Directing a user to a medical resource

• US 8,968,197 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2011
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Friedlander, Robert R., Hennessy, Richard, Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/253,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20120059227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,245 Days
• Field of Search: 600/301, 701/515, 707/705, 707/E17.001, 707/941, 707/999.107
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/332 Portable devices specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/20 Instruments for performing navigational calculations G01C21/24, G01C21/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3617 using user history, behaviour, conditions or preferences, e.g. predicted or inferred from previous use or current movement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product directs a user using a physiological sensor to a needed medical resource. A real-time state of a medical condition of a user is determined based on readings from a physiological sensor on a user. A processing system correlates the real-time state of the medical condition of the user to a medical resource, which has been predetermined to have a capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user. Directions are then sent, to the user, for a temporally nearest medical resource that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user.

Claims

1. A computer program product for directing a user to a medical resource, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, wherein the program code, when read and executed by a processor, performs a method comprising:

determining a real-time state of a medical condition of a user based on readings from one or more physiological sensors on the user;

correlating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user to a medical resource by;

identifying multiple medical resources as identified multiple medical resources;

determining what type of medical product is provided by each of the identified medical resources;

rejecting any of the identified multiple medical resources that do not provide a medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

identifying any of the identified multiple medical resources, which do provide the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, as candidate medical resources for ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user by providing the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

predetermining that a park bench has a capability of ameliorating an overexertion of the user, wherein the overexertion of the user is identified by the processor as a heartrate of the user exceeding a first predefined limit, a respiration rate of the user exceeding a second predefined limit, and a core body temperature of the user exceeding a third predefined limit;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is being overexerted, directing the user to a nearest park bench to ameliorate the overexertion of the user;

predetermining that any medical facility from a predetermined list of medical facilities has resources that are capable of ameliorating a first acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the first acute medical condition, directing the user to a temporally nearest medical facility from the predetermined list of medical facilities;

predetermining that a climate controlled room provides an environment that is capable of ameliorating a second acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the second acute medical condition, directing the user to a nearest climate controlled room;

predetermining that a nutrition vendor has resources capable of ameliorating a third acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the third acute medical condition, directing the user to a nearest nutrition vendor;

receiving a description of current travel conditions at a current location of the user;

identifying the temporally closest candidate medical resource based on travel time adjustments caused by the current travel conditions at the current location of the user;

receiving, from the one or more physiological sensors, a real-time state of an imperceptible medical condition of the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is detected by the one or more physiological sensors but is imperceptible to the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is a transient medical condition that exists in the user in real-time for less than predetermined length of time, wherein the user requires medical treatment related to the transient medical condition after the transient medical condition ceases, wherein the transient medical condition is a singular event that does not recur, and wherein detection of the singular event is a sole evidence of the transient medical condition;

correlating the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user to the medical resource, wherein the medical resource has been predetermined to have a capability of treating a cause of the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user;

defining a first limit for a heartrate of the user, a second limit for a respiration rate of the user, and a third limit for a core body temperature of the user, wherein the first limit, the second limit, and the third limit define safe parameters that are specific for the user;

detecting, based on readings from the one or more physiological sensors on the user, that the heartrate of the user is currently exceeding the first predefined limit, the respiration rate of the user is currently exceeding the second predefined limit, and the core body temperature of the user is currently exceeding the third predefined limit;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of reducing the heartrate of the user below the first predefined limit, reducing the respiration rate of the user below the second predefined limit, and reducing the core body temperature of the user below the third predefined limit;

determining that the medical condition of the user is a transient medical condition, wherein the transient medical condition ceases within a predetermined length of time without medical treatment, wherein the transient medical condition is an irregular cardiac condition of the user, wherein the transient medical condition is imperceptible to the user, and wherein a bench is a medical resource that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the transient medical condition of the user;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest bench on which the user can sit during the transient medical condition;

identifying a first medical resource and a second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining that there is a lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

determining that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

identifying the first medical resource and the second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining that walkways between the user and the second medical resource are currently iced over; and

determining that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the iced over condition of walkways between the user and the second medical resource.

2. A method for directing a user to a medical resource, the method comprising:

determining, by one or more processors, a real-time state of a medical condition of a user based on readings from one or more physiological sensors on the user;

correlating, by the one or more processors, the real-time state of the medical condition of the user to a medical resource by;

identifying multiple medical resources as identified multiple medical resources;

determining what type of medical product is provided by each of the identified medical resources;

rejecting any of the identified multiple medical resources that do not provide a medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

identifying any of the identified multiple medical resources, which do provide the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, as candidate medical resources for ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

issuing, by the one or more processors and to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user by providing the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

predetermining, by the one or more processors, that a park bench has a capability of ameliorating an overexertion of the user, wherein the overexertion of the user is identified by the one or more physiological sensors on the user as a heartrate of the user exceeding a first predefined limit, a respiration rate of the user exceeding a second predefined limit, and a core body temperature of the user exceeding a third predefined limit;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is being overexerted, directing, by the one or more processors, the user to a nearest park bench to ameliorate the overexertion of the user;

predetermining, by the one or more processors, that any medical facility from a predetermined list of medical facilities has resources that are capable of ameliorating a first acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the first acute medical condition, directing, by the one or more processors, the user to a temporally nearest medical facility from the predetermined list of medical facilities;

predetermining, by the one or more processors, that a climate controlled room provides an environment that is capable of ameliorating a second acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the second acute medical condition, directing, by the one or more processors, the user to a nearest climate controlled room;

predetermining, by the one or more processors, that a nutrition vendor has resources capable of ameliorating a third acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the third acute medical condition, directing, by the one or more processors, the user to a nearest nutrition vendor;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a description of current travel conditions at a current location of the user;

identifying, by the one or more processors, the temporally closest candidate medical resource based on travel time adjustments caused by the current travel conditions at the current location of the user;

receiving, by the one or more processors and from the one or more physiological sensors, a real-time state of an imperceptible medical condition of the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is detected by the one or more physiological sensors but is imperceptible to the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is a transient medical condition that exists in the user in real-time for less than predetermined length of time, wherein the user requires medical treatment related to the transient medical condition after the transient medical condition ceases, wherein the transient medical condition is a singular event that does not recur, and wherein detection of the singular event is a sole evidence of the transient medical condition;

correlating, by the one or more processors, the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user to the medical resource, wherein the medical resource has been predetermined to have a capability of treating a cause of the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user;

defining, by the one or more processors, a first limit for a heartrate of the user, a second limit for a respiration rate of the user, and a third limit for a core body temperature of the user, wherein the first limit, the second limit, and the third limit define safe parameters that are specific for the user;

detecting, by the one or more processors and based on readings from the one or more physiological sensors on the user, that the heartrate of the user is currently exceeding the first predefined limit, the respiration rate of the user is currently exceeding the second predefined limit, and the core body temperature of the user is currently exceeding the third predefined limit;

issuing, by the one or more processors and to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of reducing the heartrate of the user below the first predefined limit, reducing the respiration rate of the user below the second predefined limit, and reducing the core body temperature of the user below the third predefined limit;

determining, by the one or more processors and based on readings from the one or more physiological sensors, that the medical condition of the user is a transient medical condition, wherein the transient medical condition ceases within a predetermined length of time without medical treatment, wherein the transient medical condition is an irregular cardiac condition of the user, wherein the transient medical condition is imperceptible to the user, and wherein a bench is a medical resource that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the transient medical condition of the user;

issuing, by the one or more processors and to the user, directions to a temporally closest bench on which the user can sit during the transient medical condition;

identifying, by the one or more processors, a first medical resource and a second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining, by the one or more processors, that there is a lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

determining, by the one or more processors, that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

identifying, by the one or more processors, the first medical resource and the second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining, by the one or more processors, that walkways between the user and the second medical resource are currently iced over; and

determining, by the one or more processors, that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the iced over condition of walkways between the user and the second medical resource.

3. A computer system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a non-transitory computer readable storage media, wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium has program code embodied therewith, and wherein the program code, when read and executed by the processor, performs a method comprising;

determining a real-time state of a medical condition of a user based on readings from one or more physiological sensors on the user;

correlating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user to a medical resource by;

identifying multiple medical resources as identified multiple medical resources;

determining what type of medical product is provided by each of the identified medical resources;

rejecting any of the identified multiple medical resources that do not provide a medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

identifying any of the identified multiple medical resources, which do provide the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, as candidate medical resources for ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user by providing the medical product that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user;

predetermining that a park bench has a capability of ameliorating an overexertion of the user, wherein the overexertion of the user is identified by the one or more physiological sensors on the user as a heartrate of the user exceeding a first predefined limit, a respiration rate of the user exceeding a second predefined limit, and a core body temperature of the user exceeding a third predefined limit;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is being overexerted, directing the user to a nearest park bench to ameliorate the overexertion of the user;

predetermining that any medical facility from a predetermined list of medical facilities has resources that are capable of ameliorating a first acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the first acute medical condition, directing the user to a temporally nearest medical facility from the predetermined list of medical facilities;

predetermining that a climate controlled room provides an environment that is capable of ameliorating a second acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the second acute medical condition, directing the user to a nearest climate controlled room;

predetermining that a nutrition vendor has resources capable of ameliorating a third acute medical condition of the user;

in response to receiving a reading from the one or more physiological sensors indicating that the user is currently suffering from the third acute medical condition, directing the user to a nearest nutrition vendor;

receiving a description of current travel conditions at a current location of the user;

identifying the temporally closest candidate medical resource based on travel time adjustments caused by the current travel conditions at the current location of the user;

receiving, from the one or more physiological sensors, a real-time state of an imperceptible medical condition of the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is detected by the one or more physiological sensors but is imperceptible to the user, wherein the imperceptible medical condition is a transient medical condition that exists in the user in real-time for less than predetermined length of time, wherein the user requires medical treatment related to the transient medical condition after the transient medical condition ceases, wherein the transient medical condition is a singular event that does not recur, and wherein detection of the singular event is a sole evidence of the transient medical condition;

correlating the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user to the medical resource, wherein the medical resource has been predetermined to have a capability of treating a cause of the real-time state of the imperceptible medical condition of the user;

defining a first limit for a heartrate of the user, a second limit for a respiration rate of the user, and a third limit for a core body temperature of the user, wherein the first limit, the second limit, and the third limit define safe parameters that are specific for the user;

detecting, based on readings from the one or more physiological sensors on the user, that the heartrate of the user is currently exceeding the first predefined limit, the respiration rate of the user is currently exceeding the second predefined limit, and the core body temperature of the user is currently exceeding the third predefined limit;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest candidate medical resource that has been identified and predetermined to have the capability of reducing the heartrate of the user below the first predefined limit, reducing the respiration rate of the user below the second predefined limit, and reducing the core body temperature of the user below the third predefined limit;

determining, based on readings from the one or more physiological sensors, that the medical condition of the user is a transient medical condition, wherein the transient medical condition ceases within a predetermined length of time without medical treatment, wherein the transient medical condition is an irregular cardiac condition of the user, wherein the transient medical condition is imperceptible to the user, and wherein a bench is a medical resource that has been predetermined to have the capability of ameliorating the transient medical condition of the user;

issuing, to the user, directions to a temporally closest bench on which the user can sit during the transient medical condition;

identifying a first medical resource and a second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining that there is a lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

determining that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the lack of walkways between the user and the second medical resource;

identifying the first medical resource and the second medical resource as having the capability of ameliorating the real-time state of the medical condition of the user, wherein the first medical resource is physically farther from the user than the second medical resource;

determining that walkways between the user and the second medical resource are currently iced over; and

determining that the first medical resource is the temporally closest medical resource based on the iced over condition of walkways between the user and the second medical resource.