Patient feedback for use of therapeutic device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a patient feedback system ( 10 ) for providing feedback information on the use of a therapeutic device ( 14 ) to a patient ( 12 ), said system ( 10 ) comprising: an interface ( 34 ) for receiving personal profile data ( 18 ) of the patient ( 12 ); a database ( 16 ) for storing reference profile data ( 18 ′) and reference device settings ( 54 ) from a plurality of reference patients ( 42 ) using therapeutic devices; a cohort selection module ( 36 ) for comparing the personal profile data ( 18 ) of the patient ( 12 ) with the reference profile data ( 18 ′) of the reference patients ( 42 ) in the database ( 16 ) and for determining a cohort ( 44 ) for the patient ( 12 ) from the plurality of reference patients ( 42 ) based upon said comparison, wherein said cohort ( 44 ) comprises a subset of the reference patients ( 42 ) having reference profile data ( 18 ′) similar to the personal profile data ( 18 ) of the patient ( 12 ); and a feedback unit ( 38 ) for determining feedback information based on the reference device settings ( 54 ) of the reference patients ( 42 ) in the cohort ( 44 ) and for providing said feedback information to the patient ( 12 ).

1 . A system for treating a medical condition with a therapeutic device, the system comprising:
 a data interface for receiving personal profile data of the patient, the personal profile data including one or both of a type of a disease from which the patient suffers and/or an extent to which the patient suffers from the disease;   a database for storing reference profile data and reference device settings from a plurality of reference patients using therapeutic devices, the reference profile data for each reference patient including one or both of a type of a disease from which the reference patient suffers and/or an extent to which the reference patient suffers from the disease, the reference device settings including at least one device parameter being indicative of how a therapeutic device of a reference patient is configured;   a cohort selection module for comparing the personal profile data of the patient with the reference profile data of the reference patients in the database and for determining a cohort for the patient from the plurality of reference patients based upon said comparison, the cohort comprising a subset of the reference patients having reference profile data similar to the personal profile data of the patient and using similar or the same therapeutic devices as the patient, the reference profile data similar to the personal profile data of the patient including the type of disease;   a therapy module for determining suggested therapeutic device settings based on the reference device settings of the reference patients in the cohort; and   a feedback unit for determining feedback information including the suggested therapeutic device settings for improving the therapeutic device based on the reference device settings of the reference patients in the cohort and for providing said feedback information to the therapeutic device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising the therapeutic device and wherein the therapeutic device is structured to automatically implement the improved therapeutic device settings received from the feedback unit. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein, in the cohort selection module, determining the cohort further includes determining for one of the at least one device parameter a statistical sample size representing a minimum number of reference patients in the cohort depending on a required granularity of said device parameter to allow determining statistically relevant feedback information being related to said device parameter. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the: cohort selection module, the therapy module, and/or the feedback unit is part of the therapeutic device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data interface is further configured to receive therapeutic device settings of the patient, and wherein the feedback information includes a deviation parameter being indicative of the deviations of the therapeutic device settings of the patient from the reference device settings of the reference patients in the cohort. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a formatting module for converting the personal profile data received via the interface into a predefined format. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal profile data or the reference profile data, respectively, include at least one profile parameter being indicative of one or more of:
 a sleep profile of the patient or a reference patient, respectively, in particular a sleep duration and/or an apnea—hypopnea index;   physiological data of the patient or the reference patient, respectively, in particular the sex, age, weight or height of the patient or the reference patient, respectively;   a vital sign of the patient or the reference patient, respectively;   a medical history of the patient or the reference patient, respectively; and/or   a type and/or a serial number of the therapeutic device used by the patient or the reference patient, respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the personal profile data further include:
 an importance factor for the at least one profile parameter being indicative of the importance of said at least one profile parameter when determining the cohort; and   a range value for the at least one profile parameter being indicative of a tolerable offset when determining the cohort.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the cohort selection module is configured to include the range value and the importance factor in the determination of the cohort for the patient. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the personal profile data further include a range value for the at least one profile parameter being indicative of a tolerable offset when determining the cohort;   wherein said comparison of the personal profile data of the patient with the reference profile data of the reference patients is based on said range value for the at least one profile parameter; and   wherein determining the cohort for the patient from the plurality of reference patients further includes adjusting said range value until a number of reference patients in the cohort is substantially equal to said statistical sample size.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein receiving personal profile data of the patient includes receiving personal profile data from a monitoring device measuring the at least one profile parameter being indicative of the sleep profile and/or the vital sign of the patient. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic device is structured to provide a flow of pressurized gas to the patient. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the personal profile data includes both the type of disease and an extent to which the patient suffers therefrom, and wherein the reference profile data for each reference patient includes both the type of disease and an extent to which each reference patient suffers therefrom. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic device comprises a medical ventilator. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic device comprises a pressure-support system for treating the medical condition obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.