Optimizing Behavioral Change Based on a Patient Statistical Profile

Abstract

A system for directing behavior of a first patient of a plurality of patients towards a behavioral objective includes a patient behavioral path calculator, a patient goal calculator, and a patient monitoring processor. The system also includes an information communication processor and a statistical processor. The patient behavioral path calculator calculates a patient behavioral path based on a statistical profile. The patient goal calculator calculates patient goals along the patient behavioral path toward a behavioral objective. The statistical processor can modify the statistical profile based on a response to a targeted message sent by the information communication processor.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for directing behavior of a first patient of a plurality of patients towards a behavioral objective, the method comprising:
 calculating, with a patient behavioral path calculator, a first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on an initial state of the first patient and a first statistical profile of the first patient;   selecting, with a patient monitoring processor, a type of targeted message, wherein the type of targeted message includes a positive reinforcement targeted message or a negative reinforcement targeted message;   generating, with the patient monitoring processor, a first targeted message based on the calculated first behavioral path and the selected type of targeted message;   sending, with an information communication processor, the first targeted message to motivate the first patient to achieve the behavioral objective and elicit a first response representative of a result thereof; and   modifying, with statistical processor, the first statistical profile based on the first response;   re-calculating, with the patient behavioral path calculator, the first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on the modified first statistical profile of the first patient;   re-selecting, with the patient monitoring processor, the selected type of targeted message based on the first response representative of the result; and   generating, with the patient monitoring processor, a second targeted message based on the re-calculated first behavioral path and the re-selected type of targeted message.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising establishing a first session with the first patient,
 wherein the sending comprises sending, with the information communication processor, the first targeted message to the first patient during the first session to motivate the first patient to achieve the behavioral objective and elicit a first response from the first patient representative of a result thereof.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining a first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals along the calculated first behavioral path for achieving the behavioral objective. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 establishing a second session with the first patient;   sending the second targeted message to the first patient during the second session to motivate the first patient to achieve the behavioral objective and elicit a second response from the first patient representative of a result thereof; and   modifying, based on the second response, the modified first statistical profile.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising re-defining a previously defined first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals using the re-calculated first behavioral path for achieving the behavioral objective,
 wherein the previously defined first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals were previously based on the calculated first behavioral path.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 calculating a second behavioral path to the behavioral objective for a second patient of the plurality of patients based on an initial state of the second patient and a second statistical profile of the second patient, wherein the second statistical profile of the second patient is based on the first statistical profile of the first patient;   generating a third targeted message based on the second behavioral path;   establishing a second session with the second patient;   sending the third targeted message to the second patient during the second session to motivate the second patient to achieve the behavioral objective of the second behavioral path and elicit a second response from the second patient representative of a result thereof; and   modifying, based on the second response, the second statistical profile.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising calculating the first statistical profile of the first patient based on provided statistical information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the first intermediate behavioral goal has been achieved based on the first response. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising intervening when the first patient fails to achieve the first intermediate behavioral goal. 
     
     
         10 . A system for directing behavior of a first patient of a plurality of patients towards a behavioral objective, the system comprising:
 a patient behavioral path calculator operative to calculate a first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on an initial state of the first patient and a first statistical profile of the first patient;   a patient monitoring processor coupled with the patient behavioral path calculator operative to select a type of targeted message, wherein the type of targeted message includes a positive reinforcement targeted message or a negative reinforcement targeted message, wherein the patient monitoring processor is further operative to generate a first targeted message based on the calculated first behavioral path and the selected type of targeted message;   an information communication processor coupled with the patient monitoring processor operative to send the first targeted message to motivate the first patient to achieve the behavioral objective and to receive a first response representative of a result thereof; and   a statistical processor coupled with the information communication processor operative to modify the first statistical profile based on the first response,   wherein the patient behavioral path calculator is further operative to recalculate the first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on the modified first statistical profile of the first patient, and   wherein the patient monitoring processor is further operative to re-select the selected type of targeted message based on the first response representative of the result and generate a second targeted message based on the recalculated first behavioral path and the re-selected type of targeted message.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a patient goal calculator coupled with the patient behavioral path calculator and operative to calculate a first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals along the first behavioral path for achieving the behavioral objective. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the patient monitoring processor is operative to select the first targeted message based on a first intermediate behavioral goal of the first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the information communication processor is operative to send the first targeted message to the first patient during a first session;   the information communication processor is further operative to send the second targeted message to the first patient during a second session to motivate the first patient to achieve the first intermediate behavioral goal and to receive a second response from the first patient representative of a result thereof; and   the statistical processor is further operative to modify the modified first statistical profile based on the received second response.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the patient goal calculator is further operative to recalculate a previously calculated first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals along the recalculated first behavioral path for achieving the behavioral objective, wherein the previously calculated first plurality of intermediate behavioral goals were calculated based on the calculated first behavioral path. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the patient behavioral path calculator is further operative to calculate a second behavioral path to the behavioral objective for a second patient of the plurality of patients based on an initial state of the second patient and a second statistical profile of the second patient, wherein the second statistical profile of the second patient is based on the first statistical profile of the first patient;   the patient monitoring processor is further operative to generate a third targeted message based on the calculated second behavioral path;   the information communication processor is further operative to send the third targeted message to the second patient during a second session to motivate the second patient to achieve the behavioral objective and to receive a second response from the second patient representative of a result thereof; and   the statistical processor is further operative to modify the second statistical profile based on the received second response.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the statistical processor is operative to further calculate the first statistical profile of the first patient based on provided statistical information. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a patient goal analyzer coupled with the patient monitoring processor operative to determine whether the first intermediate behavioral goal has been achieved based on the first response. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a failure prevention mechanism coupled with the patient goal analyzer operative to intervene when the patient fails to achieve the first intermediate behavioral goal. 
     
     
         19 . A system for directing behavior of a first patient of a plurality of patients towards a behavioral objective, the system comprising:
 means for calculating a first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on an initial state of the first patient and a first statistical profile of the first patient;   means for selecting a type of targeted message, wherein the type of targeted message includes a positive reinforcement targeted message or a negative reinforcement targeted message;   means for generating a first targeted message based on the calculated behavioral path and the selected type of targeted message;   means for sending the first targeted message to the first patient to motivate the first patient to achieve the behavioral objective and elicit a first response representative of a result thereof;   means for modifying the first statistical profile based on the first response;   means for re-calculating the first behavioral path to the behavioral objective for the first patient based on the modified first statistical profile of the first patient;   means for re-selecting the selected type of targeted message based on the first response representative of the result; and   means for generating a second targeted message based on the re-calculated first behavioral path and the re-selected type of targeted message.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 means for calculating a second behavioral path to the behavioral objective for a second patient of the plurality of patients based on an initial state of the second patient and a second statistical profile of the second patient, wherein the second statistical profile of the second patient is based on the first statistical profile of the first patient;   means for determining a third targeted message based on the second behavioral path;   means for sending the third targeted message to motivate the second patient to achieve the behavioral objective of the second behavioral path and elicit a second response representative of a result thereof; and   means for modifying, based on the second response, the second statistical profile.