Systems and methods for remote patient monitoring and user interface

• US 8,126,735 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medapps Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medapps Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dicks, Kent, Kent, Ralph, Crosley, Thomas, Bartlett, Terry
• Primary Examiner(s): Najarian, Lena
• Assistant Examiner(s): SEOH, MINNAH L
• Application Number:
  US11/877,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097793A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,588 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 3, 710 15- 16, 600/300
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 method according to one aspect of the present invention includes receiving patient information, analyzing the patient information to identify a condition for the patient, and formatting a report based on the patient information and the patient condition. Embodiments of the present invention may be used to monitor any appropriate medical device from essentially any location from which a communications signal can be sent and received. This enables patients to enjoy an active lifestyle by not being tied to medical device monitoring equipment that is difficult or impossible to transport or having to routinely visit health care facilities. Multiple reports can be formatted to include any desired amount and type of information, and can be transmitted selectively to any number of users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving patient information related to one or more patients from a plurality of medical devices comprising a plurality of medical device types, wherein at least one of the medical devices uses a different communications protocol from the other of the plurality of medical devices, the patient information received through one or more of a plurality of intermediary devices, wherein each of the plurality of intermediary devices is capable of communicating with each of the plurality of medical devices;

at least some of the plurality of intermediary devices communicating with one or more of the plurality of medical devices, wherein at least one of the communications uses a different communications protocol from the other communications;

wherein each of the plurality of intermediary devices that communicates with one or more of the plurality of medical devices;

automatically detects, based on a voltage of a signal received from the medical device, a communication protocol used by the medical device;

automatically configures a medical device interface of a plurality of medical device interfaces to communicate with the medical device using the detected communication protocol, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data via a wired connection from a plurality of different medical devices; and

transmits the patient information received from each of the medical devices to a processor;

analyzing by the processor the patient information received from each of the plurality of medical devices and for each of the one or more patients to identify a condition for each of the one or more patients;

formatting a report for each of the one or more patients based on the patient information and the patient condition for each patient; and

providing each of the reports to a recipient, wherein each of the reports is provided to the recipient automatically when a difference between a time stamp for a first set of data in the report and a time stamp for a second set of data in the report exceeds a predetermined duration.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the report is provided to the recipient within a predetermined amount of time of receiving the patient information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more predetermined threshold conditions for the patient information from a user;

comparing the patient information to the one or more predetermined threshold conditions; and

providing the formatted report to the user when the patient information conforms to at least one of the one or more predetermined threshold conditions.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the formatted report to one or more recipients using at least one of a web interface, an electronic mail message, a facsimile, an audio transmission, a voice message, a text message, and a video transmission, wherein transmitting the formatted report to one or more recipients includes at least one of:

transmitting the report when one or more recipients submit a request for the report;

transmitting the report automatically at a predetermined interval;

transmitting the report automatically when the report includes a predetermined amount of data; and

selecting the one or more recipients from a plurality of possible recipients.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selecting the one or more recipients from the plurality of possible recipients is based on at least one of:

the patient information;

the patient condition;

a relation between the one or more recipients and the patient; and

whether the one or more recipients are authorized to receive the report.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient information is generated by a first medical device, the method further comprising formatting a message regarding the patient information for transmission to a second medical device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the patient information is received through an intermediary device in communication with the first medical device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the patient information is transmitted to the second medical device through an intermediary device in communication with the second medical device.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein an intermediary device is in communication with both the first medical device and second medical device, and wherein the patient information is received from the first medical device through the intermediary device and transmitted to the second medical device through the intermediary device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient information is received by at least one of an interactive voice response (IVR) system, a mobile computing device, a mobile telecommunication device, a computer system connected to a network, and a human operator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing a service, wherein authorizing a service includes:

obtaining an identifier for the patient; and

retrieving, based on the patient identifier, one or more available authorized services.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient information includes information regarding a plurality of patients measured by the medical device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the patient information includes a patient identifier for each of the plurality of patients.

14. A wellness monitoring system comprising:

a processor;

a patient interface;

a plurality of medical devices comprising a plurality of medical device types, wherein at least one of the medical devices uses a different communications protocol from the other of the plurality of medical devices;

a plurality of intermediary devices, wherein each intermediary device can communicate with each of the communications protocols utilized by the plurality of medical devices, wherein each of the plurality of intermediary devices that communicates with one or more of the plurality of medical devices;

automatically detects, based on a voltage of a signal received from the medical device, a communication protocol used by the medical device; and

automatically configures a medical device interface of a plurality of medical device interfaces for the intermediary device to communicate with the medical device using the detected communication protocol, wherein each medical device interface is configured to receive patient data via a wired connection from a plurality of different medical devices;

a user interface; and

a memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive patient information using the patient interface, the patient information related to one or more patients, from the plurality of medical devices, the patient information received through one or more of the plurality of intermediary devices;

analyze the patient information from each of the plurality of medical devices and for each of the one or more patients to identify a condition for each of the one or more patients;

format a report for each of the one or more patients based on the patient information and the patient condition for each patient; and

provide each of the reports to one or more users using the user interface, wherein the report is provided to the one or more users automatically when a difference between a time stamp for a first set of data in the report and a time stamp for a second set of data in the report exceeds a predetermined duration.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive one or more predetermined threshold conditions for the patient information for each of the one or more patients from a user through the user interface;

compare the patient information for each of the one or more patients to the one or more predetermined threshold conditions for each of the one or more patients; and

provide the formatted report to the user using the user interface when the patient information conforms to at least one of the one or more predetermined threshold conditions for that particular patient.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the wellness monitoring system is further configured to transmit the formatted report to one or more recipients through the user interface using at least one of a web interface, an electronic mail message, a facsimile, an audio transmission, a voice message, a text message, and a video transmission, wherein the transmission of the formatted report to one or more recipients includes at least one of:

transmitting the report when one or more recipients submit a request for the report through the user interface;

transmitting the report automatically at a predetermined interval;

transmitting the report automatically when the report includes a predetermined amount of data; and

selecting the one or more recipients from a plurality of possible recipients.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the selection of the one or more recipients from the plurality of possible recipients is based on at least one of:

the patient information;

the patient condition;

a relation between the one or more recipients and the patient; and

whether the one or more recipients are authorized to receive the report.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient information is generated by a first medical device, the wellness monitoring system is further configured to format a message regarding the patient information for transmission to a second medical device through at least one of the patient interface and the user interface.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the patient information is received through an intermediary device in communication with the first medical device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the patient information is transmitted to the second medical device through an intermediary device in communication with the second medical device.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein an intermediary device is in communication with both the first medical device and second medical device, and wherein the patient information is received from the first medical device through the intermediary device and transmitted to the second medical device through the intermediary device.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient interface includes at least one of an interactive voice response (IVR) system, a mobile computing device, a mobile telecommunication device, a computer system connected to a network, and a human operator.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to authorize a service, wherein authorizing a service includes:

obtaining an identifier for the patient; and

retrieving, based on the patient identifier, one or more available authorized services.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient information includes information regarding a plurality of patients measured by the medical device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the patient information includes a patient identifier for each of the plurality of patients.