Patent ID: 7693727
Filing Date: 2010-04-06
Classification: G06Q,G16H

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of managing health care provided to a patient, comprising: creating, by at least one computer, a plurality of checklists each associated with a prior probability level of a medical condition, wherein said creating includes transforming at least one stored evidence-based decision guideline into each of said plurality of checklists by using a Bayesian analysis to construct an optimal sequence of steps to reach a predetermined probability threshold indicating approval for a major transition in the care process; storing, by said at least one computer, said plurality of checklists in a checklist database; receiving, by said at least one computer, patient information entered by a first physician including a suspected medical condition and patient insurance information; responsive to said patient information being received from said first physician, calculating, by said at least one computer, an initial prior probability of said suspected medical condition from said received patient information based on accumulated information from a plurality of other patients stored on an accessible system wide database; selecting, by said at least one computer from said checklist database, a first checklist associated with a prior probability level of a medical condition matching said calculated initial prior probability of a suspected medical condition for said patient; displaying, by said at least one computer, said first checklist to said first physician; receiving, by said at least one computer, responses to said first checklist from said first physician; calculating, by said at least one computer, a cumulative probability of said suspected medical condition based on said received responses to said first checklist from said first physician; determining, by said at least one computer, that said cumulative probability of said suspected medical condition exceeds a predetermined probability threshold associated with said first checklist in said checklist database; responsive to said predetermined probability threshold being met, determining, by said at least one computer, a first major transition in the care process including that said patient is to be referred to a second eligible physician with regard to said suspected medical condition based on said patient insurance information and physician identifying information from an insurance database; responsive to said determining said first major transition in the care process, transmitting, by said at least one computer, a referral note to said second physician; receiving, by said at least one computer, a proposed medical action selected by said second physician from a list of possible medical actions; responsive to receiving said proposed medical action from said second physician, calculating, by said at least one computer, a subsequent prior probability of said suspected medical condition from said received patient information and said received proposed medical action based on accumulated information from a plurality of other patients stored on said accessible system wide database; selecting, by said at least one computer from said checklist database, a second checklist associated with a prior probability level matching said calculated subsequent prior probability for said patient; displaying, by said at least one computer, said second checklist to said second physician; receiving, by said at least one computer, responses to said second checklist from said second physician; calculating, by said at least one computer, a cumulative probability of said medical condition based on said received responses to said second checklist from said second physician; determining, by said at least one computer, that said cumulative probability exceeds a predetermined probability threshold associated with said second checklist in said checklist database; responsive to said predetermined threshold being met, determining, by said at least one computer, a second major transition in the care process including that said proposed medical action is to be performed on said patient with regard to said suspected medical condition; responsive to said determining that said medical action is to be performed on said patient, generating, by said at least one computer, an approval of said proposed medical action; and responsive to said generating of said approval of said proposed medical action, automatically reporting to said first physician, by said at least one computer, said approval of said proposed medical action together with said responses to said second checklist received from said second physician.