Abstract:
A systems and methods to classify and rank health information assists individuals with personalized and specific health choices by guiding them to the relevant stages in any health area comprising healthy living, disease diagnosis, treatment and cure, or management of disease. The system will personalize the health journey for each consumer based on user inputs by classifying user inputs into specific personal health types, wherein each personal health type is classified and weighted into a knowledgebase, based on a frame-work. The personalized health journey will be inclusive of all the associated details about healthy living, diagnosis, treatments, long term management of disease, and leading developments in the disease area.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/817,371, filed on Apr. 30, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to the field of managing health. More particularly, and without limitations, the systems and methods to classify and rank health information provide a personal health type and personal health recommendations corresponding to the personal health data that has been collected. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Health management demands the need for constant monitoring of physical conditions and diagnosis of diseases. Timely monitoring requires access to reliable, relevant, and up-to-date information, and this information is often obtained by using available search engines such as Google or Bing. However, since such search engines provide a plethora of indiscriminate health-related information, it becomes very difficult for patients to comprehensively and accurately understand the health-related information. It is important to understand the health-related information available and take health decisions, but data obtained from numerous sources may prove unsatisfactory as they provide generic information. Such information may tend to mislead users that may lead to manifestation of serious health problems which may further result in additional complications to a user. 
         [0004]    Thus, it is important to organize and characterize information available on internet such that a patient may understand and take health decisions. 
         [0005]    Many healthcare related websites such as WebMD or EverydayHealth provide blanket information about any health-related subject without discriminating as to what is the level of information being provided to the consumer. There are also websites such as Sermo that are physician oriented and one has to be a registered physician with the AMA to register oneself to use it, or other sites like PatientsLikeMe are exclusively for patients already diagnosed with a disease and mainly deals with the response to medications and compliance. 
         [0006]    However, such websites have an escalating level of information and knowledge being made available to any consumer without assessing the specific needs of the consumer and often leave consumers of this information confused and upset about their health conditions and at worst indecisive about the choices of actions confronting them regarding their health condition. Finally, none of the resources mentioned above create a lasting resource for the consumer to refer back on a need-basis or provide a social network of like-minded consumers. 
         [0007]    None of the above technologies address user inputs or queries while considering the demographic, historical, or geographical details of the users, gender orientations, disabilities, previous and pipelined treatments etc. to provide the specific user oriented result because such differentiating characteristics drastically influence medical treatment models. Additionally, the frameworks disclosed in all the above technologies don&#39;t necessarily rank every user input into separate user-types based on the pre-selected parameters. 
         [0008]    In addition to accuracy, healthcare information needs to be prioritized for a user such that the user can make the necessary health-related decisions in consultation with their physician. Further, many of the existing technologies don&#39;t provide a social, interactive forum to serve as an assembly platform for patients, healthcare professionals, doctors, suppliers, pharmacists, etc. 
         [0009]    Hence, in light of the discussion above, it is desirable to devise a standardized healthcare decision making platform for consumers that overcomes one or more problems and disadvantages of the prior art. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    A method for managing health comprising obtaining, by a health management computing device, personal health profile data comprising one or more personal health parameters wherein each of the one or more personal health parameters comprises one of a plurality of values for each of the personal health parameters. Next, a deviation is determined, by the health management computing device, from one or more of the one of the plurality of values for one or more of the personal health parameters from a subset range of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters. A weighting factor is determined, by the health management computing device, for the one or more of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters based on the determined deviation relative to the determined deviation of the other one or more of the plurality of values. The one or more of the personal health parameters along with the corresponding determined weighting factor for the one or more of the personal health parameters are correlated, by the health management computing device, with one of a plurality of personal health types, wherein each of the plurality of personal health types is associated with one or more health data points. The correlated personal health type and the one or more health data points are provided by the health management computing device. 
         [0011]    A health management computing device comprising one or more processors and a memory, wherein the memory coupled to the one or more processors is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising obtaining personal health profile data comprising one or more personal health parameters, wherein each of the one or more personal health parameters comprises one of a plurality of values for each of the personal health parameters. A deviation is determined of one or more of the one of the plurality of values for one or more of the personal health parameters is from a subset range of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters. A weighting factor is determined for the one or more of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters based on the determined deviation relative to the determined deviation of the other one or more of the plurality of values. The one or more of the personal health parameters along with the corresponding determined weighting factor for the one or more of the personal health parameters are correlated with one of a plurality of personal health types, wherein each of the plurality of personal health types is associated with one or more health data points. The correlated personal health type and the one or more health data points are provided. 
         [0012]    A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions for health management in a health management system comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising obtaining personal health profile data comprising one or more personal health parameters, wherein each of the one or more personal health parameters comprises one of a plurality of values for each of the personal health parameters. A deviation is determined of one or more of the one of the plurality of values for one or more of the personal health parameters is from a subset range of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters. A weighting factor is determined for the one or more of the plurality of values for the one or more of the personal health parameters based on the determined deviation relative to the determined deviation of the other one or more of the plurality of values. The one or more of the personal health parameters along with the corresponding determined weighting factor for the one or more of the personal health parameters are correlated with one of a plurality of personal health types, wherein each of the plurality of personal health types is associated with one or more health data points. The correlated personal health type and the one or more health data points are provided. 
         [0013]    This technology provides a number of advantages including providing more effective methods, devices, and non-transitory computer readable media for providing a personal health type and personal health recommendations. 
         [0014]    By way of example only, when an individual uses connects to the technology through a mobile device, the individual is presented with a series of questions regarding their particular health characteristics. Accordingly, the individual is provided with a personalized health type corresponding to their particular set of answers to the questions presented. This personalized health type benefits the individual by providing an easy to understand summary of their health issues. Additionally, in one embodiment, the technology provides an individual with a set of personal health recommendations corresponding to the personal health type. These personal health recommendations provide the user with recommendations of courses of actions that the user may take to benefit their health. These recommendations include dietary and general lifestyle recommendations such as recommendations to eat or avoid eating certain foods, or to participate in various exercise activities. Additionally, the technology accesses a knowledgebase comprising data points. The technology benefits the user by providing the user with disease information, one or more medical treatments, and one or more pharmaceuticals associated with the individuals correlated personal health type. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. These figures and the associated description are provided to illustrate some embodiments of the invention, and not to limit the scope of the invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exemplary network environment comprising a health management computing device for providing personal health types and health data points; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is an exemplary functional block diagram of the health management computing device; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is an exemplary functional block diagram of the modules within a memory of the health management computing device; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary flow chart for providing personal health types and health data points; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is an exemplary flow chart for determining a deviation for a personal health parameter value; and 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is an exemplary health parameter table. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    An exemplary network environment  100  with a health management computing device  50  for providing a personal health type is as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The exemplary network environment  100  includes a plurality of computing devices  20 ( a )- 10 ( b ), the health management computing device  50 , and a plurality of servers  60 , which are coupled together by the communication networks  30 , although the environment can include other types and numbers of devices, components, elements and communication networks in a variety of other topologies and deployments. While not shown, the exemplary environment  100  may include additional components, such as routers, switches and other devices which are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art and thus will not be described here. This technology provides a number of advantages including providing more effective methods, non-transitory computer readable medium and devices for predicting customer satisfaction. 
         [0023]    Referring more specifically to  FIG. 1 , health management computing device  50  interacts with the plurality of computing devices  20 ( a )- 20 ( b ), knowledge database  60 , and the plurality of servers  60  through the communications network  30 , although the health management computing device  50  can interact with the computing devices  20 ( a )- 20 ( b ), and the plurality of servers  60  using other methods and techniques. Communication networks  30  include local area networks (LAN), wide area network (WAN), 3G technologies, GPRS or EDGE technologies, although the communication networks  30  can include other types and numbers of networks and other network topologies. 
         [0024]    The health management computing device  50  provides personal health types and health data points within a network environment  100  as illustrated and described with the examples herein, although health management computing device  50  may perform other types and numbers of functions and in other types of networks. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , health management computing device  50  includes at least one processor  42 , memory  44 , input device  48  and display device  45 , and input/output (I/O) system  46  which are coupled together by bus  40 , although utility management computing device  14  may comprise other types and numbers of elements in other configurations. 
         [0025]    Processor(s)  42  may execute one or more computer-executable instructions stored in the memory  44  for the methods illustrated and described with reference to the examples herein, although the processor(s) can execute other types and numbers of instructions and perform other types and numbers of operations. The processor(s)  42  may comprise one or more central processing units (“CPUs”) or general purpose processors with one or more processing cores, such as AMD® processor(s), although other types of processor(s) could be used (e.g., Intel®). 
         [0026]    Memory  44  may comprise one or more tangible storage media, such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, CD-ROM, floppy disk, hard disk drive(s), solid state memory, DVD, or any other memory storage types or devices, including combinations thereof, which are known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Memory  44  may store one or more programmed instructions of this technology as illustrated and described with reference to the examples herein that may be executed by the one or more processor(s)  18 . By way of example only, the flow charts shown in  FIG. 3 , is representative of programmed steps or actions of this technology that may be embodied or expressed as one or more non-transitory computer or machine readable having stored instructions stored in memory  44  that may be executed by the processor(s)  42 , although other types and numbers of programmed instructions and/or other data may be stored. 
         [0027]    Additionally as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the memory  44  includes a weighting module  305 , and a correlation module  310  to assist the health management computing device  50  with providing a personal health type and health recommendations, although memory  44  can include other types and numbers of modules. In this example, the weighting module  305  includes a set of methods to calculate the a weighted parameter value for individual health parameters, although the weighting module  305  can accept other types or amounts of information. The correlation module  310  includes a set of methods to correlate personal health data with a personal health type, and to provide data points associated with the respective personal health type. These applications can be accessed from web portals and/or mobile devices as per requirements. 
         [0028]    Input device  48  enables a user, such as a patient, to interact with the health management computing device  50 , such as to input and/or view data and/or to configure, program and/or operate it by way of example only. By way of example only, input device  48  may include one or more of a touch screen, keyboard and/or a computer mouse. 
         [0029]    The display device  45  enables a user, such as a patient, to interact with the health management computing device  50 , such as to view and/or input information and/or to configure, program and/or operate it by way of example only. By way of example only, the display device  45  may include one or more of a CRT, LED monitor, LCD monitor, or touch screen display technology although other types and numbers of display devices could be used. 
         [0030]    The Input/output system  46  in the health management computing device  50  is used to operatively couple and communicate between the health management computing device  50 , the computing devices  20 , the plurality of servers  60  which are all coupled together by communication network  30 . In this example, the bus  42  is a hyper-transport bus in this example, although other bus types and links may be used, such as PCI. 
         [0031]    Each of the plurality of computing devices  20  includes a central processing unit (CPU) or processor, a memory, an interface device, and an I/O system, which are coupled together by a bus or other link, although other numbers and types of network devices could be used. The plurality of computing devices  20  communicate with the health management computing device  50  for providing a personal health type and one or more health data points through the health management computing device  50 , although the computing devices  20  can interact with the health management computing device  50  by other techniques. The plurality of computing devices  20  may run interface application(s), such as a Web browser, that may provide an interface to make requests for and receive content and/or communicate with web applications stored on the plurality of servers  60   16 ( 1 )- 16 ( n ) via the communication network  30 . 
         [0032]    The network environment  10  also includes the plurality of servers  60 . Each of the plurality of servers  60  includes a central processing unit (CPU) or processor, a memory, an interface device, and an I/O system, which are coupled together by a bus or other link, although other numbers and types of network devices could be used. The plurality of servers  60  communicate with the health management computing device  50  through communication network  30 , although the plurality of servers  60  can interact with the health management computing device  50  by other techniques. Various network processing applications, such as CIFS applications, NFS applications, HTTP Web Server applications, and/or FTP applications, may be operating on the plurality of servers  60  and transmitting content (e.g., files, Web pages) to the plurality of computing devices  20  or the health management computing device  50  in response to requests. 
         [0033]    Although an exemplary telecommunications network environment  10  with the plurality of computing devices  20 , health management computing device  50  and plurality of servers  60  are described and illustrated herein, other types and numbers of systems, devices in other topologies can be used. It is to be understood that the systems of the examples described herein are for exemplary purposes, as many variations of the specific hardware and software used to implement the examples are possible, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art(s). 
         [0034]    Furthermore, each of the systems of the examples may be conveniently implemented using one or more general purpose computer systems, microprocessors, digital signal processors, and micro-controllers, programmed according to the teachings of the examples, as described and illustrated herein, and as will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art. 
         [0035]    The examples may also be embodied as a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for one or more aspects of the present technology as described and illustrated by way of the examples herein, as described herein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps necessary to implement the methods of the examples, as described and illustrated herein. 
         [0036]    An exemplary method for providing a health user type  130  and health data points  132  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 4-6 . Particularly with reference to  FIG. 4 , in step  405 , the health management computing device  50  obtains personal health profile data  102  from one of the plurality of computing devices  20  associated with the health management computing device  50 , wherein the personal health profile data  102  comprises one or more personal health parameters  104 . By way of example only, the personal health parameters  104  comprises Body Mass Index (“BMI”), gender, and blood pressure.  FIG. 6  illustrates examples of personal health parameters  104 . In some embodiments of the invention the personal health profile data  102  is stored. 
         [0037]    In step  410 , the health management computing device  50  determines a deviation  110  from a subset range of values  112  for the personal health parameters  104 . In this example, determining the deviation  110  from a subset range of values  112  relates to taking the value of the personal health parameter  104  and comparing it to the subset range of values  112  for that particular parameter  104 . The deviation  110  from the subset range of values  112  is the extent to which the value of the personal health parameter  104  is greater or less than a pre-determined range of values  112 . By way of example only, in some embodiments of the invention, the deviation  110  from the subset range of values is variously expressed as a percentile, a ranking, or a standard deviation. 
         [0038]    In step  415 , the health management computing device  50  determines a weighting factor  120  for each of the values  106  for the one or more personal health parameters  104 . In this example, each of the weighting factors  120  is determined by dividing each of the individual deviations  110  from the subset of ranges  112  by the summation of the deviations  110  from the three personal health parameters  104 . 
         [0039]    In step  420 , the health management computing device  50  correlates the personal health parameters  104  with the corresponding weighting factor to one of a plurality of personal health types  130 . The health management computing device  50  is configured to send data to and receive data from the plurality of servers  60 . In this example, the health management computing device  50  sends the weighting factors corresponding to the personal health parameters to one of the plurality of servers  60 . Plurality of servers  60  maintains a plurality of personal health types wherein each of the plurality of personal health types  130  comprises one or more weighting factor types  122 . The health management computing device  50  first correlates the set of personal health parameters  104  and corresponding weighting factors  120  with a personal health type  130  that has a corresponding set of weighting factor types  122 . Next, the health management computing device  50  compares the values of the weighting factor types  122  with the respective values of the weighting factors  120 . 
         [0040]    The health management computing device  50  correlates the personal health type  130  and its corresponding weighting factor types  122  with the personal health parameters  104  and corresponding weighting factors with the values that are most similar. Each of the personal health types  130  is associated with one or more health data points. The health data points  132  comprise information about diseases, one or more medical treatments, or one or more pharmaceuticals. 
         [0041]    In step  425 , the health management computing device  50  provides the correlated health type  130  and the one or more health data points. Additionally, in other embodiments of the invention, the one or more health data points  132  comprise health recommendations including exercise plans, and diet plans. In other embodiments of the invention the health management computing device  50  further correlates the personal health type  130  with one or more Internet links to one or more health references from one of the plurality of servers  60 . 
         [0042]    In step  510 , the health management computing device  50  determines whether the personal health parameter is adjustable or non-adjustable. Certain personal health parameters  104  like gender are deemed to be non-adjustable due to not having a range of values  112  and hence are not weighted. In some embodiments of the invention, the non-adjustable personal health parameters  128  are considered when correlating the personal health parameters  104  with the personal health types  130 . 
         [0043]    In step  515 , the health management computing device  50  determines whether the personal health parameter  104  is within the subset range of values  112 . In some embodiments of the invention, the subset range of values are in a linear distribution, however other ranges of values may be distributed in other ways. 
         [0044]    In step  520 , the health management computing device  50  determines a deviation  110  for the personal health parameter value  106 . The deviation  110  is based on the degree to which the personal health parameter value  106  is different from the subset range of values  112 . The deviation  110  may be expressed in a different number of forms comprising standard deviation or percentile ranking. 
         [0045]    Having thus described the basic concept of the invention, it will be rather apparent to those skilled in the art that the foregoing detailed disclosure is intended to be presented by way of example only, and is not limiting. Various alterations, improvements, and modifications will occur and are intended to those skilled in the art, though not expressly stated herein. These alterations, improvements, and modifications are intended to be suggested hereby, and are within the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, the recited order of processing elements or sequences, or the use of numbers, letters, or other designations therefore, is not intended to limit the claimed processes to any order except as may be specified in the claims. Accordingly, the invention is limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereto.