System and method for soliciting directly-collected normalized voice feedback for use in automated patient care

Abstract

A system and method for transacting an automated patient communications session is described. A patent health condition is monitored by regularly collecting physiological measures through an implantable medical device. A patient communications session is activated through a patient communications interface including, an implantable microphone and an implantable speaker in response to a patient-provided activation code. An identification of the patient is authenticated based on pre-defined uniquely identifying patient characteristics. Spoken patient information is received through the implantable microphone and verbal system information is played through the implantable speaker. The patient communications session is terminated by closing the patient communications interface. The physiological measures and the spoken patient information are sent.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A system for soliciting directly-collected normalized voice feedback for use in automated patient care, comprising:
 a medical device having a sensor monitoring and recording one or more physiological measures relating to individual patient information from an anatomical site at least one of directly and derivatively;   an implantable microphone interfacing and recording one or more quality of life measures relating to normalized spoken patient self-assessment indicators, each quality of life measure recorded substantially contemporaneous to the physiological measures; and   a database storing patient care records with each record containing the physiological measures and the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         34 . A system according to  claim 33 , the remote client further comprising:
 an analysis module analyzing the physiological measures and the contemporaneously recorded quality of life measures retrieved from one such patient care record to determine a patient status.   
     
     
         35 . A system according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 the analysis module analyzing the physiological measures from sensors monitoring a plurality of anatomical sites within an individual patient relative to each anatomical site.   
     
     
         36 . A system according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 a written script comprising one or more quality of life measure prompts each corresponding to one such quality of life measure; and   a feedback device synthesizing speech from the written script and interacting with the individual patient during recordation of the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         37 . A system according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 pre-recorded speech comprising one or more quality of life measure prompts each corresponding to one such quality of life measure; and   a feedback device playing the pre-recorded speech and interacting with the individual patient during recordation of the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         38 . A system according to  claim 33 , the remote client further comprising:
 a feedback device converting speech spoken by the individual patient into the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         39 . A system according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 a programmer interfacing to the medical device and retrieving the physiological measures; and   a receiver interfacing to the implantable microphone through a wireless connection and retrieving the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         40 . A system according to  claim 33 , further comprising:
 an implantable speaker interfacing and playing one or more voice prompts.   
     
     
         41 . A method for soliciting directly-collected normalized voice feedback for use in automated patient care, comprising:
 obtaining one or more physiological measures relating to individual patient information from a medical device having a sensor monitoring and recording from an anatomical site at least one of directly and derivatively;   recording one or more quality of life measures relating to normalized spoken patient self-assessment indicators through an implantable microphone, each quality of life measure recorded substantially contemporaneous to the physiological measures; and   storing the physiological measures and the quality of life measures in patient care records.   
     
     
         42 . A method according to  claim 41 , the remote client further comprising:
 analyzing the physiological measures and the contemporaneously recorded quality of life measures retrieved from one such patient care record to determine a patient status.   
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 analyzing the physiological measures from sensors monitoring a plurality of anatomical sites within an individual patient relative to each anatomical site.   
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 defining a written script comprising one or more quality of life measure prompts each corresponding to one such quality of life measure; and   synthesizing speech from the written script and interacting with the individual patient during recordation of the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         45 . A method according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 storing pre-recorded speech comprising one or more quality of life measure prompts each corresponding to one such quality of life measure; and   playing the pre-recorded speech and interacting with the individual patient during recordation of the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         46 . A method according to  claim 41 , the remote client further comprising:
 converting speech spoken by the individual patient into the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         47 . A method according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 interfacing to the medical device and retrieving the physiological measures; and   interfacing to the implantable microphone through a wireless connection and retrieving the quality of life measures.   
     
     
         48 . A system according to  claim 41 , further comprising:
 interfacing and playing one or more voice prompts via an implantable speaker.   
     
     
         49 . A computer-readable storage medium for a device holding code for performing the method according to  claim 41 .