Methods for administering preventative healthcare to a patient population

Abstract

Methods for administering preventative healthcare measures to a patient population are disclosed. A patient population eligible to receive certain healthcare benefits is defined and thereafter multiple sources of healthcare data are compiled and analyzed to create health profiles for each individual. An objective set of criteria for providing preventative care is provided to eligible members within the patient population and appropriate healthcare is administered to the degree necessary to make sure a sufficient percentage of the population receives adequate healthcare treatment consistent with the recognized, objective healthcare standards. Patients remaining non-compliant are sought for further administration of healthcare until requisite compliance standards are met.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for administering preventative healthcare to manage patients within a patient population at risk for certain cardiac conditions, the method comprising the steps:
 a) identifying a patient population eligible to receive the administration of healthcare;   b) identifying a sub-population of patients within said population identified in step a) that are at risk for a cardiac condition selected from the group consisting of hypertension, ischemic vascular disease, heart failure and coronary artery disease;   c) aggregating data for each patient within said patient populations identified in step b) and generating a patient profile for each said patient within said patient sub-population in step b), said aggregated patient profile information being compiled and stored electronically on a computer readable medium;   d) providing standardized preventative health measures and metrics for the management of said cardiac conditions of said patients identified in step b);   e) evaluating said patient profile information electronically stored in step c) and comparing said electronically stored data with said preventative health measures and metrics provided in step d);   f) administering healthcare consistent with said measures and metrics set forth in step d) such that a portion of said patients identified in said patient sub-population in step b) are administered healthcare per said metrics for said cardiac conditions; and   g) electronically updating said medical information stored at step c) to document said administration of healthcare administered in step f).   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein in step d), said metrics for the management of said patients within the patient sub-population at risk for said cardiac conditions comprise controlling the blood pressure for said patients afflicted with hypertension, maintaining patient low density lipoprotein levels to 100 mg/deciliter or less for patients with ischemic vascular disease, confirming patient use of aspirin or other antithrombotic for patients with ischemic vascular disease, confirming BETA-blocking therapy for left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) for patients with heart failure, confirming drug therapy for lowering low density lipoprotein for patients with coronary artery disease, confirming ACE inhibitor or ARB therapy for patients with coronary artery disease, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said method further comprises repeating steps a)-g) such that at least 85% of said patient population identified in step b) at risk for cardiac conditions have met the metrics for cardiac management. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said method further comprises repeating steps a)-g) such that at least 90% of said patient sub-population identified in step b) at risk for cardiac conditions have met the metrics for cardiac management. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said method further comprises repeating steps a)-g) such that at least 95% of said patient sub-population identified in step b) at risk for cardiac conditions have met the metrics for cardiac management.