Patient-controlled medical information system and method

• US 6,988,075 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2000
• Issued: 01/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: HACKER, L. LEONARD
• Inventors: Hacker, L. Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORGAN, ROBERT W
• Application Number:
  US09/525,244
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 701/32, 128/903, 128/920, 177/25.19
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

An electronic medical record system and service is disclosed for centrally storing patients medical records electronically on a database for patient-controlled remote access by both patients and medical providers. The system stores a plurality of patient medical records on a medical information database via a medical information server connected to a network. A plurality of medical provider computers connected to the network have software to communicate with the medical information server. Patients supply authorization means to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient'"'"'s medical record for viewing and updating of the patient'"'"'s medical record. Additionally, patients can access all portions of their medical record using browser software on any browser-enabled device connected to the network.

Claims

1. A patient-controlled electronic medical record system comprising:

a medical information server connected to a network;

a medical information database connected to the medical information server;

a plurality of patient medical records stored on the medical information database;

a plurality of medical provider computers connected to the network and having software to communicate with the medical information server;

means for patients to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient'"'"'s medical record for viewing and adding to the patient'"'"'s medical record; and

means for patients to access all portions of their medical record using browser software on a computer connected to the network.

2. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the medical information server includes software means for formatting patient-selected medical data from their medical record for viewing by patients.

3. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the medical information server includes software means for generating medical reminders to patients.

4. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 3, wherein the medical reminders are transmitted by a medium selected from the group consisting of electronic mail, facsimile transmission, telephone, telephonic text messaging, pager, and mail.

5. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the medical provider computer software is a browser client.

6. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the network is a public network.

7. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 6, wherein the public network is the Internet.

8. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the means for patients to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient'"'"'s medical record for viewing and adding to the patient'"'"'s medical record is a patient-supplied unique access identification means.

9. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 8, wherein the patient-supplied unique access identification means is selected from the group consisting of alpha-numeric passphrases, smart cards, biometric samples, bar coded cards, and bar coded bracelets.

10. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to check patients'"'"' written and filled prescriptions for interactions, allergies, age-dosage suitability, weight-dosage suitability, and sex-appropriateness.

11. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to track medical provider inventories.

12. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 11, wherein the server further includes software to produce inventory reports for medical providers.

13. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 11, wherein the server further includes software to automatically reorder depleted inventory items for medical providers.

14. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to schedule patient appointments.

15. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 14, wherein the server further includes software and interface means to notify patients with reminders or adjustments of scheduled appointments by means selected from the group consisting of telephone voice messaging, facsimile, wireless text messaging, e-mail, and mail.

16. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to track patient medical costs.

17. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to anonymously identify appropriate patients or anonymously extract appropriate data for medical research requests.

18. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein the server includes software to respond to patient-preauthorized requests from third parties to electronically transmit medical record information to a remote location.

37. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, further comprising means for transferring hard copy medical record information into an electronic format for storage in the medical information database.

39. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, further comprising means for collecting and transferring patient medical record information from other sources in an electronic format for storage in the medical information database.

41. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 39, further comprising means for auditing the patient medical record information from other sources and correcting the patient medical record information from other sources as needed.

43. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, further comprising means for transferring a complete patient medical record from the medical information database to a medical provider for temporary offline use.

45. The patient-controlled electronic medical record system of claim 1, wherein medical provider software is an e-mail client and means for sending patient medical record information associated with the server responds to an order selected from the group consisting of preauthorized events, patient requests, and medical provider requests sent to an autoresponder using patient supplied information.

19. A method for patient control of an electronic medical record comprising:

connecting a medical information server to a network;

connecting a medical information database to the medical information server;

storing a plurality of patient medical records on the medical information database;

connecting a plurality of medical provider computers to the network wherein said medical provider computers include software to communicate with the medical information server;

providing patients with means to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient'"'"'s medical record for viewing and adding to the patient'"'"'s medical record; and

providing patients means for accessing all portions of their medical record using browser software on a computer connected to the network.

20. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein medical information server software formats patient-selected medical data from their medical record for viewing by patients.

21. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the medical information server software generates medical reminders to patients.

22. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 21, wherein the medical reminders are transmitted by a medium selected from the group consisting of electronic mail, facsimile transmission, telephone, telephonic text messaging, pager, and mail.

23. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the medical provider computers use a browser client to interact with the medical information server.

24. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the network used is a public network.

25. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 24, wherein the public network used is the Internet.

26. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein providing patients with means to allow medical provider computers to access patient-selected portions of the patient'"'"'s medical record for viewing and adding to the patient'"'"'s medical record uses a patient-supplied unique access identification means.

27. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 26, wherein the patient-supplied unique access identification means used is selected from the group consisting of alpha-numeric passphrases, smart cards, biometric samples, bar coded cards, and bar coded bracelets.

28. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software checks patients'"'"' written and filled prescriptions for interactions, allergies, age-dosage suitability, weight-dosage suitability, and sex-appropriateness.

29. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software to tracks medical provider inventories.

30. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 29, wherein the server software produces inventory reports for medical providers.

31. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 29, wherein the server software automatically reorders depleted inventory items for medical providers.

32. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software operates to schedule patient appointments.

33. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 32, wherein the server software further operates with interface means to notify patients with reminders or adjustments of scheduled appointments by means selected from the group consisting of telephone voice messaging, facsimile, wireless text messaging, e-mail, and mail.

34. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software tracks patient medical costs.

35. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software to anonymously identifies appropriate patients or anonymously extracts appropriate data for medical research requests.

36. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein the server software responds to patient-preauthorized requests from third parties to electronically transmit medical record information to a remote location.

38. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, further comprising transferring hard copy medical record information into an electronic format for storage in the medical information database.

40. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, further comprising collecting and transferring patient medical record information from other sources in an electronic format for storage in the medical information database.

42. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 40, further comprising auditing the patient medical record information from other sources and correcting the patient medical record information from other sources as needed.

44. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, further comprising transferring a complete patient medical record from the medical information database to a medical provider for temporary offline use.

46. The method for patient control of an electronic medical record of claim 19, wherein medical provider software is an e-mail client and patient medical record information is sent in response to an order selected from the group consisting of preauthorized events, patient requests, and medical provider requests to an autoresponder using patient supplied information.