Healthcare delivery system and method

• US 9,619,849 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vivify Health Incorporated (UnitedHealth Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Eric Lee Rock
• Inventors: Rock, Eric Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Shumate, Victoria P
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, TERESA S
• Application Number:
  US14/223,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297301A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 600300, 607 5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/00 ICT specially adapted for therapies or health-improving plans, e.g. for handling prescriptions, for steering therapy or for monitoring patient compliance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method integrating healthcare delivery to patients using data bridges that connect healthcare providers, patients, patient medical education, and patient monitoring devices is disclosed. The system incorporates a mobile user interface device (MUD) allowing user inputs or detected events from a variety of medical instrumentation devices (MID) to be controlled by a healthcare web server computer (HWS) over a computer communication network (CCN). Information retrieved from the MID and transmitted by the MUD to the HWS is then used by a patient healthcare monitor (PHM) process to populate a medical records database (MRD). MRD contents are then matched to patient healthcare plan (PHP) event/time triggers (ETT) that drive information from a provider content database (PCD) to the MUD through the HWS over the CCN. Healthcare provider update/control of the PHP/ETT/PCD allow integration of patient educational materials with patient health status monitoring.

Claims

1. A healthcare delivery system comprising:

(a) hospital information system (HIS);

(b) healthcare web server (HWS);

(c) mobile user interface device (MUD);

(d) medical instrumentation device (MID); and

(e) computer communication network (CCN);

wherein

said HWS is configured to communicate with said HIS via said CCN;

said HIS is configured to extract real-time data associated with a hospital in-patient from patient data sources in said hospital;

said HIS is configured to transmit said real-time hospital in-patient data to said HWS;

said MUD is associated with said in-patient after said in-patient is discharged from said hospital and said in-patient becomes an out-patient;

said HWS is configured to communicate with said MUD via said CCN;

said MUD is configured to accept user inputs from said out-patient;

said MID is configured to physically interact with the body of said out-patient and collect real-time biometric data associated with the physical condition of said out-patient;

said MID is configured to detect medical events associated with said out-patient;

said MID is configured to detect medical conditions associated with said out-patient;

said MID is configured to transmit information on said medical events to said MUD;

said MID is configured to transmit information on said medical conditions to said MUD;

said MID is configured to transmit said real-time biometric data to said MUD;

said HWS is configured to permit definition of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) that controls the delivery of healthcare to said out-patient;

said HWS is configured to transfer said PHP to said MUD via said CCN;

said MUD is configured to execute said PHP to control presentation of audio/video information to said out-patient;

said MUD is configured to execute said PHP to control acceptance of said user inputs from said out-patient;

said MUD is configured to execute said PHP to control detection of medical events associated with said out-patient via operation of said MID;

said MUD is configured to execute said PHP to control detection of medical conditions associated with said out-patient via operation of said MID;

said PHP is configured to permit definition of alerts that are associated with time triggers;

said PHP is configured to permit definition of alerts that are associated with detected medical events for said out-patient;

said PHP comprises triggers to execute presentation of audio/visual educational materials based on said medical events to said out-patient via said MUD;

said PHP comprises triggers to execute presentation of audio/visual educational materials based on said medical conditions to said out-patient via said MUD;

said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on the failure of said out-patient to execute a manual biometric measurement from said MID;

said HWS is configured to allow an authorized healthcare professional access to real-time status information on said out-patient under the care of said authorized healthcare professional via a web browser interface;

said real-time status information includes said real-time biometric data, said real-time data on said hospital in-patient, said real-time data on said out-patient, said user inputs, said time triggers, said medical events, and said medical conditions;

said HWS is configured to continuously perform a risk stratification analysis (RSA) of said real-time hospital in-patient data, said real-time biometric data, and said alerts and display said RSA to a status dashboard via a web browser interface;

said HWS is configured to allow said authorized healthcare professional to edit said PHP via said HWS in response to the display of said RSA on said status dashboard to generate an updated PHP;

said HWS is configured to automatically transfer said updated PHP to said MUD via said CCN; and

said MUD is configured to execute said updated PHP autonomously upon receipt of said updated PHP from said HWS.

2. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said CCN comprises the Internet.

3. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said MID is selected from a group consisting of:

weight scale;

pulse oximeter;

blood pressure meter; and

blood glucose meter.

4. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHD comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on upper and lower range values associated with measurements from said MID.

5. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating a plurality of risk stratification. alert conditions triggered based on multiple upper/lower range values associated with measurements from said MID.

6. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHD comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on differential delta values associated with multiple measurements from said MID.

7. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on the entry of multiple manual biometric, measurement entries from said out-patient.

8. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP is configured to trigger biometric measurements from said MID on a demand basis.

9. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP is configured to trigger biometric measurements from said MID on a periodic basis.

10. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP is configured to trigger manual and automatic biometric measurements from said MID on a periodic basis.

11. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said RSA is configured to calculate per-patient risk assessments via summation of individual patient datum risk values.

13. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said HWS is configured to permit PHP patient care plan templates to be inserted within a custom PHP patient care plan using a drag-and-drop graphical user interface (GUI).

14. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP comprises patient queries incorporating responses selected from a group consisting of:

single selections;

multiple selections; and

yes/no responses.

15. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said PHP comprises patient queries that have associated response alert values selected from a group consisting of:

no alert;

medium alert; and

high alert.

16. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said HWS is configured to:

(1) receive data/alert messages from said MUD;

(2) update a patient electronic medical record (EMR) with said data/alert messages;

(3) determine if alerts have been triggered by said MUD and deliver said alerts via a web browser interface to a healthcare provider if said alerts have been triggered; and

(4) determine if a healthcare provider via a web browser interface has updated said PHP and trigger a download of a new PHP to said MUD if said PHP has been updated.

17. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said MUD is configured to:

(1) register MID equipment for automated measurement readings from a patient;

(2) capture MID equipment data under control of said PHP;

(3) determine if said MID data falls within the bounds of an alert limit and generate an alert and queue said alert for transmission to said HWS in the event said alert limit is within said bounds;

(4) determine if a patient interaction has been staged by said PHP and initiate a patient interaction involving a query/response or audio/video interaction if said patient interaction has been staged; and

(5) determine if a patient interaction alert has been triggered and generate a patient interaction alert for queued transmission to said HWS if said patient interaction alert has been triggered.

18. The healthcare delivery system of claim 1 wherein said MUD is configured to:

(1) determine if said HWS has a PHP update ready for installation and then authenticate and synchronize the installation of said PUP update to a local copy of the patient PHP if said PHP update is ready for installation; and

(2) determine if patient data/alerts are queued for transmission to said HWS and transmit said patient data/alerts to said HWS if said patient data/alerts are queued for transmission.

12. The healthcare delivery system of claim wherein said HWS is configured to provide PHP patient care plan templates associated with specific diseases and medical conditions that may be used as the basis for the creation of a custom PHP patient care plan.

19. A healthcare delivery method comprising:

(1) establishing communications between a healthcare web server (HWS) and a hospital information. system (HIS) via a computer communication network (CCN);

(2) with said HIS, extracting real-time data associated with a hospital in-patent from patent data sources in said hospital;

(3) with said HIS, transmitting said real-time hospital in-patient data to said HWS;

(4) associating a mobile user device (MUD) with said in-patient after said in-patient discharged from said hospital and said in-patient becomes an out-patient;

(5) with said HWS, communicating with said MUD via said CCN;

(6) with said MUD, accepting user inputs from said out-patient;

(7) with a medical instrumentation device (MID), physically interacting with the body of said out-patient and collect real-time biometric data associated with the physical condition of said out-patient;

(8) with said MID, detecting medical events associated with said out-patient;

(9) with said MID, detecting medical conditions associated with said out-patient;

(10) with said MID, transmitting information on said medical events to said MUD;

(11) with said MID, transmitting information on said medical conditions to said MUD;

(12) with said MID, transmitting said real-time biometric data to said MUD;

(13) with said HWS, permitting definition of a patient healthcare plan (PHP) that controls the delivery of healthcare to said out-patient by a healthcare professional;

(14) with said HWS, transferring said PHP to said MUD via said CCN;

(15) with said MUD, executing said PHP to control presentation of audio/video information to said out-patient;

(16) with said MUD, executing said PHP to control acceptance of said user inputs from said out-patient;

(17) with said MUD, executing said PHP to control detection of medical events associated with said out-patient via operation of said MID;

(18) with said MUD, executing said PHP to control detection of medical conditions associated with said out-patient via operation of said MID;

(19) with said HWS, allowing an authorized healthcare professional access via a web browser interface to real-time status information retrieved from said MUD on said out-patient under the care of said authorized healthcare professional;

(20) with said HWS, continuously performing a risk stratification analysis (RSA) of said real-time hospital in-patient data, said real-time biometric data, and said alerts and display said RSA to a status dashboard via a web browser interface;

(21) with said HWS, allowing said authorized. healthcare professional to edit said PHP via said HWS in response to the display of said RSA on said status dashboard to generate an updated PHP;

(22) with said HIS, automatically transferring said updated PHP to said MUD via said CCN;

(23) with said MUD, executing said updated PHP autonomously upon receipt of said updated PHP from said HWS; and

(24) with said MUD, transmitting said medical events, said medical conditions, and said real-time biometric data retrieved from said MID to said HWS for display to said authorized healthcare professional;

wherein

said PHP comprises definitions of alerts that are associated with time triggers;

said PHP comprises definitions of alerts that are associated with detected medical events for said out-patient;

said PHP comprises triggers to execute presentation of audio/visual educational materials based on said medical events to said out-patient via said MUD;

said PHP comprises triggers to execute presentation of audio/visual educational materials based on said medical conditions to said out-patient via said MUD;

said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on the failure of said out-patient to execute a manual biometric measurement from said MID; and

said real-time status information comprises said real-time biometric data, said real-time data on said hospital in-patient, said real-time data on said out-patient, said user inputs, said time triggers, said medical events, and said medical conditions.

20. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said CCN comprises the Internet.

21. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said MID is selected from a group consisting of:

weight scale;

pulse oximeter;

blood pressure meter; and

blood glucose meter.

22. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision. tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on upper and lower range values associated with measurements from said MID.

23. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating a plurality of risk stratification alert conditions triggered based on multiple upper/lower range values associated with measurements from said MID.

24. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on differential delta values associated with multiple measurements from said MID.

25. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP comprises a hierarchical decision tree incorporating alert conditions triggered based on the entry of multiple manual biometric, measurement entries from said out-patient.

26. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP is configured to trigger biometric measurements from said MID on a demand basis.

27. The healthcare delivery method of claim 19 wherein said PHP is configured to trigger biometric measurements from said MID on a periodic basis.