Patent ID: 7149773

Claim:
A computer readable medium for storing instructions for performing a method, said method involving generating an invoice for the provision of medical services relating to communicating information between an implantable medical device (IMD) implanted in a patient and a remote computer system, the method utilizing a system for at least one of monitoring the performance of the IMD, monitoring the health of the patient and remotely delivering a therapy to the patient through the IMD, the IMD being capable of bi-directional communication with a communication module located external to the patient's body, the system comprising the IMD, the communication module, a mobile telephone capable of being operably connected to the communication module and capable of receiving information therefrom or relaying information thereto, means for generating an invoice in response to information relating to the IMD being relayed or transmitted from or to the mobile telephone, a remote computer system, and a communication system capable of bi-directional communication with the mobile telephone and the remote computer system, the computer readable medium comprising: (a) software encoded instructions for operating the IMD to determine whether medical attention should be provided; (b) in response to the determination made in step (a), software encoded instructions for uploading data from the IMD to the communication module; (c) software encoded instructions for transferring the data from the communication module to the mobile telephone and thence on to the remote computer system via the communication system; (d) software encoded instructions for remotely analyzing the data; (e) software encoded instructions for determining on the basis of the analyzed data whether remedial action respecting at least one of the IMD and the patient is required; (f) software encoded instructions for remotely executing the determined remedial action via the communication system, and (g) software encoded instructions for automatically generating an invoice in response to at least one of steps (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) and (f) being carried out, wherein the communications module is adapted to detect whether at least one of a component defect and a software defect exists within one of the IMD and the remote computer system, and in the event that the component defect or software defect is detected, software encoded instructions for determining whether a remote repair is available, and if not, software encoded instructions for simultaneously broadcasting an alert to: a remote health care provider, a remote computer, a remote expert-based computer system.