Systems and methods for encouragement of data submission in online communities

• US 9,589,251 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2011
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PatientsLikeMe LLC (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: PatientsLikeMe, Inc. (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heywood, James, Wicks, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): BURGESS, BARBARA N
• Application Number:
  US13/223,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120084370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,014 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 7/06 running only during the time interval to be measured, e.g. stop-watch
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

The invention relates to systems and methods for behavioral modification of users in an online community where users store or share data to help one another reach informed decisions. One aspect of the invention provides a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic, receiving a request from a second user for additional information desired from the first user, and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information. Another aspect of the invention provides a computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer to perform a method for encouraging active participation in an online community. The method includes: receiving information from a first user regarding a topic; identifying additional information desired from the first user; and sending a personalized message to the first user requesting the additional information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for a second patient to encourage submission of additional medical information relating to a medical condition metric, intervention data, or information regarding an adverse event by a first patient to a profile of the first patient accessible to other patients in a health-related online community, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer, information from a first patient for inclusion in a profile of the first patient, the information including data related to the medical condition metric, intervention data, or adverse event, the profile of the first patient being stored in a database and accessible to other patients in the health-related online community;

performing, by the computer, a data mining process on the information received from the first patient stored in the database to determine additional information to be requested from the first patent relating to the medical condition metric, intervention data or adverse effect as related to the data provided by the first patient;

receiving, by the computer, a request from a second patient that the first patient submit additional medical information to the profile of the first patient, the additional medical information selected from a group consisting of;

the medical condition metric, intervention data, and information regarding an adverse event; and

sending, by the computer, a personalized message to the first patient requesting submission of the additional medical information to the profile of the first patient stored in the database and the additional information determined by the computer, both of which are to be accessible to other patients in the health-related online community.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the additional medical information from the first patient.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a database with the additional medical information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized message includes a component generated by the second patient.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the second patient when the additional medical information is received.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the second patient to thank the first patient.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical condition metric is a quantitative representation of a medical condition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adverse event includes one or more events selected from the group consisting of side effects, hospitalizations, and monies paid.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

searching a plurality of profiles of patients of the health-related online community to identify a subset of patients from whom submission of the additional medical information by the first patient is likely to be desired by the second patient; and

presenting profiles for the subset of patients to the second patient for review and generation of requests for submission of additional medical information to each respective patient'"'"'s profile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the searching is based on information contained in the profile for the second patient.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the subset of patients have profiles that are missing data that could be used to generate a prediction for the second patient.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the prediction relates to a medical outcome.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the personalized message includes one or more structured data entry fields.

14. A non-transitory and tangible computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computer to perform a computer-implemented method for encouraging submission of additional medical information relating to a medical condition metric, intervention data, and information regarding an adverse event by a first patient to a profile accessible to other patients in a health-related online community, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first patient information including data related to the medical condition metric, intervention data, or adverse event, for inclusion in a profile of the first patient, the profile being stored in a database and accessible to other patients in the health-related online community;

performing, by the computer, a data mining process on the information received from the first patient stored in the database to determine additional information to be requested from the first patent relating to the medical condition metric, intervention data or adverse effect as related to the data provided by the first patient;

receiving a request from a second patient that the first patient submit additional medical information to the profile of the first patient, the additional medical information selected from a group consisting of;

the medical condition metric, intervention data, and information regarding the adverse event; and

sending a personalized message to the first patient requesting submission of the additional medical information to the profile of the first patient stored in the database and the additional information determined by the computer, both of which are to be accessible to other patients in the health-related online community.

15. A system for encouraging active participation in a health-related online community, the system comprising:

a server configured to;

receive information relating to a medical condition metric, intervention data, and information regarding an adverse event from a first patient for inclusion in a profile of the first patient, the profile being stored in a database and accessible to other patients in the health-related online community regarding a topic;

perform a data mining process on the information received from the first patient stored in the database to determine additional information to be requested from the first patent relating to the medical condition metric, intervention data or adverse effect as related to the data provided by the first patient;

receive a request from a second patient that the first patient submit additional information to the profile of the first patient, the additional medical information selected from a group consisting of;

the medical condition metric, intervention data, and information regarding the adverse event; and

send a personalized message to the first patient requesting submission of the additional medical information and the additional information determined by the computer; and

a first client computer configured to;

transmit information from the first patient to the server; and

receive a personalized message from the server.