Interactive patient communication development system for reporting on patient healthcare management

• US 7,941,326 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2001
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Health Hero Network Incorporated (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Inventors: Brown, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koppikar; Vivek D
• Application Number:
  US09/810,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,709 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 600300-301
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A modular interactive system and method for customizing health education to an individual at a remote terminal to induce a modification in a health-related behavior of the individual. The automated system includes a questionnaire generator for questioning the individual to determine his or her motivational drivers and comprehension capacity. The questionnaire generator is a graphical user interface that allows a clinician to graphically attach questions to answer to action. A processor then generates a script program based on what the clinician has attached together. A profile generator receives answers entered by the individual from the remote terminal and generates a motivational driver profile and a comprehension capacity profile of the individual. A translator receives clinical data relating to a current health condition of the individual and translates the clinical data, the motivational driver profile, and the comprehension capacity profile into a profile code. An educational fulfillment bank matches the profile code to matching educational materials and transfers the matched educational materials to the remote terminal. An evaluation program evaluates educational responses of the individual and provides profile updates for targeting subsequent educational material to the individual based on the educational responses.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a questionnaire generator for (i) generating a questionnaire comprising (a) one or more questions for determining an expression of risk for an individual, (b) a first number of answer options to each of said questions and (c) one or more follow-up actions, wherein said expression of risk concerns at least one of a physical condition of said individual, a mental condition of said individual, and a behavior of said individual, (ii) associating each of said answer options with one of a second number of values representing a level of risk, said second number of values being greater than said first number of answer options and (iii) transmitting said questionnaire from said server to an apparatus, wherein said apparatus is (a) associated with said individual and (b) remotely located from said server;

a database in a storage medium, said database containing model information relating to (i) an aspect of care, (ii) said expression of risk and (iii) said level of risk; and

a profile generator for (i) generating a profile for said individual based on said aspect of care, responses to said questions, said expression of risk and said level of risk associated with said individual and (ii) sending health related information to said individual based on said profile, wherein data relating to said physical condition of said individual comprises patient information from one or more medical claims received by said server from a medical claims paying organization associated with said individual.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein said profile of said individual is updated based on one or more follow-up responses.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein (i) said profile further comprises a language of said individual, and a current health condition of said individual and (ii) said questionnaire generator also tailors said questionnaire in dependence upon said language and said current health condition of said individual.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein said questionnaire generator further generates a motivational profile and a comprehension capacity profile of said individual based on said responses to said questions received by said server from said apparatus.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein said health related information comprises:

a request for additional responses; and

educational information.

6. The server of claim 5, wherein said educational information is received by said server from an external source.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein said data relating to said physical condition of said individual further comprises one or more measurements received by said server from a monitoring device connected to said apparatus.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein said data related to said physical condition of said individual further comprises medical information from electronic medical records received by said server from a services organization associated with said individual.

9. A method for providing customized health information to an individual, said method comprising the steps of:

(A) generating a questionnaire comprising (i) one or more questions for determining an expression of risk for said individual, (ii) a first number of answer options to each of said questions and (iii) one or more follow-up actions, wherein said expression of risk concerns at least one of a physical condition of said individual, a mental condition of said individual, and a behavior of said individual;

(B) associating each of said answer options with one of a second number of values representing a level of risk, wherein said second number is greater than said first number;

(C) transferring said questionnaire from a server to an apparatus, wherein said apparatus is (i) associated with said individual and (ii) remotely located from said server;

(D) accessing a database in a storage medium, said database containing model information relating to (i) an aspect of care, (ii) said expression of risk and (iii) said level of risk;

(E) generating a profile for said individual based on said aspect of care, responses to said questions, said expression of risk and said levels of risk associated with said individual; and

(F) sending health related information to said individual based on said profile, wherein data relating to said physical condition of said individual comprises patient information from one or more medical claims received by said server from a medical claims paying organization associated with said individual.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

updating said profile after said server receives one or more follow-up responses.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

registering a language of said individual, and a current health condition of said individual in said profile; and

tailoring said questionnaire to said individual in dependence upon said language and said current health condition of said individual.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said health related information comprises:

a request for additional responses; and

educational information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said educational information is received by said server from an external source.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

generating a report comprising said profile.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said data relating to said physical condition further comprises one or more measurements received by said server from a monitoring device connected to said apparatus.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said data relating to said physical condition of said individual further comprises medical information from electronic medical records received by said server from a services organization associated with said individual.

17. A storage medium for use in a server to communicate with one or more patient devices, the storage medium recording a computer program that is readable and executable by the server, the computer program comprising the steps of:

(A) displaying a plurality of icons of a plurality of questions, a plurality of answers, a plurality of follow-up actions and a plurality of follow-up answers;

(B) receiving a selection to each of a particular question of said questions, a particular answer of said answers, a particular follow-up action of said follow-up actions and a particular follow-up answer of said follow-up answers from a user;

(C) linking said icons of said particular question, said particular answer, said particular follow-up action and particular follow-up responses;

(D) converting said linked icons into a questionnaire; and

(E) transmitting said questionnaire to said one or more patient devices over a communication network.

18. The storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer program further comprises the step of:

assigning a position of said particular answer along a risk scale ranging from a low risk value to a high risk value.

19. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

registering a language of an individual and a current health condition of said individual in a profile; and

tailoring said computer program to said individual in dependence upon said language and said current health condition of said individual.

20. The storage medium of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

simulating said questionnaire prior to said transmission of said questionnaire to said one or more patient devices.