Recordation Systems and Methods to Track Patient Treatment Progress Toward Identified Goals

Abstract

A process for tracking skilled-service rendered a patient by a provider at a treatment location including: generating, at the treatment location, at least one record of progress made toward each treatment goal identified for the patient and addressed by the provider during a session; receiving an input comprising each record of progress so generated, for storage as treatment record data at a host location. Data is stored in searchable data fields for access and retrieval upon command. Using the treatment record data and a host processor, a patient report is automatically generated for submitting to an entity selected from the group consisting of a health care facility, a health care provider, an insurer, the patient, an entity authorized to receive records of the patient, and a record-keeping entity for the provider. Each treatment goal identified is preferably based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition. The evaluation may take place prior to, or during, the current treatment session, by the same or another provider. A system and computer executable program code are also included.

1 . A process for tracking skilled-service rendered to a patient by a provider at a treatment location, comprising the steps of: 
 treating said patient based on at least one treatment goal at said treatment location by said provider;    generating at least one quantifiable record of progress made toward said at least one treatment goal identified for the patient and addressed by the provider during a treatment session;    valuating said quantifiable record of progress made toward said at least one treatment goal identified for the patient;    receiving an input comprising said at least one quantifiable record of progress so generated, for storage as treatment record data at a host location;    automatically generating a patient report using said treatment record data and a host processor; and    submitting said patient report to an entity selected from the group consisting of a health care facility, a health care provider, an insurer, the patient, an entity authorized to receive records of the patient, and a record-keeping entity for the provider.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said step of generating at least one quantifiable record of progress comprises the step of generating at least one quantifiable record of incremental provider observed progress development, said record of incremental provider observed progress development comprising an indication of incremental patient advances made toward a composite physical therapy treatment goal as compared to a preferred result.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  and further comprising the steps of: 
 evaluating development of said patient during at least one treatment modality based on said at least one treatment goal during a treatment session; and    dynamically modifying said treatment goal to create at least one edited treatment goal identified for the patient based upon a development evaluation of said patient during at least one treatment modality.    
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein: said at least one quantifiable record of progress comprises a description of said at least one treatment goal, a date of a treatment session, and the provider's identity; said step of receiving said input comprises receiving said description and said provider's identity into respective data fields; and said step of submitting comprises submitting said report for a payment from said entity for the skilled-service rendered.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  wherein: said at least one treatment goal was identified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition; said step of generating comprises entering said at least one record of progress onto a hardcopy composite record; and further comprising, thereafter, the step of entering said progress made and a date of a treatment session into respective input fields of a treatment record display.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said at least one treatment goal was identified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition; and further comprising, prior to the step of automatically generating said patient report, the step of generating a plan comprising a prescription for follow-up with the patient.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 6  further comprising the steps of: 
 generating an evaluation record comprising a description of said evaluation, a date of said evaluation, and a evaluator's identity; and    receiving an input comprising said evaluation record for storage as evaluation record data at said host location.    
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 7  further comprising, prior to the step of generating said at least one record of progress, the steps of retrieving said evaluation record data; and wherein said step of submitting comprises submitting said report for a payment from said entity for the skilled-service rendered.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8  wherein said step of generating a plan comprises entering said plan into an input field of a plan record display for storage as plan record data at said host location; and further comprising the steps of: 
 retrieving said plan record data; and    after said steps of retrieving said evaluation record data and said plan record data, the step of printing a hardcopy of said plan and said evaluation for use at said treatment location.    
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein: 
 said step of generating comprises the steps of generating a plurality of said records of progress, each said record associated with one of a plurality of treatment goals identified for the patient, and creating a composite record comprising each said record of progress along with a record of skilled intervention action used; and    said step of submitting comprises transmitting said report as electronic data over a data transfer pathway to said entity for a payment.    
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein said data transfer pathway comprises a network; and further comprising, prior to the step of receiving an input, the step of entering each of said plurality of said records of progress made and a date of said treatment session into respective input fields of a treatment record display.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said at least one treatment goal, having been identified from a list, is further modified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition.  
     
     
         13 . A system for tracking skilled-service rendered to a patient by a provider at a treatment location, comprising: 
 a composite record, generated at the treatment location, comprising at least one quantifiable record of progress made toward at least one treatment goal identified for the patient and addressed by the provider during a session, wherein said composite record comprises a valuation of said quantifiable record of progress;    a storage medium at a host location for storing treatment record data comprising each said quantifiable record of progress so generated; and    a host processor for automatically generating, using said treatment record data, a patient report for an entity selected from the group consisting of a health care facility, a health care provider, an insurer, the patient, an entity authorized to receive records of the patient, and a record-keeping entity for the provider.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said at least one quantifiable record of progress comprise at least one quantifiable record of incremental provider observed progress development, said record of incremental provider observed progress development comprising an indication of incremental patient advances made toward a composite physical therapy treatment goal as compared to a preferred result.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said at least one treatment goal is dynamically modified to create at least one edited treatment goal identified for the patient based upon a development evaluation of said patient during at least one treatment modality.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said at least one record of quantifiable progress comprises a description of said goal having been identified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition and a date of a treatment session; and further comprising an interface for entering said incremental provider observed progress development made and said date into respective input fields of a treatment record display.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13  further comprising a user interface for entering, at said host location from a hardcopy of said composite record generated at the physical therapy treatment location, said at least one record of quantifiable progress made into an input field of a treatment record display.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said composite record comprises a plan comprising a prescription for follow-up with the patient; and further comprising an interface for entering said plan into an input field of a plan record display for storage at said host location as plan record data.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein: said at least one treatment goal was identified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition; said interface further allows for entering a description of said evaluation into an input field of an evaluation record display for storage at said host location as evaluation record data; and said patient report comprises information from said at least one record of incremental provider observed progress development, said plan record data, and said evaluation record data.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 13  wherein said composite record comprises a plurality of said quantifiable records of progress, each said record associated with one of a plurality of treatment goals identified based upon an evaluation of the patient's condition; and further comprising a data transfer pathway in communication with said host processor for transmitting said report as electronic data to said entity.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20  further comprising a user interface for entering said composite record at the treatment location, said user interface in communication with a second data transfer pathway for transmitting said composite record entered to said host location storage medium.  
     
     
         22 . A computer executable program code on a computer readable storage medium for tracking skilled-service rendered to a patient by a provider at a treatment location, the program code comprising: 
 a first program sub-code for receiving an input of data comprising at least one quantifiable record of progress made toward at least one treatment goal identified for the patient and addressed by the provider at the treatment location during a session, wherein said input of data comprises a valuation of said quantifiable record of progress;    a second program sub-code for storing each said quantifiable record of progress so received, as treatment record data at a host location; and    a third program sub-code for generating a patient report using said treatment record data and a host processor, said patient report comprising information from said at least one quantifiable record of progress for submitting to an entity selected from the group consisting of a health care facility, a health care provider, an insurer, the patient, an entity authorized to receive records of the patient, and a record-keeping entity for the provider.    
     
     
         23 . The program code of  claim 22  wherein said quantifiable record of progress comprises a quantifiable record of incremental provider observed progress development, said record of incremental provider observed progress development comprising an indication of incremental patient advances made toward a composite physical therapy treatment goal as compared to a preferred result  
     
     
         24 . The program code of  claim 22  and further comprising a fourth program sub-code for dynamically modifying said at least one treatment goal to create at least one edited treatment goal identified for the patient based upon a development evaluation of said patient during at least one treatment modality  
     
     
         25 . The program code of  claim 22  wherein: said input of data comprising said at least one quantifiable record of progress is first entered through a user interface at said treatment location and temporarily stored as local treatment record data, and said first program sub-code comprises instructions for accepting said local treatment record data at said host location; and further comprising a fourth program sub-code for transmitting said patient report over a data transfer pathway for payment from said entity.