Medical information system having messaging follow-up capabilities

Abstract

A system for providing medical information to a patient is provided. The system includes a medical information server, including a software engine, coupled to a memory location. The memory location stores a plurality of voice mailboxes. A voice mailbox includes at least two segments. A first segment for test results, or an upload-source note, and a second segment for account owner information, or a chart note. An upload-source, such as a testing facility or laboratory, is coupled to the server and provides test results to the mailbox. An interactive voice response (IVR) software interface is also coupled to the engine. The IVR provides the medical information in the mailbox responsive to a user input. The system may also include a patient database. Further, the engine generates alerts to the account owner based upon particular events. The system is also configured to prevent conflicting accesses by users. The system is convenient to use due to reporting features and an identifier function used to locate particular voice mailboxes.

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       23 . A machine-implemented method for managing corresponding for-patient messages that are intended to be delivered to corresponding ones of a plurality of patients who are subject to medical care services provided by one or more medical service providers associated with the respective patients, the machine-implemented message managing method comprising: 
 (a) automatically identifying among the for-patient messages those that have not been timely retrieved by the corresponding patients and/or are otherwise not in compliance with predefined delivery rules; and    (b) presenting a list of such identified and noncomplying, for-patient messages together with corresponding notification signals which indicate the nature of noncompliance to a machine user.    
   
   
       24 . A machine-automated method of keeping track of for-patient messages that are intended to be delivered to corresponding ones of a plurality of patients who are subject to different types of medical care services provided by one or more medical service providers associated with the respective patients, the machine-automated message tracking method comprising: 
 (a) automatically identifying among the for-patient messages those that have not been timely retrieved by the corresponding patients and/or are otherwise not in compliance with predefined delivery and/or retrieval rules;    (b) generating alert notification signals of different types depending on relative medical importance of having the respective patients retrieve the respective noncomplying and for-patient messages which have not been retrieved by such respective patients or which are otherwise not in compliance with said predefined delivery and/or retrieval rules;    (c) obtaining a number of alert notification signals of a given type; and    (d) presenting the obtained number of alert notification signals to a user.    
   
   
       25 . A machine-assisted method for managing corresponding for-patient messages for delivery to corresponding ones of a plurality of patients who are subject to medical care services provided by one or more medical service providers associated with the respective patients, the machine-assisted message managing method comprising: 
 (a) providing a plurality of respective mailboxes for electronically storing and passing on for-patient messages to respective patients, and for electronically storing and passing on for-provider data to respective medical service providers, where the for-patient messages are to be derived from the for-provider data; and    (b) after corresponding, for-provider data is loaded into the mailbox of a given patient, automatically presenting to a medical service provider, a selection of responsive actions that may be taken in response to the loaded for-provider data associated with the given patient.    
   
   
       26 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes a set of messages which may be selectively picked for inclusion in the for-patient message to be delivered to the given patient.  
   
   
       27 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein plural for-patient messages can be placed into the mailbox of a given patient, the method further comprising: 
 (c) testing the mailbox of the given patient for receipt by the given patient of each of the plural for-patient messages placed into the mailbox; and    (d) removing from the tested mailbox of the given patient each respective for-patient message from the set of messages when the respective message is indicated to have been received by the given patient.    
   
   
       28 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  and further comprising: 
 (c) after corresponding, for-provider data is loaded into the mailbox of a given patient, automatically issuing to a medical service provider associated with the given patient, a corresponding notification signal indicating that the for-provider data has been loaded.    
   
   
       29 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 28  wherein plural for-patient messages can be placed into the mailbox of a given patient, the method further comprising: 
 (d) testing the mailbox of the given patient for receipt by the given patient of each of the plural for-patient messages placed into the mailbox; and    (e) removing from the tested mailbox of the given patient each respective for-patient message from the set of messages when the respective message is indicated to have been received by the given patient.    
   
   
       30 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 28  and further comprising: 
 (d) after issuing the corresponding notification signal, presenting the medical service provider with respective notification signal information and with a list of titles where the titles summarize in abbreviated form, contents of respective for-patient messages which correspond with the respective notification signal information.    
   
   
       31 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions is sorted by types of responsive actions and in response to the for-provider data which has been loaded into the mailbox.  
   
   
       32 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes a set of notification signals.  
   
   
       33 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes an option of recording a patient name where the to-be recorded patient name corresponds to the given patient associated with the for-provider data loaded into the mailbox of the given patient.  
   
   
       34 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes a set of for-patient messages having respective information stored in respective information segments for delivery over a predetermined time period.  
   
   
       35 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes a set of for-patient messages corresponding to associated notification signals received by the medical service provider.  
   
   
       36 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the presented selection of responsive actions includes a set of for-patient messages corresponding to associated notification signals which are categorized in response to the for-provider data presented to the medical provider.  
   
   
       37 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the for-patient messages of the mailbox are accessible by the given patient only after the medical service provider is presented with said selection of responsive actions and the medical service provider makes a responsive choice.  
   
   
       38 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the for-provider data is not accessible to the given patient but is accessible to the medical service provider.  
   
   
       39 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein at least one of the for-provider data and for-patient messages in the mailbox of the given patient contains a corresponding patient name.  
   
   
       40 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the respective mailbox of a given patient contains a mailbox status signal indicating when the respective mailbox was accessed and which for-patient messages and/or for-provider data were referenced by the access.  
   
   
       41 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the selection of responsive actions includes providing at least one choice for editing a for-patient message.  
   
   
       42 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the selection of responsive actions includes an option of filling in a data entry form.  
   
   
       43 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the selection of responsive actions includes an option of providing contact information.  
   
   
       44 . The machine-assisted message managing method of  claim 25  wherein the selection of responsive actions includes an option of exploring a set of patient mailboxes corresponding to a supplied patient identifier.  
   
   
       45 . A machine-assisted method for informing patients about developments in medical care services being provided for such patients, the machine-assisted informing method comprising: 
 (a) designating at least one machine user as being responsible for placing layperson understandable information regarding a medical condition of a given patient in a corresponding machine-implemented mailbox that is accessible by the given patient; and    (b) automatically detecting attempts by respective patients to access the layperson understandable information, if any, in their corresponding machine-implemented mailboxes;    (c) automatically sending an access-attempt notification signal to the designated at least one user in response to said detection of an access attempt by a respective patient.    
   
   
       46 . A computer-driven method for providing layperson-understandable information to respective medical patients, where the respectively provided, layperson information relates to respective medical conditions of respective ones of the patients, the information providing method comprising: 
 (a) providing a computer controlled mailbox into which for-provider data can be stored, where the for-provider data is unlikely to be easily understood by a lay patient;    (b) designating within the mailbox, at least one medical service provider who is to be alerted when for-provider data is loaded into the mailbox; and    (c) sending a notification signal to the designated at least one medical service provider of a corresponding mailbox in response to for-provider data being stored in the corresponding mailbox.    
   
   
       47 . The information providing method of  claim 46 , and further comprising: 
 (d) presenting a list of layperson-understandable message fragments to choose from to the medical service provider who receives the notification signal.    
   
   
       48 . The information providing method of  claim 46 , and further comprising: 
 (d) recording an ordering of a medical test for a given patient; and    (e) forcing the carrying out of said designating of the at least one medical service provider when said recording of the ordered test occurs for the given patient.    
   
   
       49 . A machine-implemented method for verifying completion of medical tests ordered for respective ones of plural patients, the verifying method comprising: 
 (a) identifying an upload source that is to upload test result data for a given patient;    (b) storing in a message-conveying mailbox associated with the given patient, a test identifier specific to a respective patient test that is to be performed on the given patient;    (c) providing the test identifier to the identified upload source;    (d) providing a time indicator to the identified upload source; and,    (e) generating a test-complete notification signal in response to detection of test result data being uploaded into the associated message-conveying mailbox of the given patient, where the uploaded test result data corresponds to the test identifier stored in the associated message-conveying mailbox.