Clinical management system from chronic illnesses using telecommunication

• US 7,756,722 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Georgetown University
• Original Assignee: Georgetown University
• Inventors: Hu, Tang Ming-Jye, Mun, Seong Ki, Levine, Betty A., Alaoui, Adil, Clement, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel; Vanel
• Application Number:
  US09/967,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,206 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/952 Simulation

Abstract

Patients with chronic illnesses resist using conventional automated healthcare management systems to supply necessary clinical data because such systems feel impersonal, preferring to actually visit a clinic where the patient interacts with various healthcare practitioners. In this invention, the patient interacts with a clinical management system via a series of initial GUI screens that replicate the experience of actually visiting the clinic. Additional screens allow the patient to submit clinical information, to communicate with that patient'"'"'s healthcare practitioner and other healthcare practitioners, to access management information that aids the patient in managing that patient'"'"'s chronic illness, and to access educational information regarding that chronic illness. The clinical management system may be used to manage a plurality of different chronic illnesses while providing a consistent look and feel to the screens. At least one appearance characteristic can be altered to indicate the particular chronic illness to which a screen applies.

Claims

1. A computerized method for managing chronic illnesses, comprising:

outputting a first set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by a user who has at least one chronic illness and by others including at least one healthcare practitioner to input or review user-provided information;

wherein the user-provided information includes (i) clinical data obtained from the user usable to manage the at least one chronic illness, and (ii) comments describing contemporaneous activities of the user;

automatically analyzing the clinical data to determine an alert value;

outputting a second set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the user and the others to access management information usable to manage the at least one chronic illness, at least some of the management information being derived from the user-provided information;

outputting a third set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the others to review the user-provided information obtained from the user and the derived management information; and

receiving additional management information from the at least one healthcare practitioner for inclusion in the management information,

wherein the user and the others remotely and asynchronously interact to manage on a near-daily basis the at least one chronic illness.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting a fourth set of at least one graphical user interface screen that graphically depicts a clinic that the user would visit to manage, supply or review the management information and the clinical data for the at least one chronic illness, the first set of at least one graphical user interface screen simulating an interaction of the user with the clinic, and wherein the first and second sets of at least one graphical user interface screens are accessible through the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes providing a user interface screen to solicit a selection from the at least one healthcare practitioner to view at least one of the following lists:

a first list of patients with alert value based on their respective clinical data, a second list of patients with new data, and a third list listing all patients.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to view information related to a patient based on the selection.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is related to an alert if the patient is on the first list.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is related to the new data if the patient is on the second list.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the information is related to at least one of the following if the patient is on the third list:

lab results information of the patient, blood glucose information of the patient, medication information related to medications taken by or prescribed to the patient, blood pressure information of the patient, and exercise information of the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to modify the medication information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to access a summary of data for the user for the at least one chronic illness.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to provide comments to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to access the comments provided by the at least one healthcare practitioner.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to access a summary of data for the user for the at least one chronic illness includes indicating a status of whether the comments have been accessed by the user.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the user to send messages to or receive messages from the at least one healthcare practitioner.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein providing the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user includes providing the user interface when the at least one healthcare practitioner logs into a management system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the at least one healthcare practitioner to review the clinical data includes providing an icon for linking to the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes allowing the at least one healthcare practitioner to review messages sent to or received from the user when reviewing the clinical data associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from other healthcare practitioners.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to track information associated with the user related to at least one of the following:

past office visits;

at least one upcoming office visit appointment;

at least one upcoming examination appointment;

at least one overdue office visit appointment; and

at least one overdue examination appointment.

20. A graphical healthcare management system comprising:

a first set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by a user who has at least one chronic illness and others including at least one healthcare practitioner to input or review user-provided information stored in a database, the user-provided information including (i) clinical data obtained from the user usable to manage at least one of the user'"'"'s chronic illnesses, and (ii) comments relating to contemporaneous personal activities of the user;

a second set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the user and the others to access management information usable to manage the at least one chronic illness, at least some of the management information being derived from the clinical data and the comments describing contemporaneous activities of the user included in the user-provided information obtained from the user and stored in the database; and

a third set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the at least one healthcare practitioner to review the user-provided information obtained from the user and the derived management information and to supply additional management information from the at least one healthcare practitioner to the database for inclusion in the management information,

wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes a user interface screen to solicit a selection from the at least one healthcare practitioner to view at least one of the following lists;

a first list of patients with an alert value based on their respective clinical data, a second list of patients with new data, and a third list listing all patients, and

wherein the user and the at least one healthcare practitioner remotely and asynchronously interact to manage on a near-daily basis the at least one chronic illness.

21. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to view the user-provided information related to a patient based on the selection.

22. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 21, wherein the user-provided information is related to the new data if the patient is on the second list.

23. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 21, wherein the user-provided information is related to at least one of the following if the patient is on the third list:

lab results information of the patient, blood glucose information of the patient, medication information related to medications taken by or prescribed to the patient, blood pressure information of the patient, and exercise information of the patient.

24. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 23, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to modify the medication information.

25. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 21, wherein the user-provided information is related to the alert if the patient is on the first list.

26. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to access a summary of data for the user for at least one of the user'"'"'s chronic illness.

27. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 26, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen includes a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to provide comments to the user.

28. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 27, further includes a user interface for the user to access the comments provided by the at least one healthcare practitioner.

29. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 28, wherein the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to access a summary of data for the user for at least one of the user'"'"'s chronic illness indicates a status of whether the comments have been accessed by the user.

30. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, further comprising a user interface for the user to send messages to or receive messages from the at least one healthcare practitioner.

31. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, further comprising a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user.

32. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 31, wherein the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user is accessible by the at least one healthcare practitioner when the at least one healthcare practitioner logs into the management system.

33. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 31, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen usable by the at least one healthcare practitioner to review the clinical data includes an icon for linking to the user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from the user.

34. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, wherein the third set of at least one graphical user interface screen allows the at least one healthcare practitioner to review messages sent to or received from the user when reviewing the clinical data associated with the user.

35. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, further comprising a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to send messages to or receive messages from other healthcare practitioners.

36. The graphical healthcare management system of claim 20, further comprising a user interface for the at least one healthcare practitioner to track user-provided information related to at least one of the following:

past office visits;

at least one upcoming office visit appointment;

at least one upcoming examination appointment;

at least one overdue office visit appointment; and

at least one overdue examination appointment.