User Centered Method Of Assessing Physical Capability And Capacity For Creating And Providing Unique Care Protocols With Ongoing Assessment

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for assessments, which can be self-conducted or performed with the assistance of a healthcare provider. The system and method assist a user to interact with a user-centered system utilizing the musculo-skeletal system as a basis for generation a protocol for treatment for wellness, general health, diseases, pre employment physical capacity tests, prevention of repetitive stress, absence management, worker's compensation cost control, disease management, conditions, and athletics. The system and method disclosed assist the user in performing both physical or function capability assessment as well as physical or functional capacity assessment.

1 . A method for assessment of a user, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining a criteria of interest of the user, the criteria of interest including at least one of medical condition, age, physical capacity goal, and available exercise equipment;    electronically providing to the user at least one required physical action based on the criteria of interest;    obtaining an evaluation of the user's physical capacity based on a response related to performance of the required physical action; and    automatically determining at least one exercise protocol based on the evaluation.    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the criteria of interest in the step of determining is the medical condition.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the criteria of interest in the step of determining is the age.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the criteria of interest in the step of determining is the physical capacity goal.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1  wherein the criteria of interest in the step of determining is the available exercise equipment.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 generating a post surgical exercise protocol using time based evaluations that occur post surgery.    
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6  wherein the step of generating the post surgical exercise protocol includes the step of reevaluating the criteria of interest.  
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 6  further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow prior to surgical action.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 6  further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow after surgical action.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of gathering each response through a portable communication device.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of gathering each response using a remote connection to a central location, wherein the remote connection is through a virtual private network established over the Internet.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising repeating at least one time the steps of electronically providing, obtaining and automatically determining and wherein the patient is provided with information sufficient to illustrate performance over time relative to previous results and an updated exercise protocol.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of storing the user's related demographical information and medical history.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1  further including the step of reevaluating the user's physical capacity by repeating at least one time the steps of electronically providing, obtaining and automatically determining in order to provide the user with an updated exercise protocol.  
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1  further including the step of providing a care plan for the user to follow.  
     
     
         16 . A method for determining an assessment for a user, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining a criteria of interest of the user, the criteria of interest including at least one of medical condition, age, physical capacity goal, and available exercise equipment;    electronically providing to the user at least one required physical action based on the criteria of interest;    obtaining a response related to performance of the required physical action; and    determining the assessment that will assist in evaluating the user, the assessment including a plurality of questions, and wherein the plurality of questions include at least one question that is based upon the response related to the performance of the required physical activity.    
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16  further comprising the steps of: 
 transmitting, from a central location to a remote location, the assessment;    recording, from the remote location, the answers to each of the plurality of questions; and    determining, based upon the answers and an algorithm that includes weights attributed to at least certain ones of the answers, a result of the assessment, wherein the result of the assessment includes a plurality of exercises directed toward improving the physical condition.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising repeating a plurality of times the steps of transmitting, recording, and determining.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18  wherein the result from the step of determining is obtained a plurality of times and further including the step of presenting the user with information sufficient to illustrate performance over time that includes the results.  
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein substantially different results will result in a different plurality of exercises being determined.  
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 18 , after the steps of transmitting, recording, and determining are repeated the plurality of times, further including the steps of: 
 re-testing at least one of functional capability and physical capacity of the user at the remote location, and wherein at least some of the results from the re-testing are electronically recorded and transmitted to the central location; and    determining, at the central location, using at least the re-testing results and predetermined algorithms that relate test results to conditions, a revised assessment of the user's condition.    
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 17  further including the step of electronically communicating to the remote location the result of the assessment.  
     
     
         23 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein the step of determining the assessment is performed in substantially real-time.  
     
     
         24 . The method according to  claim 16  further including the step of updating the assessment to obtain an updated assessment, the updated assessment based upon the assessment and updated information.  
     
     
         25 . The method according to  claim 24  wherein the updated information is related to the criteria of interest.  
     
     
         26 . A method for a user to self-determine at least one exercise protocol comprising the steps of: 
 determining a criteria of interest of the user, the criteria of interest including at least one of medical condition, age, physical capacity goal, and available exercise equipment;    providing to the user at least one required physical action based on the criteria of interest;    providing to the user a self-assessment to evaluate the user, the assessment including a plurality of questions based on a response related to performance of the required physical action; and    providing to the users based on the self-assessment, an exercise protocol based on the criteria of interest.    
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 26  wherein each of the steps of providing are implemented using a computer.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 26  further including the step of updating the assessment to obtain an updated assessment, the updated assessment based upon the assessment and updated information.