WO2007131220A2

WO2007131220A2 - Remote health care monitoring system and method

Info

Publication number: WO2007131220A2
Application number: PCT/US2007/068344
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mark Kennedy Vanderwerf; Anne Elizabeth Hartgerink; Chris Doherty; Marios Arnaoutoglou-Andreou
Original assignee: Amd Telehealth, Inc.
Priority date: 2006-05-05
Filing date: 2007-05-07
Publication date: 2007-11-15
Also published as: WO2007131220A3

Abstract

A system 10 for collecting data from individuals located at remote locations wherein each such individual has access to a remote device 26 including at least a data display device and a data entry device. The remote device includes a computer processor 12 running an operating system and a client remote device application program 22 compiled to run on the operating system. The system includes a central server 16 including a server application program 24 and a database14. At least one supervisor device 18 is coupled to said central server 16, for accessing a server based application program 24, for allowing a supervisor using the supervisor device 18 to enter client related information and client remote device 26 programming information into the server data base 14. At least one remote device is connectable to the server, for allowing the client remote device application program 22 to access the client remote device programming information from the server data base 14 and for configuring the remote client device 26.

Description

REMOTE HEALTH CARE MONITORING SYSTEM AND METHOD

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is related to and claims priority from US provisional Application Number 60/798,151 filed May 5, 2006 entitled Remote Health Care Monitoring System and Method, which is incorporated fully herein by reference.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION [0002] Millions of people in United States suffered from chronic health conditions. Although the numbers of people suffering from such chronic health conditions is only a small portion of the entire United States population (estimates placed this number at approximately 5% or so) upwards of 50 to 60% of the total expenses of a health care agency is utilized by this small percentage of individuals afflicted with such chronic health issues. [0003] There are numerous prior art attempts at caring for these chronically ill patients. These attempts include sending a highly trained health care professional (such as a nurse or maybe even a doctor) to the patient's home to providing the patient with a device through which the patient can report his or her condition. This report is then sent to a trained health care provider for review and evaluation. Using this latter method, a skilled health-care professional need only visit the patient on an infrequent basis. Examples of such system include, but are not limited to, United States patent number 6,381,577 and 6, 368, 273, both of which are incorporated herein by reference. [0004] All of the in-home remote monitoring systems to date have been built using specialized proprietary hardware and software. Therefore, in order to deploy and utilize such a system, the health-care organization must configure the patient's Health Care monitoring device specifically for that patient; must equip the monitoring device with all the required health care monitoring equipment; must send a trained clinician to the patient's home to install and set up the monitor; and must frequently send trained personnel to the patient's home or other location to service the device (i.e. to change batteries, reprogram the device, or add and remove Health Care monitoring equipment.) This type of system is not only expensive but time-consuming and delays deployment of the proper Health Care monitoring equipment until such time as a trained party can be sent to the patient's location. [0005] In addition, the prior art systems are generally difficult to use and intimidating to that portion of our population, typically the aged, who most need these systems. Users are easily confused or intimidated by screens which change quickly, have small hard to read tax and utilize technology or equipment which they may not be familiar with. In addition, impaired users (those who are visually, audibly or mentally impaired) have an even more difficult or impossible time with such systems.

[0006] Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method which is the easy to use, can be deployed on any number of standard platforms running a standard operating system, which can be remotely configured and reconfigured by a health care professional, which collects and stores data and a central location to be accessed and reviewed by a health care professional such as a nurse or doctor, and to which can be easily added health monitoring devices which may be needed by a specific patient. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein: [0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the deployment of a system implemented according to the present invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 as a block diagram illustrating the various exemplary client platforms on which the present invention may be deployed; and

[0010] FIGS. 3A-3D are diagrams illustrating the various supervisor and client graphical user interfaces which are part of one aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS [0011] The present invention is a client/device-server system 10, Fig. 1, that enables the collection of data, including but not limited to health data, from wired and/or wirelessly connected 13 client devices 12a, 12b, and also facilitates the manual collection of data from any device and wherein subsequently, the collected data is stored in a database 14 on a server 16. the data can be securely accessed by those who are supervising or monitoring the client activities 18a, 18b via a web connection 20 to the server 16. The system combines the use of an object oriented based client application 22, a .Net server application 24 and a SQL Server database 14. The system is designed to be extremely modular, portable and customizable. The client application portion 22 of the system 10 is platform independent can be compiled and installed on any device. Typical devices include any device that runs a common operating system such as Windows and Windows CE including but not limited to personal computers, PDA's, kiosks, mobile phones and other processor based terminals. See for example Figure 2. [0012] The system 10 is designed to enable the transmission of the data collected via POTS (standard telephone) line, Ethernet, pager or wireless communications. Types of wireless data collection which are envisioned include but not limited to Bluetooth, Zigbee, Radio Frequency (RF), InfraRed, IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15, IEEE 802.16 and IEEE P1451.5. The collected data is then immediately made available via secure web access 20 or directly from any device where the application resides.

[0013] One feature of the present invention is the provision of a graphical user interface to both the server application 24 and the client application 22. The graphical user interface provides for a series of menus which allow the supervisor 18 to enter client related information which is stored in the server data base 14. The client related information includes personal information (patient demographics) related to the client as well as information necessary to configure the client platform 12 for a particular client. The server data base 14 may also be populated by patient or client information which is imported from another database. Similarly, patient or client information stored in the database 14 may also be exported. Thus, the system of the present invention provides the database 14 with bridges to other products Configuration information includes, but is not limited to, information such as what type of questions or information will be collected from the client; when and how often will such information be collected; what type of information will be displayed to the client and how such information will be displayed including one or more types and modes of display of information such as text, color of text, color of touch screen buttons, background colors, touch screen button shading or borders, audio or video material presentation (multimedia information presentation); what language the text will be displayed in; how large will the text be (in the case of someone whose visually impaired); and how loud will sound be (for those who are audibly impaired). Typically, the questions to ask a client or patient are stored in the database 14 and the user or supervisor 18 need only pick or select which questions to ask. [0014] The configuration information also includes what types of devices 26 may be connected to a particular client platform 12. For example, in the case of a health monitoring system, a health care professional may wish to monitor a patient's blood pressure, weight, pulse, blood oxygen level, blood sugar level or the like. In such a case, one or more health monitoring devices 26 may be either incorporated into client platform 12 or may be connected to the client platform by means of any type of connection 28 such as wired or wireless (RF, infrared or the like) and even biometric devices to recognize a user or patient (such as a fingerprint reader).

[0015] In addition, the system 10 programs into the various client and her supervisor menus the necessary logic and intelligence to cause one or more menus to be displayed based on an answer to a previous question. For example, a health care patient may be asked if their feet are swollen or not. If the patient enters "no" to that question, no further questions may be asked concerning swollen feet. If, however the patient answers "yes" to that question, the system will present additional follow-up questions in an attempt to determine what the root of the patient's problem might be or to at least gather enough information to allow a trained health care professional to assess the information and make a decision as to the required follow-up care, if any.

[0016] Once the supervisor 18 has entered all of the requisite client information into the server data base 14, an individual does not have to be sent to the patient's location. Rather, the client or patient is simply given the client device 12 and told to connect it to a power supply and to a telephone line. When the client device 12 powers up for the first time, the client application 22 identifies that the client platform 12 has not been configured and accesses the server data base 14 and downloads the appropriate parameters required by the client application 22 and the client platform 12 for that particular client. In this manner, the client platform 12 is specifically configured for a particular client automatically and transparently to the client or user. Indeed, every time the unit is powered off or at various configurations programmed into the client application 22, the client application will contact the server 16 and access the server data base 14 to determine whether or not the particular client configuration has perhaps been modified or reconfigured. Thus, the client platform 12 is not only configured the first time remotely and automatically but in addition, if the supervisor determines that a change is necessary, once the supervisor enters to change into the server data base 14, that change is automatically propagated to the client platform 12 and client application 22. The system thus presents an infinitely flexible system which can be configured end or reconfigured at any time. This flexibility is provided in large part by the use of an object oriented database 14. [0017] The client platform 12 typically includes a touch screen device and preferably has the ability to send and receive text information, video information and audio information by the use of speakers, microphones and video cameras.

[0018] It is important to note that the present invention is not intended to be limited to a system or method which must satisfy one or more of any stated objects or features of the invention. It is also important to note that the present invention is not limited to the preferred, exemplary, or primary embodiment(s) described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

CLAIMSThe invention claimed is:

1. A system for collecting data from individuals located at remote locations, each such individual having access to a remote device including at least a data display device and a data entry device, said remote device including a computer processor running an operating system and a client remote device application program compiled to run on said operating system, said system comprising: a central server including a server application program and a database; at least one supervisor device, coupled to said central server, said at least one supervisor device having access to a server based application program for allowing a supervisor using said supervisor device to enter client related information and client remote device programming information into said server data base; and at least one remote device, connectable to said server, for allowing said client remote device application program to access said client remote device programming information from said server data base.