Patient-individualized efficacy rating

• US 20070255322A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rondoni, John, Gerber, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to techniques for providing a patient-individualized efficacy rating. Different stimulation parameters impact efficacy. For example, efficacy may be a function of parameters such as electrode combination, stimulation amplitude, pulse width, and pulse rate. Efficacy may vary from patient-to-patient. For example, efficacy may vary according to age, gender, physiology, disease state, activity level, or activity profile. Comparable stimulation programs may provide different efficacy levels for different patients, according to patient characteristics or desires. Patients may rank efficacy parameters differently. The efficacy parameters may include desirable therapeutic effects and undesirable side effects. For one patient, optimization of a particular efficacy parameter may be the paramount concern. Other patients may be willing to compromise the outcome of the same parameter in favor of better outcomes with other efficacy parameters. A patient-individualized efficacy rating permits a patient and clinician to customize efficacy evaluation according to the patient'"'"'s condition or needs.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

specifying one or more efficacy parameters associated with therapy delivered to a patient;

specifying patient-individualized weighting values for the efficacy parameters;

obtaining values associated with the efficacy parameters; and

applying the weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient-individualized efficacy rating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the efficacy parameters include parameters relating to therapeutic relief.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the efficacy parameters include parameters relating to undesirable side effects.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the efficacy parameters include quality of life (QOL) survey information obtained from the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy configured to relieve incontinence, and the efficacy parameters include one or more of incontinent episodes, urination frequency, and nocturia.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying weighting values includes specifying the weighting values based on patient input.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying weighting values includes specifying the weighting values based on both patient input and clinician input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the efficacy parameter values:

specifying efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters based on patient input; and

summing the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters based on both patient input and clinician input; and

summing the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters based on both patient input and clinician input; and

summing the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying weighting values includes specifying patient weighting values based on patient input, and specifying clinician weighting values based on clinician input, the method further comprising:

applying the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating;

applying the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating; and

independently presenting the patient portion and the clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the patient input via a patient programmer and receiving the clinician input via a clinician programmer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein specifying one or more efficacy parameters associated with therapy includes specifying a patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters, the method further comprising specifying the patient-individualized weighting values for the patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

specifying the efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters based on patient input;

summing the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating; and

graphically displaying a representation of the overall efficacy rating.

16. A device comprising:

a user interface that receives input specifying one or more efficacy parameters associated with therapy delivered to a patient, and input specifying patient-individualized weighting values for the efficacy parameters, and obtaining values associated with the efficacy parameters; and

a processor that applies the weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient-individualized efficacy rating.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the efficacy parameters include parameters relating to therapeutic relief.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the efficacy parameters include parameters relating to undesirable side effects.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the efficacy parameters include quality of life (QOL) survey information obtained from the patient.

21. The device of claim 16, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy, and wherein the electrical stimulation therapy is configured to relieve incontinence, and the efficacy parameters include one or more of incontinent episodes, urination frequency, and nocturia.

22. The device of claim 16, wherein the weighting values are specified based on patient input.

23. The device of claim 16, wherein the weighting values are specified based on both patient input and clinician input.

24. The device of claim 16, wherein the user interface receives patient input specifying the efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters, and the processor sums the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

25. The device of claim 16, wherein the user interface receives patient input and clinician input specifying efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters, and the processor sums the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

26. The device of claim 16, wherein the user interface receives patient input specifying patient weighting values, and clinician input specifying clinician weighting values, and wherein the processor:

applies the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating;

applies the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating; and

controls the user interface to independently present the patient portion and the clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating.

27. The device of claim 16, wherein the user interface receives input specifying a patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters, and input specifying the patient-individualized weighting values for the patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters.

28. The device of claim 16, wherein the user interface receives patient input specifying efficacy parameter values associated with the efficacy parameters, the processor sums the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating, and controls the user interface to graphically display a representation of the overall efficacy rating.

29. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

specify one or more efficacy parameters associated with therapy delivered to a patient;

specify patient-individualized weighting values for the efficacy parameters;

obtain values associated with the efficacy parameters; and

apply the weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient-individualized efficacy rating.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the efficacy parameters include parameters relating to therapeutic relief and parameters relating to undesirable side effects.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy, and wherein the electrical stimulation therapy is configured to relieve incontinence, and the efficacy parameters include one or more of incontinent episodes, urination frequency, and nocturia.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions cause the processor to specify the weighting values based at least one of patient input and clinician input.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the instructions cause the processor to sum the weighted efficacy parameter values to produce an overall efficacy rating.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the weighting values include patient weighting values based on patient input, and clinician weighting values based on clinician input, and the instructions cause the processor to:

apply the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a patient portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating;

apply the patient weighting values to the efficacy parameter values to produce a clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating; and

independently present the patient portion and the clinician portion of the patient-individualized efficacy rating.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 29, wherein the efficacy parameters include a patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters, and the instructions cause the processor to specify the patient-individualized weighting values for the patient-individualized subset of the efficacy parameters.

37. A device comprising:

means for specifying one or more efficacy parameters associated with therapy delivered to a patient; and

means for specifying patient-individualized weighting values for the efficacy parameters;

means for obtaining values associated with the efficacy parameters; and

means for applying the weighting values to the efficacy parameters to produce a patient-individualized efficacy rating.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the therapy includes electrical stimulation therapy.