U.S. patent application number 12/096040 was filed with the patent office on 2009-12-17 for flexible care plan methods and apparatuses.
This patent application is currently assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS, N.V.. Invention is credited to Yaqiong Fang, Imtiyaz Haque, Bin Zhou.
Application Number | 20090313044 12/096040 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38123285 |
Filed Date | 2009-12-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090313044 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haque; Imtiyaz ; et
al. |
December 17, 2009 |
FLEXIBLE CARE PLAN METHODS AND APPARATUSES
Abstract
A care plan management system (10) includes storage (16)
containing (i) care management-related content (14) and (ii) a
patient care plan (21, 22, 23) including at least a schedule for
presenting selected care management-related content. A user
interface (31, 32, 33) is configured to receive and present care
management-related content. At least one processor (26, 44)
communicates with the storage and the user interface. The at least
one processor is configured to communicate care management-related
content to the user interface in accordance with the patient care
plan and to automatically adjust the schedule of the patient care
plan to free up a selected time period (54).
Inventors: |
Haque; Imtiyaz; (Cupertino,
CA) ; Fang; Yaqiong; (Milpitas, CA) ; Zhou;
Bin; (San Jose, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PHILIPS INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & STANDARDS
P.O. BOX 3001
BRIARCLIFF MANOR
NY
10510
US
|
Assignee: |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS,
N.V.
EINDHOVEN
NL
|
Family ID: |
38123285 |
Appl. No.: |
12/096040 |
Filed: |
December 5, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
December 5, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2006/054609 |
371 Date: |
June 4, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60742293 |
Dec 5, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
705/3 ;
705/2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G16H 50/20 20180101;
G16H 40/20 20180101; G16H 20/40 20180101; G16H 10/20 20180101; G16H
10/60 20180101; G16H 40/67 20180101; G16H 70/20 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/3 ;
705/2 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 50/00 20060101
G06Q050/00 |
Claims
1. A server (12) for a care management system, the server
comprising: storage (16) containing (i) care management-related
content for a plurality of content sessions and (ii) a patient care
plan (21, 22, 23) associated with a corresponding patient, the
patient care plan including at least a schedule for presenting
selected content sessions to the patient; and at least one
processor (26, 44) configured to control communication of content
sessions to the patient in accordance with the patient care plan
and to automatically adjust the schedule of the patient care plan
to free up a selected time period (54).
2. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the automatic
adjustment of the schedule includes operatively translating the
portion of the schedule that was previously coincident with and
subsequent to the selected time period (54) forward in time by a
selected translation time interval sufficient to free up the
selected time period.
3. The server (12) as set forth in claim 2, wherein the operative
translating includes increasing by the selected translation time
interval assigned times for presenting content sessions that were
previously scheduled coincident with or subsequent to the selected
time period (54).
4. The server (12) as set forth in claim 2, wherein the operatively
translating includes suspending (72) temporal movement of a
schedule pointer (70) for the selected translation time
interval.
5. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein each content
session includes content selected from a group including at least
one of: audio-video content, textual content, a text message from
medical personnel, an interactive survey, test, quiz or
questionnaire, and patient parameter monitoring.
6. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the automatic
adjustment of the schedule includes re-scheduling one or more
content sessions that were previously scheduled during the selected
time period (54) to times outside of the selected time period.
7. The server (12) as set forth in claim 6, wherein the automatic
adjustment of the schedule further includes operatively increasing
or decreasing a speed of the schedule for at least one portion of
the schedule that is proximate to but outside of the selected time
period (54).
8. The server (12) as set forth in claim 7, wherein the operative
increasing or decreasing of the speed includes adjusting assigned
times of content sessions that were previously scheduled proximate
to but outside of the selected time period (54).
9. The server (12) as set forth in claim 7, wherein the operative
increasing or decreasing of the speed includes increasing (84, 86,
88) or decreasing a temporal speed of movement of a schedule
pointer (70).
10. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the automatic
adjustment of the schedule includes inserting at least one
additional content session (122) into the schedule at a time
outside of the selected time period (54).
11. The server (12) as set forth in claim 10, wherein the inserted
content session (122) includes an interactive quiz, survey, test,
or questionnaire, and the processor (26, 44) performs further
operative adjustment based on one or more answers to the
interactive quiz, survey, test, or questionnaire.
12. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein the automatic
adjustment of the schedule includes replacing at least one content
session scheduled outside of the selected time period (54) with a
modified version of said at least one content session.
13. The server (12) as set forth in claim 1, wherein: in the
patient care plan, the selection of content sessions define two or
more goal modules having corresponding two or more schedules; and
the automatic adjusting includes automatically adjusting each
schedule independent of the other schedule or schedules.
14. A user interface (31, 32, 33) for receiving and displaying
content sessions from the server (12) of claim 1.
15. A care plan management system (10) comprising: storage (16)
containing (i) care management-related content (14) and (ii) a
patient care plan (21, 22, 23) including at least a schedule for
presenting selected care management-related content; a user
interface (31, 32, 33) configured to receive and present care
management-related content; and at least one processor (26, 44)
communicating with the storage and the user interface, the at least
one processor configured to communicate care management-related
content to the user interface in accordance with the patient care
plan and to automatically adjust the schedule of the patient care
plan to free up a selected time period (54).
16. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 15,
wherein the user interface (31, 32, 33) is selected from a group
consisting of: a television set, a television set including a
set-top box, a computer, a laptop computer, a personal data
assistant (PDA), and a cellular telephone (cellphone).
17. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 16,
wherein the at least one processor (26, 44) and the user interface
(31, 32, 33) are operatively connected via at least one network
(36) selected from the group consisting of: the Internet, a cable
television network, a satellite television network, and a cellular
telephone network.
18. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 15,
wherein the automatic adjustment of the schedule includes
operatively translating the portion of the content previously
scheduled coincident with and subsequent to the selected time
period (54) forward in time by a selected translation time interval
sufficient to free up the selected time period.
19. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 15,
wherein the automatic adjustment of the schedule includes
re-scheduling content previously scheduled during the selected time
period (54) to times outside of the selected time period.
20. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 19,
wherein the automatic adjustment of the schedule further includes
operatively increasing a schedule speed for at least one portion of
the schedule outside of the selected time period (54).
21. The care plan management system (10) as set forth in claim 15,
wherein the automatic adjustment of the schedule includes inserting
additional content (122) into the schedule at a time outside of the
selected time period (54).
22. A user interface (31, 32, 33) for receiving and displaying
content sessions from a server (12) that includes (i) storage (16)
containing care management-related content and a schedule for
presenting selected content sessions to the user and (ii) at least
one processor (26, 44) for automatically adjusting the schedule to
free up a selected time period (54), the user interface (31, 32,
33) comprising a connection with a network (36) for communicating
content from the server (12) to the user interface (31, 32, 33) and
for communicating user inputs from the user interface (31, 32, 33)
to the server (12).
23. A method for managing care, the method comprising: storing a
patient care plan (21, 22, 23) including at least a schedule for
presenting selected content to the patient; communicating the
selected content to a patient in accordance with the patient care
plan; and during the course of said communicating, automatically
adjusting the schedule of the patient care plan to free up a
selected time period (54).
24. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the automatic
adjusting includes: suspending the communicating of the selected
content to the patient for a time interval effective for freeing up
the selected time period (54).
25. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the automatic
adjusting includes: translating the scheduling of content
previously scheduled coincident with or subsequent to the selected
time period (54) by a time shift effective for freeing up the
selected time period.
26. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the automatic
adjusting includes: re-scheduling content previously scheduled
during the selected time period (54) to times outside of the
selected time period.
27. The method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the re-scheduling
includes re-scheduling at least some content previously scheduled
during the selected time period (54) to an earlier time before the
selected time period.
28. The method as set forth in claim 26, wherein the automatic
adjusting further includes: operatively increasing a speed of the
schedule for at least one portion of the schedule outside of the
selected time period (54).
29. An electronic medium or processor programmed to perform the
method of claim 23.
30. A method for managing care, the method comprising: following a
patient care plan (21, 22, 23) provided for a patient; suspending
the patient care plan for a time period; resuming the patient care
plan based on a prioritization scheme.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritization scheme
includes prioritizing portions of the care plan as essential or
non-essential.
32. The method of claim 31, wherein only essential portions of the
care plan are presented upon resumption of the care plan.
33. The method of claim 30, wherein the prioritization scheme
includes prioritizing portions of the care plan on a prioritization
level.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein upon the resumption of the care
plan, portions of the care plan with a higher prioritization level
are presented first.
35. The method of claim 33, wherein upon the resumption of the care
plan, only portions of the care plan with a predetermined
prioritization level are maintained in the care plan.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the predetermined
prioritization level is determined by parameters of the patient, a
goal module type, a care plan type, a survey response, input from
the patient's doctor or care provider, a length of time of the
suspension, an amount of portions that were suspended, a
criticality of the patient, a patient capacity or any combination
thereof.
37. The method of claim 30 further comprising flagging portions of
the care plan with a prioritization level.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The following relates to the health management arts. It
finds particular application in conjunction with out-patient
management of chronic illnesses such as congestive heart failure,
emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and so
forth, and will be described with particular reference thereto. It
finds application more generally in conjunction with methods and
apparatuses for providing care management for: chronic diseases;
rehabilitation from a catastrophic event such as a stroke or an
automobile accident; managing weight; controlling insomnia;
redressing health-impacting lifestyle issues such as smoking or
poor diet or inadequate physical exercise; avoiding potential
medical conditions such as osteoporosis or tooth decay; and so
forth.
[0002] Medical professionals recognize that providing extended-term
health care management assistance to chronically ill patients is an
important aspect of treating the chronic illness and assuring the
patient a high quality of life. Extended term health management is
typically performed on an out-patient basis, and is typically
wholly or in large part self-administered, perhaps with occasional
help from weekly therapy classes or so forth. It is well known,
however, that patients often fail to adequately follow the
prescribed health care plan outside of a hospital or other
supervised setting. This failure can result from lack of
understanding of how to perform health care activities, apathy or
lack of motivation, fear of failure, or so forth.
[0003] Such problems can in principle be overcome by increased
one-on-one interaction between the patient and medical personnel.
For example, a daily visit to the patient by a traveling nurse
could help ensure that the patient is taking medications in a
timely fashion and following prescribed dietary and exercise
regimens. However, it is often not feasible to provide such
intensive one-on-one sessions due to high cost, lack of available
medical personnel, or so forth.
[0004] In some cases, the patient can choose to access a hospital
website or other on-line (e.g., Internet-based) medical database to
pull information relevant to the patient's care plan. However, the
patient may not have Internet access, or may be unable to navigate
a complex on-line medical database. Moreover, providing access to
on-line databases does nothing to help patients who are
unmotivated. Other approaches that have been used include providing
the patient with instructional or motivational videos. However,
these approaches do not provide interactive assistance of a type
likely to encourage the patient to follow care plan regimens.
Moreover, passive videos are difficult to personalize so as to
directly address specific issues related to the patient.
[0005] Royal Philips Electronics, Cardiovascular Associates of the
Delaware Valley, and Comcast Corporation have announced a
cooperative effort called Motiva.TM. to provide a test group of
chronic heart failure patients with a remote patient management
broadband-enabled platform for connecting the test patients with
their healthcare community. The Motiva.TM. system provides a cable
television-based interactive health care management platform, in
which content such as educational video, medication scheduling,
personalized encouragement and reinforcement, and so forth, is
pushed to the patient based on a personalized health care plan.
Feedback from the patient, for example through the use of
interactive surveys, enables the Motiva.TM. system to adjust or
personalize content to the needs of each patient. The Motiva.TM.
system can deliver personalized health care management assistance
to patients on a daily or more frequent basis.
[0006] One problem that arises in maintaining such a personalized
interactive care management system is time management. Typically,
the care plan is organized into content sessions that are presented
to the patient on a pre-determined schedule. This approach works
well as long as the patient adheres to the schedule. However, the
patient may go on vacation, take a work-related trip, or encounter
another situation which causes the patient to miss one or more
scheduled sessions.
[0007] The patient may attempt to "squeeze in" the missed session
by accessing several sessions in succession on the same day or over
a few days. However, this approach can lead to information overload
if the sessions are long or complex, resulting in the patient
failing to comprehend important content. Alternatively, the patient
may skip a queued session entirely, which may also cause the
patient to miss important content. Moreover, in some cases, it may
not be enough to access the queued sessions. For example, if the
patient goes on a long vacation, it may be appropriate for the
patient to review one or more sessions that had been presented
before commencement of the vacation, in order to allow the patient
to catch up.
[0008] The following contemplates improvements that overcome the
aforementioned limitations and others.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0009] According to one aspect, a server for a care management
system is disclosed, including storage and at least one processor.
The storage contains (i) care management-related content for a
plurality of content sessions and (ii) a patient care plan
associated with a corresponding patient. The patient care plan
includes at least a schedule for presenting selected content
sessions to the patient. The at least one processor is configured
to control communication of content sessions to the patient in
accordance with the patient care plan and to automatically adjust
the schedule of the patient care plan to free up a selected time
period.
[0010] According to another aspect, a care plan management system
is disclosed. Storage contains (i) care management-related content
and (ii) a patient care plan including at least a schedule for
presenting selected care management-related content. A user
interface is configured to receive and present care
management-related content. At least one processor communicates
with the storage and the user interface. The at least one processor
is configured to communicate care management-related content to the
user interface in accordance with the patient care plan and to
automatically adjust the schedule of the patient care plan to free
up a selected time period.
[0011] According to another aspect, a method is disclosed for
managing care. A patient care plan is stored, including at least a
schedule for presenting selected content to the patient. The
selected content is communicated to a patient in accordance with
the patient care plan. During the course of said communicating, the
schedule of the patient care plan is automatically adjusted to free
up a selected time period.
[0012] One advantage resides in a well-ordered resumption of a
patient care plan after a vacation or other interruption of the
plan.
[0013] Another advantage resides in ensuring that the patient does
not miss information or other content of the patient's care plan
due to vacation or other interruption of the plan
[0014] Another advantage resides in enabling a patient to get back
on schedule after a vacation or other interruption of a care plan,
while avoiding overloading the patient with content upon resumption
of the plan.
[0015] Numerous additional advantages and benefits will become
apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the
following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The invention may take form in various components and
arrangements of components, and in various process operations and
arrangements of process operations. The drawings are only for the
purpose of illustrating preferred embodiments and are not to be
construed as limiting the invention.
[0017] FIG. 1 diagrammatically shows principal components of a
personalized interactive care management assistance system.
[0018] FIG. 2 diagrammatically shows an initial absolute-date
schedule of a patient care plan.
[0019] FIG. 3 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 2 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with and subsequent to the patient's vacation.
The revised schedule frees up the vacation period.
[0020] FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows another initial absolute-date
schedule of a patient care plan.
[0021] FIG. 5 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with and subsequent to the patient's vacation.
The revised schedule frees up the vacation period.
[0022] FIG. 6 diagrammatically shows an initial relative-date
schedule corresponding to the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4.
[0023] FIG. 7 diagrammatically shows a revised relative-date
schedule constructed from the initial relative-date schedule of
FIG. 6 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with and subsequent to the patient's vacation.
The revised schedule frees up the vacation period.
[0024] FIG. 8 diagrammatically shows operative adjustment of the
initial relative-date schedule of FIG. 6 to free up the vacation by
suspending movement of the schedule pointer during the
vacation.
[0025] FIG. 9 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with the patient's vacation, and speeding up
the schedule in the time period proximate to but after the
vacation. The revised schedule frees up the vacation period.
[0026] FIG. 10 diagrammatically shows operative adjustment of the
initial relative-date schedule of FIG. 6 to free up the vacation by
suspending movement of the schedule pointer during the vacation so
as to free up the vacation period, and also speeds up the schedule
subsequent to the vacation by speeding up movement of the schedule
pointer in the time period proximate to but after the vacation.
[0027] FIG. 11 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with the patient's vacation, and speeding up
the schedule in the earlier and later time periods proximate to but
not coinciding with the vacation. The revised schedule frees up the
vacation period.
[0028] FIG. 12 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by omission of presentation of the content sessions
coinciding with the patient's vacation, and by replacing content
sessions in the time period proximate to but after the vacation
with modified content sessions that include make-up material.
[0029] FIG. 13 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with the patient's vacation, and by addition of
a repeat presentation of the content session immediately preceding
the vacation. The revised schedule frees up the vacation period and
also provides a review of content covered just prior to
commencement of the vacation.
[0030] FIG. 14 diagrammatically shows a revised absolute-date
schedule constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule of
FIG. 4 by translation of scheduled presentations of content
sessions coinciding with the patient's vacation, and by addition of
a new content session providing a health survey of the patient to
assess changes in physical condition that may have occurred during
the vacation. The revised schedule frees up the vacation period.
Presentation of Session #3 and subsequent sessions is contingent
upon satisfactory answers to the health survey.
[0031] FIG. 15 diagrammatically shows initial absolute-date
schedules of a patient care plan that includes two goal
modules.
[0032] FIG. 16 diagrammatically shows independently revised
absolute-date schedules for the two goal modules constructed from
the initial absolute-date schedules of FIG. 15. Both revised
schedules free up the vacation period.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0033] With reference to FIG. 1, a personalized interactive care
management system 10 includes a server 12 for distributing care
management-related content. In the example system 10, the content
is arranged in a content database 14 stored on storage 16. The
server 12 can be embodied in various ways, such as by a centralized
computer or computer server, a desktop computer, or so forth. The
care management-related content is suitably arranged as content
sessions each of which typically includes video content, textual
content, surveys, questionnaires, or so forth, or various
combinations thereof. For example, content sessions may be provided
that are directed toward aspects of reducing weight, stopping
smoking, learning to self-administer a medication, learning to use
a biometric monitor, learning to follow a dietary restriction such
as a low-salt diet, learning to follow a dietary requirement such
as a high-fiber diet, performing a physical exercise, or so forth.
Optionally, a session may include more than one task or element,
such as both audio-video content and a weight measurement
acquisition, or patient instruction content followed by an
interactive quiz, or so forth.
[0034] To enable personalized distributing of content, each patient
in the system 10 has an associated care plan that in the
illustrated embodiment is stored in a care plans partition 18 of
the storage 16. The example storage 16 is logically partitioned to
define the content database 14 and the care plan storage 18;
however, in other embodiments the storage may include two or more
storage elements, which may be different storage media, for storing
the care management-related content and the care plan or care
plans. In the illustrated embodiment, the storage 16 stores a care
plan 21 for Patient #1, a care plan 22 for Patient #2, and a care
plan 23 for Patient #3. While only three care plans 21, 22, 23
associated with a corresponding three Patients #1, #2, #3 are
illustrated, it is contemplated that the server 12 may store care
plans for hundreds or thousands of different patients. As used
herein, the term "patient" encompasses persons recovering from
surgery, stroke, heart failure, or another condition, persons
suffering a chronic illness, or so forth. As used herein, the term
"patient" also encompasses other users of the health management
system 10 who may be generally healthy but who are following a
health management program assisted by the system 10 to maintain
fitness, control weight, avoid osteoporosis, or otherwise maintain
a healthy condition or make health-related lifestyle
modifications.
[0035] A processor 26 determines content to be distributed to each
patient based on a schedule of the patient care plan of that
patient. The processor 26 is configured to control communication of
content to the patient in accordance with the patient care plan of
that patient. Optionally, rules are applied to determine which
content is presented to which patient or patients, the ordering of
such content presentation, and so forth. Such rules are optionally
used to construct the schedule of each patient care plan. For
example, care plan templates may be provided that specify selected
content sessions and an order of presentation or linkages between
the selected content sessions. Alternatively, the schedule can be
constructed more directly, for example by a physician who selects
which content sessions to send to his or her patient, and in what
order. A communication interface 28 of the server 12 communicates
the selected care management-related content to the patient at his
or her respective user interface. For example: the communication
interface 28 communicates content intended for Patient #1 to a user
interface 31 that is accessible by Patient #1; the communication
interface 28 communicates content intended for Patient #2 to a user
interface 32 that is accessible by Patient #2; the communication
interface 28 communicates content intended for Patient #3 to a user
interface 33 that is accessible by Patient #3; and so forth.
[0036] The user interfaces 31, 32, 33 can employ substantially any
hardware capable of providing content presentation and capable of
providing feedback to the server 12 via the communication interface
28. For example, the user interfaces 31, 32, 33 can be embodied by
hardware such as: a desktop computer; a laptop computer; a personal
data assistant (PDA); a cellular telephone (i.e., cellphone); a
television set having Internet connectivity integrally included and
operated by a television-type remote control or other input device;
a digital or analog television set having Internet connectivity
provided by an add-on set-top unit and operated by a television
remote control, set-top unit remote control, or other input device;
or so forth. The communication interface 28 is operatively
connected with each of the user interfaces 31, 32, 33 by a pathway
or pathways 36 such as the Internet, a cable television network, a
satellite television network, a cellular telephone network, or so
forth. Moreover, the communication interface 28 optionally includes
more than one communication interface. For example, it is
contemplated for different user interfaces to connect with the
communication interface 28 by different pathways each employing
different interface hardware and software. For example, the user
interface 31 might be a computer operatively connected with the
communication interface 28 by the Internet, while the user
interface 32 might be a cellphone connected with the communication
interface 28 by a cellular telephone network. To construct such an
embodiment, the communication interface 28 suitably includes an
Internet port component, and a cellular telephone network port. The
pathway or pathways 36 are advantageously secure links because
private medical information may be conveyed across the pathway or
pathways 36. However, unsecured pathways can also be used.
Similarly, each user interface 31, 32, 33 may optionally include
more than one user interface. For example, Patient #1 may be able
to access the server 12 by his or her computer and also by his or
her cellphone. Optionally, the user interface may include one or
more biometric feedback monitors each of which measures at least
one biometric parameter of an patient that is communicated to the
server via the communication interface 28. Suitable biometric
monitors may include, for example: a saturated blood oxygen level
(SpO.sub.2) monitor; a heart rate monitor; a blood pressure
monitor; a weight scale; an electrocardiograph (ECG); or so forth.
Biometric feedback monitors may be patient-activated--for example,
the patient may weigh himself or herself, and then input the weight
via the user interface 31, 32, 33. In other embodiments, a patient
parameter monitoring session may be included in the schedule, which
patient parameter monitoring session leads the patient through the
weighing or other biometric monitoring process. In yet other
embodiments, a patient parameter monitoring session may be provided
which is user-transparent--the session runs concurrently with an
instructional session or other session to record patient biometric
monitoring data during the instruction.
[0037] Maintenance of the server 12 is suitably performed by an
administrator via an administrator interface 40. In some
embodiments, the administrator interface 40 is suitably a network
administrator account having a high level of access to the server
12. The administrator may, for example, add new care
management-related content, delete obsolete or outdated care
management-related content, organize content, modify or update
content flow rules, or so forth. In some embodiments, medical
personnel such as doctors or nurses can directly generate and/or
update the patient care plans 21, 22, 23 by directly accessing the
server 12 via medical personnel interfaces 41, 42. Medical
personnel are optionally assigned a lower level of access through a
regular user account or other network account providing lower level
access limited, for example, to patients of a doctor who is
accessing the system 10. For example, the first medical personnel
interface 41 accesses the patient care plans 21, 22 of Patients #1
and #2 who are patients of the doctor employing the first medical
personnel interface 41, while the second medical personnel
interface 42 accesses the patient care plan 23 of Patient #3 who is
a patient of the doctor employing the second medical personnel
interface 42. In some embodiments, medical personnel interfaces 41,
42 are omitted, and one or more system administrators perform all
creation and updating of the patient care plans 21, 22, 23 via the
administrator interface 40, and in accordance with instructions
from the patient's physician or other medical personnel.
[0038] The personalized interactive care management system 10
depicted in FIG. 1 is an example of a relatively centralized system
having data storage and computational aspects being disposed at a
centralized server 12. Other layouts or system configurations can
be employed. For example, the server 12 can be a distributed server
embodied by two or more intercommunicating physical computers or
other electronic devices communicating via a wired or wireless
local area network, the Internet, or another network.
[0039] As another example layout or configuration, in some
contemplated embodiments copies of the stored data and processing
instructions and rules are loaded onto the patient's home computer,
laptop computer, PDA, cellphone, or other personal electronic
device as a local instance of the management system. The local
instance can be loaded onto the patient's computer or other
personal electronic device from a compact optical disk (CD) or
other portable storage element, or can be loaded by data
transmission via the Internet, a cellular telephone network, or so
forth. Each patient receives a copy of the system with only his or
her own patient care plan included. The patient's home computer
embodies the server 12 by executing the local instance of the
system, and also embodies the user interface 31, 32, 33.
Optionally, the instance disposed on the patient's computer or
other personal electronic device communicates survey results,
biometric measurements, or other feedback to the hospital, doctor's
office, or so forth via the Internet or another network.
[0040] With continuing reference to FIG. 1, each patient care plan
21, 22, 23 is constructed with a schedule that is initially
determined or presumed to be suitable for the corresponding
patient. However, in the course of carrying out the schedule, it
may be found that the patient is unavailable, or will be
unavailable, during an initially scheduled time for presenting one
or more missed content sessions. To enable rescheduling during the
course of communicating content in accordance with the schedule, a
set of re-scheduling rules 44 configures the processor 26 to
automatically adjust the schedule of the patient care plan to free
up a patient unavailability time period or other selected time
period during which one or more content sessions were originally
scheduled. The re-scheduling rules are typically set up by medical
personnel when the schedule is constructed or at the time of the
re-scheduling; however, it is also contemplated to configure the
user interface to enable the patient to set up the re-scheduling
rules.
[0041] With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the first of a number of
illustrative examples of applying the re-scheduling rules 44 is set
forth. FIG. 2 shows an initial schedule 46, which includes Sessions
#A, #B, #C, #D, and #E scheduled for Monday Aug. 7, 2006 through
Friday August 11, respectively. The patient is then scheduled to
take off the weekend, namely Saturday August 12 and Sunday August
13. Note that this is not an example of patient unavailability, but
rather a weekend break intentionally built into the initial
schedule 46. Sessions #F, #G, and #H are scheduled for Monday Aug.
14, 2006 through Wednesday August 16, respectively.
[0042] The schedule 46 of FIG. 2 employs absolute dates that are
applied with reference to a system clock 50. The system clock 50
may, for example, be the system clock of a computer embodying the
server 12. In the examples illustrated herein, the schedules for
the patient care plans and the system clock 50 each have a temporal
granularity of days, which is a typical time increment for a
medical care plan. For example, the patient may be expected to view
an exercise video every day, take certain medications on a daily
basis, or so forth. However, typical digital system clocks have
very fine temporal resolution down to the level of a second or
smaller time intervals, and accordingly the schedule for the
medical care plan can be constructed with a smaller granularity of
hours, minutes, or so forth. On the other hand, the schedule can
optionally be constructed with a larger granularity such as a
week-based granularity.
[0043] During the course of presenting content sessions in
accordance with the initial schedule 46 of FIG. 2, the patient
realizes he or she has a vacation 54 scheduled for three days
spanning Wednesday Aug. 9, 2005 through Friday Aug. 11, 2005.
Accordingly, the patient provides notice of the planned vacation to
the server 12 via his or her respective user interface 31, 32, 33.
In response, the processor 26 automatically adjusts the schedule 46
in accordance with the re-scheduling rules 44 to free up the
patient unavailability time period corresponding to the vacation
54.
[0044] This automatic adjustment of the schedule can be done in
various ways. The result of one suitable automatic adjustment is a
revised schedule 46' shown in FIG. 3. In the revised schedule 46',
the processor 26 has translated the portion of the schedule 46 that
was coincident with and subsequent to the patient unavailability or
other selected time period 54 forward in time by a selected
translation time interval of five days corresponding to the three
days of vacation plus the two weekend days. Accordingly, Session C
is now scheduled for Monday Aug. 14, 2006, Session D is now
scheduled for Tuesday Aug. 15, 2006, Session C is now scheduled for
Wednesday Aug. 16, 2006, and so forth. The three vacation days
spanning August 9-11 inclusive are suitably labeled as "N/A"
indicating that the patient is unavailable, or are left occupied or
undesignated on the revised schedule 46'.
[0045] With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, another example is provided
of applying the re-scheduling rules 44. FIG. 4 shows an initial
schedule 56, which includes Sessions #1-#10 scheduled for Monday
Aug. 7, 2006 through Wednesday August 16 inclusive, respectively.
Here the patient does not take off the weekend of Saturday August
12 and Sunday August 13. During the course of presenting content
sessions in accordance with the initial schedule 56 of FIG. 4, the
patient realizes he or she has the vacation 54 scheduled for three
days spanning Wednesday Aug. 9, 2005 through Friday Aug. 11, 2005.
The patient provides notice of the planned vacation to the server
12 via his or her respective user interface 31, 32, 33. In
response, the processor 26 automatically adjusts the schedule 56 in
accordance with the re-scheduling rules 44 to free up the patient
unavailability time period corresponding to the vacation 54, thus
producing the revised schedule 56' shown in FIG. 5. In the revised
schedule 56', the processor 26 has operatively translated the
portion of the schedule 56 that was coincident with and subsequent
to the patient unavailability or other selected time period 54
forward in time by a selected translation time interval of three
days corresponding to the three days of vacation. Accordingly,
Session #3 is now scheduled for Saturday Aug. 12, 2006, Session #4
is now scheduled for Sunday Aug. 13, 2006, and so forth.
[0046] The schedules 46, 46', 56, 56' employ absolute dates that
are applied with reference to the system clock 50. However, in some
embodiments the schedule does not employ absolute dates, but rather
employs relative dates in conjunction with a schedule pointer.
[0047] With reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, an equivalent of the
initial scheduling and rescheduling of FIGS. 4 and 5 is performed
using such a relative-date schedule. FIG. 6 shows an initial
relative-date schedule 66, which includes the same Sessions #1-#10
as in FIG. 4, identically scheduled for Monday Aug. 7, 2006 through
Wednesday August 16 inclusive, respectively. This schedule will be
interrupted by the same vacation 54 as in the example of FIG. 4.
However, the schedule 56 employs relative dates, so that Session #1
is presented on relative Day 1, Session #2 is presented on relative
Day 2, Session #3 is presented on relative Day 3, and so forth. On
the date Tuesday Aug. 8, 2006, as indicated by the system clock 50,
a schedule pointer 70 points to Day 2, so that Session #2 which is
presented on Day 2 is presented on Tuesday Aug. 8, 2006, as
indicated by the system clock 50. When the patient realizes he or
she has the vacation 54 scheduled for three days spanning Wednesday
Aug. 9, 2005 through Friday Aug. 11, 2005, the patient provides
notice of the planned vacation to the server 12 via his or her
respective user interface 31, 32, 33. In response, the processor 26
automatically adjusts the schedule 66 in accordance with the
re-scheduling rules 44 to free up the patient unavailability time
period corresponding to the vacation 54, thus producing the revised
relative-date schedule 66' shown in FIG. 7. In the revised schedule
66', the processor 26 has operatively translated the portion of the
schedule 66 that was coincident with and subsequent to the patient
unavailability time period forward in time by a selected
translation time interval of three days corresponding to the three
days of vacation. Accordingly, Session #3 is now scheduled for
relative Day 6 corresponding to Saturday Aug. 12, 2006, Session #4
is now scheduled for relative Day 7 corresponding to Sunday Aug.
13, 2006, Session #5 is now scheduled for relative Day 8
corresponding to Monday Aug. 14, 2006, and so forth. Thus, the
re-scheduling from the initial relative-date schedule 66 to the
revised relative-date schedule 66' is equivalent to the
re-scheduling from the initial absolute-date schedule 56 to the
revised absolute-date schedule 56'.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 8, re-scheduling can also be
performed by a different type of automatic adjustment when using a
relative-date schedule such as the initial schedule 66. Because the
dates are relative, a three-day operative translation of the
portion of the schedule coincident with and subsequent to the
vacation 54 can be achieved by issuing an instruction 72 to suspend
temporal movement of the schedule pointer 70 for the selected
three-day translation time interval. In this way, the movement of
the schedule pointer 70 from Day 2 to Day 3 will not occur for
three days after the present Aug. 8, 2006 date. That is, the
movement of the schedule pointer 70 from Day 2 to Day 3 will occur
between Friday August 11 and Saturday August 12, so that on
Saturday Aug. 12, 2006 the Session #3 will be performed. With
movement of the schedule pointer 70 thereafter unsuspended, it
follows that Session #4 will be performed on Day 4 now
corresponding to Sunday Aug. 13, 2006, Session #5 will be performed
on Day 5 now corresponding to Monday Aug. 14, 2006, and so
forth.
[0049] The revised schedule produced by the automatic adjustment
depends upon the choice of rescheduling rules 44 followed by the
processor 26 in performing the schedule adjustment. Some further
illustrative examples of suitable automatic adjustments of the
absolute-date or relative-date initial schedules 56, 66 of FIGS. 4
and 6, respectively, so as to free up the time period of patient
unavailability 54 are described with reference to FIGS. 9-14.
[0050] With reference to FIG. 9, an alternative revised
absolute-date schedule 80 is obtained from the initial
absolute-date schedule 56 by applying different selected
rescheduling rules 44 that include speeding up the schedule in the
time period proximate to but after the patient unavailability time
period corresponding to the vacation 54. The revised schedule 80
includes a doubling-up of content sessions on the dates of Saturday
Aug. 12, 2006, Monday Aug. 14, 2006, and Wednesday Aug. 16, 2006
which are proximate to but outside of the patient unavailability
time period corresponding to the vacation 54. On the first day back
from vacation 54, that is, on Saturday Aug. 12, 2006, the patient
accesses both Session #3 and Session #4. On the third day back from
vacation 54, that is, on Monday Aug. 14, 2006, the patient accesses
both Session #6 and Session #7. On the fifth day back from vacation
54, that is, on Wednesday Aug. 16, 2006, the patient accesses both
Session #9 and Session #10. Comparison with the initial schedule 56
of FIG. 4 shows that by the end of the fifth day back, the patient
is back on schedule. Hence, any future sessions (such as
unillustrated Session #11, Session #12, and so forth) are unchanged
between the initial schedule 56 and the revised schedule 80. (It
will be noted, by contrast, that the revised schedule 56' of FIG. 5
always remains three days behind the initial schedule 56 after the
translational three-day revision without speed-up of the schedule.)
Construction of the revised schedule 80 also involved adjusting
assigned times of content sessions that were previously scheduled
proximate to but outside of the patient unavailability time period.
Thus, for example, Session #8, which was in the initial schedule 56
assigned for presentation on Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, is in the
revised schedule 80 assigned to be presented on Tuesday August
15.
[0051] When using relative-time scheduling, a speeded-up schedule
can be constructed in the same way as the absolute-time schedule 80
was constructed, that is, by shifting the assigned times of
sessions (albeit in relative time) appropriately.
[0052] With reference to FIG. 10, another approach can be used to
generate a revised speeded-up relative-time schedule. The
relative-time schedule 66 continues to be followed, but with the
automatic schedule adjustments being operatively achieved by
adjusting the movement of the schedule pointer 70. As in the
automatic adjusting of FIG. 8, at Day 2 the instruction 72 is
issued by the processor 26 to suspend temporal movement of the
schedule pointer 70 for the selected three-day translation time
interval. This frees up the three-day vacation 54. Upon resumption
of movement of the schedule pointer 70 at Day 3, an instruction 84
is issued to increase movement speed of the schedule pointer 70 by
a factor of two. In this way, both the Session #3 scheduled for Day
3 and the Session #4 scheduled for Day 4 are accomplished in
real-time on the same day, namely on Saturday Aug. 12, 2006. On Day
5 which in real-time is now Sunday Aug. 13, 2006, an instruction 85
is issued to resume normal speed of the schedule pointer 70.
Accordingly, on Day 5 corresponding to Sunday Aug. 13, 2006, only
Session #5 is presented. On Day 6 corresponding to Monday Aug. 14,
2006, an instruction 86 is issued to increase movement speed by a
factor of two. In this way, both the Session #6 scheduled for Day 6
and the Session #7 scheduled for Day 7 are accomplished in
real-time on the same day, namely on Monday Aug. 14, 2006. On Day 8
which in real-time is now Tuesday Aug. 15, 2006, an instruction 87
is issued to resume normal speed of the schedule pointer 70.
Accordingly, on Day 8 corresponding to Tuesday Aug. 15, 2006, only
Session #8 is presented. On Day 9 corresponding to Wednesday Aug.
16, 2006, an instruction 88 is issued to increase movement speed by
a factor of two. In this way, both the Session #9 scheduled for Day
9 and the Session #10 scheduled for Day 10 are accomplished in
real-time on the same day, namely on Wednesday Aug. 16, 2006. On
Day 11 which in real-time is now Thursday Aug. 17, 2006, an
instruction 89 is issued to resume normal speed of the schedule
pointer 70. Accordingly, on Day 11 corresponding to Thursday Aug.
17, 2006, only Session #11 is presented. Thereafter, the scheduling
is back to the initial scheduling of FIG. 6, and so no further
pointer movement adjustments are called for. It will be appreciated
that this relative-date schedule processing produces the same
real-time result as the revised absolute-date schedule 80 of FIG.
9.
[0053] With reference to FIG. 11, in another alternative revised
absolute-date schedule 90 differs from the revised schedule 80 of
FIG. 9 in that the session #3 is doubled-up with Session #2 on
Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2006, which is proximate to but before the patient
unavailability time period corresponding to the vacation 54. This
approach is optionally used if the patient provides enough advance
notice of the patient unavailability or other selected time period
54. In effect, a portion of the speeded-up scheduling is disposed
temporally before the patient unavailability time period
corresponding to the vacation 54, so that after the vacation 54
only two doubled-up days are needed (Sunday August 13 and Tuesday
August 15 in the revised schedule 90 of FIG. 11) to get back onto
the initial schedule after the vacation 54.
[0054] In the same way that the schedule can be speeded up, the
schedule can also be slowed down, either by translating sessions or
by changing the speed of the schedule pointer. A schedule slow-down
may be desirable, for example, just before a vacation to taper off
the patient's scheduled activities.
[0055] FIG. 12 depicts another alternative revised absolute-date
schedule 100 constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule 56
of FIG. 4. The revised schedule 100 enables speeding up of the
schedule portion proximate to but after the patient unavailability
time period corresponding to the vacation 54. In the revised
schedule 100, the Sessions #3, #4, and #5 which were previously
scheduled coincident with the patient unavailability time period 54
are now omitted. To cover the a material of these content sessions,
the Sessions #6, #7, and #8 which were previously scheduled
subsequent to the patient unavailability time period 54 are
replaced by modified Sessions #6', #7', and #8' which include
make-up material corresponding to that of omitted Sessions #3, #4,
and #5. This approach can be useful in that the modified Sessions
#6', #7', and #8' may include the subject matter of the omitted
Sessions #3, #4, and #5 in an abbreviated or concise manner, thus
enabling the patient to catch up more quickly than by doubling-up
sessions as in the revised schedule 80. However, implementing the
schedule 100 calls for availability of the modified Sessions #6',
#7', and #8' which include the additional material.
[0056] FIG. 13 depicts another alternative revised absolute-date
schedule 110 constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule 56
of FIG. 4. The revised schedule 110 is similar to the revised
schedule 56' of FIG. 5 that is constructed by applying a
translational three-day revision to all scheduled content
coincident with or subsequent to the patient unavailability time
period corresponding to the vacation 54. The revised schedule 110
differs from the revised schedule 56' in two ways. First, a
four-day translation is used, rather than a three-day translation.
Thus, in the revised schedule 110, Session #3 is scheduled for
presentation on Sunday, Aug. 13, 2006, Session #4 is scheduled for
presentation on Monday, Aug. 14, 2006, and so forth. It will be
appreciated that the four-day translation frees up both the three
days of the vacation 54 (Wednesday August 9 through Friday August
11) and the first day after the vacation 54 (Saturday Aug. 12,
2006). The second difference between revised schedule 110 and
revised schedule 56' is that Session #2 which was presented on
Tuesday Aug. 8, 2006, that is, just before commencement of the
vacation 54, is in the revised schedule 110 scheduled for
re-presentation on Saturday Aug. 12, 2006. This approach of
adjusting the schedule to re-present one or more sessions that were
presented before commencement of the patient unavailability time
period 54 can be useful in situations where the patient may need a
refresher session. Rather than re-presenting an entire previously
presented session, a different, shortened review session that
summarizes the pre-vacation session may be presented after return
from the vacation 54.
[0057] FIG. 14 depicts another alternative revised absolute-date
schedule 120 constructed from the initial absolute-date schedule 56
of FIG. 4. The revised schedule 120 is similar to the revised
schedule 56' of FIG. 5 that is constructed by applying a
translational three-day revision to all scheduled content
coincident with or subsequent to patient unavailability time period
corresponding to the vacation 54. The revised schedule 120 differs
from the revised schedule 56' in that on the first day after the
vacation 54, that is on Saturday Aug. 12, 2006, an added content
session 122, namely Session HS containing an interactive health
survey, is presented. The health survey Session HS 122 is
doubled-up with Session #3 on Saturday Aug. 12, 2006. The patient
answers questions presented in Session HS 122, which may for
example include an interactive quiz, survey, test, or
questionnaire. The illustrated revised schedule 120 is tentative in
that the scheduled presentation of Session #3 and subsequent
sessions is conditional upon the survey answers indicating that the
patient is in satisfactory condition. However, if the patient's
answers to the health survey Session HS 122 are unsatisfactory (for
example, indicating a substantial weight gain over the vacation 54,
an injury sustained over the vacation 54, a demonstration of
insufficient retention of previously covered material, or so
forth), then an alternative revised subsequent schedule may be
applied, such as inserting another session which suggests that the
patient schedule a follow-up visit with the doctor, suggesting that
the patient go back to Session #1 for review purposes, or starting
a different series targeting a more pressing condition that
developed during the vacation.
[0058] With reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, in some embodiments the
content sessions are organized into modules, such as the
illustrated Goal Module #1 and Goal Module #2 of FIG. 15. Goal
Module #1 is constructed of the Sessions #1-#10 of the schedule of
FIG. 4, while Goal Module #2 is constructed of different Sessions
#A-#H. For example, the Goal Module #1 may be directed toward the
goal of increasing patient exercise, while the Goal Module #2 may
be directed toward a different goal such as teaching the patient to
use a certain medical device. As shown in FIG. 15, the two goal
modules are suitably independently scheduled. The initial schedule
for Goal Module #1 is the same as that of FIG. 4, while an initial
schedule 130 is constructed for Goal Module #2. Thus, for example,
on Monday Aug. 7, 2006 the patient is presented with Session #1
from Goal Module #1 and Session #A is presented from Goal Module
#2; on Tuesday Aug. 8, 2006 the patient is presented with Session
#2 from Goal Module #1 and Session #B is presented from Goal Module
#2; and so forth. Alternatively, the sessions of the two Goal
Modules can be interleaved, e.g., presented on alternate days.
[0059] With reference to FIG. 16, each of the two schedules 56, 130
are suitably independently adjusted to achieve rescheduling that
frees up the patient unavailability time period corresponding to
the vacation 54. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the schedule 56
is adjusted by a three-day time translation of the Sessions #3-#10
to produce the revised schedule 56' of FIG. 5 for Goal Module #1.
In contrast, a revised schedule 130' is constructed for Goal Module
#2 by speeding up the schedule 130 proximate to but outside of the
vacation 54. Thus, the Session #C which was initially coincident
with the vacation 54 is doubled up with Session #B on Tuesday, Aug.
8, 2006 just prior to the vacation 54. Sessions #D and #E also
initially coincident with the vacation 54 are doubled-up on the
first day after the vacation 54, that is, on Saturday August 12.
Session #F which was initially scheduled for Saturday August 12
(proximate to but outside of the vacation 54) is assigned a new
presentation date of Sunday August 13. Session #G which was
initially scheduled for Sunday August 13 (proximate to but outside
of the vacation 54) is assigned a new presentation date of Monday
August 14, thus doubling-up with Session #H so that the revised
schedule 130' for Goal Module #2 completes on the same day as the
initial schedule 130 for Goal Module #2. The two Goal Modules may
each be re-scheduled as suggested in one of the preceding
embodiments or other patterns.
[0060] The rescheduling performed by the suitably configured
processor 26, 44 can be performed multiple times. For example, the
initial schedules of FIG. 15 may be automatically adjusted to
produce the revised schedules of FIG. 16. Thereafter, if another
period of patient unavailability arises, the schedules of FIG. 16
may be further automatically adjusted to produce a further revised
schedule (not shown) that frees up the newly recognized period of
patient unavailability. Moreover, while in the illustrated
embodiments entire sessions are moved or suspended, it is also
contemplated to move or suspend only portions of sessions. The
selected time period that is freed up by the re-scheduling can be
for something other than the illustrated example of a vacation or
other patient unavailability time period. For example, the
re-scheduling may be to free up a selected time period in which the
patient is available but wants to engage in an activity that makes
it difficult to follow the schedule. As another example, the
re-scheduling may free up a selected time period in order to add or
insert one or more additional sessions to the schedule at the
selected time period. Such added or inserted sessions may relate to
different goals than the original schedule, or may reinforce the
goals of the original schedule.
[0061] It should be appreciated that all of the content need not be
presented to the patient, such as in cases were the patient has
extended suspended period. This can occur if the patient is on
extended vacation or if the patient has a different health
emergency that requires direct care for a prolonged period. In such
cases, it is important for the patient to receive information on a
prioritized basis such that the most important portions of the care
plan are provided in a more expeditious manner. The following
describes some implementations for prioritization of material which
would allow the patient to obtain the most essential information
first, thereby preventing the patient from being overwhelmed by a
large amount of missed material.
[0062] In a most basic model, information or material can be
flagged by the care plan designer or health care provider as
"essential" or "non-essential". During the course of a normal plan
care, all material (i.e. essential and non-essential) is provided
to the patient in accordance with the care plan. If there has been
an extended period in which the patient is unavailable for whatever
reason and the care plan is suspended, upon resumption, the care
plan can be restructured to only provide the essential material
that would have been presented during the suspended period. The
presentation of the material, or the order of the sessions to be
completed, can occur in any manner (such as some of the methods
discussed above) to allow the patient to comfortably get back into
the care plan. This could mean presenting all of the missed
essential material or sessions first, or, alternatively, presenting
the missed essential material in combination with new material or
sessions. In such embodiments, the non-essential material would not
need to be presented. However, in some alternative embodiments, the
timing of the presentation of the material is dictated by the
essential or non-essential flag. In such cases, the essential
material is presented on a prioritized time scale, whereas the
non-essential material is presented, possibly selectively, later in
the care plan once the patient has caught up to the current status
of the prescribed care plan.
[0063] In a more advanced model, material or sessions can be
flagged with a relative prioritization scale. The prioritization
scale may be, for example, from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest
prioritization. In such cases, the material or sessions missed
during a suspended period would be presented in order of the
prioritization flags, such that the highest level of prioritization
is presented first. The prioritization flags can be used also to
intertwine the missed material with the new material. In some
situations, it may be desirable to present only material with a
certain level of prioritization. For example, a patient may only be
deemed to need material that is flagged with a prioritization level
of 5 or higher. The level of prioritization that is presented to
the patient may depend on the particular patient, the goal module
that the material or session is a part of, the type of care plan
the material or session is apart of, the overall care plan type for
the patient, a survey response provided by the patient, input from
the patient's doctor or care provider, the length of time of the
suspension, the amount of material or sessions that were missed,
the criticality of the patient, or any combination of these
factors. For example, a patient that has been on a care plan
suspended a longer time may have a higher prioritization level
(e.g. 7) than then prioritization level (e.g. 5) given to a patient
who has had a care plan suspended for a shorter time period. In
another example, a patient with a more severe diagnosis may have a
lower prioritization (e.g. 4) than a patient with a less severe
diagnosis (e.g. 7). Another factor that can determine the
prioritization level may be the patient's acuity. For example, a
patient with diminished capacity may have a higher prioritization
level (e.g. 8) than a more normal patient (who may have a
prioritization level of 5), based on the ability to review and
retain material. A person with diminished capacity may become more
overwhelmed if presented more material than absolutely required.
The acuity level of the patient can be entered by the health care
provider, tested throughout the course of the care plan, or tested
upon resumption of the care plan.
[0064] Any of these prioritization schemes can also be applied
within a specific session or material presentation. For example, a
session may include a video clip that can be divided into five
sections and then is followed by a quiz. In some situations, one or
two sections of the video and the quiz may be deemed high priority
or essential, while the remaining sections of video may be deemed
low priority or non-essential. Upon resumption, the care plan may
only include the sections of the session or material presentation
that are deemed high priority or essential.
[0065] The invention has been described with reference to the
preferred embodiments. Obviously, modifications and alterations
will occur to others upon reading and understanding the preceding
detailed description. It is intended that the invention be
construed as including all such modifications and alterations
insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *