Systems, methods, and apparatus for use in gathering and providing healthcare information

• US 8,725,530 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2011
• Issued: 05/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastodon, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mastodon, LLC
• Inventors: Duke, David O., Duke, Janet K., Byron-Alton, Linda, Jauregui, Joe Cockrill
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US13/113,845
• Publication Number:
  US 20110288887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,086 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring

Abstract

A method for presenting a favored treatment includes querying, via an electronic device, a patient regarding a healthcare issue; providing, to the patient via the electronic device, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue; receiving, from the patient via the electronic device, an indication of a preferred treatment; and effecting printing of a document based on information input by the patient via the electronic device. The document includes an identification of the preferred treatment of the patient.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a display screen; and

(c) a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising

(i) querying a user regarding a healthcare issue,

(ii) providing, to the user via the display screen, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue,

(iii) receiving, from the user, an indication of a preferred treatment,

(iv) querying the user regarding information for calculating third party benefit information including household size information, insurance coverage information, and income information,

(v) receiving from the user, in response to querying the user, information for calculating third party benefit information,

(vi) automatically generating, using received household information, insurance coverage information, and income information, a recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, the computer executable instructions being configured to

(A) determine, based on the received insurance coverage information, whether the user has certain benefit coverage, and proceed down a corresponding first decision branch based on such determination,

(B) determine, based on the received household information, whether the user is single or a size of the patient'"'"'s household, and proceed down a corresponding second decision branch based on such determination,

(C) determine, based on the received income information, whether the user'"'"'s income falls at or below a certain amount, and proceed down a third corresponding decision branch based on such determination, and

(D) arrive at, based on having proceeded down the first, second, and third decision branches, the recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, and

(vii) presenting the automatically generated recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium contains computer executable instructions configured to generate one or more documents for printing.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium contains computer executable instructions configured to automatically determine, based on information received from a patient and third party billing requirements, an amount of time to spend counseling the patient regarding the healthcare issue, and wherein the one or more documents include an indication of the determined amount of time to spend counseling the patient that was calculated based on third party billing requirements.

4. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more documents include an unsigned prescription for the preferred treatment of the patient.

5. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more disadvantages of the preferred treatment of the patient, the one or more disadvantages being identified based at least in part on information input by a patient via the electronic device.

6. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more advantages of the favored treatment.

7. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the one or more documents include a checklist including information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.

8. The electronic device of claim 2,

(a) wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the base station contains computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising automatically determining, based on information received from a patient and third party billing requirements, an amount of time to spend counseling the patient regarding the healthcare issue;

(b) wherein the one or more documents include an indication of the determined amount of time to spend counseling the patient that was calculated based on third party billing requirements;

(c) wherein the one or more documents include an unsigned prescription for the preferred treatment of the patient;

(d) wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more disadvantages of the preferred treatment of the patient, the one or more disadvantages being identified based at least in part on information input by a patient via the electronic device;

(d) wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more advantages of the favored treatment; and

(e) wherein the one or more documents include a checklist including information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a tablet.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a phone.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a laptop.

12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a kiosk.

13. A system comprising:

(a) a base station including

(i) a processor, and

(ii) a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

(b) an electronic device including

(i) a processor;

(ii) a display screen; and

(iii) a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising

(A) querying a user regarding a healthcare issue,

(B) providing, to the user via the display screen, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue,

(C) receiving, from the user, an indication of a preferred treatment,

(D) querying the user regarding information for calculating third party benefit information including household size information, insurance coverage information, and income information,

(E) receiving from the user, in response to querying the user, information for calculating third party benefit information,

(F) communicating patient information to the base station, the communicated patient information including the received household information, insurance coverage information, and income information,

(G) receiving, from the base station in response to communicating the patient information, a recommendation as to where to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, and

(H) presenting the received recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment;

(c) wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the base station contains computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising

(i) receiving patient information from the electronic device,

(ii) automatically generating, using received household information, insurance coverage information, and income information, a recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, the computer executable instructions being configured to

(A) determine, based on the received insurance coverage information, whether the user has certain benefit coverage, and proceed down a corresponding first decision branch based on such determination,

(B) determine, based on the received household information, whether the user is single or a size of the patient'"'"'s household, and proceed down a corresponding second decision branch based on such determination,

(C) determine, based on the received income information, whether the user'"'"'s income falls at or below a certain amount, and proceed down a corresponding third decision branch based on such determination, and

(D) arrive at, based on having proceeded down the first, second, and third decision branches, the recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, and

(iii) communicating the automatically generated recommendation to the mobile electronic device.

14. A system comprising:

(a) a base station including

(i) a processor, and

(ii) a non-transitory computer readable medium; and

(b) an electronic device including

(i) a processor;

(ii) a display screen; and

(iii) a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising

(A) querying a user regarding a healthcare issue,

(B) providing, to the user via the display screen, information regarding a favored treatment for the healthcare issue,

(C) receiving, from the user, an indication of a preferred treatment,

(D) querying the user regarding information for calculating third party benefit information including household size information, insurance coverage information, and income information,

(E) receiving from the user, in response to querying the user, information for calculating third party benefit information,

(F) communicate patient information to the base station, the communicated patient information including the received household information, insurance coverage information, and income information;

(c) wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the base station contains computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising

(i) receiving patient information from the electronic device,

(ii) automatically generating, using received household information, insurance coverage information, and income information, a recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, the computer executable instructions being configured to

(A) determine, based on the received insurance coverage information, whether the user has certain benefit coverage, and proceed down a corresponding first decision branch based on such determination,

(B) determine, based on the received household information, whether the user is single or a size of the patient'"'"'s household, and proceed down a corresponding second decision branch based on such determination,

(C) determine, based on the received income information, whether the user'"'"'s income falls at or below a certain amount, and proceed down a corresponding third decision branch based on such determination, and

(D) arrive at, based on having proceeded down the first, second, and third decision branches, the recommendation as to where to apply for potential third party coverage of the preferred treatment, and

(iii) effecting printing of one or more documents based on received patient information,

(iv) wherein the one or more documents include an identification of the preferred treatment of the patient, and

(v) wherein the one or more documents include an indication of the automatically generated recommendation.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the base station contains computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising automatically determining, based on information received from a patient and third party billing requirements, an amount of time to spend counseling the patient regarding the healthcare issue, and wherein the one or more documents include an indication of the determined amount of time to spend counseling the patient that was calculated based on third party billing requirements.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more documents include an unsigned prescription for the preferred treatment of the patient.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more disadvantages of the preferred treatment of the patient, the one or more disadvantages being identified based at least in part on information input by a patient via the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more advantages of the favored treatment.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more documents include a checklist including information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.

20. The system of claim 14,

(a) wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium of the base station contains computer executable instructions configured to perform a method comprising automatically determining, based on information received from a patient and third party billing requirements, an amount of time to spend counseling the patient regarding the healthcare issue;

(b) wherein the one or more documents include an indication of the determined amount of time to spend counseling the patient that was calculated based on third party billing requirements;

(c) wherein the one or more documents include an unsigned prescription for the preferred treatment of the patient;

(d) wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more disadvantages of the preferred treatment of the patient, the one or more disadvantages being identified based at least in part on information input by a patient via the electronic device;

(d) wherein the one or more documents include information regarding one or more advantages of the favored treatment; and

(e) wherein the one or more documents include a checklist including information regarding counseling for the healthcare issue.