System and Method for Projecting Product Movement

• US 20150178745A1
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IQVIA, Inc. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IMS Health Incorporated (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Soria, Luis, Nadarajah, Sivakumar
• Granted Patent: US 10,296,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0202 Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method includes receiving data encoding search results from at least one search engine, each of the at least one search engine applying an ontology in a corresponding social-media channel, the ontology refined to account for at least one healthcare product and at least one event; retrieving a database that includes relationships between identified event and healthcare indication, the database being developed from historical sales activities of healthcare products and healthcare indications for the healthcare products; and analyzing the search results by: determining at least one event identified by the search results; comparing the at least one event with the retrieved database to determine a corresponding healthcare indication; identifying a healthcare product with the determined corresponding healthcare indication; and correlating the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product to determine a sales trend for the identified healthcare product during a projected period.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving data encoding search results from at least one search engine, each of the at least one search engine having applied an ontology to text mine in a corresponding social-media channel, the ontology refined to account for at least one healthcare product and at least one event;

retrieving a database that includes historical events related to healthcare indications, the database being developed from historical sales activities of healthcare products and healthcare indications for the healthcare products; and

analyzing the search results by;

determining at least one event identified by the search results;

comparing the at least one event with the retrieved database to determine a corresponding healthcare indication;

identifying a healthcare product with the determined corresponding healthcare indication; and

correlating the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product to determine a sales trend for the identified healthcare product during a projected period.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing further comprises:

determining a statistical correlation between the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the statistical correlation further comprises:

performing a regression analysis on the historical sales activities to determine the sales trend for the identified healthcare product, the regression analysis accounting for contributions from the at least one event as identified from the search results.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the determined sales trend for the identified healthcare product with actual sales data during the projected period.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying a difference between the determined sales trend and the actual sales data during the projected period; and

refining the correlation between the search results about the identified healthcare product and the historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product such that the identified difference is reduced.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting the determined sales trend in a graphic user interface.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the determined sales trend to cumulatively build a profile of the identified healthcare product.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

recording actual sales data for the identified healthcare product in the profile; and

comparing the sales trend for the identified healthcare product in the profile to actual sales data.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the ontology for the at least one healthcare product;

refining the ontology by incorporating reporting parameters that include at least one of;

product level data, supplier data, facility level data, or class of trade data.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the ontology for the at least one healthcare product;

refining the ontology by incorporating event-driven parameters relating to at least one of;

a natural event, or a government event.

11. A computer system, comprising at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to perform the operations of

receiving data encoding search results from at least one search engine, each of the at least one search engine having applied an ontology to text mine in a corresponding social-media channel, the ontology refined to account for at least one healthcare product and at least one event;

retrieving a database that includes identified events related to healthcare indications, the database being developed from historical sales activities of healthcare products and healthcare indications for the healthcare products; and

analyzing the search results by;

determining at least one event identified by the search results;

comparing the at least one event with the retrieved database to determine a corresponding healthcare indication;

identifying a healthcare product with the determined corresponding healthcare indication; and

correlating the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product to determine a sales trend for the identified healthcare product during a projected period.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein analyzing further comprises:

determine a statistical correlation between the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein determining the statistical correlation further comprises:

performing a regression analysis on the historical sales activities to determine the sales trend for the identified healthcare product, the regression analysis accounting for contributions from the at least one event as identified from the search results.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

comparing the determined sales trend for the identified healthcare product with actual sales data during the projected period.

15. The computer system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a difference between the determined sales trend and the actual sales data during the projected period; and

refining the correlation between the search results about the identified healthcare product and the historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product such that the identified difference is reduced.

16. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting the determined sales trend in a graphic user interface.

17. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing the determined sales trend to cumulatively build a profile of the identified healthcare product.

18. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the ontology for the at least one healthcare product; and

refining the ontology by incorporating reporting parameters that include at least one of;

product level data, supplier data, facility level data, or class of trade data.

19. The computer system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the ontology for the at least one healthcare product; and

refining the ontology by incorporating event-driven parameters relating to at least one of;

a natural event, or a government event.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising software instructions that, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform the operations of:

receiving data encoding search results from at least one search engine, each of the at least one search engine having applied an ontology to text mine in a corresponding social-media channel, the ontology refined to account for at least one healthcare product and at least one event;

retrieving a database that includes identified events related to healthcare indications, the database being developed from historical sales activities of healthcare products and healthcare indications for the healthcare products; and

analyzing the search results by;

determining at least one event identified by the search results;

comparing the at least one event with the retrieved database to determine a corresponding healthcare indication;

identifying a healthcare product with the determined corresponding healthcare indication; and

correlating the search results about the identified healthcare product with historical sales activities of the identified healthcare product to determine a sales trend for the identified healthcare product during a projected period.