Systems and methods for remote patient monitoring and storage and forwarding of patient information

• US 10,019,552 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Medapps Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Alere Connect LLC (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dicks, Kent, Kent, Ralph, Crosley, Thomas, Bartlett, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Kanaan, Maroun P
• Application Number:
  US11/877,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20090234672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,912 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2, 705 3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/003 Kits for diabetics
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method according to one aspect of the present invention includes receiving patient information, analyzing the patient information to identify a condition for the patient, formatting a report based on the patient information and the patient condition, and storing at least one of the patient information, the patient condition, and the formatted report as part of a medical record for the patient. The stored information can be processed and analyzed to perform a risk assessment for the patient, as well as compared to other data. Embodiments of the present invention may be used to monitor any appropriate medical device from essentially any location from which a communications signal can be sent and received. This enables patients to enjoy an active lifestyle by not being tied to medical device monitoring equipment that is difficult or impossible to transport or having to routinely visit health care facilities. The present invention can be used to monitor, process, and transport any amount and type of data from any medical device to any suitable user, such as a healthcare provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving wirelessly, by a computer, patient information from each of a plurality of medical devices wherein each medical device operates on a different communications protocol, the patient information from each of the plurality of medical devices including data related to the medical device;

determining, by the computer, based upon the patient information and the data related to the medical device received by the computer, a data collection frequency for the data related to the medical device for each of the plurality of medical devices;

determining, by the computer, whether the data collection frequency for each of the plurality of medical devices is within an expected frequency threshold;

analyzing, by the computer, the patient information received from each of the plurality of medical devices to identify a condition for the patient;

determining, by the computer, whether the data related to the medical device for each of the plurality of medical devices is within a predetermined range;

in response to determining whether the data related to the medical device for each of the plurality of medical devices is within the predetermined range, determining, by the computer, whether one or more patients is taking one or more medications in compliance with a prescribed medical treatment;

creating, by the computer, a report based on the patient information, the frequency threshold and the patient condition;

storing, by the computer, at least one of the patient information, the patient condition, and the created report as part of a medical record,

determining if the patient has used at least a predetermined amount of a previously prescribed dose of one or more medications, and

automatically reordering the one or more medications if the patient has used at least the predetermined amount of the previously prescribed dose of one or more medicines.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing the medical record for the patient, wherein processing the medical record includes at least one of:

performing a health risk assessment for the patient;

identifying one or more trends; and

comparing the medical record to information in a database, the database information including at least one of a disease, a disease classification, biological data, biometric data, bioinformatics data, behavioral data, medical device information, and compliance rewards data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning one or more classifications to at least one of the stored patient information, the stored patient condition, and the stored report according to a hierarchy; and

restricting access of a user to at least one of the stored patient information, the stored patient condition, and the stored report according to the hierarchy and an identification associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating an audit record that includes data fields indicative of the compliance or non-compliance with one or more regulatory standards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if the patient has used at least a predetermined amount of a previously prescribed dose of one or more medications further comprises:

retrieving a prescription record for the patient;

calculating a likely used dose based on a probable date of fill, a prescribed dosage rate, and an analysis date; and

comparing the likely used dose to a predetermined minimum reorder threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the one or more medications taken by the patient poses a risk of side effects to the patient.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining whether a first medication of the one or more medications taken by the patient may interact with at least one of:

a second medication of the one or more medications taken by the patient;

a newly prescribed medication;

an over-the-counter medication;

an herbal supplement;

a vitamin; and

an edible food or beverage.

8. A wellness monitoring system comprising:

a processor;

a patient interface;

a user interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

wirelessly receive patient information from each of a plurality of medical devices wherein each medical device operates on a different communications protocol, the patient information including data related to the medical device from which the patient information was received;

determine, based upon the patient information and the data related to the medical device, a data collection frequency for the data related to the medical device for each of the plurality of medical devices;

determine whether the data collection frequency for each of the plurality of medical devices is within an expected frequency threshold;

analyze the patient information to identify a condition for the patient;

determine whether the data related to the medical device data for each of the plurality of medical devices is within a predetermined range;

in response to determining whether the medical device data is within the predetermined range, determine whether one or more patients is taking one or more medications in compliance with a prescribed medical treatment;

create a report based on the patient information, the frequency threshold and the patient condition;

store at least one of the patient information, the patient condition, and the created report as part of a medical record

determine if the patient has used at least a predetermined amount of a previously prescribed dose of one or more medications, and

automatically reorder the one or more medications if the patient has used at least the predetermined amount of the previously prescribed dose of one or more medicines.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

perform a health risk assessment for the patient;

identify one or more trends; and

compare the medical record to information in a database, the database information including at least one of a disease, a disease classification, biological data, biometric data, bioinformatics data, behavioral data, medical device information, and compliance rewards data.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

assign one or more classifications to at least one of the stored patient information, the stored patient condition, and the stored report according to a hierarchy; and

restrict access of a user to at least one of the stored patient information, the stored patient condition, and the stored report according to the hierarchy and an identification associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein determining if the patient has used at least a predetermined amount of a previously prescribed dose of one or more medications further comprises:

retrieving a prescription record for the patient;

calculating a likely used dose based on a probable date of fill, a prescribed dosage rate, and an analysis date; and

comparing the likely used dose to a predetermined minimum reorder threshold.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to determine whether the one or more medications taken by the patient poses a risk of side effects to the patient.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the wellness monitoring system is further configured to determine whether a first medication of the one or more medications taken by the patient may interact with at least one of:

a second medication of the one or more medications taken by the patient;

a newly prescribed medication;

an over-the-counter medication;

an herbal supplement;

a vitamin; and

an edible food or beverage.