Enhanced system and method for enhancing and supplementing the informed consent process of a patient undergoing a medical procedure

• US 8,600,775 B1
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emmi Solutions, LLC (Wolters Kluwer Nv)
• Original Assignee: Emmi Solutions, LLC (Wolters Kluwer Nv)
• Inventors: Sobel, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Morgan, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): KANAAN, MAROUN P
• Application Number:
  US13/465,511
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method for enhancing and supplementing the informed consent process of a patient undergoing a medical procedure is disclosed. A plurality of interactive multi-media program segments relating to a medical procedure are presented on-line to a patient who is to undergo the procedure. The patient views the multi-media program segments which may include a review of anatomy and physiology, the disease, the procedure, pre and post-operative instructions and risks and benefits. Patients may pose written questions to their doctor. The patient'"'"'s experience, including which program segments are viewed as well as the patient'"'"'s interactions therewith are captured, documented and preserved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for informing a patient via an Internet-connected computing device, the patient experiencing a medical issue, the method comprising:

receiving, via the Internet, an access code from a patient front end computing device at a back end server, the access code corresponding to a patient identification for a patient experiencing the medical issue;

causing a processor to determine a plurality of multi-media segments based on the received access code;

causing a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined plurality of interactive multi-media segments to the patient front end computing device in response to receiving the access code, the plurality of interactive multi-media segments conveying information to the patient regarding the medical issue;

receiving, via the Internet, patient experience data at the back end server, the patient experience data corresponding to the access code patient identification and one or more of the segments sent, the patient experience data including an indication of patient interaction with one or more of the sent segments;

causing a processor to encrypt the patient identification;

causing a processor to record the patient experience data with the encrypted patient identification at the back end server;

receiving, via the Internet, a request from a medical practice front end computing device at the back end server for at least a portion of the patient experience data, the request including the patient identification;

causing a processor to encrypt the patient identification from the request;

causing a processor to determine match the encrypted patient identification from the request to the encrypted patient identification that is stored with portion of the patient experience data to satisfy the request;

causing a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined matched portion of the patient experience data to the medical practice front end computing device in

response to the request from the medical practice front end computing device;

wherein the request allows the medical practice to monitor the progress of the patient viewing the interactive multi-media segments.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting data sent or received via the Internet, the data including one or more of the access code, the patient identification, the plurality of interactive multi-media segments, and the patient experience data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient identification includes a patient name.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the patient experience data at the back end server upon receiving the patient experience data from the patient front end computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising encrypting the patient identification before storing the patient experience data at the back end server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient experience data corresponds to a first segment of the plurality of interactive multi-media segments sent to the front end computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein sending the plurality of multi-media segments to the front end computing device includes sending a second segment only after receiving patient experience data corresponding to the first segment.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the patient experience data includes one or more of a keyboard entry, a cursor movement and a mouse click made by the patient while viewing the plurality of interactive multi-media segments sent to the patient front end computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the access code includes one or more of a code provided to the patient or a family member of the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the back end server includes a web server that stores the plurality of interactive multi-media segments and the patient experience data, and sends the multi-media segments to the patient front end computing device and the patient experience data to the medical practice front end computing device through a firewall.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending, via the Internet, a prompt to the patient front end computing device to enter the access code.

12. A computer system for informing a patient via an Internet-connected computing device, the patient experiencing a medical issue, the system comprising:

a web server including a processor and a memory, the memory including an Internet-accessible multi-media presentation including a plurality of multi-media segments directed to a medical issue the patient is experiencing and instructions for execution on the processor to;

receive, via the Internet, an access code from a patient front end computing device, wherein the access code corresponds to a patient identification for the patient experiencing the medical issue;

cause a processor to determine a plurality of multi-media segments based on the received access code;

cause a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined plurality of interactive multi-media segments to the patient front end computing device in response to receiving the access code, wherein the plurality of interactive multi-media segments convey information to the patient regarding the medical issue;

receive, via the Internet, patient experience data corresponding to the access code patient identification and one or more of the segments sent, wherein the patient experience data includes an indication of patient interaction with one or more of the sent segments;

cause a processor to encrypt the patient identification;

cause a processor to record the patient experience data with the encrypted patient identification at the back end server;

receive, via the Internet, a request from a medical practice front end computing device at the back end server for at least a portion of the patient experience data, the request including the patient identification;

cause a processor to encrypt the patient identification from the request;

cause a processor to determine match the encrypted patient identification from the request to the encrypted patient identification that is stored with portion of the patient experience data to satisfy the request;

cause a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined matched portion of the patient experience data to the medical practice front end computing device in response to the request from the medical practice front end computing device;

wherein the request allows the medical practice to monitor the progress of the patient viewing the interactive multi-media segments.

13. The computer system of claim 12, further comprising an encryption apparatus including instructions for execution on a processor to encrypt data sent or received via the Internet, the data including one or more of the access code, the patient identification, the portion of the plurality of interactive multi-media segments, and the patient experience data.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the web server further includes instructions for execution on the processor to store the patient experience data corresponding to the patient identification upon receiving the patient experience data.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the encryption key server further includes instructions to encrypt the patient identification corresponding to the patient experience data before the web server instructions store the patient experience data corresponding to the patient name.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the patient experience data corresponds to a first segment of the portion of the plurality of interactive multi-media segments sent to the patient front end computing device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the web server instructions to send the portion of the plurality of multi-media segments to the patient front end computing device includes an instruction to send a second segment only after executing an instruction to receive patient experience data corresponding to the first segment, wherein the patient experience data includes one or more of a keyboard entry, a cursor movement and a mouse click made by the patient while viewing the plurality of interactive multi-media segments sent to the patient front end computing device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including non-transitory computer-readable instructions stored thereon for informing a patient via an Internet-connected computing device, the patient experiencing a medical issue, the instructions to:

receive, via the Internet, an access code from a patient front end computing device, wherein the access code corresponds to a patient identification for the patient experiencing the medical issue;

cause a processor to determine a plurality of multi-media segments based on the received access code;

cause a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined plurality of interactive multi-media segments to the patient front end computing device in response to receiving the access code, wherein the plurality of interactive multi-media segments convey information to the patient regarding the medical issue;

receive, via the Internet, patient experience data corresponding to the access code patient identification and one or more of the segments sent, wherein the patient experience data includes an indication of patient interaction with one or more of the sent segments;

cause a processor to encrypt the patient identification;

cause a processor to record the patient experience data with the encrypted patient identification at the back end server;

receive, via the Internet, a request from a medical practice front end computing device at the back end server for at least a portion of the patient experience data, the request including the patient identification;

cause a processor to encrypt the patient identification from the request;

cause a processor to determine match the encrypted patient identification from the request to the encrypted patient identification that is stored with portion of the patient experience data to satisfy the request;

cause a processor to send, via the Internet, the determined matched portion of the patient experience data to the medical practice front end computing device in response to the request from the medical practice front end computing device;

wherein the request allows the medical practice to monitor the progress of the patient viewing the interactive multi-media segments.