Use of internet site as a registry for results of medical tests

• US 8,577,697 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gregory A. Demopulos
• Original Assignee: Gregory A. Demopulos
• Inventors: Demopulos, Gregory A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TRAN N
• Application Number:
  US12/767,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20100318379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 705/3
• US Class Current: 705/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Results of medical tests for sexually transmissible diseases (STDs) or other medical conditions such as drug use are posted to a registry site accessible by a subscriber and any authorized guest of the subscriber. The medical test results are associated with a verification of the subscriber'"'"'s identity. The verification may be in the form of a driver'"'"'s license number, or other indicia of identification, recorded when a test sample was drawn by a testing lab affiliated with the registry site. Results of the test performed by the testing lab are automatically posted to the registry site, along with the customer ID assigned to the subscriber when registering with the registry site, and the verification of the subscriber'"'"'s identity. Subsequently, the subscriber and any authorized guest or prospective sexual partner can access the subscriber'"'"'s test results and the verification of the subscriber'"'"'s identity by entering a predefined password or other access code, thereby enabling the guest, who may be a prospective sexual partner, to verify a medical condition asserted by the subscriber.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for registering results of a first medical test on a subscriber so that the results are accessible only to authorized parties over a communication network, as evidence of a medical condition of the subscriber, the computer-implemented method comprising:

under the control of one or more computing devices,

receiving, at a registry site from a testing agency that performed the first medical test, the results of the first medical test of the subscriber and an indicator of an identity of the subscriber comprising an image of at least the face of the subscriber, wherein the indicator of the identity of the subscriber is distinct from the results of the first medical test, wherein the indicator is generated by the test agency in conjunction with administration of the first medical test, and wherein the first medical test corresponds to at least one predefined type of medical test, and wherein the at least one predefined type of medical test is not modifiable by the subscriber;

processing the indicator of the identity of the subscriber with the results of the first medical test to link the indicator of the identity of the subscriber and the results of the first medical test;

storing, in a data store associated with the registry site, the results of the first medical test of the subscriber together with the indicator of the identity of the subscriber to which the results are linked;

receiving, from a party authorized by the subscriber, a request for at least the results of the first medical test; and

providing, to the party authorized by the subscriber, all results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test and the linked indicator of the identity of the subscriber that is stored in the data store associated with the registry site.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the indicator of the identity of the subscriber is verified based at least in part on subscriber information stored at the registry site.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the indicator of the identity of the subscriber is verified by the test agency.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, at the registry site, results of a second medical test of the subscriber, wherein the second medical test corresponds to the at least one predefined type of medical test, and wherein the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are received without an indicator of the identity of the subscriber generated by the test agency in conjunction with administration of the second medical test; and

storing, at the registry site, the results of the second medical test of the subscriber;

wherein providing all results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test includes providing, to a party authorized by the subscriber, the results of the second medical test of the subscriber in conjunction with the results of the first medical test.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 wherein providing all results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test includes causing the display of both the results of the first medical test and the results of the second medical test, wherein display of the results of the first medical test includes display of the indicator of the identity of the subscriber, and wherein display of the results of the second medical test includes display of a visual indicator indicating that:

(i) the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are not linked to an indicator of the identity of the subscriber and are not verified; and

(ii) an entity that provided a sample used for conducting the second medical test is not confirmed.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising providing, to the party authorized by the subscriber, registry site verification information, the registry site verification information to be used by the party authorized by the subscriber in verifying the trustworthiness of the registry site.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the registry site verification information includes a digital certificate.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the test agency is authorized by the subscriber to provide the results of the first medical test of the subscriber to the registry site.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the authorization of the test agency by the subscriber to provide the results of the first medical test to the registry site is required as a precondition to the subscriber reviewing the results of the medical test.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber is prohibited from denying access to the party authorized by the subscriber to any results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test stored in the data store associated with the registry site.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein denying access to any results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test stored in the data store associated with the registry site includes at least one of removing results of medical tests from the data store and modifying permissions associated with results of medical tests stored in the data store.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber is prohibited from modifying the results of the first medical test at the registry site.

13. A system for managing medical test results of a subscriber so that the results are accessible only to authorized parties over a communication network, as evidence of a medical condition of the subscriber, the system comprising:

a data store for maintaining results of one or more medical tests of the subscriber, wherein the results of at least one medical test of the subscriber are linked within the data store to an indicator of an identity of the subscriber collected comprising an image of at least the face of the subscriber generated by the test agency that performed the medical test in conjunction with administration of the medical test, wherein the indicator is distinct from the results of the medical test; and

a processing unit in communication with the data store, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

receive, from a test agency, the results of a first medical test of the subscriber performed by the test agency and an indicator of an identity of the subscriber comprising an image of at least the face of the subscriber, wherein the indicator is generated by the test agency in conjunction with administration of the first medical test, wherein the first medical test corresponds to at least one predefined type of medical test, and wherein the indicator is distinct from the results of the first medical test;

process the indicator of the identity of the subscriber with the results of the first medical test to link the indicator of the identity of the subscriber and the results of the first medical test;

store, in the data store, the results of the first medical test of the subscriber linked to the indicator of the identity of the subscriber;

receive, from a party authorized by the subscriber, a request for at least the results of the first medical test; and

provide, to the party authorized by the subscriber, the results of the first medical test and linked indicator of the identity of the subscriber.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive results of a second medical test of the subscriber, wherein the second medical test corresponds to the at least one predefined type of medical test, and wherein the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are received without an indicator of the identity of the subscriber;

store, in the data store, the results of the second medical test of the subscriber; and

provide, to the party authorized by the subscriber, access to the results of the second medical test of the subscriber.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing unit is configured to provide the results of the first medical test and provide the results of the second medical test by display of both the results of the first medical test and the results of the second medical test, wherein display of the results of the first medical test includes display of the indicator of the identity of the subscriber, and wherein display of the results of the second medical test includes display of a visual indicator indicating that:

(i) the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are not linked to an indicator of the identity of the subscriber and are not verified, and (ii) an entity that provided a sample used for conducting the second medical test is not confirmed.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to provide, to the party authorized by the subscriber, registry site verification information, the registry site verification information to be used by the party authorized by the subscriber in verifying the trustworthiness of the registry site.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the registry site verification information includes a digital certificate.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the test agency is authorized by the subscriber to provide the results of the first medical test of the subscriber to the registry site.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the authorization of the test agency by the subscriber to provide the results of the first medical test to the registry site is required as a precondition to the subscriber reviewing the results of the first medical test.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further configured to prohibit the subscriber from denying access to the party authorized by the subscriber to any results of medical tests corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test stored in the data store.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein denying access to any results of medical tests stored corresponding to the at least one predefined type of medical test in the data store includes at least one of removing results of medical tests from the data store and modifying permissions associated with results of medical tests stored in the data store.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein indicator of the identity of the subscriber is verified by the test agency that performed the medical test.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the subscriber is prohibited from modifying the results of the first medical test stored in the data store.

24. A system for registering results of a medical test on a subscriber so that the results are accessible only to authorized parties over a communication network, as evidence of a medical condition of the subscriber, the system comprising:

a data store for maintaining results of one or more medical tests of the subscriber, wherein the results of at least one medical test of the subscriber are linked within the data store to an indicator of an identity of the subscriber comprising an image of at least the face of the subscriber, wherein the indicator is generated by the test agency that performed the medical test in conjunction with administration of the medical test, and wherein the indicator is distinct from the results of the medical test;

a processing unit in communication with the data store, wherein the processing unit is configured to;

receive, from a test agency, results of a first medical test of the subscriber performed by the test agency and an indicator of the identity of the subscriber comprising an image of at least the face of the subscriber, wherein the indicator generated by the test agency in conjunction with administration of the first medical test, wherein the first medical test corresponds to at least one predefined type of medical test, wherein the at least one predefined type of medical test is not modifiable by the subscriber, and wherein the indicator is distinct from the results of the first medical test;

process the indicator of the identity of the subscriber with the results of the first medical test to link the indicator of the identity of the subscriber and the results of the first medical test;

store, in the data store, the results of the first medical test of the subscriber linked to the indicator of the identity of the subscriber;

provide, to a party authorized by the subscriber, registry site verification information, the registry site verification information to be used by the party authorized by the subscriber in verifying trustworthiness of the registry site;

receive, from a party authorized by the subscriber, a request for at least the results of the first medical test; and

provide, to the party authorized by the subscriber, the results of the first medical test linked to indicator of the identity of the subscriber.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

receive results of a second medical test of the subscriber, wherein the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are received without an indicator of the identity of the subscriber;

store, in the data store, the results of the second medical test of the subscriber; and

provide, to the party authorized by the subscriber, the results of the second medical test of the subscriber.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the processing unit is configured to provide the results of the first medical test and rovide the results of the second medical test by display of both the results of the first medical test and the results of the second medical test, wherein display of the results of the first medical test includes display of indicator of the identity of the subscriber, and wherein display of the results of the second medical test includes display of a visual indicator indicating that the results of the second medical test of the subscriber are:

(i) not linked to an indicator of the identity the subscriber and not verified, and (ii) an entity that provided a sample used for conducting the second medical test is not confirmed.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the indicator of the identity of the subscriber is verified by the test agency that performed the medical test.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the registry site verification information includes a digital certificate.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the predefined type of medical test comprises a sexually transmitted disease screening test.