User customizable workflow preferences for remote patient management

• US 8,438,039 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Issued: 05/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gottesman, Janell M., Willenbring, James E., Scheffler, David J., VanDanacker, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEP VAN
• Application Number:
  US11/115,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,932 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A remote patient management system and method are provided including customizable workflow preferences. The method includes storing a user-programmed or “best practices” set of workflow operations, receiving a remote medical device data transmission, selecting a workflow preference in response to information contained in or relating to the data transmission, and performing remote patient management operations according to the selected workflow preference.

Claims

1. A method for remote patient management associated with a medical device, comprising:

generating customized workflow instructions, including types and order of remote patient management operations in a central programmer;

selecting a set of workflow instructions by the central programmer from the generated customized workflow instructions in response to data transmitted from a remote medical device to the central programmer;

prioritizing the selected set of workflow instructions; and

executing the selected set of workflow instructions by the central programmer in response to the prioritizing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing is in response to one of device status, patient status, time of the data transmission, time since a previous data transmission, and source of the data transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing is in response to one of patient identity, patient group and medical device identity.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein generating workflow instructions comprises automatically storing workflow instructions corresponding to frequently used workflow operations requested manually in response to transmitted remote medical device data.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting data distribution operations.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting data distribution operations is based on a patient location and a transmission type or data included in a transmission.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting data presentation operations.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting automatic scheduling operations.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting data analysis operations.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting communication operations.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting the set of workflow instructions comprises selecting remote medical device programming operations.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the prioritizing is responsive to information included in the transmitted data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the central programmer receives data transmission from one of an implantable medical device or an external medical device.

14. A system for remote patient management, comprising:

a remote medical device adapted to transmit data via a communication network;

a central programmer coupled to the communication network for receiving data from the remote medical device, the central programmer comprising a processor for selecting workflow instructions associated with controlling remote patient management operations, wherein the workflow instructions are stored in a programmable memory according to a predetermined priority in response to receiving data from the remote medical device; and

a user interface coupled to the central programmer to enable a user to generate the workflow instructions.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the predetermined priority corresponds to one of device status, patient status, time of the data transmission, time since a previous data transmission, and source of the data transmission.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the workflow instructions correspond to one of data distribution operations, data presentation operations, automatic scheduling operations, data analysis operations, communication operations, and remote medical device programming operations.

17. A method for remote patient management associated with a medical device, comprising:

generating workflow instructions including remote medical device programming operations in a central programmer;

selecting a set of remote medical device programming operations by the central programmer from the workflow instructions to send to a remote medical device, in response to data transmitted from the remote medical device to the central programmer;

prioritizing the selected set of remote medical device programming operations according to workflow instructions; and

executing the selected set of remote medical device programming operations in response to the prioritizing.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the prioritizing is responsive to information included in the transmitted data.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the prioritizing is in response to one of device status, patient status, time of the data transmission, time since a previous data transmission, and source of the data transmission.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the prioritizing is in response to one of patient identity, patient group and medical device identity.

21. The method of claim 17, comprising:

wherein executing the selected set of remote medical device programming operations includes sending the selected set of remote medical device programming operations to the remote medical device.

22. A system for remote patient management, comprising:

a central programmer coupled to a communication network for receiving data from a remote medical device, the central programmer comprising a processor for selecting workflow instructions including remote medical device programming operations stored in a programmable memory according to a predetermined priority, in response to receiving data from the remote medical device; and

wherein the central programmer is configured to send the selected workflow instructions to the remote medical device for execution.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising the remote medical device, configured to transmit data via the communication network.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the central programmer to enable a user to generate the workflow instructions.