Secure healthcare management and communication system

Abstract

A healthcare management and communication system including a central server, home base devices, and portable medical assistant devices (PMAD) providing secure electronic communications among medical facilities and healthcare providers, while ensuring privacy of patient medical records. In an embodiment, the central server communicates with the home base device(s) and the PMAD providing information necessary for a healthcare provider to perform a procedure for a patient. The healthcare communication system provides security for patient information by allowing the healthcare provider to access some basic patient information on the PMAD, including directions to the patient's house, when the PMAD is in all locations. Only when the PMAD is within a physical proximity to a selected home base device can the healthcare provider access the corresponding patient's confidential information necessary for the on-site visit. Notes and data recorded during the procedure may be securely transmitted to the central server, updating the patient's record.

1 . A method, comprising:
 at a secure portable medical assistant device (PMAD), receiving and storing information associated with a patient;   at the PMAD, displaying a first portion of the received information, wherein the first portion comprises the patient's name and directions to the patient's domicile; and   at the PMAD, displaying a second portion of the received information only while the PMAD is located within a physical proximity to a home base device, wherein the home base device is associated with the patient and located at the patient's domicile, and the second portion specifies a medical procedure to be performed for the patient by a specific healthcare provider at the patient's domicile.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at the PMAD, saving diagnostic information associated with the patient; and   securely transmitting the diagnostic information from the PMAD to a central server.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a warning responsive to the PMAD location moving outside the physical proximity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at the PMAD, requiring login authentication of the specific healthcare provider prior to display of any portion of the received information; and   transmitting an alert to a central server in response to an input of improper login credentials to the PMAD.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising securely transmitting a notification to a central server that the PMAD is within the physical proximity of the home base device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the notification comprises contact information for the healthcare provider. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 at the HBD, communicating with a local environmental sensor to acquire sensor data;   at the HBD, transmitting the acquired sensor data to the PMAD for storage in the information associated with the patient.   
     
     
         8 . A method, comprising:
 storing health information for a patient;   ordering services to be performed for the patient;   assigning the ordered services to a healthcare provider;   securely transmitting services information to a portable medical assistant device (PMAD) associated with the assigned healthcare provider; and   securely transmitting at least a portion of the health information for the patient to the PMAD, wherein the portion is related to the services.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the assignment of a healthcare provider comprises selection of the healthcare provider from a stored list of healthcare providers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving diagnostic information associated with the patient; and   storing the diagnostic information.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the diagnostic information comprises changes in the patient's condition or physical environment that may indicate unsafe conditions; and
 wherein the method further comprises alerting a medical facility of the changes in the patient's condition or the physical environment.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 securely transmitting information to a home base device installed at a location, wherein the information comprises pending healthcare provider visitation scheduling data.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to alter the pending healthcare provider visitation scheduling data; and   alerting a medical facility to the receipt of the request to alter the pending healthcare provider visitation scheduling data.