Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
  • G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
  • G16H10/00—ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of patient-related medical or healthcare data
  • G16H10/60—ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of patient-related medical or healthcare data for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G16—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS
  • G16H—HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
  • G16H40/00—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices
  • G16H40/60—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the operation of medical equipment or devices
  • G16H40/67—ICT specially adapted for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities; ICT specially adapted for the management or operation of medical equipment or devices for the operation of medical equipment or devices for remote operation
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/0002—Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network

Definitions

• This invention relates to electronic communication, such as converting unstructured information into structured information when received by a service provider from a customer.
• Computer communication allows substantial amounts of useful information to be sent and received relatively quickly and reliably. For example, individuals' can send messages to other individuals using electronic mail, and individuals can publish information for general use using the World Wide Web (the "web").
• a first advantageous use of computer communication is electronic commerce, in which information is exchanged among or between parties to a commercial transaction, such as between buyers and sellers, or between customers and providers.
• a second advantageous use of computer communication is providing an interface between a set of customers and an individual provider, so that the service provider can receive and respond to customer requests, and can solicit and fulfill customer business.
• the Incorporated Disclosures show that medical personnel (provider) can solicit information from customers (patients), so as to make effective use of the provider's expertise when interacting with a large number of customers. As shown in the Incorporated Disclosures, these advantages can be obtained for a variety of possible provider/customer interactions, and can be obtained whether the communication is initiated by the provider or by the customer.
• One problem in the known art is that communication between the customer and the provider is most efficient when the provider is able to classify the communication (effectively, rapidly, and reliably), so as to determine a response.
• medical personnel would like to determine whether the patient is calling with a question, a request for a routine service, or a medical emergency.
• service providers would like to determine whether customers are calling with purchase orders, requests for technical help, or complaints.
• One known method is to limit the types of information that are communicated.
• the provider can limit its communications to the customer for information to preselected, specific, requests for data (formatted in a pre-selected, specific, way).
• the provider can limit those communications it accepts to a set of pre-selected, specific, types, of information. While these methods generally achieve the purpose of structuring the information communicated between customer and provider, they have the drawback that any information not fitting into the pre-selected structure cannot be effectively communicated. It may occur that such information is quite important.
• the invention provides a method and system for allowing unstructured information to be communicated, and for allowing the receiver of that unstructured information to convert it into structured information for relatively effective, rapid, and reliable classification.
• Unstructured information is received and processed by a system performing a selected protocol, and in which the selected protocol determines a set of follow-on requests for information with which to respond to the unstructured information.
• the follow-on requests for information, and responses thereto allow the receiver to classify and structure the originally unstructured information. This allows the receiver to make a response that is appropriate to the originally unstructured information.
• the system performing the selected protocol includes a customer (patient) client device, such as the "Health Buddy" device described in the Incorporated Disclosures, capable of communicating with a provider server device, such as the information clearinghouse described in the Incorporated Disclosures.
• the client device can be augmented by patient sensors, patient-initiated communication elements, and transportable patient miniclient devices.
• Patient sensors can monitor or sense medical information (such as blood gas data, blood glucose data, or weight) or patient compliance with a medical regimen (such as use of prescribed medication).
• Patient Initiated communication elements can send information to the provider without prompting by the provider (such as when the patient has a question, when the patient thinks there is an alert condition, or when the patient sensors detect possible alert condition).
• Transportable patient miniclient devices can sense and record information for the patient (such r as blood gas data or heartbeat), so as to send that information to the provider when later coupled to the patient client device, and can provide a communication channel for alert messages.
• the invention provides an enabling technology for generalized communication between parties that have a need to classify information they receive, to obtain substantial advantages and capabilities that are novel and non-obvious in view of the known art. Examples described below relate to triage of patient communications with medical personnel, but the invention is broadly applicable to many different types of transactions.
• Figure 1 shows a block diagram of a system for converting unstructured information into structured information.
• Figure 2 shows a process flow diagram of a method for operating a system for converting unstructured information into structured information.
• FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system for converting unstructured information into structured information.
• a system 100 includes one or more client device(s) 110, one or more expert workstation(s) 120, and a server device 130.
• the client device 1 10, the expert workstation 120 and the service device 130 are coupled using a communication network 140.
• Each of the one or more client(s) 1 1 1 uses a client device 1 10.
• Each client device 1 10 includes an output element 1 12, an input element 1 13, a port 1 14 and a variety of peripheral appliances 1 15.
• the client 1 1 1 manipulates the client device 1 10 to send both unstructured and structured information from the client 1 1 1 to the server 130 and to receive infornlation from the protocol 131.
• Port 114 can be coupled to a -Y4riety of peripheral appliances 115, including medical sensors, medicinal applicators, or patient-initiated communication elements.
• the medical sensors and medicinal applicators can provide data for the client device 1 10, and can accept instructions from the client device 110.
• the client device 110 performs a protocol, by which it can send that data to server 130, evaluate that data, and provide instructions to the peripheral appliances 115.
• the patient-initiated communication elements can include transportable mini-clients, such as an "alert" button, a pager, a Palm Pilot or other hand-held computer, or another type of device, preferably including an input element (for receiving information and answers to protocol questions from the patient 1 11) and an output element (for presenting questions, data, and suggested actions to the patient 111 ). Integration of such transportable mini-clients into the system, such as to allow patient-initiated communication, is further described in the Incorporate Disclosures.
• transportable mini-clients such as an "alert" button, a pager, a Palm Pilot or other hand-held computer, or another type of device, preferably including an input element (for receiving information and answers to protocol questions from the patient 1 11) and an output element (for presenting questions, data, and suggested actions to the patient 111 ). Integration of such transportable mini-clients into the system, such as to allow patient-initiated communication, is further described in the Incorporate Disclosures.
• the patient-initiated communication elements and other peripheral appliances 1 15 can thus generate data, or receive patient input, and thus provide a patient-initiated communication to the server 130.
• Receipt of the unstructured formation at the server 130 alerts the server 130 to parse the unstructured information (if possible), and to select at least one client I protocol to send to the client device 1 10 for responding to that unstructured information.
• the server 130 performs a process having the following features:
• the process is responsive to selected words found in that text. For example, the process is responsive to words with medical implications such as (in a cardiac context) "chest pain” or “heart", or (in a diabetes context) "sores” or “toes".
• the process is adjusted to be more or less responsive to elected words in response to (a) new medical data about medical conditions, (b) new jargon entering or leaving common language usage, ( c) statistical or other medical information about the population of patients III being served by the server 120. For example, if the population of patients 1 1 1 includes a large number of former coal-mine workers, the process can be adjusted to be more sensitive to text regarding matters relating to breathing or coughing.
• an aspect of the invention is to select a protocol for performance at the client device 1 10, so as to convert the otherwise unstructured information presented by text (even if it can be searched in response to keywords ) to structured information by a sequence of follow-up questions and answers.
• the process is responsive to demographic or medical history information about particular patient 1 1 1 making the patient-initiated contact. For example, if the particular patient 1 1 1 has a history of heart disease or is known to be in a high-risk category for heart disease, the process gives more weight to words relating to cardiac problems, and is more likely to select a client protocol relating thereto. Similarly, if the patient-initiated contact is an undifferentiated help call, the process selects a client protocol related to the patient's medical history or most likely immediate need.
• the process is responsive to history information about patient-initiated contact relating to the particular patient 111. For example, if the particular patient 111 has a history of making very many help calls which are later shown to be unnecessary, the process is more likely to select a client protocol at a relatively lower level of alert. Similarly, if the particular patient 1 11 has a history of not making patient-initiated contacts even when other peripheral devices 1 15 indicate a real need, the process is more likely to select a client protocol at a relatively lower level of alert when the particular patient 1 1 1 finally calls for help.
• the process is responsive to medical and other data from the other peripheral devices 115 coupled to the client device 1 10.
• the process can select and send a triage protocol (as further described in the Incorporated Disclosures), which can read data from the other peripheral devices 1 15 and determine a level of immediacy required by the particular patient 1 1 1.
• the selected protocol is sent to the client device 1 10 and performed by the client device 1 10 in response to the unstructured information.
• the selected protocol in response to the unstructured information, presents structured questions and answers to the patient 1 1 1 , thus obtaining structured information from the patient 1 1 1 that can be processed in a standardized way.
• the selected protocol can receive data from the peripheral devices 1 15 in a structured format, thus obtaining structured information from the peripheral devices 1 15 that can be processed in a standardized way.
• the selected protocol can, in response to the structured information, send messages (with a selected degree of urgency) to the expert workstation 120 regarding the patient 1 1 1.
• the selected protocol can determine the urgency of the ailment or other matter, and automatically schedule an office visit, call a triage nurse, page a doctor, or call an ambulance, if the structured information indicates that the situation warrants.
• the selected protocol can, in response to the structured information, also present information to the patient 1 11. F or example, the selected protocol can reassure the patient 111 if the matter is in fact much less serious than the patient 1 11 indicates. The selected protocol can inform the patient 11 1 of the nature of the ailment or other matter, much as an in-person expert would explain at an office visit. The selected protocol can also, in response to the structured information, direct the patient 1 11 to take ameliorating steps regarding the ailment or other matter, such as to breathe deeply, lie down, or stop excessive activities.
• the selected protocol can, in response to the structured information, also control one or more peripheral devices 115 so as to ameliorate the ailment or other matter.
• the selected protocol can cause a medicinal applicator to operate, such as to open to allow the patient to consume prescription medication, or such as to automatically operate to provide the patient oxygen.
• Each of the one or more expert(s) 121 uses an expert workstation 120.
• Each expert workstation 120 includes an output element 122 and an input element 123.
• the server device 130 includes a protocol 131, a database 132 and protocol logic 133.
• Figure 2 shows a process flow diagram of a method for operating a system for converting unstructured information into structured information.
• a method 200 is performed by a system 100, as follows:
• the system 100 is ready to proceed.
• a medical expert 121 enters, at an expert workstation 120, information relating to a selected patient 11 1 and a set of protocols to possibly be performed at the client device 1 10 for that selected patient 11 1.
• the set of protocols is selected from a larger set of protocols pre-provided by a maker of the system 100 or of the expert workstation 120.
• Information relating to a selected patient III can include the patient's medical history, the patient's stated reason(s) for using the client device 1 10, the patient's current medical status, and a list of medical professionals involved with care of the client (for example a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a home health aide or local ambulance service).
• This information includes a list of key words that are relevant to the patient's medical condition(s) and history, and a set of key words.
• the set of protocols can include both scripts unique to the patient 1 1 1 , scripts related to the patient population, and one or more generic or specific triage protocols.
• the research information and set of protocols are sent to a server device 130 using the communication network 140.
• the server device 130 records the information and set of protocols in the database 132.
• the server device 130 sends the information to other health professionals involved with the care of the client 1 1 1.
• the server device 130 is ready to communicate with the client device 110, convert unstructured communications into structured one and classify communications.
• the server 130 receives unstructured information concerning a patient 11 1.
• the unstructured information can be sent from the client device 1 10, from a peripheral 1 15 associated with the client device 1 10, or from another expert workstation 120.
• the server 130 parses the unstructured information, and in response thereto, selects at least one protocol for converting the unstructured information into structured information.
• the server device 130 sends the selected protocol to the client device 1 10 where the unstructured information originated.
• the client device 1 10 performs the selected protocol, which presents questions and solicits follow-up information from the patient 1 1 1.
• Performing the selected protocol provides a set of structured information from the patient 111.
• the patient 1 1 1 interacts with the selected protocol by manipulating the client device 110.
• the selected protocol sends the structured information to the server 130.
• the server device 130 stores the structured information and the associated unstructured information in the database 132.
• expert 121 at the expert workstation 120 can review the structured information for a population of patients 11. This review can include aggregate review of the population or specific review of a selected patient 111. This review can also include detailed human review of the unstructured information (but likely will not).
• the medical expert 121 can send messages to the client 1 1 1 or client device 110 to ameliorate the circumstance that caused the client 111 to initiate the interaction. These messages could include emergency directions, medical advice, or other instructions.
• the system 100 has performed the method 200 and is ready for further unstructured information.
• the invention has general applicability to various fields of use, not necessarily related to the services described above.
• these fields of use can include one or more of, or some combination of, the following (or any related fields):
• Workplace issues This can include resume classification, tracking and analyzing workload and workers' compensation.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Primary Health Care (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Measuring And Recording Apparatus For Diagnosis (AREA)
• Medical Treatment And Welfare Office Work (AREA)

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Citations (8)

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• 2000
  • 2000-05-26 AU AU60468/00A patent/AU6046800A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2000-05-26 WO PCT/US2000/014613 patent/WO2000072452A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2000-05-26 EP EP00946764A patent/EP1198771A4/de not_active Withdrawn

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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