Telehealth Scheduling and Communications Network

• US 20110009707A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Slaymaker, Sorell B., Clemens, Christopher D., Singh, Rahul, Santelli, John C., Kaundinya, Murali P., Kunani, Srinivas
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,010 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A telehealth communications network accessible anywhere sufficient bandwidth connection is available facilitates a medical encounter between a patient at a patient site and a provider at a provider site remotely located from the patient, and includes an operating console comprising at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the network, the operating console configured to execute at least one workflow for facilitating the medical encounter.

Claims

1. A telehealth communications network accessible anywhere sufficient bandwidth connection is available for facilitating a medical encounter between a patient at a patient site and a provider at a provider site remotely located from the patient, the telehealth communications network comprising:

an operating console comprising at least one memory and at least one processor coupled to the network, the operating console configured to execute at least one workflow for facilitating the medical encounter.

2. The telehealth communications network of claim 1, wherein the at least one workflow is configured to instrument and command medical devices and network components coupled to the network.

3. The telehealth communications network of claim 2, further comprising a platform communicatively coupled to the operating console for providing an interface to instrument and operate the medical devices the network components.

4. The telehealth communications network of claim 3, further comprising a clinic workstation for supporting the computational needs of the patient site and the physician site, wherein the clinic workstation comprises a device adaptor aggregator for communicatively coupling the medical devices and for building abstractions for the platform.

5. The telehealth communications network of claim 1, further comprising a unified communication console configured to present data to the patient and the physician and to enable interactions between devices at the patient site and at the physician site.

6. The telehealth communications network of claim 5, wherein the unified communication console comprises a conference engine interface for managing a video conferencing connection.

7. The telehealth communications network of claim 5, wherein the unified communication console is communicatively coupled to a telemetry display for displaying telemetry data and for providing a user interface enabling the patient and provider to interact with the telemetry display settings and output.

8. The telehealth communications network of claim 7, further comprising a telemetry control for coupling the telemetry display to medical devices.

9. The telehealth communications network of claim 8, further comprising a telemetry adaptor for managing the medical devices and the integration of the medical devices to the network.

10. The telehealth communications network of claim 1, further comprising a centralized scheduling system comprising:

a clinic tool for storing and updating at least one clinic schedule;

a provider tool for storing and updating a provider schedule at a provider clinic and a provider profile;

a customer tool for receiving an appointment request from a customer and providing the customer with an available appointment for the at least one clinic based on the appointment request, said available appointment identified by the scheduling tool by matching the appointment request with data associated with at least one of the clinic schedule, provider schedule and provider profile; and

wherein during a time corresponding to a customer accepted available appointment, the customer located at one of the at least one clinic interacts with a provider remotely located at the provider facility.

11. A workflow for implementing across a multi-site medical network accessible anywhere sufficient bandwidth connection is available, the administrative and clinical business processes involved in delivering benefits to physicians and patients, the workflow comprising:

providing a user access to the network based on the role of the user, wherein the role of the user is one of a patient, physician, attendant and administrator;

controlling the transmission and receipt of data across the multi-site medical network in response to workflow processes engaged in by the user; and

guiding the user through at least one of a clinical or business process for facilitating communications with other network users located remotely from the user.

12. The workflow of claim 11, wherein the workflow comprises a patient check-in workflow and wherein the user is a patient, the patient check-in workflow allowing a patient located remotely from a care-dispensing location to provide authorization for one or more of accessing records and receipt of treatment.

13. The workflow of claim 11, wherein the workflow comprises a patient encounter workflow and wherein the user is at least one of a physician and an attendant, the patient encounter workflow providing access to patient health information.