating a customized medical study instrument by;

receiving one or more request messages indicating a type of question to be included in the customized medical study instrument, question text to be included in the customized medical study instrument and one or more answers to be included in the customized medical study instrument and associated with the question text.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a notification messaging indicating that one or more questions included in the medical study instrument need to be answered; and

sending the notification message to one or more participants of the medical study.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a dashboard comprising one or more real-time indicators of the medical study'"'"'s progress, instrument scoring, patient enrollment, timelines and patient reminders.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a forum for review of the medical study instrument, the visual representation of the forum comprising;

one or more text boxes for reviewers to enter text, the text boxes associated with one or more questions included in the medical study instrument, and

a link between the one or more text boxes and an associated question, selection of the link causing the associated question to be rendered on the display device.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a multimedia module to explain one or more features of a particular question; and

generating a link between the particular question and the multimedia module.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving one or more responses to questions included in the medical study instrument;

retrieving one or more scoring rules; and

executing the one or more scoring rules to determine a score of the received responses.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

one or more computer readable storage media storing instructions for causing the processor to perform operations comprising;

retrieving a medical study instrument to use in the medical study, wherein the medical study instrument comprises a plurality of questions related to the medical study;

submitting, by one or more computers, the medical study instrument to an online review forum for validation of the medical study instrument;

receiving, in response to submission of the medical study to the online review forum, information specifying that the medical study instrument has been validated by the online review forum;

identifying, by the one or more computers based on received validation of the medical study instrument, one of more participants invited to join the medical study;

sending, by the one or more computers, messages inviting the one or more participants to join the medical study; and

in response to acceptance of one of the messages, by a particular participant, of an invitation to join the medical study,

presenting the validated medical study instrument to the particular participant, wherein answers to questions in the medical study instrument are associated with score values;

retrieving a scoring rule for the medical study instrument, with the scoring rule including a series of instructions for assigning a weighted value to one or more of the score values associated with the questions, and with the weighted value indicating an importance of a question to which the weighted value is assigned relative to other questions in the validated medical study instrument;

determining, based on the participant'"'"'s answers to the questions in the medical study instruments, score values for one or more of the questions; and

generating, based on execution of the scoring rule with the determined score values, a score for the medial study instrument.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a timeline, indicating, for one or more questions included in the selected medical study instrument, a question completion date.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a customized medical study instrument by;

receiving one or more request messages indicating a type of question to be included in the customized medical study instrument, question text to be included in the customized medical study instrument and one or more answers to be included in the customized medical study instrument and associated with the question text.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a notification messaging indicating that one or more questions included in the medical study instrument need to be answered; and

sending the notification message to one or more participants of the medical study.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a dashboard comprising one or more real-time indicators of the medical study'"'"'s progress, instrument scoring, patient enrollment, timelines and patient reminders.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a graphical user interface that when rendered on a display device renders a visual representation of a forum for review of the medical study instrument, the visual representation of the forum comprising;

one or more text boxes for reviewers to enter text, the text boxes associated with one or more questions included in the medical study instrument, and

a link between the one or more text boxes and an associated question, selection of the link causing the associated question to be rendered on the display device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a multimedia module to explain one or more features of a particular question; and

generating a link between the particular question and the multimedia module.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving one or more responses to questions included in the medical study instrument;

retrieving one or more scoring rules; and

executing the one or more scoring rules to determine a score of the received responses.