System and method for testing for cardiovascular disease

• US 7,983,930 B1
• Filed: 08/26/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Collaborative Care Diagnostics LLC
• Original Assignee: Biomedix, Inc.
• Inventors: Romans, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor; Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le; Linh Michelle
• Application Number:
  US10/227,770
• Time in Patent Office: 3,249 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 705 2- 4, 128/903, 128/904, 455/404.1
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

A system and method for efficiently providing high-quality medical diagnostic service is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a computer-controlled diagnostic device is placed in a location, such as a primary care clinic, where the device can be the most timely used. The device is linked by a computer network to a computer accessible by an expert diagnostician, who is qualified to express diagnostic opinions based on his or her review of the test data from the test device. The linkage can be either direct, moderated by an intermediate computer, which distributes diagnostic tasks to a team of diagnosticians, facilitates remote control and troubleshooting of the test devices by qualified personnel and remote training of the end-users of the test device, and manages billing by the clinics, diagnosticians and the provider of the diagnostic service system. Timely testing of patients in an economical manner is thus achieved.

Claims

1. A system for testing and diagnosis of a medical condition, comprising:

a test device located at a test location and configured to perform a medical testing protocol for generating test data, the test device including a computer and memory module for storing a patient record containing test data and a communications module for sending the patient record to a medical specialist;

a recipient computer for receiving the patient data from the test device, the recipient computer displaying the test data to the medical specialist at a diagnosis center located remote from the test location, the test location and the diagnosis center located at different facilities, wherein the recipient computer includes an input device configured to enter input indicative of a diagnosis by the medical specialist as a function of medical analysis of the test data, wherein the input indicative of the diagnosis includes an electronic signature executed by the medical specialist;

an intermediate computer operatively connected to the test device and the recipient computer, the intermediate computer located remote from both the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility and configured to send a signal to the recipient computer after the test device produces a set of test data, the signal being indicative of the availability of the test data for diagnosis by the medical specialist, the intermediate computer being further configured to transmit the input indicative of the diagnosis to the computer of the test device, wherein the intermediate computer is configured to remotely run at least one of a training protocol and a device diagnostic protocol on the test device; and

a plurality of payer computers each configured to receive billing information and located remote from both the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility,

wherein the recipient computer is further configured to transmit a signal conveying information indicative of billing by the medical specialist,

wherein the computer in the test device is configured to transmit a signal conveying information indicative of billing by a user of the test device, and

wherein the intermediate computer is operatively connected to each of the payer computers and configured to receive the billing information from the test device and recipient computer, and transmit signals conveying information indicative of the billing signals to a selected one of the payer computers, where the payer computer is selected as a function of insurance information contained in the patient record.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the test device and the intermediate computer are configured to allow the intermediate computer to control medical testing protocol operations of the test device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the intermediate computer is configured to associate a medical procedure code with the test data from the test device, and wherein the medical procedure code is incorporated into at least one of the signals conveying information indicative of the billing signals transmitted to the selected one of the payer computers.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the test data is cardiovascular test data.

5. A medical diagnosis system, comprising:

a plurality of test devices configured to generate test data as a function of a medical testing protocol, wherein the test data is cardiovascular test data, and wherein each of the test devices is located at a general practice physician office;

a plurality of remote computers located remotely from each other and from each of the test devices at different facilities;

an interface server operably connected between the remote computers and the test devices to enable selective transfer of the test data from the any one of the test devices to one or more of the remote computers, the interface server located remotely from each of the test devices and each of the remote computers at a different facility, the remote computers being configured to input a diagnosis generated as a function of medical analysis of the test data transferred thereto, wherein the diagnosis includes an electronic signature executed by the medical specialist, wherein the interface server is configured to remotely run at least one of a training protocol and a device diagnostic protocol on each of the test devices; and

a plurality of payer computers, wherein the interface server is configured to associate a medical procedure code with the test data from each of the test devices, and wherein the medical procedure code is incorporated into a signal conveying billing information to a selected one of the payer computers.

6. A method of diagnosing a medical condition, comprising the steps of:

initiating an automated test protocol utilizing a test device at a test location;

generating test data using the test device according to the test protocol, wherein the test data is indicative of performance of a physiological body function;

transmitting the test data to a medical specialist at a diagnosis center located remotely from the test location, wherein the test location and the diagnosis center are located at different facilities, and wherein the at least a portion of the diagnosis report is transmitted from the diagnosis center to the test location via an intermediate computer located remotely from the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility;

generating a diagnosis report based on medical analysis of the transmitted test data by the medical specialist;

linking an electronic signature of the medical specialist with the diagnosis report;

transmitting the electronic signature and at least a portion of the diagnosis report to the test location;

generating a first payment request from the test device indicative of a payment for producing the test data;

generating a second payment request from a remote computer at the diagnosis center indicative of a payment for providing the diagnosis report; and

transmitting the first and second payment requests to an intermediate computer located remotely from both the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of transmitting the test data to a medical specialist at the diagnosis center comprises transmitting the test data to a remote computer at the diagnosis center, and wherein the method further comprises:

generating patient identifying data;

associating a first portion of the patient identifying data with the test protocol; and

transmitting the first portion of the patient identifying data to the medical specialist at the diagnosis center along with the test data.

8. The method of claim 6 and further comprising the step of:

initiating a training protocol run on the test device from the intermediate computer located remotely from the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility.

9. The method of claim 6 and further comprising the step of:

initiating a device diagnostic protocol run on the test device from the intermediate computer located remotely from the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility.

10. The method of claim 6 and further comprising the steps of:

associating a first medical procedure code with the first payment request; and

transmitting the first medical procedure code from the intermediate computer to a payer computer located remotely from the test location, the diagnosis center, and the intermediate computer at a different facility.

11. The method of claim 6 and further comprising the steps of:

associating a second medical procedure code with the second payment request; and

transmitting the second medical procedure code from the intermediate computer to a payer computer located remotely from the test location, the diagnosis center, and the intermediate computer at a different facility.

12. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising the step of:

generating statistical data with the intermediate computer as a function of the test data transmitted from the test location.

13. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising the step of:

generating statistical data with the intermediate computer as a function of the at least a portion of the diagnosis report transmitted from the diagnosis center.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the test data is cardiovascular test data, and wherein the at least a portion of the diagnosis report is transmitted to a primary care provider at the test location.

15. A system for testing and diagnosis of a medical condition, comprising:

a test device located at a test location and configured to perform a medical testing protocol for generating test data, the test device including a computer and memory module for storing a patient record containing test data and a communications module for sending the patient record to a medical specialist;

a recipient computer for receiving the patient data from the test device, the recipient computer displaying the test data to the medical specialist at a diagnosis center located remote from the test location, the test location and the diagnosis center located at different facilities, wherein the recipient computer includes an input device configured to enter input indicative of a diagnosis by the medical specialist as a function of medical analysis of the test data, wherein the input indicative of the diagnosis includes an electronic signature executed by the medical specialist; and

an intermediate computer operatively connected to the test device and the recipient computer, the intermediate computer located remote from both the test location and the diagnosis center at a different facility and configured to send a signal to the recipient computer after the test device produces a set of test data, the signal being indicative of the availability of the test data for diagnosis by the medical specialist, the intermediate computer being further configured to transmit the input indicative of the diagnosis to the computer of the test device, and wherein the intermediate computer is configured to remotely run at least one of a training protocol and a device diagnostic protocol on the test device.