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

Abstract

An apparatus for providing healthcare information, comprising a processor for processing a request to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in a patient's at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file and for determining whether a requesting party is authorized to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in the at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file. The processor facilitates the at least one of accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, and modifying, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file, and generates a notification report containing information regarding the at least one of accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, and modifying, of the information. The apparatus also comprises a transmitter for transmitting said notification report to a communication device associated with the patient.

1 . An apparatus for providing healthcare information, comprising: 
 a processor, wherein said processor processes a request to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in a patient's at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file, wherein said processor determines whether a requesting at least one of individual and entity is authorized to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in a patient's at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file, wherein said processor facilitates the at least one of accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, and modifying, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file, and further wherein said processor generates a notification report containing information regarding the at least one of accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, and modifying, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file; and    a transmitter, wherein said transmitter transmits said notification report to a communication device associated with the patient.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the requesting at least one of individual and entity is at least one of a patient, a healthcare provider, a healthcare payer, an insurance provider, and a third party.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a receiver, wherein said receiver receives said request to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in a patient's at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file.    
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said processor processes at least one of identification information, a password, an electronic signature, and a code, associated with the requesting at least one of individual and entity.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said notification report contains information regarding at least one of an accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, modification, attempted accessing, attempted obtaining, attempted changing, attempted altering, and attempted modification, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said processor stores information regarding said at least one of an accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, modification, attempted accessing, attempted obtaining, attempted changing, attempted altering, and attempted modification, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein said processor generates an activity report containing information regarding said at least one of an accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, modification, attempted accessing, attempted obtaining, attempted changing, attempted altering, and attempted modification, of the information contained in said at least one of healthcare record and healthcare file.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said transmitter transmits said activity report to a communication device associated with at least one of a patient, a healthcare provider, a healthcare payer, an insurance provider, and a third party.  
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for providing healthcare information, comprising: 
 at least one of a receiver for receiving and a memory device for storing at least one of a restriction and a limitation regarding at least one of an ability of at least one of an individual's and entity's ability to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in at least one of a healthcare record and a healthcare file; and    a processor for processing a request by at least one of an individual and an entity to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in said at least one of a healthcare record and a healthcare file, wherein said processor processes said request by the at least one of an individual and an entity in conjunction with said at least one of a restriction and a limitation regarding at least one of an ability of at least one of an individual's and entity's ability to at least one of access, obtain, change, alter, and modify, information contained in at least one of a healthcare record and a healthcare file, and further wherein said processor determines whether the at least one of accessing, obtaining, changing, altering, and modification, of the information contained in said at least one of a healthcare record and a healthcare file is at least one of authorized, allowed, not authorized, not allowed, restricted, limited, unrestricted, and unlimited.    
   
   
       10 . An apparatus for providing healthcare information, comprising: 
 an input device for inputting information regarding an individual's health condition, wherein said information is input automatically into said apparatus from a healthcare device;    a processor for processing said information in conjunction with at least one of the individual's healthcare history, healthcare information, and healthcare diagnosis information, healthcare analysis information, and healthcare treatment information, wherein said processor generates a report containing information regarding at least one of a diagnosis of, a prognosis of, a treatment for, a treatment plan for, and analysis of, the individual's condition; and    at least one of an output device and a transmitter for at least one of outputting and transmitting information contained in said report.    
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said input device is at least one of a provider communication device, a provider computer, a healthcare provider communication device, a healthcare provider computer, a healthcare patient communication device, a healthcare patient computer, a healthcare payer communication device, and a healthcare payer computer.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said healthcare device is at least one of a thermometer, a digital thermometer, a stethoscope, a heart rate monitor or measurement device, a pulse rate monitor or measurement device, a blood pressure monitor or measurement device, a blood pressure measurement device, blood analysis device or machine, a respirator, a respiration monitoring or measurement device, a dialysis machine, a dialysis device, electrocardiograph (EKG) machine or device, electrocephalograph (EEG) machine or device, electromyograph (EMG) machine or device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine or device, X-ray machine or device, medical imaging machine or device, thermal imaging machine or device, a heart sound monitor or measurement device, a lung sound monitoring or measurement device, respiration rate monitoring or measurement device, a laprascopic device, an arthroscopic device, a vascular testing device, a catheter device, a cardiac performance testing, monitoring, or measurement device, a pulmonary performance testing, monitoring, or measurement device, a vascular system performance monitoring or measurement device, a vascular system testing, monitoring, or measurement device, a metabolism monitoring or measurement device, a sonogram imaging device, a sonogram measurement device, a sonograph device, an optical response device, an optical response measurement device, an intravenous device, an arterial blood pressure measurement or monitoring device, a respiration rate measurement or monitoring device, an ultrasound imaging device, an ultrasound measurement device, a CAT SCAN device, an optical metabolism measurement or monitoring device, a radiotelemetric device, a doppler medical device, a mammogram device, a carbon dioxide detection or measurement device, a carbon monoxide detection or measurement device, a transvascular impedence measurement or monitoring device, an ultrasonic imaging device, a bone conduction device, a brain function scan analyzer device, external pulse cardiac monitoring or measurement device, a fetal heart rate measurement, monitoring, or probing, device, an endotrachial cardiac monitoring device, a finger tip blood pressure monitoring device, a psychological monitoring device, a surgical instrument, a vital signs measurement device, ear pressure regulating device, phonocardiograph device, acoustic aneurysm detector device, blood oxygen detection device, esophageal probing device, ultrasonic probing device, ausculoscope, vital signs monitoring system, heart activity monitoring device, pulmonary activity monitoring device, sphygmomanometer, esophageal stethoscope, venous pressure measuring device, differential doppler device, physiological data measuring device, body tissue movement device, breathalyzer device, camera probing device, microscopic camera probing device, and a biometric or physiological data measuring device.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a memory device for storing an individual's at least one of healthcare history, medical history, dental history, surgical history, psychological history, and chiropractic history.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein said memory device contains information for a plurality of individuals.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a receiver for automatically receiving said information from said input device.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a transmitter for transmitting information contained in said report to a communication device associated with at least one of the individual, a patient, a provider, a healthcare provider, a payer, and a healthcare payer.    
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said memory device stores an individual healthcare file.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein said processor updates the individual's file with at least one of information input into the apparatus, information received by the apparatus, and information contained in said report.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said processor generates a message to at least one of a healthcare provider, a healthcare payer, and a third party, regarding the individual's condition.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said processor identifies at least one of a healthcare provider, a healthcare facility, a treatment, a drug, and a program, for treating the individual.