Abstract:
An organizer for assisting a medical patient to record information provided by a physician or other healthcare provider for later review by the patient or patient caregiver includes a front and back cover bound together and to interposed sheets, dividers and other materials disposed between the covers.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    This invention relates to planners or organizers for recording contact information, medical information and dates, and, more particularly, to an organizer for medical patients or caregivers to record and organize information provided by treating physicians and other health care providers for later review by the patient, spouse or other caregiver, or physician, particularly information related to the treatment of chronic illnesses such as cancer. 
         [0002]    The prior art includes various organizers, calendars, and other items for record keeping, some of which are intended for patients to record the dates of future office visits, symptoms experienced outside of the hospital or while away from caregivers, reminders to take medications, contact information, and dates and results of tests. The prior art does not include the combined and particular elements of the present invention, however, which provides an organizer developed particularly for use by medical patients with relatively long term, but often intermittent, medical conditions. 
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]    An organizer for medical patients to record information provided by physicians or other patient caregivers, for later review by the patient or patient caregiver, includes a front and back cover, bound together and to interposed sheets, dividers and other materials disposed between the covers and comprising the organizer. In one embodiment, the organizer includes a sheet with pockets for holding business cards, a sheet of adhesive labels bearing dates, a sheet bearing a printed calendar showing days of the week, month and year for a span of two years, a sheet bearing an appointment record, a sheet bearing lines for recording information obtained during office visits, a sheet bearing a chart for recording medications, a folder for storing current doctor reports, a folder for storing current test results, a plastic or paper gusseted bag for storing past doctor reports, and a plastic or paper gusseted bag for storing past test results. 
         [0004]    Other advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a bound medical organizer. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a sheet with pockets for holding business cards. 
           [0007]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a sheet of adhesive labels for bearing dates. 
           [0008]      FIG. 4  is a plan view of a sheet bearing a printed calendar showing days of the week, month and year for a span of two years. 
           [0009]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of a sheet bearing an appointment record. 
           [0010]      FIG. 6  is a plan view of a sheet bearing lines for recording information obtained during office visits. 
           [0011]      FIG. 7  is a plan view of a sheet bearing a chart for recording medications. 
           [0012]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of a folder for storing current doctor reports or test results. 
           [0013]      FIG. 9  is a plan view of a plastic or paper gusseted bag for storing past doctor reports. 
           [0014]      FIG. 10  is a plan view of a plastic or paper gusseted bag for storing past test results. 
           [0015]      FIG. 11  is a plan view of a registration card and a re-order card, both removable from the organizer and from each other via perforated tear lines. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]    As required, a detailed embodiment of the present invention is disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 through 11  of the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  an embodiment of the organizer of the present invention indicated by the reference numeral  100 . The organizer  100  includes a front cover  105 , back cover  106 , and spine  107 . The spine  107  connects the back cover  106  to the front cover  105  and also provides an attachment structure upon which to attach items bound within the organizer  100 . Methods and materials used to bind items within the organizer  100  may include adhesive, wire, thread, or any operable means known in the art. Instructions for use of the organizer  100  are provided on the inside surface of the front cover  105  of the organizer  100  or on an adjacent page or pages. 
         [0018]    Tabbed dividers  110  are provided to divide the contents of the organizer into sections. Each tabbed divider  110  is typically provided with a descriptive term printed on the tab. An organizer  100  may include any number of tabbed dividers  110  desired by a patient receiving the organizer  100  or the organizer provider, within the structural limitations of the organizer  100 . Although the embodiment disclosed herein describes an organizer  100  including eight tabbed dividers  110 , only four tabbed dividers  10  are illustrated in  FIG. 1  for clarity. A first tabbed divider  110  is followed by one or more plastic sheets  115  containing pockets  120  sized to accept and retain or hold business cards or cards of like dimensions, see  FIG. 2 . As business cards are collected from physicians and other healthcare or health service providers, they are inserted through pocket openings  125  and may be stored for ready later access in the card pockets  120 . 
         [0019]    A second tabbed divider is followed by one or more sheets  130  of adhesive labels  135 , see  FIG. 3 . The labels  135  each bear a pre-printed date corresponding to a Monday and typically a sufficient number of labels  135  to span two or more years, preferably at least five, are provided. A third tabbed divider is followed by a printed appointment calendar  140  showing all dates, days of the week, and months of the year for typically at least a span of two years. As shown in  FIG. 4 , each sheet of the appointment calendar may indicate the year  145  and display monthly calendars  150  for each month of the year. The appointment calendar  140  is followed by an appointment record  155  that provides appointment record entry locations  160  to write one or more entries for each day of the week, Monday through Sunday, see  FIG. 5 . Each page of the appointment record  155  includes two columns  165 A and  165 B. Each column lists the days of the week, starting at the top with Monday, and following down the column with Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Beside each day of the week, several horizontal lines  170  are provided on which to place information. Above each column  165 A and  165 B, and near the location designated for Monday of that week, a space  175  is provided to place the sticker corresponding to the Monday date of that week. 
         [0020]    Using this system provides enhanced flexibility as the appointment record  155  allows patients to use only columns in which there is information to be recorded on the associated dates. If a week or weeks progress in which there is no information to record, labeling of these weeks may be skipped in the appointment record  155  to avoid wasting space and paper. Labeling may then be resumed for the column immediately following the preceding entry. Sometimes cancer and other diseases or conditions go into remission but then resume weeks or months later. The appointment record  155  may be maintained only as needed. Information recorded in the appointment record may include the date, time and location of office visits, in which case the doctor name and telephone number typically should also be recorded. 
         [0021]    A fourth tabbed divider is followed by a journal  180  comprising a plurality of sheets of lined paper provided for a patient, relative, or caregiver to record notes during office visits, see  FIG. 6 . The terms “Doctor”  185  and “Date”  190  are printed at the top of each sheet, near the left and right corners thereof, respectively. These terms prompt recordation of the name of the doctor providing care and instruction during the visit and the date of the visit. Information recorded in the journal  180  is often highly valuable later, both for the patient to more fully understand the medical condition presented and the treatment plan, and for providing such information to caregivers or others who may assist the patient. 
         [0022]    A fifth tabbed divider is followed by one or more sheets each bearing a chart  200  for recording medications and associated information, see  FIG. 7 . The chart  200  comprises columns and rows, with column headings including “Start Date”  205 , “Name of Medication”  210 , “Strength of Medication”  215 , “Dose”  220  and “Stop Date”  225 . The column headings  205  to  225  may vary depending on the specific intended use of a particular organizer  100 . The medication chart  200  allows the patient to maintain a list of medications that may be tracked and presented to other caregivers. This provides a means for medication information from several doctors to be shared with one another and increases the patient&#39;s control and participation in assuring proper medical care. This information entered on the medication chart  200  can be valuable means to prevent overprescribing and overdosing of medications, as well as preventing the prescription of incompatible medications. The medication chart  200  provides a concise record of all medications and can be readily transported by the patient to appointments. 
         [0023]    A sixth tabbed divider is followed by one or more plastic, paper or cardboard folders  230  for retaining documents. Folders  230  preferably include a pocket  235  on each side of the folder  230 , one pocket  235  being designated for storing the most current doctor report, the other pocket designated for storing the most current test results, see  FIG. 8 . 
         [0024]    A seventh tabbed divider is followed by one or more plastic or paper gusseted bags  240  for storing past doctor reports, such as doctor reports moved from a folder  230  to make room for more current doctor reports. An eighth tabbed divider is followed by one or more plastic or paper gusseted bags  240  for storing past test results. Preferably, the bags  240  are each perforated  245  along a margin proximate the organizer spine  107 , where the bag  240  attaches to the organizer  100 . The bags  240  may be released from the organizer  100  for use (organized storage of past doctor reports and test results) by tearing along the perforation  245 .  FIG. 9  shows a bag  240  folded for positioning within an organizer  100 . Broken line  245  indicates a perforated tear line.  FIG. 10  shows the bag  240  of  FIG. 9  fully opened. Line  245  in  FIG. 10  indicates the tear line near the proximate end  250  of the bag  240  attached to and within the organizer  100 . A flap  255  on the distal end  260  of the bag  240  serves as a bag closure. Once a bag  240  has been removed and opened to receive reports or results, the flap  255  (or other closure means) is closed or sealed to retain the reports or results within. The bag  240  may then be placed in storage. 
         [0025]    For the convenience of the patient using the organizer  100 , a writing utensil  270  may be provided and attached to the organizer  100  cover or spine via a loop  275  of plastic, fabric or of elastic material, or by other operable means. 
         [0026]    A patient obtaining the organizer  100  from a physician, hospital or other health care provider will typically first review instructions, typically provided on or near an the inside surface of a cover  105  or  106 , prepare the appointment record  155  so that it is ready to record appointments, record notes during the office or hospital visit into the journal  100 , collect business cards and store them in the organizer pockets  120 , ask for and then store reports in a folder  230 , and arrange for and record subsequent appointments in the appointment record  155 . Later, typically at home, the patient registers the organizer  100  online by entering owner-identifying information such as name, address, telephone number, and email address at an organizer provider and/or registration provider website. Organizer-identifying information, such as a serial or registration number printed on the organizer  100 , is also entered during registration so that the specific organizer  100  may be associated with the owner in the registration record. 
         [0027]    Alternatively, a registration card  280  is removed from the organizer  100  and filled out with owner-identifying information such as patient/owner name and address  285  and mailed to the organizer provider, at the provider address  290  pre-printed on the registration card  280 , for registration. If misplaced, the organizer  100  may then be returned to the organizer provider address typically also posted on the inside surface of the back cover  106  of the organizer. A unique serial number  295  located on both the organizer  100  and on the registration card  280  will allow the provider to ascertain the name and address of the patient associated with an organizer  100  so that the organizer  100  may be returned by the provider to the patient. 
         [0028]    By using either the online registration or card registration process, the owner of the organizer  100  may omit writing or otherwise disclosing owner-identifying information within or on the organizer itself, thereby maintaining owner (patient) privacy. The registration card  280 , or a surface of the organizer  100  proximate the registration card  280  may bear a statement similar to the following to alert the owner to this privacy function: “For privacy, please register this number online or with the enclosed postcard.” 
         [0029]    The organizer  100  may further include re-order card  300 , typically of similar dimensions as the registration card  280 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , a registration card  280  and a re-order card  300  may be provided on a single sheet of card stock bound within tile organizer  100 . Both cards  280  and  300  are removable from the organizer  100  and from each other via perforated tear lines  305  and  310 . 
         [0030]    As a further alternative to online or card registration, the patient may write identifying information including name, address, telephone number, and email address on spaces provided on the inside surface of the back cover  106  so that the organizer  100  may be directly returned to the patient if misplaced. Space for instructions and advertising may also be provided on the inside surface of the front cover  105 . Regarding the latter, advertisements or acknowledgements for a sponsoring organization or health care facility may also be placed on the outside surface of the front cover  105 , the outside surface of the back cover  106  or at any selected location within the organizer  100 . 
         [0031]    A patient obtaining the organizer  100  from an agency or organization will typically first register the organizer  100  and then take the organizer  100  to all meetings or visits with health care providers. 
         [0032]    A method for organizing personal medical information may include the following steps. An organizer  100  is provided comprising date-bearing adhesive labels  135 , one or more calendars  140 , an appointment record  155 , a journal  180  for recording information, and means for registering the organizer  100 , such as a registration card  280  or registration website url. The organizer appointment record  155  is prepared by moving an adhesive label  135  from the adhesive label sheet  130  to a page of the appointment record  155 . The adhesive label  135  bears a date corresponding to the first listed day of the week (typically Monday) on the appointment record page. The label  135  is moved to an appointment record entry location  175  corresponding to this first listed day of the week. Dates subsequent to the first listed day (e.g. Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) are entered in the corresponding appointment record entry locations  160 . Medical appointment information is recorded at an appointment record entry location  160 . 
         [0033]    Notes comprising medical information received from a health care provider are recorded in the journal  180 . Journal sheets are labeled “Doctor” and “Date” at the top of each sheet to remind the user to record the name of the health care provider and the date of the meeting or visit. Business cards received from doctors or other health care providers are stored in the plastic pockets  120  and any further appointments that are scheduled during the meeting or visit are entered in the appointment record  155  using date labels  135  peeled from the adhesive label sheets  130 . The date labels  135  allow the appointment record  155  to be customized with date entries started and stopped as the medical condition enters or leaves remission. Therefore, sheets provided in sufficient number to cover a one or two year span may provide sufficient space to cover five or more years of entries. 
         [0034]    As medications are prescribed the patient will fill Out the medications sheet  200  providing the date that a particular medication is started, the name of the medication, the strength of the medication, e.g. mg/tablet, the dose to take, e.g. 1 tablet per day, and the date that the patient should stop taking the medication. The patient may receive this information at an office visit or via other means such as prescriptions called in to a pharmacy. 
         [0035]    The patient will likely receive test results and doctor reports from time to time. To organize these records, folders  230  and bags  240  are provided. A double-sided folder  230 . (see  FIG. 8 ) is provided with a pocket  235  on each side of the folder  230 . One pocket  235  is for storing Current Test Results, the other pocket (not shown) is for storing Current Doctor Reports, and each pocket  235  is labeled as indicated. Gusseted bags  240  (see  FIGS. 9 and 10 ) are provided for storing Test Results and Doctor Reports when they are moved from the Current folder  230 .  FIG. 9  shows a test result bag  240  folded over as stored within the organizer  100 .  FIG. 10  shows the same bag  240  folded open to extend the bag  240  to receive reports or results. The bag  240  is typically detached along a perforated line  245  (see broken line  245  proximate left bag margin  250 ) prior to inserting records or reports. 
         [0036]    It is to be understood that while certain forms of this invention have been illustrated and described, it is not limited thereto except insofar as such limitations are included in the following claims and allowable equivalents thereof.