Process for Facilitating the Management of Care

Abstract

In a patient care process a human patient 2 is registered with a computer system 1. The system 1 records identity details for the patient 2 against a unique identifier. The system 1 receives information indicative of the health or other condition of the patient 2 and records such information against the patient's unique identifier. A health care plan 5 is also generated and/or recorded in or by the system 1 for the patient 2 against the unique identifier. The system 1 may receive and processes electronic data 6, 7, to determine whether the patient is substantially compliant or responding adequately to the care plan 5. The system 1 then generates and at least initiates a notification 8 to the patient 2 and/or at least one suitably authorised health care provider 3.

1 . A care process involving the steps of:
 a) registering a plurality of healthcare providers in a computer system;   b) registering a human subject in the computer system, the system recording for that subject information as to at least:
 i. the identity of the subject; and 
 ii. the subject's current physical condition; 
   c) the computer system allocating a unique identifier to the human subject and associating such identifier against at least some of the healthcare providers relevant to the human subject;   d) the computer system generating a personalised healthcare plan for the subject based on at least the information i and ii, and recording the healthcare plan against the unique identifier for the subject, the healthcare plan comprising computer recorded data indicating steps that need to be taken by the subject and by at least one of the healthcare providers in order to achieve oompliance with the care plan;   e) the computer system automatically distributing the healthcare plan to at least one of the healthcare providers for input into the healthcare plan and approval of the healthcare plan and making the healthcare plan, when approved, viewable by at least one of the healthcare providers;   f) the system receiving electronic data at least some of which has been transmitted from a remote system or a remote device associated with at least one of the healthcare providers and/or the human subject, and processing the data, such processing sufficient to indicate
 i) whether the human subject is compliant with the healthcare plan; and/or 
 ii) whether at least one physical condition of the human subject complies with one or more recorded rule(s) of the computer system; 
   g) the system generating and at least initiating a message which is transmitted to the subject and/or at least one of the healthcare providers, in at least one case to a remote system or to a remote device, such message comprising:
 i) a reminder as to an upcoming or missed action necessary for compliance with the subject's care plan; and/or 
 ii) a report indicative of whether at least one physical condition of the subject complies with a recorded rule of the computer system; and/or 
 iii) whether a specified action is advisable for the benefit of the subject. 
   
     
     
         2 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the healthcare plan comprises information defining goals, actions and/or events deemed appropriate for the benefit of the subject 
     
     
         3 . A process according to  claim 1  or  2 , wherein step d) incorporates or is preceded by receiving base information in the computer system wherein such base information is indicative of a need and/or a goal of the subject. 
     
     
         4 . A process according to  claim 3 , wherein the base information is received by the computer system electronically. 
     
     
         5 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the healthcare plan is electronically generated by the computer system based on a set of rules recorded for the system, and if applicable utilising the base information. 
     
     
         6 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the computer system has a facility for allowing manual or automatic modification of the healthcare plan by the subject and/or by the at least one authorised party. 
     
     
         7 . A process according to  claim 6 , wherein the at least one authorised party is one of the healthcare providers which has authorised by the computer system to participate in the healthcare plan for the benefit of the subject. 
     
     
         8 . A process according to  claims 7 , wherein there are numerous of the healthcare providers authorised by the system to participate in the healthcare plan for the benefit of the subject. 
     
     
         10 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the computer system enables the subject and/or at least one of the healthcare providers to access, via the internet, virtual private network or other local area network, a profile which has been generated and recorded by the computer system for the subject, such profile providing information as to progress and/or history and/or current condition of the subject in relation to the healthcare plan. 
     
     
         11 . A process according to  claim 10 , wherein the subject's profile is password protected. 
     
     
         12 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the message referred to at step g) is delivered to the subject and/or to the at least one of the healthcare providers by way of email, SMS, the internet, or a mobile message service. 
     
     
         13 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic data referred to at step f) is received from one or more affiliate computer systems remote from the computer system, referred to at step a) and wherein the affiliate computer system(s) is/are associated with one or more of the healthcare providers. 
     
     
         14 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein information or data passed to and from the computer system referred to at step a) is transmitted via a secure connection in each case. 
     
     
         15 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at step f) the computer system referred to at step a) generates and at least initiates the sending of a report providing statistical or population based information on the performance of a plurality of subjects and/or their care providers in terms of compliance with subject healthcare plans and benefits attained through those healthcare plans. 
     
     
         16 . A process according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of the healthcare providers comprises a physician. 
     
     
         17 . A process substantially as herein described with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , or with reference to  FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 .