Apparatus and method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information

Abstract

An apparatus, including a memory device for storing a healthcare record or history for an individual which includes information provided by the individual or a healthcare provider, and information regarding a healthcare insurer or payer, a receiver for receiving information regarding the individual transmitted from a first computer or communication device to the receiver via, on, or over, the Internet and/or World Wide Web, a processing device which processes information for storing or updating the information regarding the individual in the healthcare record or history and which processes a request for information and generates a message or report in response to the request, and a transmitter for transmitting the message or report via, on, or over, Internet and/or World Wide Web to the first computer or communication device or to a second computer or communication device.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a database or a memory device for storing a healthcare record or a healthcare history for an individual, wherein the healthcare record or the healthcare history includes information provided by at least one of the individual, information provided by at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, and information regarding a healthcare insurer or a healthcare payer associated with the individual;    a receiver for receiving information regarding the individual, wherein the information regarding the individual is transmitted from a first computer or a first communication device associated with or used by the individual or associated with or used by the at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, wherein the information regarding the individual is transmitted to the receiver via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web;    a processing device for processing information for storing the information regarding the individual in the healthcare record or the healthcare history associated with the individual or for processing information for updating the healthcare record or the healthcare history associated with the individual, and further wherein the processing device processes a request for information contained in the healthcare record or the healthcare history associated with the individual and generates a message or a report in response to the request for information contained in the healthcare record or the healthcare history associated with the individual; and    a transmitter for transmitting the message or the report via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web to the first computer or the first communication device associated with or used by the individual or associated with or used by the at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, or to a second computer or a second communication device associated with or used by at least one of the individual, the at least one of a healthcare provider associated with the individual, a second at least one of a healthcare provider associated with the individual, and the healthcare insurer or the healthcare payer associated with the individual.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding a diagnosis of the individual.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding a treatment for the individual.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding an insurance claim or contains an insurance claim.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the information regarding the individual contains at least one of pulse rate information, blood pressure information, electrocardiogram information, and blood sugar information, and further wherein the at least one of pulse rate information, blood pressure information, electrocardiogram information, and blood sugar information, is transmitted from the first computer or the first communication device, wherein the first computer or the first communication device is associated with or used by the individual.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus generates a second message or a second report containing information regarding the individual obtaining a healthcare service, and further wherein the second message or the second report is transmitted via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web to the first computer or the first communication device, to the second computer or the second communication device, or to a third computer or a third communication device, associated with the at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual.  
   
   
       7 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a database or a memory device for storing a healthcare record or a healthcare history for an individual, wherein the healthcare record or the healthcare history includes information provided by at least one of the individual, information provided by at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, and information regarding a healthcare insurer or a healthcare payer associated with the individual;    a receiver for receiving information regarding the individual, wherein the information regarding the individual is transmitted from a first computer or a first communication device associated with or used by the individual or associated with or used by the at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, wherein the information regarding the individual is transmitted to the receiver via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web;    a processing device for processing a request for information regarding at least one of a diagnosis of the individual, a treatment for the individual, an insurance claim for the individual, a procedure about to be performed on the individual, a treatment about to be administered or provided to the individual, a healthcare service or a healthcare provider needed by the individual, a healthcare insurer or a healthcare payer needed by the individual, and at least one of a body organ, a blood, a medication, and a good or a service, needed by the individual, wherein the processing device generates a message or a report in response to the request for information; and    a transmitter for transmitting the message or the report to the first computer or the first communication device or to a second computer or a second communication device associated with or used by at least one of the individual, the at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, a second at least one healthcare provider associated with the individual, and a healthcare insurer or a healthcare payer associated with the individual.    
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding a diagnosis of the individual.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the information regarding a diagnosis of the individual contains at least one of medical information, wellness information, health information, fitness information, diet information, nutritional information, and alternate medicine information.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding a treatment for the individual.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains and insurance claim.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding whether a procedure about to be performed on the individual or a treatment about to be administered or provided to the individual is correct or is incorrect.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information identifying of a healthcare service or a healthcare provider needed by the individual.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information identifying of a healthcare insurer or a healthcare payer needed by the individual.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the message or the report contains information regarding a locating of a body organ, a blood, a medication, or a good needed by the individual.  
   
   
       16 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 a processing device for generating a message upon an occurrence of an event, wherein the event is at least one of an availability of at least one of a healthcare provider, an emergence of an individual or a patient in need of care, an availability of a healthcare payer or an insurance company to offer a policy, an availability of a healthcare facility to provide a certain care, an availability of a supply, a body organ, and a blood type, and an expiration of an insurance policy, or the event is an admittance of an individual or a patient to a hospital or a facility, wherein the message contains information regarding the event; and    a transmitter for transmitting the message containing information regarding the at least one of an availability of at least one of a healthcare provider, an emergence of an individual or a patient in need of care, an availability of a healthcare payer or an insurance company to offer a policy, an availability of a healthcare facility to provide a certain care, an availability of a supply, a body organ, and a blood type, and an expiration of an insurance policy, via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web to a computer or a communication device associated with at least one of the individual, the patient, a healthcare provider, a healthcare payer, and an intermediary, or for transmitting the message containing information regarding the admittance of an individual or a patient to a hospital or a facility via, on, or over, at least one of the Internet and the World Wide Web to a computer or a communication device associated with a healthcare provider.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the message contains information regarding the at least one of an availability of at least one of a healthcare provider, an emergence of an individual or a patient in need of care, an availability of a healthcare payer or an insurance company to offer a policy, an availability of a healthcare facility to provide a certain care, an availability of a supply, a body organ, and a blood type, and an expiration of an insurance policy.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the message contains information regarding the admittance of an individual or a patient to a hospital or a facility.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the message is transmitted to the computer or the communication device via, on, or over, a wireless network.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising: 
 a receiver for receiving information regarding a request to receive the message; and    a database or a memory device for storing the information regarding the request to receive the message.