SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDING USERS FOR CHANGES IN HEALTH BEHAVIORS

• US 20090076903A1
• Filed: 09/18/2007
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humana Innovation Enterprises, Inc. (Humana Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Sensei, Inc.
• Inventors: Zabinski, Marion, Melton, Renee, Dion, Timothy J., Schwarzberg, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,717 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.190
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method for generating and sending reward messages to users accomplishing goals related to a personalized health behavior plan. Rewards may be issued for reasons such as achieving an ultimate goal, reaching an intermediate goal, or completing a suggested activity such as eating a suggested meal or performing a suggested physical activity. A reward may be a coupon for use at an establishment such as a restaurant, a clothing store, or a fitness center. Rewards may also be checks sent through postal mail or coupons for printing on a personal printer. Reward messages are generated by an expert system based on a user'"'"'s personalized diet, exercise, or other health plan, goals associated with the plan, and specified preferences. Reward messages are sent to user'"'"'s portable devices. Current location information may be used to send a user a reward for use at a nearby establishment.

Claims

1. A method for rewarding a health plan user comprising:

(a) receiving dietary goals and preferences from said user;

(b) storing said dietary goals and preferences for said user;

(c) developing a health plan for said user based on said dietary goals and preferences, said health plan comprising a diet and exercise plan for said user;

(d) establishing at least one milestone for said user, based on said health plan and said dietary goals and preferences;

(e) generating at least one progress message comprising a request for progress data from said user;

(f) transmitting said progress message to said user;

(g) receiving progress data from said user;

(h) storing said progress data;

(i) comparing said progress data with said milestone to determine if said milestone has been met; and

(j) sending a reward message to said user if said milestone has been met, said reward message comprising content based on said user'"'"'s dietary goals and preferences.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said milestone comprises any one of the following:

a loss of a certain amount of body weight, attaining a certain body fat percentage, or achieving a certain waist size.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing said reward message and permitting said user to view said reward message after it is sent.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said reward message comprises a coupon to be printed by said user from a personal computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said reward message comprises a check issued to said user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said reward message comprises a discount at a meal provider, a fitness center, a clothing store, or a fitness equipment store.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising presenting stored progress data to said user in a graphical manner.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(k) entering in a database location data for a plurality of entertainment establishments;

(l) receiving location data from said user comprising said user'"'"'s current location;

(m) comparing said user'"'"'s current location to location data for at least one of said plurality of entertainment establishments in said database; and

(n) sending a reward message to said user comprising a reward for use in an entertainment establishment in proximity to said user'"'"'s current location.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising permitting said user to do any one of the following:

combine rewards, exchange rewards, or combine and exchange rewards.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a message of encouragement to said user if said user has not responded to said progress message.

11. A system for rewarding a user of a health plan comprising:

a nutrition provider database for storing nutrition data for a plurality of meals offered by a plurality of providers;

a user data database for storing data related to diet and exercise preferences for a plurality of users and goals related to said diet and exercise preferences;

a server for receiving and storing at said user data database user data comprising;

diet preferences of said user, said diet preferences related to a preferred meal plan, preferred foods, and meal preparation options;

a goal of said user, comprising one of the following;

reaching a specific weight;

reaching a specific body fat percentage;

maintaining a certain exercise schedule;

or

reaching a specific waist size; and

an expert system at said server for;

establishing at least one milestone for said user based on said goal of said user;

generating meal messages for said user comprising meal suggestions according to said user'"'"'s preferred meal plan, preferred foods, and meal preparation options;

generating progress messages for said user comprising requests for progress data from said user; and

a communications network connected to said server for transmitting said meal messages to said user, for transmitting said progress messages to said user, and for receiving progress data from said user comprising any one of the following;

said user'"'"'s weight;

said user'"'"'s waist size;

said user'"'"'s body fat percentage;

or

said user'"'"'s exercise habits;

wherein said progress data is received from said communications network at said server, said expert system compares said progress data with said milestone, and said expert system generates and sends a reward message to said user if said milestone has been met.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising:

a provider database comprising location and reward data for a plurality of providers;

location data from said communications network regarding said user'"'"'s current location;

wherein said expert system compares said user'"'"'s current location to location data for said plurality of providers in said database and sends a reward message to said user comprising a reward for use at one of said providers in proximity to said user'"'"'s current location.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said provider is selected from the group consisting of:

restaurants, fitness centers, clothing stores, and fitness equipment stores.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said progress data is stored in said user data database and said progress data is presented to said user in a graphical manner.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said expert system sends a message of encouragement to said user if said user has not responded to said progress messages.

16. A method for personalizing strategy a reward message from an expert system to modify health behavior comprising:

(a) prompting a user to provide personal data comprising contact information for a portable device;

(b) prompting said user to provide preference data comprising preferences for completing at least one activity related to at least one health behavior;

(c) prompting said user to enter challenge data identifying a difficulty in changing said at least one health behavior and a challenge strategy for overcoming said difficulty;

(d) saving said user personal data, preference data, and challenge data in a first database;

(e) entering in a second database message data related to said at least one health behavior and related to changing said at least one health behavior;

(f) generating a tailored reward message for said user using said preference data and said challenge data and said message data from said second database, said tailored reward message comprising content directed to reward for overcoming said challenge to changing said at least one behavior;

(g) sending said tailored reward message to said portable device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said reward message comprises a coupon to be printed by said user from a personal computer.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said reward message comprises a check issued to said user.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said reward message comprises a discount at a meal provider, a fitness center, a clothing store, or a fitness equipment store.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

(h) entering in a database location data for a plurality of entertainment establishments;

(i) receiving location data from said user comprising said user'"'"'s current location;

(j) comparing said user'"'"'s current location to location data for at least one of said plurality of entertainment establishments in said database; and

(k) sending a reward message to said user comprising a reward for use in an entertainment establishment in proximity to said user'"'"'s current location.