Systems and methods for communicating orthodontic treatment information

• US 10,803,146 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2016
• Issued: 10/13/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iamthinking LLC
• Original Assignee: Iamthinking LLC
• Inventors: Cosse, Christopher C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tomaszewski, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Jay M.
• Application Number:
  US15/152,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20160335408A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating orthodontic treatment information are disclosed herein. The methods may include methods of delivering an informational resource corresponding to an orthodontic treatment instruction to a patient of an orthodontist, and optionally to a caretaker of the patient and a dentist of the patient. The methods may further include delivering receipt information to the orthodontist and/or the caretaker, wherein the receipt information is indicative of an interaction between the patient and the informational resource. The systems may include electronic devices and interfaces associated with the orthodontist, the patient, the caretaker, and the dentist that may facilitate the communication methods.

Claims

1. A method of electronically delivering an orthodontic treatment instruction to a patient of an orthodontist, the method comprising:

determining the orthodontic treatment instruction for the patient to perform as a part of an orthodontic treatment;

selecting a patient-oriented informational resource corresponding to the orthodontic treatment instruction;

electronically delivering the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient; and

receiving receipt information, wherein the receipt information is based on the patient- oriented informational resource being accessed by the patient;

wherein the receipt information is received by the orthodontist regardless of a response from the patient, and wherein the receipt information changes state responsive to a patient- oriented digital media file corresponding to the patient-oriented informational resource being accessed by the patient;

wherein the receipt information includes at least one of;

data indicating whether the patient accessed the patient-oriented digital media file corresponding to the patient-oriented informational resource; and

data indicating when the patient accessed the patient-oriented digital media file corresponding to the patient-oriented informational resource;

responsive to receipt of the receipt information by the orthodontist, monitoring, by the orthodontist, patient compliance with the orthodontic treatment instruction provided by the patient-oriented informational resource; and

adjusting, by the orthodontist, the patient'"'"'s orthodontic treatment responsive to lack of compliance with the orthodontic treatment instruction provided by the patient-oriented informational resource to create an adjusted orthodontic treatment that compensates for the lack of compliance, and administering the adjusted orthodontic treatment to the patient by the orthodontist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes repeating the electronically delivering the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient if the receipt information indicates that the patient has not accessed the patient-oriented digital media file within a predetermined interval of time following the delivery of the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronically delivering the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient includes electronically transmitting the patient-oriented informational resource to a patient electronic device associated with the patient, wherein the patient electronic device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile electronic device, a handheld electronic device, a cellular phone, and a smart phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receipt information includes data indicating whether the patient has accessed the patient-oriented digital media file and data indicating when the patient accessed the patient-oriented digital media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring includes receiving, by the orthodontist, a patient communication from the patient regarding the orthodontic treatment instruction corresponding to the patient-oriented informational resource.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the patient communication includes a report of the patient executing the orthodontic treatment instruction corresponding to the patient-oriented informational resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient-oriented informational resource is configured to permit the patient to access a patient-oriented digital media file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient-oriented digital media file is configured to communicate the orthodontic treatment instruction to the patient.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient-oriented digital media file includes at least one of a digital video file, a digital text file, a digital image file, a digital audio file, a portable document format file, and a digital animation file.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the orthodontist is at least one of an individual orthodontist, a group of orthodontists, an orthodontic practice, a team of orthodontists, an orthodontic technician, an orthodontic staff member, and an orthodontic assistant.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient-oriented digital media file is selected from a plurality of preexisting patient-oriented digital media files.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient-oriented informational resource includes at least one of a link to a web site, a code configured to be inputted at a web site, and an instruction for accessing the patient-oriented digital media file via an electronic interface.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes notifying the orthodontist if the patient has not accessed the patient-oriented digital media file within a predetermined interval of time following the electronically delivering of the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting the patient- oriented informational resource includes selecting from an orthodontist electronic device that is configured to interact with the orthodontist;

wherein the orthodontist electronic device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile electronic device, a handheld electronic device, a cellular phone, and a smart phone; and

wherein the electronically delivering the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient includes electronically delivering the patient-oriented informational resource to a patient electronic device associated with the patient, wherein the patient electronic device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile electronic device, a handheld electronic device, a cellular phone, and a smart phone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes electronically providing the patient-oriented informational resource to a caretaker of the patient;

wherein the caretaker of the patient is at least one of a family member of the patient, a legal guardian of the patient, and an individual who is authorized to view the patient'"'"'s orthodontic treatment records;

wherein the electronically providing the patient-oriented informational resource to the caretaker includes electronically delivering the patient- oriented informational resource to a caretaker electronic device associated with the caretaker; and

wherein the caretaker electronic device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile electronic device, a handheld electronic device, a cellular phone, and a smart phone; and

wherein the caretaker electronic device is separate from the patient electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receipt information includes patient access data, and wherein the method includes the providing the patient-oriented informational resource to the caretaker of the patient via the caretaker electronic device if the patient access data indicates that the patient has not accessed the patient-oriented digital media file within a predetermined interval of time following the electronically delivering of the patient-oriented informational resource to the patient.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes electronically providing a patient-oriented informational resource to a dentist;

wherein the dentist is at least one of a general practice dentist associated with the patient, an orthodontic assistant associated with the patient, an oral surgeon associated with the patient, an endodontic specialist associated with the patient, a periodontist associated with the patient, and a prosthodontist associated with the patient;

wherein the electronically providing the patient—

oriented informational resource to the dentist includes electronically delivering the patient oriented informational resource to a dentist electronic device that is configured to interact with the dentist wherein the dentist electronic device is at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile electronic device, a handheld electronic device, a cellular phone, and a smart phone.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further includes electronically providing the receipt information to the dentist.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the electronically providing the patient-oriented informational resource to the dentist includes electronically providing a dentist- oriented patient-oriented informational resource to the dentist;

wherein the dentist-oriented patient-oriented informational resource corresponds to at least one of a referral for dental treatment, patient information, patient dental information, and a determined dentist treatment instruction for the patient; and

wherein the dentist treatment instruction is selected by the orthodontist to be executed by the dentist.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further includes, responsive to an interaction between the patient and the dentist, electronically providing to the orthodontist a referral patient-oriented informational resource from the dentist, wherein the referral patient-oriented informational resource includes at least one of a referral for orthodontic treatment, patient information, and patient dental information.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes electronically providing to the orthodontist a patient communication from the patient regarding the patient'"'"'s orthodontic treatment.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the patient communication includes an image of the patient'"'"'s teeth.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further includes electronically transmitting the image of the patient'"'"'s teeth to at least one dental care provider other than the orthodontist, and wherein the method still further includes electronically transmitting a medical opinion from the at least one dental care provider to the orthodontist, wherein the medical opinion is based, at least in part, on the image of the patient'"'"'s teeth.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the method further includes, responsive to the orthodontist receiving the image of the patient'"'"'s teeth, determining, by the orthodontist, at least one of an orthodontic treatment and an orthodontic treatment instruction for the patient.