Method for tailoring strategy messages from an expert system to enhance success with modifications to health behaviors

• US 8,463,618 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2008
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Humana Innovation Enterprises, Inc. (Humana Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Humana Innovation Enterprises, Inc. (Humana Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schwarzberg, Robert, Zabinski, Marion, Melton, Rene, Dion, Timothy J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HIEP VAN
• Application Number:
  US12/117,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for assisting with the maintenance of healthy lifestyle habits by generating tailored strategy messages within an expert system and then pushing those messages to the corresponding individual users of the cellular phones or other portable devices. The system and method allows diet and exercise plans to be tailored to individual users based on their preferences and provides consistent and appropriate strategy messages designed to encourage and motivate users toward successfully maintaining healthy lifestyle habits. Users complete initial assessments which detail individual food and physical activity preferences. The system uses the assessments to generate individualized messages that are pushed to user devices through a system incorporating cellular technologies. Tailored messages are pushed from the computer based expert system to user devices at predetermined times each day.

Claims

1. A computerized system for personalizing and sending to portable device users tailored strategy messages to promote modifications to dietary health behaviors, comprising:

a first computerized database configured to store personal and diet preference data for a plurality of users, said personal data for said plurality of users comprising contact data for sending messages to portable devices of said portable device users and said diet preference data comprising;

(i) diet plan selections,

(ii) food preferences,

(iii) a preferred meal time of day, and

(iv) meal preparation preferences for each of said plurality of users;

a second computerized database configured to store dietary and nutritional data for a plurality of foods and recipes;

a server executing programming instructions for;

(a) analyzing diet preference data from said first computerized database for said plurality of users;

(b) analyzing dietary and nutritional data from said second computerized database;

(c) generating a tailored message for each of said plurality of users wherein said tailored message comprises;

(i) a meal suggestion based on said analysis of;

said diet plan selections,

food preferences, and

meal preparation preferences for each of said plurality of users, and

said dietary and nutritional data; and

(ii) an acceptance option for said meal suggestion;

(d) defining a time interval consisting of a plurality of minutes;

(e) scheduling pre-determined times for delivering said tailored messages to said portable devices wherein said pre-determined times are within said time interval in advance of said preferred meal time of day specified by each of said plurality of users;

(f) sending said tailored messages to at least one computer network in communication with said portable devices of said plurality of users, wherein said server sends each tailored message comprising a meal suggestion to said computer network for delivery to said portable devices at said pre-determined times; and

(g) receiving at said server from said portable devices responses to said acceptance option.

2. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein said portable devices of said plurality of users are cellular telephones.

3. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein said time interval is between 15 and 45 minutes.

4. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein said acceptance option is selected from the group consisting of a response indicating acceptance of said meal suggestion and a response rejecting said meal suggestion.

5. The computerized system of claim 4, wherein said server further generates tailored messages comprising substitute meal suggestions for users rejecting said meal suggestions.

6. The computerized system of claim 5, wherein said substitute meal suggestion is a suggestion for substituting a single food item in said meal suggestion.

7. The computerized system of claim 1, wherein said meal preparation preferences are selected from the group consisting of meals prepared in under 10 minutes, meals prepared in over 10 minutes, frozen and ready to eat meals, fast food meals, and cooked to order meals.

8. The computerized system of claim 1 further comprising:

a third computerized database configured to store exercise data, said exercise data including data regarding calories burned for each of a plurality of exercises; and

exercise preference data for said plurality of users, said exercise preference data comprising physical activity preferences and exercise time of day preferences for performing said physical activity.

9. The computerized system of claim 8, wherein said server analyzes said exercise preference data for said plurality of users and generates a tailored exercise message for each of said plurality of users said tailored exercise message comprising a physical activity suggestion based on said analysis of said exercise preference data for said plurality of users and said exercise data, said tailored physical activity message sent to said computer network for delivery to said portable devices at pre-determined times within said time interval of said exercise time of day preferences specified by each of said plurality of users.

10. The computerized system of claim 1 wherein said server generates a personal strategy message for each of said plurality of users and said server sends said personal strategy messages for delivery to said portable devices for said plurality of users, each of said personal strategy messages related to each of said plurality of users progress toward meeting a specified health behavior challenge.

11. A computerized method for personalizing strategy messages from an expert system to modify health behavior comprising:

(a) receiving at a server from a user personal and preference data, said personal data comprising contact information for a portable device and said preference data comprising diet and exercise preferences including a preferred time of day for completing activities related to said diet and exercise preferences;

(b) generating at said server a tailored message for said user, said tailored message;

(i) related to an activity to be performed by said user consistent with said diet and exercise preferences of said user; and

(ii) comprising an acceptance option for said activity;

(c) determining at said server said user'"'"'s preferred time of day for starting performance of said activity;

(d) defining at said server a time interval consisting of a plurality of minutes;

(e) scheduling at said server a pre-determined time to deliver said tailored message to said portable device wherein said pre-determined time is within said time interval before said user'"'"'s preferred time of day;

(f) sending said tailored message from said server to said portable device at said pre-determined time; and

(g) receiving at said server from said portable device a response to said acceptance option.

12. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein generating at said server a tailored message related to an activity comprises generating a tailored message related to eating a meal.

13. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein sending said tailored message from said server to said portable device at pre-determined times within said time interval before said user'"'"'s preferred time of day for starting performance of said activity comprises sending said tailored message to said portable device 15 minutes before said user'"'"'s preferred time for eating said meal.

14. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein generating at said server a tailored message related to eating a meal comprises generating a tailored message with a meal suggestion consistent with a user'"'"'s food preferences and meal preparation preferences.

15. The computerized method of claim 14 wherein receiving at said server from said user an acceptance response to said meal suggestion comprises a rejection of said meal suggestion.

16. The computerized method of claim 15 further comprising sending from said server to said portable device for said user a substitute meal suggestion consistent with said user'"'"'s food preferences and meal preparation preferences.

17. The computerized method of claim 12 wherein sending said tailored message from said server to said portable device at pre-determined times within said time interval of said user'"'"'s preferred time of day for starting performance of said activity comprises sending said tailored message to said portable device 15 minutes before said user'"'"'s preferred time for starting performance of said physical activity.

18. The computerized method of claim 11 wherein generating at said server a tailored message related to an activity comprises generating a tailored message related to performing a physical activity.

19. The computerized method of claim 11 further comprising receiving at said server from said user data for a behavioral challenge.

20. The computerized method of claim 19 further comprising sending from said server to said portable device for said user a tailored message related to said behavioral challenge.