Apparatus, device and method for prescribing, administering and monitoring a treatment regimen for a patient

Abstract

A treatment Device is provided which enables a Doctor/Pharmacist to provide patient specific instructions in a textual format to a patient. The instructions are converted by a speech synthesizer provided in the Device into an audibly perceptible format. When configured as a hand-held unit, the Device may store a plurality of medications. Upon activation or automatically, instructions saved in the device are communicated to a patient/user via various audible, visual and/or tactile indicators. The instructions are provided to the device via a Platform which enables Doctors and Pharmacists input instructions into the Platform, which, via a Platform interface, are saved into a storage device provided in the Device. In an additional embodiment, a removable medication dispensing cartridge is provided which facilitates the controlled and automatic dispensing of a medication to a patient based upon a treatment schedule. Patient compliance information with a treatment schedule may be provided by the Device.

1 . A method for tracking a medical treatment regimen, comprising the operations of:
 receiving, by an electronic device, medical data relating to a patient's medical treatment regimen;   outputting, by the electronic device, at least one reminder to comply with the medical treatment regimen;   monitoring, by the electronic device, the patient's compliance with the medical treatment regimen;   storing, by the electronic device, compliance data related to the patient's compliance with the medical treatment regimen; and   providing the compliance data from the electronic device to a medical professional.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one instruction to modify at least one of the medical data and the at least one reminder; and   in response thereto, modifying at least one of the medical data and the at least one reminder.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the operation of modifying at least one of the medical data and the at least one reminder is at least partially based on the compliance data. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the operation of providing the compliance data from the electronic device to a medical professional comprises providing the compliance data to a location remote from the electronic device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the operation of receiving at least one instruction to modify at least one of the medical data and the at least one reminder is provided from a location remote to the electronic device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the operation of receiving at least one instruction to modify at least one of the medical data is executed across a secure communications channel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the operation of accessing, by the electronic device, external medical research data from at least third one party medical information provider. 
     
     
         8 . A method of administering a medical database, comprising the operations of:
 accessing a medical database;   inputting medical data including at least one of a patient information or a pharmaceutical information;   inputting a patient treatment regimen;   reviewing patient compliance data related to the patient treatment regimen, said patient compliance data provided to the medical database from an electronic device located remotely to the medical database; and   modifying the patient treatment regimen based at least partially on the patient compliance.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the electronic device comprises a hardware device, comprising:
 an input element for receiving the patient treatment regimen; and   an output element for communicating the patient compliance data to the medical database.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the electronic device further comprises:
 a reminder element for issuing at least one reminder to the patient to comply with the patient treatment regimen;   an acknowledgement element to generate the patient compliance data.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 issuing the at least one reminder from the reminder element;   receiving, via the acknowledgement element, an acknowledgement of compliance with the reminder; and   storing the acknowledgement as patient compliance data.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the acknowledgement is generated by the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the acknowledgement is generated automatically by the electronic device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the acknowledgement is generated automatically by the electronic device in response to a patient interaction with the electronic device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the operation of modifying the patient treatment regimen based at least partially on the patient compliance comprises remotely downloading, to the electronic device, a modification to the patient treatment regimen from the medical database. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the operation of modifying the patient treatment regimen occurs automatically upon receipt of the patient compliance data by the medical database.