Abstract:
A computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system. The system includes a menu based computer program with fields for entering information including answers to questions and measured data related to a plurality of different types of examinations, wherein the entered information in specific fields on specific forms for one type of examination will automatically populate selected data fields in a series of other forms for other types of examinations. The forms are electronically disseminated from a central system by one treating practitioner to other practitioners who render service to a patient.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application no. 60/527,039 entitled “COMPUTERIZED MEDICAL AND DENTAL DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM”, filed on Dec. 3, 2003. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention is related to the field of diagnosis and treatment planning systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system that permits a health care worker such as a surgeon, orthodontist or dentist to navigate through a menu-based computer program, and answer questions and enter data relevant to specific types of examinations. The answered questions and entered data in specific fields and on specific forms then populate data fields in a series of other forms which can list at least some of the following items: diagnosed conditions and findings; possible treatment for those conditions and findings; specific actions that can be taken to attend to the diagnosed conditions and findings; and referrals to other professionals. Any change of data or entered information on any one form or data field will automatically update other related forms as needed.  
         [0003]     Presently, not all practitioners in specialty or even generalized medical and dental practices may be knowledgeable or ideally suited to carry out examinations or treatments in different fields. As an example, an orthodontist operating out of an orthodontic office may not be equipped to render one or more specific examinations, such as a periodontal examination, a dental examination, a bite examination, a temporomandibular joint or “TMJ” examination, a facial examination, and a cephalometric examination. Moreover, even if such orthodontists can confidently and competently carry out such varied examinations, they may not be well-equipped to carry out all the recommended treatments.  
         [0004]     Moreover, a working practitioner in a field such as orthodontics, who may have a busy patient load, may not always be apprised of the newest treatment options in other fields, such as maxillofacial and orthognathic surgery or TMJ conditions.  
         [0005]     It is also a possibility that a practitioner may not be well-connected or personally acquainted with other practitioners in other specialty areas, and therefore may not be able to confidently make referrals.  
         [0006]     Additionally, if a referral is made, considerable effort can be expended in ensuring that the other practitioner(s) have the necessary medical records, treatment recommendations, and that the treatments by the different professionals will be coordinated, so that the referring practitioner (e.g. an orthodontist) can be assured that the various treatments are carried out so that desired results are reached. Indeed, this can involve faxing records, making numerous telephone calls, writing letters, and the like, all of which require valuable time and effort on the part of the referring practitioner and his or her staff.  
         [0007]     Medical and dental technology, and a patient&#39;s condition and desires are not static, and there is always the possibility that a specialist may decide to change the treatment sometime after an initial recommendation. Since changes in treatments may impact what other specialists plan on or are doing, it is desirable for there to be a central repository for patient records and data to help ensure that the most current recommendations and/or modified treatments from the referring practitioner or another specialist are accurately reflected in the referral practitioner&#39;s and other practitioner&#39;s records and/or accessible therein.  
         [0008]     Many medical and dental professionals continue to largely practice in an environment based on paper records and files. One advantage of such paper files and records is their portability. A medical practitioner can carry files from room to room in an office, easily review information, make notes and then easily switch to another file and patient. The newly entered information on paper records may or may not be used to update electronic files. A downside to these paper files is that they must be stored when not in use (which is the vast majority of the time), located and provided to the practitioner in advance of a patient appointment, and then returned afterwards. Moreover, as noted above, if a practitioner decides to refer out a patient to other specialists, someone must forward a copy of at least part of the records, along the requested task. This is cumbersome and is typically handled by letter, fax and/or email, and requires additional effort and expense on the practitioner and his or her staff, for which the referring physician is often not compensated.  
         [0009]     Medical and dental offices have increasingly taken advantage of computer hardware and software to ensure that their practices run more efficiently. Practice management and scheduling software, and patient records and treatment planning software enjoy widespread acceptance. However, the inventor is unaware of any systems or software applications that facilitate effective collaboration between different offices and specialists, so that the efforts of different professionals can work effectively to achieve a common goal of patient treatment with the least amount of inconvenience and error.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The invention provides a computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system. The system permits a health care worker, such as a surgeon, an orthodontist, a dentist and others at a medical or dental office, who is meeting with a patient either for the first time or for a repeat visit, to navigate through a menu-based computer program, and answer questions and enter data related to specific types of examinations. The entered data and answers in specific fields and on specific forms then populates data fields in a series of other forms which can list at least some of the following items: diagnosed conditions and findings; possible treatment for those conditions and findings; specific action items that can be taken to attend to the diagnosed conditions and findings; and referrals to other professionals. Any change of data or entered information on any one form or data field will automatically update other related forms as needed.  
         [0011]     One aspect of the invention provides a computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system wherein information can be electronically disseminated from a central system by a referring practitioner to other specialists.  
         [0012]     Another aspect of the invention is a computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system that provides all feasible treatment options for a variety of conditions in the relevant fields.  
         [0013]     Yet another aspect of the invention is a computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system that permits a health care worker such as a surgeon, orthodontist or dentist to navigate through a menu-based computer program, and answer questions and enter data relevant to specific types of examinations. The answered questions and entered data in specific fields and on specific forms then populates data fields in a series of other forms which can list at least some of the following items: diagnosed conditions and findings; possible treatment for those conditions and findings; specific actions that can be taken to attend to the diagnosed conditions and findings; and referrals to other professionals. Any change of data or entered information on any one form or data field will automatically update other related forms as needed. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a flowchart showing a structure of an exemplary embodiment of the computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system of the invention.  
         [0015]      FIGS. 2-4  are flowcharts showing various exemplary drop down lists accessible within different portions of the system of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing various examination links available through a diagnosis central portion of the system.  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing an exemplary TMJ examination form selected through the diagnosis central portion of the system of  FIG. 5 , with various referral options being shown.  
         [0018]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are an exemplary TMJ examination form of the system.  
         [0019]     FIGS.  7 C-E is an exemplary facial examination form of the system.  
         [0020]      FIG. 7F  is an exemplary patient motivation questionnaire of the system.  
         [0021]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with a treatment central summary selected.  
         [0022]      FIGS. 9A-9C  are views of an exemplary treatment central summary form of the system.  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with a referral central summary selected.  
         [0024]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are views of an exemplary referral central summary form of the system.  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with a procedure central summary selected.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 13A-13C  are views of an exemplary procedure central summary form of the system.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a flowchart showing a structure of an exemplary embodiment of the computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system  10  of the invention. The system includes a so-called “Chart Central”  12 , which is a software system for storing data such as patient data, information concerning various possible treatment and data concerning those treatments, and information concerning other providers of goods and services. A patient (Patent A)  14  will be seen by a health care provider and will be diagnosed by a “Diagnosis Central”  16  of the system. The diagnosis central  16  will have an examination forms module  18  that can display information in summary form. In an embodiment of the system, a treatment central summary  20 , a referral central  22  and a procedure central  24  can be provided. The instantly described system in  FIG. 1  is a flowchart showing a structure of an exemplary embodiment of the computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system of the invention.  
         [0028]      FIGS. 2-4  are flowcharts showing various exemplary drop down menus  30  and  32  that are accessible within different portions of the system of  FIG. 1 . As can be seen, the system permits a health care provider to move from any point in the system to any other point in fewer steps, which saves effort in having to navigate through multiple screens. As an example, and as shown in  FIGS. 2-4 , drop down menu  30  can be selected from diagnosis central  16 , examination forms  18 , and treatment central summary  20 . Although not shown, drop down menu  30  can likewise be selected and accessed as it includes the ability to select “GO TO CHART CENTRAL”  34 , “GO TO EXAMINATION FORMS”  36 , “GO TO TREATMENT CENTRAL”  38 , “GO TO REFERRAL CENTRAL”  40 , and “GO TO PROCEDURE CENTRAL”  42 . If, for example, a user selected “GO TO EXAMINATION FORMS”  36 , the further pop up menu  32  appears with the exemplary choices of “PATIENT MOTIVATION”  50 , “PERIODONTAL”  52 , “DENTAL”  54 , “BITE”  56 , “TMJ”  58 , “FACIAL”  60 , and “CEPHALOMETRIC”  62 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a diagram showing various examination links available through exemplary diagnosis central portion  16  of the system, namely patient motivation  50 , periodontal examination  52 , dental examination  54 , bite examination  56 , TMJ examination  58 , facial examination  60 , and cephalometric examination  62 . Different and/or additional examinations can be added.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a diagram showing the exemplary TMJ examination form  58  selected through the diagnosis central portion  16  of the system of  FIG. 5 , with various referral options being shown in a “REFER” option  64 , namely orthodontist  70 , oral surgeon  72 , MRI  74 , splint  76 , user defined  78 , TMJ specialist  80 , physical therapy  82 , radiology  84  and biofeedback  86 . Other options at the TMJ examination  58  include a “SKIP” option  90 , and a “GO TO FORM” option  92 . While not shown, a “REFER” option, a “SKIP” option, and a “GO TO FORM” option are preferably provided at each of the examinations and patient motivation forms to assist with navigating the system.  
         [0031]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are an exemplary TMJ examination form  100  of the system. It preferably has fields for patient information, such as patient name  102 , age  104 , and orthodontist  106 . A “FINDINGS” field  108  provides fields for motion  110 , including vertical  112 , deviation  114 , right lateral  116 , left lateral  118 , and protrusive  120 . There is preferably a right clinical examination field  122  and a left clinical examination field  124 , each of which has further fields, including TMJ sound  126  (with options including pop  128 , click  130 , multiple clicks  132 , and crepitation  134 , etc.), TMJ pain  136  (with options including opening  138 , palpation  140 , biting  142  and yawning  144 ), and muscle pain  146  (with options including masseter  148 , temporalis  150 , m. pteygoid  152  and neck  154 . There is a right tomograph field  160  and left tomograph field  162 , each of which has further fields, including condyle shape  164  (with options including central  166 , anterior  168 , posterior  170  and inferior  172 , condyle position  174  (with options including head bulge  176 , finger  178 , flat surface  180  and indistinct  182 ), condyle cortex  184  (with options corticated  186 , decorticated  188 , hypercorticated  190 , and beak  192 ), and eminence  194  (including options including normal  196 , steep  198 , shallow  200 , and flat surface  202 ). For each of the findings  108 , right and left clinical examinations  122  and  124 , respectively, and right and left tomograph  160  and  162 , respectively, there are various treatment options  210  and referral options  212 , each with drop down menus. The treatment options  210  can include, for example, splint  214 , medical protocol  216  and physical therapy (PT)  218 . The referral options  212  can include, for example, oral surgeon  220  and TMJ specialist  222 . When a user of the system makes a selection in the TMJ examination form  100 , these changes automatically update all the other forms, e.g. at treatment central, procedure central, and referral central.  
         [0032]     FIGS.  7 C-E is an exemplary facial examination form  300  of the system. It has fields for the patient&#39;s name  302 , age  304  and orthodontist  306 . This information will be automatically filled in if another form was previously completed that has corresponding fields. The examination provides for frontal examination  308  and a profile examination  310 . Various fields can be provided to permit a health care provider to carry out a complete examination including making observations, recording patient details, and having suggestions made as to possible ways to normalize features. A patient&#39;s front facial view  330  and profile facial view  332  can be shown by the system.  
         [0033]      FIG. 7F  is an exemplary patient motivation questionnaire  400 , with a series of questions concerning possible changes to a patient&#39;s teeth  402 , face  404  and symptoms  406 , and possible treatments  408  to affect these changes desired by the patient. While the questions shown in the FIGS. are directed to facial and dental conditions, other types of questions can be asked.  
         [0034]      FIG. 8  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with all examination forms  18  completed, and with the treatment central summary  20  selected.  
         [0035]      FIGS. 9A-9C  are views of an exemplary treatment central summary display  500  of the system. It will display information from the completed forms, namely data from the patient motivation  50 , periodontal examination  52 , dental examination  54 , occlusal treatment (or bite examination)  56 , TMJ examination  58 , facial examination  60 , and cephalometric examination  62 ; treatments  510  for each of these from data gleaned from the examination forms, and possible referrals  512 . Within this display, a user can easily select to go to Dx (Diagnosis) central  514 , go to exam (examination) forms  516  and go to referral central  518 , saving the user time in navigating the system.  
         [0036]      FIG. 10  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with all examination forms  18  completed, and with the referral central summary  22  selected.  
         [0037]      FIGS. 11A and 11B  are views of an exemplary referral central summary display  600  of the system. In this display, the various health care professional who can be involved with various aspects of treatment are listed, including Dentist  602 , Periodontist  604 , Orthodontist  606 , Surgeon  608 , TMJ specialist  610 , Physical Therapist  612 , Rheumatologist  614  and Sleep Lab  616 . The various conditions and/or problems to be addressed by each health care provider will be listed in fields, namely fields  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630  and  632 , respectively, along with actions needed to be taken by each health care provider, namely  640 ,  642 ,  644 ,  646 ,  650 ,  652 ,  654  and  656 , respectively. Within this display, a user can easily select to go to Dx (Diagnosis) central  660 , go to exam (examination) forms  662  and go to procedure central  664 , saving the user time in navigating the system.  
         [0038]      FIG. 12  is a flowchart of  FIG. 1 , but with all examination forms  18  completed, and with the procedure central summary selected  24 .  
         [0039]      FIGS. 13A-13C  are views of an exemplary procedure central summary display  700  of the system. Within this display, a user can easily select to go to Dx (Diagnosis) central  702 , go to exam (examination) form  704  and go to treatment central  706 , saving the user time in navigating the system. One field  707  will list various factors, such as teeth  708 , face  710 , symptoms  712 , plaque  714 , gingival recession  716 , decay (small)  718 , decay (extensive)  720 , inadequate anatomy  722 , impacted  724 , current bite  726 , pre-orthodontic  728 , joints  730 , muscles  732 , tomograms  734 , vertical  736 , midlines  738 , dentoskeletal  740 , vertical  742  and projection to TVL (true vertical line)  744 . Another field will include findings  750  associated with the various factors, and a third field  752  will list treatments  752  that follow from the findings  750 .  
         [0040]     With the system of the invention, a user can easily navigate through the various parts of the system, and can jump from module to module without having to go back through multiple pages. Furthermore, the system helps a health care provider to be provided with all the various treatment options available and the ability to automatically send reports to other health care providers. For example, an orthodontist, using the system, can decide that the patient has serious tooth decay and requires the services of a dentist and a periodontist. The system will permit the orthodontist to email detailed reports listing the orthodontist&#39;s recommend treatment(s) to other health care provider(s), thus saving valuable time in transferring medical files and allowing various health care providers to work more in concert in solving a patient&#39;s various issues.  
         [0041]     The system of the invention permits a user to be apprised of the various treatment options for a variety of conditions in the various fields, and permits the user to even refer out other specialized examinations or treatments to other professionals.  
         [0042]     With the computerized medical and dental diagnosis and treatment planning and management system of the invention, a health care provider, e.g., a surgeon, orthodontist, dentist, etc., can navigate through a menu-based computer program, and answer questions and enter data relevant to specific types of examinations. The health care provider also has the option to add in additional or custom examinations to the system. The answered questions and entered data in specific fields and on specific forms then populate data fields in other forms which can list at least some of the following items: diagnosed conditions and findings; possible treatment for those conditions and findings; specific actions that can be taken to attend to the diagnosed conditions and findings; and referrals to other professionals. Any change of data or entered information on any one form or data field will automatically update other related forms as needed.  
         [0043]     Although specific examples have been given that are centered round the head and face, the system is applicable to other medical and health care fields where there is benefit to several persons working with the patient and his or her records.  
         [0044]     The drawings in the foregoing description are not intended to represent the only form of the invention in regard to the details of its construction and manner of operation. In fact, it will be evident to one skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Although specific terms have been employed, they are intended in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.