Method and apparatus for remote health monitoring and providing health related information

Abstract

A health monitoring system includes a plurality of remote user sites, each remote user site comprising at least one health monitoring device for collection of user health monitoring data, an interactive video device, and a user interface apparatus; at least one remote computing facility configured for signal communication with, and to receive health monitoring data-related signals from, the plurality of remote user sites; and at least one computer, configured for signal communication with the remote computing facility, wherein the interactive video device is interactively coupled with the remote computing facility. Associated methods are also described.

1 . A method for communicating with a plurality of individuals at a plurality of remote locations, comprising the steps of:
 (A) generating medical information within one or more healthcare professional computers in response to a report relating to a medical condition of a particular individual of a plurality of individuals;   (B) transmitting (i) said medical information and (ii) a selection of a particular mode of a plurality of modes of a server computer from said one or more healthcare professional computers to said server computer, wherein said one or more healthcare professional computers correspond to one or more healthcare professionals associated with said particular individual;   (C) placing said server computer in said particular mode in response to said selection as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers;   (D) generating processed information within said server computer by data processing said medical information as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers;   (E) transmitting said processed information from said server computer to a device while said server computer is in said particular mode, wherein said device comprises (i) a removable memory containing identifying information corresponding to said particular individual, (ii) at least one built-in memory containing program instructions received by the device from the server computer and (iii) a display; and   (F) executing said program instructions within said device to present the processed information on said display of the device,   wherein (i) said device is remotely located from all of said server computer and said one or more healthcare professional computers, (ii) said server computer is remotely located from said one or more healthcare professional computers, (iii) while said particular mode is a first of said modes said server computer waits to receive a request from said device before sending said processed information to said device, (iv) while said particular mode is a second of said modes said server computer sends said processed information to said device in response to communications being established between said server computer and said device and (v) while said particular mode is a third of said modes said server computer (a) informs said device when said processed information is available and (b) sends said processed information to said device in response to receiving said request from said device.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said report is related to a health of said particular individual. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises one or more instructions for said particular individual. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises one or more messages for said particular individual. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises a medication dosage for said particular individual. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises a monitoring schedule for said particular individual. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises a value calculated in response to said medical information. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises an educational content. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises a motivational content. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises executable software instructions that are executed within said device. 
     
     
         11 . A method for communicating with a plurality of individuals at a plurality of remote locations, comprising the steps of:
 (A) generating medical information within one or more healthcare professional computers in response to a report relating to a medical conditions of each of at least two individuals of a plurality of individuals;   (B) transmitting (1) said medical information and (2) selection of a particular mode of a plurality of modes of a server computer from said one or more healthcare professional computers to said server computer, wherein said one or more healthcare professional computers corresponds to one or more healthcare professionals associated with said at least two individuals;   (C) placing said server computer in said particular mode in response to said selection as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers;   (D) establishing a first communication between a first device and said server computer, wherein (i) said first device comprises (a) a first removable memory containing first identifying information corresponding to a first particular individual of said at least two individuals, (b) at least one first built-in memory containing first program instructions received by the first device from the server computer and (c) a first display, (ii) said first device is remotely located from all of said server computer and said one or more healthcare professional computers and (iii) said server computer is remotely located from said one or more healthcare professional computers;   (E) generating first processed information within said server computer by data processing said medical information as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers in response to said first communication;   (F) transmitting said first processed information from said server computer to said first device while said server computer is in said particular mode; and   (G) executing said first program instructions within said first device to present said first processed information on said first display of the first device.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
 establishing a second communication between a second device and said server computer, wherein (i) said second device comprises a second removable memory containing second identifying information corresponding to a second particular individual of said at least two individuals and (ii) said second device is remotely located from all of said server computer, said one or more healthcare professional computers and said first device;   generating second processed information within said server computer by said data processing of said medical information as received from said one or more healthcare professional computer for said second particular individual in response to said second communication; and   transmitting said second processed information from said server computer to said second device while said server computer is in said particular mode, wherein said second processed information is different than said first processed information.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein said report is related to a health of each of said at least two individuals. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
 notifying said first device that said medical information is available in said server computer while said particular mode is a first of said modes.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein while said particular mode is a second of said modes said server computer (i) searches a memory for data corresponding to said first device upon receipt of a request from said first device, (ii) transmits said first processed information to said first device upon finding said first processed medical information during said search and (iii) transmits a signal to said first device indicating an absence of data corresponding to said first device in response to not finding any of said data corresponding to said first device during said search. 
     
     
         16 . A server computer comprising:
 a memory configured to store (1) medical information related to a medical condition of a particular individual of a plurality of individuals and (2) a selection of a particular mode of a plurality of modes as received from one or more healthcare professional computers, wherein (i) said one or more healthcare professional computers corresponds to one or more healthcare professionals associated with said particular individual and (ii) said medical information is generated within said one or more healthcare professional computers in response to a report (a) relating to a medical condition of said particular individual; and   a processor configured to (i) generate processed information by data processing said medical information as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers, (ii) place the server computer in said particular mode of said plurality of modes in response to said selection as received from said one or more healthcare professional computers, (iii) transmit said processed information from said server computer to a device while said server computer is in said particular mode and (iv) transmit to said one or more healthcare professional computers a menu containing said modes,   wherein (i) said device comprises (a) a removable memory containing identifying information corresponding to said particular individual, (b) at least one built-in memory containing program instructions received by the device from the server computer and (c) a display, (ii) executing said program instructions within said device presents the processed information on said display of the device, (iii) said device is remotely located from all of said server computer and said one or more healthcare professional computers and (iv) said server computer is remotely located from said one or more healthcare professional computers.   
     
     
         17 . The server computer according to  claim 16 , wherein said report is related to a health of said particular individual. 
     
     
         18 . The server computer according to  claim 16 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises at least one of (i) one or more instructions for said particular individual and (ii) one or more messages for said particular individual. 
     
     
         19 . The server computer according to  claim 16 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises at least one of (i) a medication dosage for said particular individual and (ii) a monitoring schedule for said particular individual. 
     
     
         20 . The server computer according to  claim 16 , wherein said processed information related to said medical condition comprises at least one of (i) an educational content and (ii) a motivational content.