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 ).

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.