Patient-specific content delivery methods and systems

• US 8,543,420 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Original Assignee: Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Incorporated (Fresenius Medical Care AG)
• Inventors: Darby, Kristin, Kalathil, Ravi, Littlefield, Kurt, Burke, Maria
• Primary Examiner(s): PAULS, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US12/233,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2- 4, 600300-301, 280/1, 345/327, 434/262, 707/101
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 1/16 with membranes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/59 Aesthetic features, e.g. distraction means to prevent fears of child patients
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and systems for delivery of digital data in connection with medical treatment and patient care include detecting a current medical condition of a patient receiving medical treatment and delivering electronic informational data to the patient over a network. The informational data can be selected for delivery based on the current medical condition of the patient. The informational data can includes a plurality of informational data content options, and the patient can choose one or more of the informational data content options for delivery to the patient over the network. The chosen content can be displayed to the patient on a digital data display device, such as a touch screen monitor.

Claims

1. A method of delivering patient-specific content, comprising:

detecting a current medical condition of a patient receiving medical treatment from a medical treatment apparatus coupled to the patient;

selecting any of required and prescribed content for delivery to a data display device associated with the medical treatment apparatus based on the current medical condition of the patient

enabling the patient to choose entertainment content;

delivering the selected required or prescribed content to the patient via the data display device;

delivering the patient-chosen entertainment content to the patient via the data display device;

wherein the patient-chosen entertainment content is delivered to the patient via the data display device only after delivery to the patient via the data display device of the required or prescribed content; and

wherein delivery of either the selected required or prescribed content or the patient-chosen entertainment content is interrupted if a change in the current medical condition of the patient is detected by the medical treatment apparatus, and a message or further prescribed content is delivered to the patient based on that change of condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the current medical condition includes receiving medical monitoring data from the medical treatment apparatus in current communication with the patient.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the medical monitoring data includes receiving data related to hemodialysis treatment.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a pre-programmed algorithm to select the informational data for delivery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the current medical condition includes at least one of blood pressure, heart rate, and blood potassium level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the current medical condition includes data related to dialysis treatment being provided to the patient concurrent with the required or prescribed content being delivered to the patient.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the required or prescribed content over the network from a data collection unit to a digital data display device accessible by the patient.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising authorizing the patient to use the digital data display device before allowing the patient to access the required or prescribed content at the digital data display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the required or prescribed content includes at least one of educational audio information, educational video information, educational material, a survey, and an educational game.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a medical care professional to select the required or prescribed content for delivery to a patient based on a specific medical condition and delivering the selected the required or prescribed content to the patient upon detection of the specific medical condition.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the patient to select at least one of two or more entertainment content choices based on a current medical condition of the patient and delivering the chosen entertainment content to the patient over the network.

12. A method of delivering patient-specific content, comprising:

providing a digital data display device associated with a medical treatment apparatus and configured to display data to a patient receiving medical treatment from the medical treatment apparatus;

authenticating the patient as a valid user of the digital data display device;

transmitting first data to the digital data display device from at least one database, wherein the first data is any of required and prescribed content chosen for transmission based on at least real time data related to the medical treatment of the authenticated patient;

allowing the authenticated patient to choose additional entertainment content for transmission from the at least one database to the digital data display device; and

transmitting said additional entertainment content only after the first data has been presented to the authenticated patient via the digital data display device;

interrupting the transmission or presentation of either the first data or additional entertainment contact when the real time data related to the medical treatment of the authenticated patient is outside a pre-determined range.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising allowing the authenticated patient to select entertainment content to view on the digital data display device using a touch screen at the digital data display device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting entertainment content chosen by the authenticated patient on the digital data display device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data is also chosen based on an identity of the authenticated patient.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting prescribed content to the authenticated patient on the digital data display device prior to presenting data entertainment content selected by the patient.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein said required or prescribed content includes at least one of educational video information, educational audio information, educational games, educational material, and a survey.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first data includes at least one of medical record information and medical treatment information.

19. A patient-specific content delivery system, comprising:

a digital data display device associated with a dialysis treatment device that is configured to monitor real time medical information of the patient and configured to display content related to a patient receiving dialysis treatment; and

a data collection unit configured to be in electronic communication with the digital data display device over a network, to store medical data, and to provide the digital data display device with stored content that includes i) any of required and prescribed educational content, and ii) entertainment content,

wherein the digital data display device is configured to enable the patient to choose, after the patient is authenticated at the digital data display device and while the patient is receiving dialysis treatment from the dialysis treatment device, content from the data collection unit to be displayed by the digital data display device, and

wherein the digital data display device displays to the patient chosen entertainment content from the data collection unit only after display to the patient of required educational content from the data collection unit;

wherein the digital display device is configured to interrupt the display of the chosen entertainment or the required educational content when the real time medical information monitored by the dialysis treatment device is outside of a predetermined range.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the digital data display device includes a touch screen configured to display one or more types of stored medical data that can be selected by the patient through the touch screen for delivery from the data collection unit to the digital data display device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the stored medical data includes data related to at least one of a patient'"'"'s medical test result, medical care plan, medical history, vital signs, dialysis treatment, and organ function.

22. The system of claim 19, further comprising a second data collection unit configured to be in communication with the digital data display device, to store medical treatment data, and to provide the digital data display device with stored medical treatment data.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the stored medical treatment data includes data related to at least one of educational video information, educational audio information, educational games, educational material, and a survey.

24. A patient-specific content delivery system, comprising:

a data collection unit configured to store content that includes i) any of required and prescribed educational content related to a medical condition of a patient, and ii) entertainment content; and

a touch screen accessible to the patient receiving medical treatment at a dialysis treatment machine and configured to display the required and prescribed educational content received from the data collection unit, the displayed required and prescribed educational content being displayed concurrent with medical treatment of the patient and being selected for display considering an identification of the patient,

wherein the touch screen enables the patient to choose additional content to be displayed by the touch screen from the entertainment content stored on the collection unit, and wherein the touch screen is configured to display the additional content chosen by the patient only after the required and prescribed educational content has been displayed to the patient and the display of content to the patient is interrupted based on real time medical information regarding the patient.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a second data collection unit configured to store medical treatment data, wherein the touch screen is also configured to display data received from the second data collection unit concurrent with the medical treatment of the patient.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the displayed required and prescribed educational content is also selected for display considering data gathered in real time and in relation to the medical treatment of the patient.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the touch screen enables the patient to select content from the data collection unit for display on the touch screen and displaying in real time the selected content to the patient.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the data collection unit is configured to transmit other content for display on the touch screen based on content selected by the patient.