US20130173294A1 - Evidence-based healthcare information management protocols - Google Patents

Abstract

Structures and protocols are presented for signaling a decision (processing or transmitting a medical record or other resource, e.g.) conditionally, at least partly based on one or more performance indicia (excess hospital readmissions, e.g.) or therapeutic determinants (prior success, e.g.) or privacy considerations (patient consent, e.g.).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• The present application is related to and claims the benefit of the earliest available effective filing date(s) from the following listed application(s) (the “Related Applications”) (e.g., claims earliest available priority dates for other than provisional patent applications or claims benefits under 35 USC §119(e) for provisional patent applications, for any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Application(s)). All subject matter of the Related Applications and of any and all parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, etc. applications of the Related Applications, including any priority claims, is incorporated herein by reference to the extent such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith.
RELATED APPLICATIONS
• For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of {Attorney Docket Nos. 1011-002-002, 1011-002-003, 1011-002-004, 1011-002-006}, each entitled Evidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed on even date herewith, each of which is currently co-pending or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. Likewise the present application constitutes a continuation-in-part of {Attorney Docket No. 1011-002-001}, also entitled Evidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols and naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed 30 Dec. 2011, which is currently co-pending.
• For purposes of the USPTO extra-statutory requirements, the present application claims benefit of priority of {Attorney Docket Nos. 1011-002-002, 1011-002-003, 1011-002-004, 1011-002-006}, each entitled Evidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols, naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed on even date herewith, each of which was filed within the twelve months preceding the filing date of the present application or is an application of which a currently co-pending application is entitled to the benefit of the filing date. Likewise the present application claims benefit of priority of {Attorney Docket No. 1011-002-001}, also entitled Evidence-Based Healthcare Information Management Protocols and naming Roderick A. Hyde; Edward K. Y. Jung; Jordin T. Kare; Eric C. Leuthardt; Royce A. Levien; Richard T. Lord; Robert W. Lord; Mark A. Malamud; John D. Rinaldo, Jr.; Dennis J. Rivet; Clarence T. Tegreene; and Lowell L. Wood, Jr. as inventors, filed 30 Dec. 2011, which was filed within the twelve months preceding the filing date of the present application.
• The United States Patent Office (USPTO) has published a notice to the effect that the USPTO's computer programs require that patent applicants reference both a serial number and indicate whether an application is a continuation, continuation-in-part, or divisional of a parent application. Stephen G. Kunin,Benefit of Prior-Filed Application, USPTO Official Gazette Mar. 18, 2003. The present Applicant Entity (hereinafter “Applicant”) has provided above a specific reference to the application(s) from which priority is being claimed as recited by statute. Applicant understands that the statute is unambiguous in its specific reference language and does not require either a serial number or any characterization, such as “continuation” or “continuation-in-part,” for claiming priority to U.S. patent applications. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Applicant understands that the USPTO's computer programs have certain data entry requirements, and hence Applicant has provided designation(s) of a relationship between the present application and its parent application(s) as set forth above, but expressly points out that such designation(s) are not to be construed in any way as any type of commentary and/or admission as to whether or not the present application contains any new matter in addition to the matter of its parent application(s).
TECHNICAL FIELD
• This disclosure relates to managing information in an evidence-based medical practice, particularly data relating to patients or to diagnostic or therapeutic treatments.
SUMMARY
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to causing an electronic record of a first protocol (comprising one or more instances of diagnostic evaluations, regimen implementations, or medical interventions, e.g.) for a particular condition (comprising one or more instances of injuries, complaints, or pathologies, e.g.) to be annotated with a scan of a document and retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document and circuitry for retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document and retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document and retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol; causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; and retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol; circuitry for causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; and circuitry for retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol; causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; and retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol; causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; and retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient; requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient; circuitry for requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and circuitry for signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient; requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient; requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol; causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol; circuitry for causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and circuitry for signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol; causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol; causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device; circuitry for obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device; obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a method. In one implementation, the method includes but is not limited to obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; and causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In one or more various aspects, related machines, compositions of matter, or manufactures of systems may include virtually any combination permissible under 35 U.S.C. §101 of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to effect the herein-referenced method aspects depending upon the design choices of the system designer.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to circuitry for obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; and causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides an article of manufacture including a computer program product. In one implementation, the article of manufacture includes but is not limited to a signal-bearing medium configured by one or more instructions related to obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; and causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing, other computer program product aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• An embodiment provides a system. In one implementation, the system includes but is not limited to a computing device and instructions. The instructions when executed on the computing device configure the computing device for obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition; obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver; causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; and causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location. In addition to the foregoing, other system aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
• In addition to the foregoing, various other method and/or system and/or program product aspects are set forth and described in the teachings such as text (e.g., claims and/or detailed description) and/or drawings of the present disclosure. The foregoing is a summary and thus may contain simplifications, generalizations, inclusions, and/or omissions of detail; consequently, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative only and is NOT intended to be in any way limiting. Other aspects, features, and advantages of the devices and/or processes and/or other subject matter described herein will become apparent in the teachings set forth below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
• FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.
• FIG. 2 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may facilitate coordination between a hospital and one or more other facilities.
• FIG. 3 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may be implemented in a device.
• FIGS. 4-7 respectively depict other exemplary environments in which one or more technologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.
• FIGS. 8-13 respectively depict exemplary environments in which one or more technologies may be configured to operate between or among respective devices.
• FIG. 14 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 8.
• FIG. 15 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 9.
• FIG. 16 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 10.
• FIG. 17 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 11.
• FIG. 18 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 12.
• FIG. 19 depicts a high-level logic flow of an operational process described with reference toFIG. 13.
• FIG. 20 depicts an exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media on a network.
• FIG. 21 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may be implemented in one or more data-handling media.
• FIG. 22 depicts another exemplary environment in which one or more technologies may be configured to operate between or among respective devices.
• FIG. 23 depicts variants of flows shown in one or more ofFIGS. 14-19.
• FIG. 24 depicts variants of flows shown in one or more ofFIG. 14-19 or23.
• FIG. 25 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.
• FIG. 26 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.
• FIG. 27 likewise depicts variants of earlier-presented flows.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented here.
• Those having skill in the art will recognize that the state of the art has progressed to the point where there is little distinction left between hardware, software, and/or firmware implementations of aspects of systems; the use of hardware, software, and/or firmware is generally (but not always, in that in certain contexts the choice between hardware and software can become significant) a design choice representing cost vs. efficiency tradeoffs. Those having skill in the art will appreciate that there are various vehicles by which processes and/or systems and/or other technologies described herein can be effected (e.g., hardware, software, and/or firmware), and that the preferred vehicle will vary with the context in which the processes and/or systems and/or other technologies are deployed. For example, if an implementer determines that speed and accuracy are paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly hardware and/or firmware vehicle; alternatively, if flexibility is paramount, the implementer may opt for a mainly software implementation; or, yet again alternatively, the implementer may opt for some combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Hence, there are several possible vehicles by which the processes and/or devices and/or other technologies described herein may be effected, none of which is inherently superior to the other in that any vehicle to be utilized is a choice dependent upon the context in which the vehicle will be deployed and the specific concerns (e.g., speed, flexibility, or predictability) of the implementer, any of which may vary. Those skilled in the art will recognize that optical aspects of implementations will typically employ optically-oriented hardware, software, and or firmware.
• In some implementations described herein, logic and similar implementations may include software or other control structures suitable to operation. Electronic circuitry, for example, may manifest one or more paths of electrical current constructed and arranged to implement various logic functions as described herein. In some implementations, one or more media are configured to bear a device-detectable implementation if such media hold or transmit a special-purpose device instruction set operable to perform as described herein. In some variants, for example, this may manifest as an update or other modification of existing software or firmware, or of gate arrays or other programmable hardware, such as by performing a reception of or a transmission of one or more instructions in relation to one or more operations described herein. Alternatively or additionally, in some variants, an implementation may include special-purpose hardware, software, firmware components, and/or general-purpose components executing or otherwise invoking special-purpose components. Specifications or other implementations may be transmitted by one or more instances of tangible transmission media as described herein, optionally by packet transmission or otherwise by passing through distributed media at various times.
• Alternatively or additionally, implementations may include executing a special-purpose instruction sequence or otherwise invoking circuitry for enabling, triggering, coordinating, requesting, or otherwise causing one or more occurrences of any functional operations described below. In some variants, operational or other logical descriptions herein may be expressed directly as source code and compiled or otherwise invoked as an executable instruction sequence. In some contexts, for example, C++ or other code sequences can be compiled directly or otherwise implemented in high-level descriptor languages (e.g., a logic-synthesizable language, a hardware description language, a hardware design simulation, and/or other such similar mode(s) of expression). Alternatively or additionally, some or all of the logical expression may be manifested as a Verilog-type hardware description or other circuitry model before physical implementation in hardware, especially for basic operations or timing-critical applications. Those skilled in the art will recognize how to obtain, configure, and optimize suitable transmission or computational elements, material supplies, actuators, or other common structures in light of these teachings.
• In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various embodiments described herein can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by various types of electro-mechanical systems having a wide range of electrical components such as hardware, software, firmware, and/or virtually any combination thereof; and a wide range of components that may impart mechanical force or motion such as rigid bodies, spring or torsional bodies, hydraulics, electro-magnetically actuated devices, and/or virtually any combination thereof. Consequently, as used herein “electro-mechanical system” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry operably coupled with a transducer (e.g., an actuator, a motor, a piezoelectric crystal, a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS), etc.), electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of memory (e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, optical-electrical equipment, etc.), and/or any non-electrical analog thereto, such as optical or other analogs. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that examples of electro-mechanical systems include but are not limited to a variety of consumer electronics systems, medical devices, as well as other systems such as motorized transport systems, factory automation systems, security systems, and/or communication/computing systems. Those skilled in the art will recognize that electro-mechanical as used herein is not necessarily limited to a system that has both electrical and mechanical actuation except as context may dictate otherwise.
• In a general sense, those skilled in the art will also recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, and/or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of memory (e.g., random access, flash, read only, etc.)), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, optical-electrical equipment, etc.). Those having skill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.
• Those skilled in the art will further recognize that at least a portion of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into an image processing system. A typical image processing system may generally include one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, memory such as volatile or non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, applications programs, one or more interaction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna, etc.), control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing lens position and/or velocity; control motors for moving/distorting lenses to give desired focuses). An image processing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in digital still systems and/or digital motion systems.
• Those skilled in the art will likewise recognize that at least some of the devices and/or processes described herein can be integrated into a data processing system. Those having skill in the art will recognize that a data processing system generally includes one or more of a system unit housing, a video display device, memory such as volatile or non-volatile memory, processors such as microprocessors or digital signal processors, computational entities such as operating systems, drivers, graphical user interfaces, and applications programs, one or more interaction devices (e.g., a touch pad, a touch screen, an antenna, etc.), and/or control systems including feedback loops and control motors (e.g., feedback for sensing position and/or velocity; control motors for moving and/or adjusting components and/or quantities). A data processing system may be implemented utilizing suitable commercially available components, such as those typically found in data computing/communication and/or network computing/communication systems.
• With reference now toFIG. 1, shown is an example of a system1 (a network subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One ormore media105 are configured to bear one or more instances of a registry109 (of multiple subscribers, e.g.); organized informational data components relating to health-relatedprotocols120,130,140 relating to the treatment ofvarious conditions160,170,180 (symptoms orpathologies181 or sets107 thereof, e.g.);thresholds191,192; and outputs195,196. One or moresuch data components126 relate specifically to the handling ofcondition160 usingprotocol120 prospectively or otherwise, for example, for one or more particular patients or more generally as described below. (Such sets107 ofpathologies181 may comprise one or more of an addiction or chronic pain or major depression, for example.) One ormore data components127 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition170 using protocol120 (MRI screening followed by magnetic stimulation therapy, e.g.). One ormore data components128 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition180 usingprotocol120.
• One ormore data components136 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition160 usingprotocol130. One ormore data components137 likewise relate specifically to the handling of condition170 (hypertension with major depression in a male of 50 years or older, e.g.) using protocol130 (a series of ten weekly counseling sessions, e.g.). One ormore data components138 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition180 usingprotocol130.
• One ormore data components146 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition160 usingprotocol140. One ormore data components147 likewise relate specifically to the handling of condition170 (major depression, e.g.) usingprotocol140. In some contexts,protocol140 may comprise a particular drug141 (sertraline, e.g.) taken at a particular dosage (50 milligrams, e.g.) with a particular frequency144 (daily, e.g.). One ormore data components148 likewise relate specifically to the handling ofcondition180 usingprotocol140.
• A wide variety ofconditions160,170,180 of interest may be identified using one or more common medical classification publications: the ICD (International Classification of Diseases); the ICSD (International Classification of Sleep Disorders); the NANDA (North American Nursing Diagnosis Association); the DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders); the Mendelian Inheritance in Man; and the SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Human Medicine, D axis). In practical terms, records signaling such conditions may also comprise textual descriptors to locate misclassified orother data components126,137,148 that signalsuch conditions160,170,180 of interest (in a physician's remarks or other annotations relating to patients who have been readmitted to a hospital or psychiatric facility, e.g.).
• Likewise a wide variety ofprotocols120,130,140 (of diagnosis or treatment, e.g.) of interest may be identified using one or more common procedure codes in various publications: the ICHI (International Classification of Health Interventions); the ICPM (International Classification of Procedures in Medicine); the ICPC-2 (International Classification of Primary Care); the HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System); the ICD-10-PCS and the ICD-9-CM Volume 3 (International Classification of Diseases); the NIC (Nursing Interventions Classification); the NMDS (Nursing Minimum Data Set); the NOC (Nursing Outcomes Classification); the SNOMED (Systematized Nomenclature of Human Medicine, P axis); and the CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes. In practical terms, records signaling such protocols may also comprise DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) codes or textual descriptors to locate misclassified orother data components126,137,148 that signalsuch protocols120,130,140 of interest.
• With reference now toFIG. 2, shown is an example of various institutions among which one or more technologies may be implemented. A motor vehicle bearing amobile device241 is shown in a vicinity of ahospital201 on a network290 (the Internet or a phone network, e.g.) shared with anotherhospital202 and ahome289 of apatient292. In some contexts,network290 may include one ormore call centers295 operated by one ormore agents294 as described below. Astationary device242 is configured to monitor alocation204 within which it resides (in or near an emergency room ofhospital202, e.g.). In the particular context as shown,hospital201 is in oneservice zone207 andhospital202 is in asecond service zone208.
• With reference now toFIG. 3, shown is an example of a system3 (asubsystem comprising network290, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented.Device305 may (optionally) include one or more instances ofinput modules311,312,313,314,315,316,317,318,319; ofconfiguration modules321,322,323,324,325,326; ofrequest modules331,332; ofretrieval modules341,342,343,344; ofresponse modules351,352,353,354,355,356,357,358,359; ofinvocation modules371,372,373,374; ofstatement modules381,382; ofcomparators391; ofclocks392; ofexpert systems393; oftransmitters394; ofglobal positioning systems396; of radio frequency identification (RFID)transponders397; or of ultrasound identification (USID)transponders398. In some contexts, moreover, a single component (an application-specific integrated circuit or device-executable software, e.g.) may implement two or more types of the modules described below.Input module319, for example, may (optionally) be configured to implement more than one of input modules311-318 (as an automatic response to device-detectable events as described below, e.g.).Response module359 may likewise be configured to implement more than one of response modules351-358 (in response to an activation signal frominvocation module374, e.g.). In many of the contexts described below, two or more instances ofdevice305 are configured to interact with one another or to include one ormore media105 as described below. SeeFIGS. 4-7,20, and21.
• With reference now toFIG. 4, shown is an example of a system4 (a network subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One ormore media405 are configured to bear one or more instances ofcontent431,432; ofprotocol data450; of patient attributes470 (gender471 orage472 orrace473, e.g.); ofbiometrics481,test results482, computed tomography scans483 orother images484; or other suchdiagnostic data490. Each of the data components126-128,136-138,146-148 that pertain to aparticular patient292, for example, may (optionally) include one ormore protocol identifiers451, material identifiers452 (of drugs, e.g.), timing data453 (of dosages, e.g.), protocol effectiveness indicators456 (such asrankings454 orscores455, e.g.), or dates457 (of orders or enrollments or injuries or other major events, e.g.) as well asdiagnostic data490 relating to each selected protocol (documenting its rationale or apparent effect, e.g.).
• With reference now toFIG. 5, shown is an example of a system5 (a network subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One ormore media505 are configured to bear one or more instances ofpathology identifiers511,symptom identifiers512,complaints513, or othersuch condition indications515; of report types521,request authorizations522,user identifiers523, or other such indications525 (of excessive institutional readmissions or other apparently negative outcomes that warrant scrutiny, e.g.); oftime intervals538 orprogrammatic delays541,542,543,544; ofinputs551,552 or replies555; ofrecords561,562,563,564,565,566,567,568,569 relating to a particular patient or caregiver; ofqueries571,572,573,574 orrequests581,582 as described below.
• With reference now toFIG. 6, shown is an example of a system6 (a network subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One ormore media605 are configured to bear one or more instances of accounts616 (relating to funds or other inventories, e.g.); orders618 (by a physician, e.g.);components651,652 of aregimen650;records671,672,673,674,675 relating to a particular patient or caregiver;indications681,682,683,684,685,686,687,688,689 of various events or conditions relating to healthcare or information management; or ofgoods691,services692,credits693, orother incentives694 as described below.
• With reference now toFIG. 7, shown is an example of a system7 (a network subsystem, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One ormore media705 are configured to bear one or more instances ofvalidations701,702; records710 (comprisingtimestamps711 orother data712 manifesting measurement or observation events, e.g.); e-mail addresses721,telephone numbers722, or other contact information720 (of a care provider or administrator, e.g.); preferences725 (of users ofdevices305 as described below, e.g.);identifiers731,732,733,734,735 (of devices or individuals, e.g.); coded or other digitally expressedexceptions740 affecting treatment decisions (cost differences741,side effects742,past failures743, orpatient preferences744, e.g.); global positioning system (GPS)data751,752 (of devices or individuals as described below, e.g.);data764 comprising medical justification audit reports765;indications777 comprisingrequests771,772 (signaling anassociation776 between a caregiver or patient and various indications681-689 described below, e.g.); and scans788,789 (of documents supporting a course of treatment, e.g.).
• Several variants described herein refer to device-detectable “implementations” such as one or more instances of computer-readable code, transistor or latch connectivity layouts or other geometric expressions of logical elements, firmware or software expressions of transfer functions implementing computational specifications, digital expressions of truth tables, or the like. Such instances can, in some implementations, include source code or other human-readable portions. Alternatively or additionally, functions of implementations described herein may constitute one or more device-detectable outputs such as decisions, manifestations, side effects, results, coding or other expressions, displayable images, data files, data associations, statistical correlations, streaming signals, intensity levels, frequencies or other measurable attributes, packets or other encoded expressions, or the like from invoking or monitoring the implementation as described herein.
• In some embodiments, a “state” of a component may comprise “available” or some other such state-descriptive labels, an event count or other such memory values, a partial depletion or other such physical property of a supply device, a voltage, or any other such conditions or attributes that may change between two or more possible values irrespective of device location. Such states may be received directly as a measurement or other detection, in some variants, and/or may be inferred from a component's behavior over time. A distributed or other composite system may comprise vector-valued device states, moreover, which may affect dispensations or departures in various ways as exemplified herein.
• “Received,” “particular,” “wearable,” “portable,” “precedent,” “stationary,” “audible,” “conditional,” “explicit,” “prior,” “extrinsic,” “mobile,” “specific,” “partly,” “local,” “between,” “passive,” “associated,” “effective,” “single,” “wireless,” “any,” “within,” “automatic,” “proximate,” “remote,” “common,” “selective,” “explicit,” “resident,” “employed,” “detectable,” “multiple,” “in a vicinity,” “affirmative,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise. In light of the present disclosure those skilled in the art will understand from context what is meant by “vicinity,” by being “in” or “at” a detection region, by “remote,” and by other such positional descriptors used herein. “For” is not used to articulate a mere intended purpose in phrases like “circuitry for” or “instruction for,” moreover, but is used normally, in descriptively identifying special purpose circuitry or code.
• In some embodiments, “signaling” something can include identifying, contacting, requesting, selecting, or indicating the thing. In some cases a signaled thing is susceptible to fewer than all of these aspects, of course, such as a task definition that cannot be “contacted.”
• In some embodiments, “status indicative” data can reflect a trend or other time-dependent phenomenon indicating some aspect of a subject's condition. Alternatively or additionally, a status indicative data set can include portions that have no bearing upon such status. Although some types of distillations can require authority or substantial expertise (e.g. making a final decision upon a risky procedure or other course of treatment), many other types of distillations can readily be implemented without undue experimentation in light of teachings herein.
• In some embodiments, “causing” events can include triggering, producing or otherwise directly or indirectly bringing the events to pass. This can include causing the events remotely, concurrently, partially, or otherwise as a “cause in fact,” whether or not a more immediate cause also exists.
• Some descriptions herein refer to an “indication whether” an event has occurred. An indication is “positive” if it indicates that the event has occurred, irrespective of its numerical sign or lack thereof. Whether positive or negative, such indications may be weak (i.e. slightly probative), definitive, or many levels in between. In some cases the “indication” may include a portion that is indeterminate, such as an irrelevant portion of a useful photograph.
• With reference now toFIG. 8, shown is an example of a system8 (a subsystem of one ormore networks290,890 described herein, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. Adesktop scanner878 is configured to transmit ascan811 of a hardcopy877 (of a medical journal article, e.g.) to a local system841 (comprising adisplay810 andkeyboard846, e.g.) on one ormore networks290,890 described herein. Onesuch network890 comprises a records archive820 accessible by one ormore retrieval modules825 operable by a remote requestor893 (remote fromlocal system841, e.g.).
• With reference now toFIG. 14, shown is a high-level logic flow14 of an operational process.Intensive operation42 describes causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document (e.g. configuration module326 amending adigital record569 of the first protocol to include a reference to or a copy of adigital scan811 of ahard copy877 in response toinput module314 receiving the reference to or the copy of the digital scan811). This can occur, for example, in a context in which record569 reflectspatient292 being admitted or having been admitted tohospital201 for the treatment of aparticular condition170 by aspecific protocol120, in whichnetwork290 is linked tonetwork890, in which one or more instances ofdevice305 reside on network890 (implementing a computerworkstation comprising system841, e.g.), in which one or more input modules311-319 receive thedigital scan811 as an automatic response toscanner878 receiving thehard copy877, and in whichconfiguration module326 fully implements the annotation (directly to a remote instance ofrecord569, e.g.) without any manual input (as an additional automatic response toscanner878 receiving thehard copy877, e.g.). Alternatively,input module314 may be configured to confirm that a caregiver wants such annotation or to permit the caregiver to tune the annotation (by adding related notes or orders or by annotating other records561-569 with thesame scan811, e.g.). In some variants, for example, the local user can confirm that the changes made to a local instance of record569 (including a locally indicated or displayedscan811, e.g.) should be written to a remote records archive820 (into adata component127 specifically associated with theprotocol120 and with thecondition170, e.g.) by responding affirmatively to aquery572 like “save changes to the current record?”
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for annotating an electronic record as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,009 (“Real-time computerized annotation of pictures”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,913,162 (“System and method for collaborative annotation using a digital pen”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,847,970 (“System and method for reception analysis and annotation of prescription data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,546,524 (“Electronic input device system and method using human-comprehensible content to automatically correlate an annotation of a paper document with a digital version of the document”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,342 (“Including annotation data with disparate relational data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,286,894 (“Hand-held computer device and method for interactive data acquisition analysis annotation and calibration”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,269,787 (“Multi-document context aware annotation system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,493 (“Delivering electronic versions of supporting documents associated with an insurance claim”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,839,403 (“Generation and distribution of annotation overlays of digital X-ray images for security systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,721,921 (“Method and system for annotating documents using an independent annotation repository”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,594,519 (“Distributed real time catalog-based annotation and documentation system for cardiology procedures”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,901 (“Distributed real time replication-based annotation and documentation system for cardiology procedures”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,181 (“Method and apparatus for voice annotation and retrieval of multimedia data”).
• Extensive operation51 describes retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission (e.g. retrieval module825 retrievingrecord569 based on indications thatpatient292 was treated for theparticular condition170 athospital201 and was released and later readmitted for the same condition170). This can occur, for example, in a context in which record569 includes asymptom identifier512 orother indication681 of the specificmedical condition170, in which record569 also includes acolor scan811 ofcontent431 pertaining to themedical condition170 presented in the form of a hard copy877 (a research study provided by thepatient292 or a family member, e.g.), and in which such later readmission (for the particular condition or for a treatment of some harm to the patient resulting from a medical error that occurred during the prior hospitalization, e.g.) would otherwise trigger a reduction in payment for the “first” protocol or for other hospital services. In some contexts, for example, a Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) diagnosis that appears during a patient's hospital stay, or some other hospital-acquired condition, may be indicative of such medical error. Alternatively or additionally, such content431 (in one ormore media105,405 residing onnetwork890, e.g.) may pertain to one or moremedical protocols120,130 under prospective consideration for treating thepatient292 and may be retained (as evidence of diligent decision-making or of why a course of treatment was not selected, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for determining which patients have been treated or hospitalized for a particular condition as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,996,074 (“System and method for providing closely-followed cardiac therapy management through automated patient care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,991,485 (“System and method for obtaining, processing and evaluating patient information for diagnosing disease and selecting treatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,942,817 (“Patient monitoring and treatment medical signal interface system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,043 (“Method using a global server for providing patient medical histories to assist in the delivery of emergency medical services”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,698,154 (“Patient-controlled automated medical record, diagnosis, and treatment system and method”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,216 (“Using predictive models to continuously update a treatment plan for a patient in a health care location”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,395,214 (“Apparatus, device and method for prescribing, administering and monitoring a treatment regimen for a patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,805 (“Patient conditional diagnosis, assessment and symptom tracking system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,085 (“Method and apparatus to produce, maintain and report information related to patient treatment using medical devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,634 (“System and method for determining a condition of a patient”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,165 (“Medical workstation for treating a patient with a voice recording arrangement for preparing a physician's report during treatment”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,338,039 (“Method for automated collection of psychotherapy patient information and generating reports and treatment plans”).
• With reference now toFIG. 9, shown is an example of a system9 (e.g. a subsystem of one ormore networks290,990) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. Adesktop system941 is configured to display (to acaregiver991 or other authorized entity, e.g.) one or more instances ofstudies931,records932,forms933, or other such indications relating to apatient992.Such records932 may includevarious data components127,136,148 relating to therapies (actually or potentially) being performed upon one ormore patients292,992 as described herein. In some contexts, one or moresuch records932 may be retrieved from or saved to records archive920 (by one ormore retrieval modules925 in an implementation ofdevice305 described above, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, a regional network990 (e.g. for one ormore hospitals201,202) containing such archives may be accessed (by aremote requestor993, e.g.) as described herein.
• With reference now toFIG. 15, shown is a high-level logic flow15 of an operational process.Intensive operation35 describes obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol (e.g. input module316 receiving amedical record932 or otherspecific indication935 thatprotocol120 was used for treatingcondition170 in patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or moresuch indications935 comprise adata component127 associated withprotocol120 and withcondition170, in which asecond patient992 or hercaregiver991 has access to some or all of the data component127 (including thespecific indication935, e.g.), and in whichcondition170 is described indata component127 with a pathology identifier511 (“fibromyalgia,” e.g.) that has also been assigned to the “second”patient992. In some variants, for example, one or more such data components126-128,136-138 may reside in one or more regional records archives820,920 accessible toauthorized caregivers991. Alternatively or additionally, one or moresuch indications935 may be obtained from a published research study931 (as ahard copy877 to be scanned, e.g.) or entered into an online form933 (with an identifier of ahospital201 or a physician orprotocol data450 or other background information known tocaregiver991 about the “first”patient292 or his/her prior treatment, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for extracting an indication that a patient (mammal, e.g.) was treated for a particular condition as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,711 (“Method and system for obtaining health-related records and documents using an online location”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,347 (“Managing protocol amendments in electronically recorded clinical trials”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,972,274 (“System and method for analyzing a patient status for congestive heart failure for use in automated patient care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,935,055 (“System and method of measuring disease severity of a patient before, during and after treatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,899,764 (“Medical ontologies for machine learning and decision support”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,039 (“Method for sample processing and integrated reporting of dog health diagnosis”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,353 (“Electronic system for collecting and automatically populating clinical order information in an acute care setting”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,069,085 (“Method and apparatus to produce, maintain and report information related to patient treatment using medical devices”).
• Intensive operation43 describes causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol (e.g. configuration module323 modifying amedical record562 of the “second”patient992 by including one or morespecific indications935 thatprotocol120 was used for treatingcondition170 in one or moreprior patients292, with or without identifying any particular “first” patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichprotocol120 is not yet established as the preferred treatment for treatingcondition170; in which the “first” and “second” patients have one or more attributes470 (gender471 orgeneral age472 orrace473, e.g.) in common; in which record562 identifies one or moresuch attributes470 but does not include other information that identifies the “first”patient292. In addition to such considerations relating to patient privacy, tracking such information may be helpful in relation to other regulatory considerations. Under the healthcare system in the United States, for example, Section 4302 of Public Law 111-148 (the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” sometimes called “Obamacare”) “[r]equires federally conducted or supported healthcare programs or surveys to collect and report demographic data, including ethnicity, sex, primary language, and disability status, as well as data at the smallest geographic level possible, such as state or local, etc.”
• Referring again toFIGS. 1 & 9, moreover, in some contexts acaregiver991 may determine a circumstance of the “second” patient falls into one or moreidentifiable exceptions740 to a general practice of treatingcondition170 with a moreconventional protocol140. In a context in which theconventional protocol140 is characterized by one or more generally preferreddrugs141 and associateddosages142, practice groups or facilities or modes (in-patient athospital201, e.g.), or frequencies of treatment (daily or weekly, e.g.), anunconventional protocol120 may be warranted for one or more reasons of cost difference741 (protocol140 being too expensive for continued use, e.g.); side effects742 (an allergy todrug141 or drug interaction risk, e.g.); past failure743 (having been ineffective for treatingcondition170 inpatient992, e.g.); or a documented preference744 (manifested by a waiver from “second”patient992, e.g.). In some variants, therefore, it may be preferable forconfiguration module323 to be operable for modifyingmedical record562 to includesuch exceptions740 in circumstance (optionally by queryingcaregiver991 for such information, e.g.).
• Extensive operation52 describes retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol (e.g. retrieval module925 requesting and providingmedical record562 in response to aremote requestor993 initiating a medicaljustification audit report765 indicating that the “second”patient992 underwent multiple in-patient treatments forcondition170 during separate hospital stays). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichoperations35 and43 had both been performed; in which the retrieval is “selective” insofar that each instance ofoperation52 retrieves less than all such records561-569 (of billing, e.g.); in whichcaregiver991 has reasonably and correctly relied upon theindication935 as precedent (that theparticular condition170 was treated in the “first”patient292 withprotocol120, e.g.) in her decision to recommend or administerprotocol120 to the “second”patient992 inhospital201; in which it is not self-evident that such administration was reasonable in the absence of thespecific indication935; and in whichprotocol120 is ultimately not permanently effective at eradicating theparticular condition170. In the event that the “second”patient992 is readmitted tohospital202 later for further treatment of theparticular condition170 and that such readmission would otherwise trigger a reduction in payment for the services ofcaregiver991 or ofhospital201, remembering and reacquiring the particular condition170 (or some other adequate justification) may become an onerous and crucial task. In some contexts, a medicaljustification audit report765 may include data764 (where available) supporting care decisions made on behalf of many individuals each of whom was readmitted (hospitalized more than once for a particular condition, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts, such an association776 (between the “second”patient992 and anindication777 of apparently-excessive institutional readmissions, e.g.) may be established by an electronic request771 (received fromremote requestor993 and directly invokingretrieval module925, e.g.). More generally, such actions taken with reference to one or more criteria are “selective” (as used inFIGS. 24-27 below, e.g.) if at least one of the criteria is used as a determinant in deciding which data components (records, e.g.) will not be included in or affected by the action.
• With reference now toFIG. 10, shown is an example of asystem10 in which one or more technologies may be implemented. One interface1001 (e.g. adesktop system841,941) is configured for use (e.g. by a physician, administrator, or other authorized entity1091) in entering and transmitting anorder1018 or other such content (of aprotocol130 orcondition170, e.g.) via one ormore networks1090 as described above. The one ormore networks1090 are also configured to contact entity1091 (usingcontact information720 for thesame interface1001 or anotherinterface1002 associated with the same entity1091, e.g.) under some conditions as described herein, such as to request an indication of the effectiveness of a treatment (protocol130, e.g.) that the entity might have tried or witnessed recently. In some contexts, this permits protocol data1090 (average evaluations1053 or use counts1054, e.g.) to be generated or updated (on various instance ofmedia105,405,505,605,705 innetwork1050, e.g.).
• With reference now toFIG. 16, shown is a high-level logic flow16 of an operational process.Intensive operation36 describes obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient (e.g. input module313 receiving arecord564 indicating that anorder1018 was placed for aparticular drug141 orprotocol140 prescribed or purchased for the treatment of aparticular condition170 in patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichdevice305 includes one or more media105 (onnetwork1090, e.g.) bearing anaverage evaluation1053,use count1054, or other such quantifiedprotocol data1050 as described below (as adata component147 associated with theparticular condition170 and with theparticular drug141 orprotocol140, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, input module may receive the indication as an inquiry into the prospect of treatingcondition170 with one ormore protocols130,140 and may record such inquiries inrecord564. Alternatively or additionally,input module313 andrequest module332 may be configured to performoperation36 jointly by initiating communication with someone generally familiar with the protocol140 (a nurse or pharmacist who can administer theparticular drug141 orprotocol140, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for motivating or monitoring voluntary participation in information management protocols as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,056,118 (“Systems and methods for universal enhanced log-in, identity document verification, and dedicated survey participation”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,828,554 (“System for delivering an educational program to a remote site and for monitoring participation therein”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,532 (“Method of soliciting a user to input survey data at an electronic commerce terminal”); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/066,442 (“Cost-effective resource apportionment technologies suitable for facilitating therapies”).
• Extensive operation53 describes requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour (e.g. request module331 asking one or more entities1091 who validated the particular protocol for aneffectiveness indicator456 signaling how effective the particular protocol was for the treatment ofcondition170 in patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in which an entity1091 signals one ormore validations701,702 of the treatment by prescribing, purchasing, administering, or authorizing theparticular drug141 orprotocol140 for the treatment ofcondition170 inpatient292 and in which one ormore data components127,137,147 definerespective communication delays542,543,544 so thatrequest module331 transmits a query (by telephone or e-mail, e.g.) to the entity1091 (practitioner or patient, e.g.) only after the treatment has probably failed or started to work. In a context in which a 10-day course of an antibiotic (asprotocol130, e.g.) would be expected to alleviate a fever (ascondition160, e.g.) in a few hours or days, for example, acorresponding communication delay543 of about 5 days (within an order of magnitude, e.g.) will be appropriate for obtaining a score455 (on a 0-5 scale, e.g.) orother effectiveness indicator456 as a delayed automatic response to the ordering or administration of the antibiotic. In less urgent contexts, moreover, an expected delivery time (in hours or days, e.g.) may be included for some of the communication delays541-544 (those for which adrug141 or other material component of aprotocol140 is delivered to a patient'shome289, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,request module331 may be configured to send the same request to a particular entity1091 via more than oneinterface1001,1002 (using both ane-mail address721 and atelephone number722 associated with a single identified entity1091, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for transmitting queries or other information requests as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,073,013 (“Method and apparatus for collecting survey data via the interne”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,962,359 (“Method and system for collecting and disseminating survey data over the internet”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,836,073 (“Method and system for transmitting pre-formulated query to database”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,590,547 (“Method for transmitting an anonymous request from a consumer to a content or service provider through a telecommunication network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,529,214 (“Mobile node for transmitting a request for information which specifies a transfer device to be used”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,532 (“Method of soliciting a user to input survey data at an electronic commerce terminal”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,014 (“Method and apparatus for administering a survey via a television transmission network”).
• Extensive operation57 describes signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol (e.g. statement module382 incrementing ause count1054 in response to receiving a Facebook-style “like” signal from apatient292 who used the protocol). This can occur, for example, in a context in which thepatient292 was the “entity” contacted in operation53 (viacontact information720, e.g.); in which thepatient292 was sent a request for such a “like” signal afterprotocol140 had enough time (to fail or start working, e.g.), in which a total count of such “like” signals is a “prominence indication” (ofprotocol140, e.g.), in which the communication delay and the “first” patient's identity are recorded but not published, and in which a new best practice could not otherwise win widespread recognition within a year of someone devising the practice. In some contexts, for example, a nurse or other care provider familiar with one ormore protocols120,130 (as they apply tocondition160, e.g.) can designate one or more corresponding delays (based on a success, when a difference is typically seen, or on a side effect onset or other symptom change distribution, e.g.). In a context in whichprotocol120 comprises a spinal fusion, for example, acorresponding delay2126 may be between 6 and 12 months. (SeeFIG. 21.) In a context in whichprotocol130 comprises administering an antihypertensive (forcondition170, e.g.), acorresponding delay2137 may be on the order of 1.0 months (within an order of magnitude, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,statement module382 may performoperation57 by transmitting anaverage evaluation1053 computed based on effectiveness-indicativenumerical scores455 received from each of several entities1091. This can occur, for example, in a context in which multiple entities have each responded to a corresponding query573 (like “We need to know how effective you thought this treatment was on a zero-to-five scale . . . please press or say ‘5’ to indicate that the treatment was perfectly effective . . . please press or say ‘0’ to indicate that the treatment was completely ineffective,” e.g.) transmitted byrequest module331 and in which such an average (as a rolling or inception-to-date average, e.g.) is a “prominence indication” of the treatment or other protocol.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for calculating and disseminating prominence indications as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,078,606 (“Rank-based estimate of relevance values”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,080 (“Methods for generating healthcare provider quality and cost rating data”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,669 (“Apparatus for automatically converting numeric data to a processor efficient format for performing arithmetic operations”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,046,371 (“Scoring local search results based on location prominence”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,949,643 (“Method and apparatus for rating user generated content in search results”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,171 (“Method and system for rating notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,826,965 (“Systems and methods for determining a relevance rank for a point of interest”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,730,005 (“Issue tracking system using a criteria rating matrix and workflow notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,630,913 (“Automated processing of medical data for disability rating determinations”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,832,245 (“System and method for analyzing communications of user messages to rank users and contacts based on message content”).
• With reference now toFIG. 11, shown is an example of a system11 (a subsystem of one or more networks described above, e.g.) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. Alocal unit1105 owned or used by acaregiver1191 may be configured to receive one ormore orders1018,1118 orother indications1126,1127,1136,1137 each comprising correspondingdata components126,127,136,137 that each relate to a corresponding specific combination of acondition160,170 andprotocol120,130 for its treatment, as shown. In some contexts, one or more servers1195 (residing in networks described herein, e.g.) or local circuitry may provide selective feedback (one ormore warnings1119, e.g.) relating to some such combinations (selected bycaregiver1191, e.g.).
• With reference now toFIG. 17, shown is a high-level logic flow17 of an operational process.Intensive operation37 describes obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol (e.g. input module311 receiving arecord563 indicating that anorder1118 was placed for a particular drug orprotocol130 prescribed or purchased for the treatment of a particular condition160). This can occur, for example, in a context in which theprotocol130 includes administering prednisone daily by ingestion and in which theparticular condition160 is Bell's palsy, bone pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscular dystrophy, pulmonary fibrosis, or certain other off-label uses of prednisone. In some contexts, moreover,such protocols120,130,140 may include other drugs or non-medicinal components (physical therapy or surgery, e.g.). Moreoverinput module311 may, in some variants, be configured to be invoked by one or more queries571-574 or other structured dialogs (permitting anexpert system393 to interact with a physician orother caregiver1191 vialocal unit1105, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for searching for therapies or conditions that may apply to a patient as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,008,285 (“Droxidopa and pharmaceutical composition thereof for the treatment of fibromyalgia”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,687 (“System, method and computer program product for estimating medical costs”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,289 (“System and method for intelligent management of medical care”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,552 (“CNS assay for prediction of therapeutic efficacy for neuropathic pain and other functional illnesses”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,797,145 (“Animal health diagnostics”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,039 (“Method for sample processing and integrated reporting of dog health diagnosis”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,490,048 (“Apparatus and method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,346,523 (“Processing an insurance claim using electronic versions of supporting documents”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,595 (“Automated method for diagnosing and monitoring the outcomes of atrial fibrillation”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,626 (“Patient monitoring system including speech recognition capability”).
• Intensive operation44 describes causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained (e.g. invocation module373 triggeringcomparator391 to generate anoutput195 by comparing aprominence indication1136 with a threshold191). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or more devices305 (includingmedia105,405,505,705, e.g.) reside inserver1195 and in whichresponse module351 selects thethreshold191 according to who initiates the association (as a function of auser identifier523 of aspecific caregiver1191 or caregiver type, e.g.) or to whatcondition160 orprotocol130 has been associated. In some contexts, for example, more esteemed caregivers or less hazardous conditions and protocols may warrant athreshold192 corresponding to a lower prominence (signaling less scrutiny and more latitude in the caregiver's choice of treatment protocols, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,invocation module373 may trigger a comparison implemented in a formula (as a subtraction, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, a less-prominent protocol may be requested by apatient292 or warranted by the patient's situation. Alternatively or additionally,invocation module373 may be configured to trigger a storage operation in which one or more instances ofprominence indications1136;thresholds191; comparison results; quantifications of reputation or scrutiny or latitude (characterizingcaregiver1191, e.g.); orother output195 are stored in one or more records569-569,671-675 as described herein (e.g. in a data component136-138,146-148 relating to an electedprotocol130,140).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for selecting and applying thresholds or other criteria as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,236 (“Flow control of events based on threshold, grace period, and event signature”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,061,592 (“Overdraft threshold analysis and decisioning”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,005,685 (“Ranking air travel search results based upon user criteria”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,976,171 (“Projector cooling system with time dependent temperature threshold”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,995 (“Dynamic adjustment of inactivity timer threshold for call control transactions”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,894,448 (“Proving that a user profile satisfies selection criteria for targeted data delivery”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,849,398 (“Decision criteria for automated form population”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,742,193 (“Method for inspecting prints identifying differences exceeding a threshold”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,447 (“Using threshold lists for worm detection”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,592,859 (“Apparatus to compare an input voltage with a threshold voltage”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,301 (“System and method for implementing real-time adaptive threshold triggering in acoustic detection systems”).
• Extensive operation54 describes signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol (e.g. response module356 transmitting an “obscure treatment option” warning1119 tocaregiver1191 if thethreshold191 exceeds theprominence indication1136 and otherwise not transmitting any such warning). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichserver1195 is onseveral networks290,890,990; in which searchingvarious records archives820,920 can take several minutes or hours to determine aprominence indication1136; in whichlocal unit1105 includes an e-mail or other text message display capability operable to deliver such warnings; in which ahospital201 or field of practice uses a standard numerical threshold for all prominence indication comparisons; and in which thecaregiver1191 would otherwise select amongseveral protocols120,130 for the particular condition(s)160,170 without knowing which of them had recently become popular in the caregiver's field of practice. In a context in which highernumerical indications1126 signify more prominence and in which a threshold is set at 4, for example, such threshold may be met (sufficient to avoid triggering a cautionary message tocaregiver1191, e.g.) by determining either that 4 instances ofcondition160 had been treated with protocol120 (for an implementation incorporating ause count1054, e.g.) or that one or more entities indicated the effectiveness of treatingcondition160 withprotocol120 with an average evaluation of at least 4 (for an implementation incorporating anaverage evaluation1053, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,response module356 may be configured to implement a conditional decision to caution acaregiver1191 with one or more of a font effect (a bolding or bright color selectively applied for lower-prominence therapies, e.g.), audible warning1119 (a tone, e.g.), or modal dialog box (displaying a message like “are you sure you want to order this unconventional treatment?” atlocal unit1105 before finalizingorder1118, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing a conditional message as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,837 (“Conditional aircraft cabin warning and signalling system for determining the cabin status”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,002,454 (“System and method for warning an operator of a vehicle if the vehicle is operating in a condition that may result in drive belt failure”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,452,487 (“System and method for warning of a tip over condition in a tractor trailer or tanker”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,437,707 (“Detecting a low performance takeoff condition for aircraft for use with ground proximity warning systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,392 (“Alert device for providing a warning of a baby's condition which may lead to the onset of SIDS”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,556 (“Apparatus and method for detecting a low-battery power condition and generating a user perceptible warning”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,554 (“Severe weather detection apparatus and method of detecting and warning of severe weather conditions”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,211,791 (“Warning system for excessive apparent temperature conditions”).
• With reference now toFIG. 12, shown is an example of a system12 (e.g. a subsystem of one ormore networks290,890,990,1090,1290) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. A motor vehicle orother device1241 associated with a care administration space (alocation1204 inside or nearambulance1295 configured to permit one ormore caregivers1291 to treat apatient1292 in trauma, e.g.) may include one or more instances ofwireless transceivers1211,wall mountings1213,display screens1216, orcouplings1218 to external power. Also in some contexts, as described below,device1241 may be configured to obtain and present one or more medical records1217 (comprising one ormore data components126,128 relating to anemergency protocol120 or to aspecific patient1292 relayed viadisplay screen1216, e.g.). This can occur, for example, in a context in which awrist band1223 orother device1242 worn or held by patient1292 contains one or more implementations of conditional consent1222 (configured bypatient1292 prior to an emergency, e.g.) ortransponders1225 as described below.
• With reference now toFIG. 18, shown is a high-level logic flow18 of an operational process.Intensive operation39 describes obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device (e.g. configuration module322 making arecord568 in which anidentifier734 of the “first”device242,1241 is associated with anidentifier732 of anambulance1295 orother location204 allocated to providingpatients292 medical care). This can occur, for example, in a context in which “first”device242,1241 includes a wall mounting1213 fixing it in relation to the care administration space; in which the “first” device includes awireless transmitter394 ortransceiver1211 detectable by a “second” device as described below; and in which the care administration space is defined by the effective range of thewireless transmitter394 ortransceiver1211. In some contexts, for example,such locations204 may include an emergency room or urgent care clinic. Alternatively or additionally, aregional server1195 or other stationary device innetwork1290 may be configured to obtainGPS data751 indicating a current position of anambulance1295 or other mobile care administration space that may then be compared withGPS data752 indicating a current position of a device held or worn by patient292 (e.g. throughnetwork1290 in lieu of direct wireless transmission betweenproximate devices1241,1242). In some contexts, moreover, the “first” device may comprise anexternal power coupling1218 configured to power the “first” device for an indefinite period (via a vehicle battery or similar source that is maintained daily, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for configuring a device for direct or indirect wireless communication as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,986,940 (“Automatic wireless network linking method with security configuration and device thereof”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,744 (“System, apparatus and method for automated wireless device configuration”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,929,950 (“Dynamically configurable IP based wireless device and wireless networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,916,707 (“Identity-based wireless device configuration”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,885,687 (“Device for updating configuration information in a wireless network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,778,752 (“System for connecting a telematics device to a vehicle using a wireless receiver configured to transmit diagnostic data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,681,231 (“Method to wirelessly configure a wireless device for wireless communication over a secure wireless network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,643,828 (“Method and apparatus for fast link setup in a wireless communication system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,616,594 (“Wireless device discovery and configuration”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,233,745 (“Field device configured for wireless data communication”).
• Intensive operation46 describes obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device (e.g. input module315 receivingpre-emergency input551 from or about a patient492 that includes aconditional consent1222 permitting a release of the one or moremedical records567,1217 of the patient's to acaregiver991,1291 that is contingent upon the occurrence of an emergency). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the patient492 (who can, in some instances, be the same individual as one or more other identified patients depicted herein, e.g.) enters such pre-emergency input551 (by a menu selection, e.g.) using a handheld device (the “second”device1242, e.g.); in which the “occurrence of an emergency” is manifested as the “second” device entering the “care administration space” (e.g. location204,1204); and in which the authorization to release the “first” medical record would otherwise be much slower (due to trauma, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, the “first” device may be configured to include one ormore media105,505 bearing such contingently-releasablemedical records1217 for most or all registeredpatients992,1292 (patients enrolled inregistry109, e.g.) in a region (county or state, e.g.) so that the “first” and “second”devices1241,1242 may easily interact directly and locally (not vianetwork1290, e.g.) with or withoutnetwork1290 being online. Alternatively or additionally, the “second” device may include awrist band1223 wearable by an at-risk patient1292 (e.g. one suffering from dementia, epilepsy, or other medical conditions that make it more likely that a patient may be unable to consent to a records transfer).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for conducting a structured dialogue with a patient or caregiver as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,250 (“Methods and apparatus for predictive analysis”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,024,179 (“System and method for improving interaction with a user through a dynamically alterable spoken dialog system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,610,556 (“Dialog manager for interactive dialog with computer user”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,656 (“System and method for providing an intelligent multi-step dialog with a user”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,461,000 (“System and methods for conducting an interactive dialog via a speech-based user interface”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,114,954 (“Interaction education system for teaching patient care”).
• Extensive operation56 describes invoking circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record (e.g. invocation module372 causingdisplay screen1216 ofdevice1241 to displaymedical record1217 as an automatic response to the “second”device1242 entering the care administration space and partly based on the prior configuration of above-described conditional consent1222 (inoperation46, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, such configuration may have been implemented by anon-emergency caregiver991 who provides the patient with the “second”device1242. Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts, a local entity (ahospital201 or ambulance company, e.g.) may own the first device, a patient may own the second device, and a third entity may own the invoked “circuitry.”
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for identifying wireless devices in a region of interest as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,903,905 (“Pen-shaped scanning device having a region identity sensor”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,869,807 (“Method of managing a code identifying a wireless device with conflict minimized in a wireless telecommunications system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,319,876 (“System and method for using equipment identity information in providing location services to a wireless communication device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,295,120 (“Device for verifying a location of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag on an item”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,791,477 (“Method and apparatus for identifying waypoints and providing keyless remote entry in a handheld locator device”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,512 (“Device location and identification system”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,392,747 (“Method and device for identifying an object and determining its location”).
• With reference now toFIG. 13, shown is an example of a system13 (e.g. a subsystem of one ormore networks290,890,990,1090,1290) in which one or more technologies may be implemented. As shown,caregiver1391 wears a device1342 (on a lanyard orclothing1349, e.g.) configured to include acaregiver identifier1332 that identifies her. Likewise patient1331 wears adevice1341 configured to include apatient identifier1331 that identifies him (on a gown orwrist band1223, e.g.). In some variants, suchwearable devices1341,1342 are configured to interact wirelessly (either with one another or with a wall-mounteddevice1343, e.g.) as an automatic response to being in a common location (e.g. atlocation1204,1304).
• With reference now toFIG. 19, shown is a high-level logic flow19 of an operational process.Intensive operation38 describes obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition (e.g. configuration module322 associating aspecific patient1392 with apatient identifier1331 on an article wearable by apatient1392 who has been admitted tohospital201 for aspecific pathology181 or complaint513). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the article (awrist band1223, e.g.) is assigned to patient1392 upon checking in to the hospital; in whichconfiguration module322 was invoked at that time (at patient intake, e.g.); and in which one or more instances ofdevice305 reside on one or more networks described herein (in a wall-mounteddevice1343 orserver1195 ofhospital201, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, astationary device1343 may performoperation38 by detecting adevice1341 associated with patient1392 in a given location1304 (entering his hospital room, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for permitting an identification of a person by a wearable article as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,008 (“Emergency responder credentialing system and method”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,049,597 (“Systems and methods for securely monitoring an individual”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,039,093 (“Method for preparing tamperproof ID documents”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,988,043 (“Fraud prevention in issuance of identification credentials”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,286 (“Patient-interactive healthcare management”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,913 (“Discernment card and a discernment card business system using the discernment card”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,481,370 (“Removable patient identification strap for blood recipient verification”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,748,687 (“Multi-web business form having moisture proof wristband, identification labels and web joint”).
• Intensive operation41 describes obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver (e.g. configuration module321 associating aspecific caregiver1391 with acaregiver identifier1332 on an article wearable by the caregiver). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the article (on a badge or lanyard or in a wrist band or article ofclothing1349, e.g.) was assigned tocaregiver1391 upon arriving at the facility and in whichconfiguration module321 was invoked at that time. Alternatively or additionally, a stationary device1343 (mounted on a wall, e.g.) may performoperation41 by detecting adevice1342 associated withcaregiver1391 in a given location1304 (entering her patient's hospital room, e.g.).
• Intensive operation45 describes causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location (e.g.configuration module324 storing atimestamp711 indicating when bothcaregiver1391 and patient1392 were together in location1304). This can occur, for example, in a context in which timestamp711 is generated from adigital clock392; in which record710 is initially aggregated at one or more devices1341-1343 locally, in which one ormore records archives820,920 later receivedrecord710 in a batch data aggregation process, and in which the “single common location” is a hospital room or a detection range of one or more devices1341-1343. In some implementations, for example,device1341 may include one or more configuration modules321-326 as described herein and may be configured to performoperations38,41, and45 (in lieu ofdevice1343, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally, in some variants,device1342 may likewise include one or more configuration modules321-326 as described herein and may be configured to implement device305 (e.g. operable to performoperations38,41, and45).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing an automatic timestamp and recordation as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,979 (“Automated patient management system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,837 (“Electronic device and timer therefor with tamper event time stamp features and related methods”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,643,465 (“Method for insertion of time stamp into real time data within a wireless communications network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,289,651 (“Image reporting method and system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,283,566 (“Method and circuit for generating time stamp data from an embedded-clock audio data stream and a video clock”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,158 (“System for transmitting video images over a computer network to a remote receiver”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,100,210 (“Hood intrusion and loss of AC power detection with automatic time stamp”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,396 (“Wireless interne bio-telemetry monitoring system and interface”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,122 (“Systems and methods for screening for adverse effects of a treatment”).
• Extensive operation55 causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location (e.g.response module352 retrieving arecord710 includingsuch timing data453 from one ormore records archives820,920 in response to arequest581 indicative of patient1392 being readmitted to one ormore hospitals201,202 for the samespecific pathology181 or complaint513). This can occur, for example, in a context in which such readmission for the particular condition would otherwise trigger a reduction in payment for one or more prior hospitalizations. In some contexts, for example, one or moreremote requestors893,993 may have initiated a prior instance of operation55 (performed by a remote instance ofinvocation module371, e.g.) in which an entity'srequest581 for records included a readmission-indicative report type521 (having a name that includes “readmission,” e.g.), a readmission-indicative request authorization522 (from an agency that monitors excessive readmissions, e.g.), a query reciting or prompted by readmission, or other such explicit orimplicit indications525 of readmission that might have been avoidable if a prior hospitalization or treatment had been executed correctly. Alternatively or additionally,response module352 may be configured to performoperation55 by retrieving and transmitting such a timestamp-containing record710 (indicative of when the first andsecond devices1341,1342 were both in the singlecommon location1304, e.g.) to one or moreremote requestors893,993.
• With reference now toFIG. 20, shown is context in which one or more technologies may be implemented.System2000 includes one or more data-handling media2005 (residing in an instance ofdevice305, e.g.) operably coupled with one ormore search engines2098 onnetworks2090 as described above.Medium2005 may include one or more instances of search terms2010 (e.g. comprisingcriteria2001,2002);names2011,audit identifiers2012, or othersuch indications2013;search results2030;values2061,2062; orqueries2071,2072 as described below.
• With reference now toFIG. 21, shown is context in which one or more technologies may be implemented. System2100 may (optionally) include one or more data-handling media2105 (configured to transmit or store data, e.g.) residing in an instance ofdevice305 or otherwise on anetwork290 as described above. In some variants, medium2105 may bear one or more instances of zone description data2117 (e.g. representing one ormore service zones207,208 orother locations204,1204,1304);data components126,127,136,137 (in tabular form, e.g.);reports2143,2144,2145;requests2146;signals2151,2152,2153,2154 (comprisingaudio data2157 or other encodeddata2158, e.g.); search terms2180 (comprising one ormore text strings2181,2182,2183 connected by logical operators, e.g.); messages2190 (comprisingphone calls2191,text2192, andannotations2193 as described below, e.g.); andhyperlinks2196,menu options2197, or other such controls2195 (comprising one ormore interfaces1001,1002 or other devices described above, e.g.). In some contexts, data component126 (as described above) may include one ormore delays2126 corresponding specifically to the handling ofcondition160 withprotocol120; data component127 (as described above) may include one ormore delays2127 corresponding specifically to the handling ofcondition170 withprotocol120; data component136 (as described above) may include one ormore delays2136 corresponding specifically to the handling ofcondition160 withprotocol130; and data component137 (as described above) may include one ormore delays2137 corresponding specifically to the handling ofcondition170 withprotocol130. Moreover in some variants each instance ofaudio data2157 may include one ormore timestamps711 as well as other data712 (transcripts or labels of patient interview clips, recorded physician remarks, concurrentdiagnostic data490, or other events encoded astext2192 orother annotations2193 relating to raw auditory data with which they are archived, e.g.).
• With reference now toFIG. 22, shown is context in which one or more technologies may be implemented.System2200 may include two ormore devices2205,2215 having alinkage2211 therebetween as described below. In various embodiments,device2205 may include one or more instances oflookup modules2221,2222; updatemodules2228,2229;detection modules2241,2242,2243,2244,2245,2246;cameras2253 orother sensors2254; orprocessors2255 as described below. Alternatively or additionally,device2205 may comprise a machine2230 (configured for vending or other dispensations ofdrugs141, foods, orother goods691, e.g.); a battery or other on-board power supply2258; or one or more speakers2257 (configured to manifest awarning1119 orother audio data2157 as described below, e.g.). In various implementations,device2215 may likewise include one or more instances of food containers (refrigerators orcupboards2271, e.g.); actuators2272 (of a dispenser, e.g.); exercise machines2273 (relating to aregimen650, e.g.); handhelds2274 (telephones, e.g.); detectable structures2275 (transponder or barcode, e.g.);adhesives2277;wristbands2278; orbuttons2279. Alternatively or additionally,device2215 may comprise medical equipment2280 (devices configured for imaging or measurement, e.g.). One or more ofdevices2205,2215 may be configured to implement an instance ofdevice305 and to include one ormore media105,405,505,605,705,2005, or2105 depicted above.
• With reference now to flow2300 ofFIG. 23 and to other flows14-19 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations2322,2325 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations described above or in preparation for one or more extensive operations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations2374,2378,2379 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensive operations described above.
• Intensive operation2322 describes receiving a communication delay as data entered by a user (e.g. input module312 receivingdata2158 that includesdelay2137 from anend user device2215 orsystem841,941). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the user is a caregiver orpatient292 who operates an implementation ofdevice305; in whichinput module312 can acceptsuch data2158 as a user preference725 (e.g. by asking “when should we contact you?”); in which delay2137 comprises an integer number of days; and in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305. Alternatively or additionally, one or more input modules311-319 may be configured to obtain othersuch data2158 as described herein. In one such configuration, for example,input module317 may be configured to let the user enter ane-mail address721,telephone number722, orother contact information720 manifesting one or more of the user's preferences725 (to be used inoperation2374 described below, e.g.).
• Intensive operation2325 describes looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol (e.g. lookup module2221 returningdelay2137 selectively in response to an indication thatprotocol130 is being used for treating someone). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205; in which adata component127 associated with a differenttherapeutic protocol120 includes acommunication delay2127 of 2.0 hours (as a digital expression, e.g.); in which one ormore data components137,138 specifically associated withtherapeutic protocol130 each includes acommunication delay2137 that is more than 2.0 hours; and in which an appropriate entity (acaregiver1391 or expert consultant, e.g.) has determined that such acommunication delay2137 will be more effective (than ashorter delay2127, e.g.) following a triggering event (an order or administration, e.g.) for eliciting participation from a population of patients or caregivers who adopt atherapeutic protocol130. In some contexts, for example, a table ofsuitable communication delays2126,2136,2127,2137 may be estimated (by a survey of experienced nurses or physician's assistants, e.g.) as a median time within which each givencondition160,170 typically produces a detectable change in symptoms (relating to each respective protocol, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, a slightly longer period (by 1% to 50% or 1-3 standard deviations across a survey distribution, e.g.) may be preferable. Alternatively or additionally, the lookup result (communication delay2137, e.g.) may depend as a function of a medical condition (being shorter than acommunication delay2136 associated with thesame protocol130 but adifferent condition160, e.g.). Such a configuration of tabular data may be useful, for example, in a context in which protocol130 (taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, e.g.) typically provides a faster detectable response in treating condition170 (shortness of breath, e.g.) than in treating condition160 (leg swelling, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing lookup functions as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,982 (“Method and apparatus for color space conversion using per-color selection of look-up table density”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,921,088 (“Logical operations encoded by a function table for compressing index bits in multi-level compressed look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,916,137 (“Generation of 3D look-up tables for image processing devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,847,989 (“Method for conversion of a colour space using separate chromatic and luminance look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,706,034 (“Multi-Dimensional look-up table generation via adaptive node selection based upon color characteristics of an input image”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,558,961 (“Systems and methods for embedding messages in look-up tables”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,370,069 (“Numerical value conversion using a look-up table for coefficient storage”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,346,642 (“Arithmetic processor utilizing multi-table look up to obtain reciprocal operands”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,080 (“Look-up table based USB identification”).
• Intensive operation2327 describes looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition (e.g. lookup module2222 selectingdelay2137 in response to an indication that apatient292 is being treated for condition170). This can occur, for example, in a context in which adata component136 associated with adifferent condition160 includes acommunication delay2136 of 2.0 calendar months (as a digital expression, e.g.); in which one ormore data components137,147 specifically associated withmedical condition170 each includes acommunication delay2137 that is less than 2.0 calendar months; and in which an appropriate entity (a specialist or other physician, e.g.) has determined that such acommunication delay2137 will be more effective (than alonger delay2136, e.g.) following a triggering event (an estimated delivery time, e.g.) for eliciting participation from a population of caregivers or patients who treat or suffer frommedical condition170. Alternatively or additionally, the lookup result (data component137, e.g.) may depend as a function of a therapeutic protocol (having acommunication delay2137 longer than that of adata component127 associated with thesame condition170 but adifferent protocol120, e.g.). Such a configuration of tabular data may be useful, for example, in a context in which treating condition170 (back pain, e.g.) with protocol130 (a particular weightlifting exercise in a sauna, e.g.) will not generally permit an evaluation of treatment effectiveness as soon as that of protocol120 (medication, e.g.).
• Extensive operation2374 describes transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay (e.g. statement module381 transmitting one or more queries571-574 relating toprotocol120 or to condition160 only after waiting for a time interval specified by delay2126). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or more ofoperations2322,2325,2327 have been performed; in which a prior communication (such as an input551-552 or query571-574 orrequest581,582 ororder1018,1118) or other event described herein tolled the beginning of the time interval and in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305. Alternatively or additionally, in various embodiments,statement module381 may be configured to trigger one or more other extensive operations as described herein upon such expiration.
• Extensive operation2378 describes causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic (e.g. response module354 taking no action if areply555 to aphone call2191 is received before an expiration ofdelay541 but otherwise initiating anothermessage2190 to the individual). This can occur, for example, in a context in which thedelay541 is on the order of ten seconds (within an order of magnitude, e.g.); in which thereply555 may take the form of a key press or utterance (as indicated inFIG. 10, e.g.) during thephone call2191; and in which the fallback mode of communication includes a delivery (by a fax orother machine2230 installed in the individual'shome289 or office or by an automatically placed order to a third party with delivery instructions, e.g.) of a physical article (in whichmessage2190 comprises one or more instance of reminder letters orgoods691, e.g.) to the individual. Alternatively or additionally, in a context in which aforeseeable reply555 may take the form of areturn phone call2191, e-mail message (containingspecific text2192, or online session (via the Internet, e.g.), thedelay541 may be on the order of one hour or one week (within 1 or 2 orders of magnitude, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for determining whether specific input has been received from a person within a particular time interval as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,055,240 (“Method of notifying a caller of message confirmation in a wireless communication system”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,045,693 (“Message reception confirmation method, communications terminal and message reception confirmation system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,624 (“System for, and method of, proving the transmission, receipt and content of a reply to an electronic message”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,483,721 (“Communication device providing diverse audio signals to indicate receipt of a call or message”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,283,807 (“Method and telecommunication system for indicating the receipt of a data message”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,031,734 (“System and method for confirming short message service (SMS) message reception in mobile communication terminal”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,020,458 (“Method and telecommunication system for indicating the receipt of a data message”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,553,341 (“Method and apparatus for announcing receipt of an electronic message”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,485 (“Method and system for confirming receipt of a message by a message reception unit”).
• Extensive operation2379 describes contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic (e.g. response module355 taking no action if areply555 to aprior message2190 is received within atime interval538 but otherwise initiating aphone call2191 to the individual). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the prior message2190 (comprisingtext2192 or aphone query571, e.g.) was sent by arequest module331,332 as described above; in which theprior message2190 included ahyperlink2196,menu option2197, or othersuch control2195 configured to facilitate theindividual providing input552 toresponse module355 without the need to include any direct communication with other individuals; in which thetime interval538 began when theprior message2190 was sent; in whichresponse module355 infers the “receiving no reply from the individual” if thetime interval538 ends withoutsuch input552; and in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305. In some implementations, for example, thetime interval538 may be on the order of 3.0 days or of 3.0 months (within an order of magnitude, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,response module355 may be configured (as an auto-dialer, e.g.) to initiate aphone call2191 between acall center295 and the individual (a caregiver orpatient292, e.g.) as an automatic response partly based on thetime interval538 having expired and partly based on an immediate availability of a call center agent294 (manifested as anindication684 of the agent's current status, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for facilitating the operation of a call center or otherwise initiating communications as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,213 (“Method of controlling access to network resources using information in electronic mail messages”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,935 (“Conditional communication”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,023 (“Systems and methods for providing unified collaboration systems with conditional communication handling”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,048 (“Conditional message delivery to holder of locks relating to a distributed locking manager”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,042,338 (“Alerting a care-provider when an elderly or infirm person in distress fails to acknowledge a periodically recurrent interrogative cue”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,307,937 (“Method and apparatus for an adapter card providing conditional access in a communication system”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,709 (“System for sending an e-mail message to a first type of terminal based upon content thereof and selected conditions and selectively forwarding it to a second type of terminal”).
• With reference now to flow2400 ofFIG. 24 and to other flows14-19,2300 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations2424,2426 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations described above or in preparation for one or more extensive operations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations2471,2475 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensive operations described above.
• Intensive operation2424 describes updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to an individual entering a service zone (e.g. update module2228 adding anidentifier733 of the individual to aregistry109 stored on a medium105 inservice zone207 in response to anindication683 that the individual has entered service zone207). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the individual is apatient292,1392 as described herein; in whichservice zone207 is a defined region (a county or metropolitan area, e.g.); in whichdevice2205 is onnetwork290; in whichdevice2215 is held or worn bypatient292; in whichdetection module2242 detects thatpatient292 has enteredservice zone207 by comparing zone description data2117 (definingservice zone207, e.g.) withGPS data752 indicating a current position ofdevice2215; in whichdetection module2242 responds by passing theindication683 to updatemodule2228; and in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally,detection module2242 may determine whether the individual has enteredservice zone207 simply by detecting whetherdevice2215 is within a direct operating range ofdevice2205.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for determining whether a device is in a location or region as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,019,168 (“Motion detecting device and search region variable-shaped motion detector”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,000,723 (“System of utilizing cell information to locate a wireless device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,986,237 (“Location management method using RFID series”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,932,830 (“Method of assigning and deducing the location of articles detected by multiple RFID antennae”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,605,688 (“Vehicle location determination system using an RFID system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,573,369 (“System and method for interrogating and locating a transponder relative to a zone-of-interest”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,425 (“System and method for defining an event based on relationship between an object location and a user-defined zone”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,046,162 (“Method and apparatus to locate a device in a dwelling or other enclosed space”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,326 (“Method for determining when a communication unit is located within a preferred zone”).
• Intensive operation2426 describes obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated at a second hospital (e.g. retrieval module343 extracting afirst record671 indicating thatpatient292 was first treated athospital201 forpathology181 and asecond record672 indicating that thesame patient292 was later treated athospital202 for the same pathology181). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichretrieval module343 comprises one or more of the means for performing intensive operations35-46 as described above; in whichretrieval module343 has access to one ormore records archives820,920 pertaining to treatments at bothhospitals201,202; in which the institutional readmission (whichever was later, e.g.) and some suspect conditions (those that are not objectively verifiable or even supported by evidence, e.g.) or protocols (those that signal possible caprice or ulterior motivation on the part of a patient or caregiver, e.g.) together suggest a possibility of fraud or neglect that might warrant a clawback or payment reduction for one or more hospitalizations or protocols; in which therecords671,672 identify one ormore protocols130,140 performed in relation to thespecific pathology181; and in whichsuch records671,672 pertaining to the particular individual (patient292, e.g.) both identifypathology181 in an identical or sufficiently similar manner. Such a context can exist, for example, whereretrieval module343 automatically recognizes identical orrelated pathology identifiers511 in use at bothhospitals201,202. Alternatively or additionally, a user who invokes retrieval module343 (an auditor who has some cause to suspect fraud or abuse, e.g.) may provide two or more instances of pathology identifiers511 (expressed astext strings2181,2182 of a search term, e.g.) that are considered related, optionally with a name or other identifiers of the particular individual (as anothertext string2183 of the search term, e.g.).
• Extensive operation2471 describes retrieving a medical treatment record of one individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the one individual (e.g. retrieval module341 extracting whichever billing or other records561-569 containdata components127,137,147 pertaining to treatment of amedical condition170 of aspecific patient292 athospital202 in response to anexplicit indication2013 of a potential or actual payment reduction identifying the specific patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305; in which thespecific patient292 has been identified byname2011; in which the payment reduction is indicated “explicitly” insofar that theindication2013 includes anaudit identifier2012 that CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services) associates with payment reductions so thathospitals201,202 recognize the significance of the audit; in which one or more such records561-569 reside inarchive820; and in which such retrieval is “selective” insofar that medical treatment records of other individuals in thesame archive820 are not included in the retrieval. This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or moreremote requestors893,993 (federal regulators, e.g.) have singled out an individual (patient292, e.g.) suspected of “excess” institutional readmissions. Under the healthcare system in the United States, for example, Section 3025 of Public Law 111-148 (the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” sometimes called “Obamacare”) states that, “ . . . beginning on or after Oct. 1, 2012, in order to account for excess readmissions in the hospital, the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] shall reduce the payments that would otherwise be made to such hospital . . . .”
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for managing the accounting for a hospital or other medical provider as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,065,162 (“Provider data management and claims editing and settlement system”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,962,350 (“Payment of health care insurance claims using short-term loans”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,860,732 (“Medicare pharmacy calculator II”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,827,234 (“Privacy entitlement protocols for secure data exchange, collection, monitoring and/or alerting”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,805,318 (“Using a non-profit organization to satisfy medicare out-of-pocket/troop and product replacement”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,464,043 (“Computerized method and system for obtaining, storing and accessing medical records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,433,827 (“System and method for displaying a health status of hospitalized patients”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,263,493 (“Delivering electronic versions of supporting documents associated with an insurance claim”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,545 (“Medical code system”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,828 (“Method of improving drug treatment”).
• Extensive operation2475 describes retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set (e.g. retrieval module342 generating areport2145 comprisingnumerous data components127,128,137,138 relating particularly to a list or set107 of one or more medical conditions to be extracted from one ormore records archives820,920 as an automatic response to areport request2146 that effectively identifies which medical conditions are being audited pursuant to a potential or actual payment reduction). This can occur, for example, in a context in which at least onesuch condition180 comprises apathology181 associated with one or morespecific text strings2182,2183 (e.g. “addict” or “stress disorder” listed in the subset ofdata components127,128,137,138 comprising the report2145) and in which the potential or actual payment reduction is implicitly evident in a report type521 (a readmission audit, e.g.), a request authorization522 (identifying a federal agency or other office responsible for identifying or preventing payment reductions, e.g.), a user identifier523 (of aremote requestor893,993 who works for Medicare or Medicaid, e.g.), or othersuch indications525; in which each data component inrecords archives820,920 includes one or more instances of records561-569 described herein; and in which such retrieval is “selective” in that it excludes some records (indata component126, e.g.) that reside in one ormore records archives820 based on their relation to amedical condition160 that is not of interest. Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts,retrieval module342 may implementoperation2475 by executing a request (usingsearch term2180, e.g.) that sets forth one or more pathological conditions160 (e.g. “injur” or “lacerat” expressed in an “ANDNOT” clause of asearch term2010,2180) that are to be excluded from thereport2145.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for retrieving data based on a “condition” description as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,470 (“Treatment order processing system suitable for pharmacy and other use”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,739,126 (“Method, system, and computer program product for physician efficiency measurement and patient health risk stratification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,707,047 (“Method and system for generating personal/individual health records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,664,659 (“Displaying clinical predicted length of stay of patients for workload balancing in a healthcare environment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,175 (“Method for high-risk member identification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,624,027 (“Method and system for automated medical records processing”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,613,620 (“Physician to patient network system for real-time electronic communications and transfer of patient health information”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,444,291 (“System and method for modeling of healthcare utilization”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,645 (“Risk adjustment tools for analyzing patient electronic discharge records”).
• With reference now to flow2500 ofFIG. 25 and to other flows14-19,2300,2400 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations2521,2527 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations described above or in preparation for one or more extensive operations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations2575,2578 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensive operations described above.
• Intensive operation2521 describes detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device (e.g. detection module2246 determining thatdevice2215 is within an effective range ofdevice2205 by establishing awireless linkage2211 with device2215). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205 as a stationary device that also implements device242 (affixed to a building or other stationary structure, e.g.); in whichdevice2215 includes one or more media as described above and an implementation ofdevice305 that does not have a power supply (comprising apassive RFID transponder397, e.g.); and in whichdevice2215 is configured to respond to a wireless signal fromdevice2205 by transmitting aunique wireless signal2154 recognizable todetection module2246 ifdevice2215 is within the effective range (linkage2211, e.g.) ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally, in some contexts,device2215 may comprise apassive USID transponder398 in a system configured as described above, mutatis mutandis.
• Intensive operation2527 describes obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent (e.g. configuration module325 receiving one or more yes/novalues2061,2062 from physicians orother caregivers991,1191 in response to one ormore queries2071,2072 directed to whether a patient's records671-675 includedsuitable annotations2193 of extrinsic evidence in support of anyunconventional protocols130,140 prescribed or used by the patient292). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305; in whichconfiguration module325 directs such a query tocaregivers991,1191 who are editing one ormore data components126,136,146 of the patient's medical record674 (relating to one ormore protocols120,130,140 being performed, e.g.); in whichconfiguration module325 is configured to recognize one ormore protocols120 as conventional (standard or normal or common, e.g.); and in whichconfiguration module325 is configured to accept such evidentiary content432 (scans811 or references orannotations2193, e.g.) documenting any applicable precedent (research studies or reports or prominence indications or anecdotal data, e.g.). In some contexts,configuration module325 may requiresuch content432 or an affirmation of its existence (asvalue2061, e.g.) before permittingsuch records674 to be saved, for example, or before permitting any order forother protocols130,140 (for non-emergency treatments, e.g.) to be placed. Alternatively or additionally,configuration module325 may be operable to send anotification message2190 to another entity1091 (a hospital administrator, e.g.) as an automatic response to anyunconventional protocol140 being ordered by any caregiver at aparticular hospital202 unless one or moresuch values2061,2062 are received (concerning extrinsic evidence and precedent, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover,configuration module325 is itself configurable by such entities1091 such that each can control what kinds of notice they receive (by selectively subscribing to receive notices ofunprecedented protocols140 being used with or without subscribing to receive notices of unconventional-but-precedented protocols130 being used, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for searching a collection of health-related treatments as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,664 (“Hypothesis development based on selective reported events”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,991,485 (“System and method for obtaining, processing and evaluating patient information for diagnosing disease and selecting treatment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,970,552 (“Diagnostic system for selecting nutrition and pharmacological products for animals”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,959,568 (“Advanced patient management for identifying, displaying and assisting with correlating health-related data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,853,626 (“Computational systems for biomedical data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,630,762 (“Medical device with resuscitation prompts depending on elapsed time”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,485,095 (“Measurement and analysis of trends in physiological and/or health data”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,375 (“Patient data mining for diagnosis and projections of patient states”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,665,558 (“System and method for correlation of patient health information and implant device data”).
• Extensive operation2575 describes initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available (e.g. response module358 creating a teleconference session orother phone call2191 that includespatient292 andagent294 in response to anindication686 thatpatient292 is currently not compliant with one ormore components651,652 of ahealth regimen650 contemporaneously with anindication687 ofagent294 being available to participate in the phone call2191). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation ofdevice305; in whichagent294 providesindication687 explicitly and directly to response module358 (by clicking an “available” button on adesktop system841,941 that implements an auto-dialer, e.g.); in whichsuch components651,652 include at least one of a requirement (to use an exercise machine or take particular drugs or nutraceuticals, e.g.) or a restriction (to refrain from smoking, e.g.); and in which one ormore devices2205,2215 (comprising one ormore sensors2254, e.g.) signal compliance or noncompliance withregimen650. A sensor activation can signal noncompliance with aregimen component651 that forbids snacking during certain hours, for example, by detecting akitchen cupboard2271 opening. Alternatively or additionally, an implementation ofsensor2254 can detect compliance with aregimen component652 that requires a task (medication or exercise, e.g.) to be performed during aparticular time interval538 by detecting a movement in something associated with the task (anexercise machine2273 ordrug dispenser actuator2272 or “task done”button2279 on a handheld2274, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for detecting a movement of some or all of a device as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,082,122 (“Mobile device having a motion detector”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,973,820 (“Motion detector and image capture device, interchangeable lens and camera system including the motion detector”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,967,141 (“Device for the automatic detection of the movement of objects”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,887,493 (“Implantable device employing movement sensing for detecting sleep-related disorders”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,826,310 (“Acoustic navigation device and method of detecting movement of a navigation device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,635,846 (“Motion detector device with rotatable focusing views and a method of selecting a specific focusing view”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,511,260 (“Encoder device for detecting movement”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,454,299 (“Device and method for detecting an end of a movement of a valve piston in a valve”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,920,699 (“Device for and method for detecting a relative movement between two machine parts which are movable relative to one another”).
• Extensive operation2578 describes signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to a first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call (e.g. response module357 transferringcredits693 into anaccount616 ofpatient292 in response to anindication685 thatpatient292 participated in aphone call2191 withcall center295 about regimen650). This can occur, for example, in a context in which anagent294 ofcall center295 participates in thephone call2191; in which the resource (incentive694, e.g.) is effective (large enough, e.g.) to motivate aparticular patient292 sometimes to take the call but not large enough to motivate the patient to violate theregimen650; and in which a primary purpose ofcall center295 is to initiate such telephone calls in response to one or more signals2153 (a device-generated notification or webcam feed, e.g.) directly or indirectly indicating that apatient292 is apparently noncompliant with a time-critical component651 (relating to dosages of an antibiotic, e.g.) ofregimen650. This can occur, for example, in a context in whichpatient292 complies with theregimen component651 in a portion of the patient'shome289 that thecall center agent294 can monitor (via acamera2253, microphone, orother sensor2254, e.g.); in whichpatient292 has been informed of theincentives694; in which an instance ofdevice305,2205 as described above resides in the patient'shome289 and on one or more networks described above; and in whichresponse module357 performsoperation2578 by causing food orother goods691 to be provided to patient292 (delivered to the patient'shome289 by a third-party supplier who receives anorder618 fromresponse module357, e.g.) as an automatic response topatient292 accepting the phone call fromcall center295. Alternatively or additionally, an instance ofdevice305 may be configured to deliver such goods691 (in adispensing machine2230 at the patient's home, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for determining whether someone has accepted a telephone call as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,680,260 (“Detecting a voice mail system answering a call”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,386,101 (“System and method for call answer determination for automated calling systems”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,260,205 (“Call waiting using external notification and presence detection”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,738,613 (“Telephone set having automatic incoming-call acknowledgement detection”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,456 (“Speech analysis based answer detection for IP based telephones”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,751 (“Answer detection for IP based telephones using passive detection”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,111,946 (“Method and system for providing answer supervision in a switched telephone network”).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for causing a vending machine actuation or other delivery of goods as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,933 (“Products and processes for vending a plurality of products via defined groups”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,454 (“Automated business system and method of vending and returning a consumer product”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,002,144 (“Drive system for a vending machine dispensing assembly”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,844,363 (“Vending machine apparatus to dispense herbal medications and prescription medicines”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,783,379 (“Automated vending of products containing controlled substances”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,753,091 (“Device and method for controlling the filling of a cup by a vending machine”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,536,360 (“Electronic purchase of goods over a communications network including physical delivery while securing private and personal information of the purchasing party”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,272,571 (“Method and apparatus for effective distribution and delivery of goods ordered on the World-Wide-Web”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,165 (“Apparatus and methods for inventory, sale, and delivery of digitally transferable goods”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,536,189 (“Computerized, monitored, temperature affected, delivery system for perishable goods”).
• With reference now to flow2600 ofFIG. 26 and to other flows14-19,2300,2400,2500 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations2621,2623 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations described above or in preparation for one or more extensive operations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations2674,2677 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensive operations described above.
• Intensive operation2621 describes causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated (e.g. invocation module371 triggeringupdate module2228 to remove anidentifier733 of the individual from aregistry109 stored on a medium105 inservice zone207 in response to anindication683 that the individual is not in service zone207). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the individual is apatient292,1292 as described herein; in whichservice zone207 is a defined region (a county or metropolitan area, e.g.); in whichdevice2205 is onnetwork290; in whichdevice2215 is held or worn bypatient292; in whichinvocation module371 detects thatpatient292left service zone207 by receiving an indication thatpatient292 is now in another service zone208 (athome289, e.g.); and in whichinvocation module371 responds by transmitting arequest772 for the removal of the individual from theregistry109. Alternatively or additionally,invocation module371 anddetection module2244 may be configured jointly to determine whether the individual is still inservice zone207 simply by detecting whether device2215 (worn or carried by the individual, e.g.) is within a direct operating range ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally,invocation module371 may be configured to invoke one or more other functional modules as described with reference to flows herein.
• Intensive operation2623 describes determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity of another device (e.g. detection module2241 detecting whether twodevices2205,2215 are close enough that asensor2254 in one can directly detect atransponder1225 or otherdetectable structure2275 of the other). This can occur, for example, in a context in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205; in which one or bothdevices2205,2215 implement an instance ofdevice305; in whichdetection module2241 is configured to receive asignal2152 fromsensor2254; in which such detection is “direct” insofar that awireless linkage2211 between thedevices2205,2215 consists of free space or other passive media (air, e.g.); and in which one or bothdevices2205,2215 are portable (configured to be worn or carried in one hand, e.g.). In some contexts, for example, acamera2253 can transmit a signal2152 (image, e.g.) indicating a detectable structure2275 (a barcode or other visible feature that is unique todevice2215, e.g.) thatdetection module2241 is configured to recognize. Alternatively or additionally, one or moreother devices241,242 may be configured (e.g. as a tower or satellite or wall-mounteddevice1343, e.g.) to performoperation2623 by detecting bothdevices2205,2215 in acommon location204,1304 simultaneously and the two devices are “in a vicinity” of one another insofar that both are within 50 meters of the same point (e.g. at a “third”device241,242).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for determining by wireless communication which devices are in a region as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,064,884 (“System and method for provisioning a wireless device to only be able to access network services within a specific location”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,010,126 (“Surveying wireless device users by location”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,983,677 (“Location-based wireless messaging for wireless devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,979,086 (“Virtual visitor location register for a wireless local area network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,809,378 (“Location visit detail services for wireless devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,548,158 (“First responder wireless emergency alerting with automatic callback and location triggering”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,539,500 (“Using cell phones and wireless cellular systems with location capability for toll paying and collection”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,385,516 (“Location visit confirmation services for wireless devices”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,068,992 (“System and method of polling wireless devices having a substantially fixed and/or predesignated geographic location”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,957,076 (“Location specific reminders for wireless mobiles”).
• Extensive operation2674 describes responding to an event with an audible notification (e.g. response module353 causingspeaker2257 to signal acaregiver1291,1391 or other entity1091 when one or more intensive operations35-46 are completed). This can occur, for example, in a context in which adevice305 orsystem841,941 described above includes an implementation ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally,response module353 may comprise one or more of the means for performing extensive operations51-57 as described above.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing a device-initiated phone call or other audible notification as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,017 (“Emergency call service with automatic third party notification and/or bridging”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,811 (“Shifting device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,508,298 (“Automatic crash notification using prerecorded messages”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,281 (“Automatic notification of irregular activity”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,469,155 (“Handheld communications device with automatic alert mode selection”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,181,192 (“Handheld portable automatic emergency alert system and method”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,076,235 (“Automatic notification of personal emergency contacts from a wireless communications device”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,485 (“Method and apparatus for an automatic vehicle location, collision notification, and synthetic voice”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,074 (“Radio communication system with automatic geographic event notification”).
• Extensive operation2677 describes responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment (e.g. response module352 responding to arequest582 forrecords565,566 indicating thatprotocol120 was administered but that lack anyprominence indications1126,1127 relating to protocol120). This can occur, for example, in a context in which request582 comprises a message from an entity that pays for at least some of the first medical treatment (Medicare or Medicaid, e.g.) such as remote requestor893 (an auditor or regulator, e.g.); in which areport type521,request authorization522, or othersuch indication525 signals a potential or actual payment-reduction event (manifesting a reduction that has resulted or may result from a failure to justify the use ofprotocol120 in treating one or more specificmedical conditions160, e.g.) and in which asingle order1018 forprotocol120 does not constitute a “prominence indication” for purposes of determining whether the use ofprotocol120 itself should be scrutinized (made subject to a payment reduction, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,response module352 may invoke one ormore retrieval modules825,925 configured to access at least one records archive920 that contains a prominence indication1137 (average evaluation1053 oruse count1054, e.g.) for anotherprotocol130.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for identifying records relating to an unjustified action as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,793,835 (“System and method for identity-based fraud detection for transactions using a plurality of historical identity records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,668,843 (“Identification of anomalous data records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,650,321 (“Two classifier based system for classifying anomalous medical patient records”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,493,281 (“Automatic notification of irregular activity”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,944,599 (“Monitoring and automatic notification of irregular activity in a network-based transaction facility”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,636,592 (“Method and system for using bad billed number records to prevent fraud in a telecommunication system”).
• With reference now to flow2700 ofFIG. 27 and to other flows14-19,2300,2400,2500,2600 described above, in some variants, one or more ofoperations2724,2729 may be performed in conjunction with intensive operations described above or in preparation for one or more extensive operations described above. Alternatively or additionally, one or more ofoperations2772,2773,2776 may likewise be performed in response to one or more intensive operations described above or in conjunction with extensive operations described above.
• Intensive operation2724 describes detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle (e.g. detection module2243 receiving areturn signal2151 from a passive device implementing a radiofrequency identification transponder397 or an ultrasound identification transponder398). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichmedium2105 comprises the passive device (a semiconductor chip or other device lacking apower supply2258, e.g.); in which one or more detection modules2241-2246 reside aboard an ambulance1295 (indevice1241, e.g.) or other vehicle (indevice241, e.g.); and in which means for performing one or more intensive operations35-46 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally, detection module2243 (implemented in astationary device242, e.g.) may be configured to performoperation2724 by detecting a passive wireless transponder that is aboard the vehicle (indevice1241, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for configuring a portable device to detect a passive wireless transponder as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,074,007 (“Passive client-host detection for connected peripherals”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,072,310 (“System for detecting and measuring parameters of passive transponders”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,045,929 (“Determining presence of radio frequency communication device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,978,639 (“Systems, methods and devices for collecting data from wireless sensor nodes”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,969,143 (“Method of tracking an object having a passive transponder attached thereto”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,725,253 (“Tracking, auto-calibration, and map-building system”).
• Intensive operation2729 describes obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen (e.g. input module318 receiving timingdata453 relating to when a patient is taking medications at home). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one ormore caregivers991,1191 prescribe ahome care regimen650 and in which one or moreparticular components652 of the regimen (antibiotics or other medications, e.g.) are crucial to a favorable outcome for aspecific patient292. Alternatively or additionally,input module318 may be configured to provide additional data relevant to a determination of regimen compliance (raw data712 with one ormore timestamps711 from asensor2254 in the patient'shome289, e.g.) into the patient'srecord673. This can occur, for example, in a context in which there are one or more indications685 (diagnostic data490 orprotocol data450, e.g.) that an institutional readmission has resulted from a behavior of apatient292 or at-home caregiver and not from anything that occurred earlier (while in-patient athospital201, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for generating indications of patient compliance or noncompliance as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,032,399 (“Treatment regimen compliance and efficacy with feedback”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,917,377 (“Patient data mining for automated compliance”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,599,892 (“Method for secure diagnostic screening, servicing, treatment, and compliance monitoring for sleep apnea in truck drivers”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,417,205 (“Medical item thermal treatment systems and method of monitoring medical items for compliance with prescribed requirements”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,926,667 (“Patient compliance monitor”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,668 (“Monitoring patient compliance and bioavailability of drugs by deproteinizing body fluids”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,380,858 (“Systems and methods for monitoring patient compliance with medication regimens”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,095 (“Treatment regimen compliance and efficacy with feedback”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,124,136 (“Method of monitoring compliance with methadone treatment program”); and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/199,053 (“Systematic distillation of status data relating to regimen compliance”).
• Extensive operation2772 describes triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive (e.g. retrieval module344 transmitting asearch term2010 tosearch engine2098 that searches records archive820 and generates asearch result2030 that excludes one ormore data components138 therein and includes one or moreother data components126 therein). This can occur, for example, in a context in whichsearch term2010 identifies one or more selective inclusion criteria2001 (e.g. words or codes identifying condition160) and one or more selective exclusion criteria2002 (e.g. words orcodes identifying protocols130,140). Alternatively or additionally,retrieval module344 may be configured to trigger a search of other search records archive920 (by invokingretrieval module925, e.g.) and to include the result2030 (inreport2144, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for performing selective data retrieval as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,603 (“Focused retrieval of selected data in a call center environment”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,966,532 (“Method for selectively retrieving column redundancy data in memory device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,203,633 (“Method and system for selectively storing and retrieving simulation data utilizing keywords”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,327 (“System and method for selectively retrieving messages stored on telephony and data networks”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,421,726 (“System and method for selection and retrieval of diverse types of video data on a computer network”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,573 (“Method and system for the integrated storage and dynamic selective retrieval of text, audio and video data”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,914 (“Method and format for storing and selectively retrieving image data”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,573 (“System and a method for selective data retrieval from a remote database on basis of caller line identification and user specific access codes”).
• Extensive operation2773 describes transmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automatic response to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting a particular event relating to the second person (e.g. update module2229 transmitting one or more records561-569,671-675 or other data components136-138 to the “first” person upon detecting aninput551,552 or other action taken by the “second” person). This can occur, for example, in a context in which the “first” person is acaregiver991,1191,1291 orpatient292,992 or administrator (acall center agent294 or other entity1091, e.g.); in which the interface comprises one or more of the above-described devices; in which such data components136-138 relate to the “second” person or todevice2205; in which the “particular event” comprisesdevice2215 entering a detection range of something carried or worn by the “second” person (manifesting the vicinity of the 2nd person, e.g.); and in which means for performing one or more extensive operations51-57 as described above include an implementation ofdevice2205. Alternatively or additionally,update module2229 may be configured to transmit such a notification (using ane-mail address721 ortelephone number722, e.g.) in response to a “particular event” occurring within device305 (comprising one or more computation or detection events described herein or a combination thereof, e.g.). In some contexts, for example,update module2229 may be configured to respond to one or more records561-569,671-675 as described herein being saved without a prominence indication or annotation2193 (in a context in which the “second” person is a caregiver failing to document an unconventional treatment being ordered, e.g.).
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing a real-time notification as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,060,562 (“Real time update notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,940,602 (“Real-time system and method of underwater depth discrepancy detection, recordation and alarm notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,924,149 (“System and method for providing alarming notification and real-time, critical emergency information to occupants in a building or emergency designed area and evacuation guidance system to and in the emergency exit route”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,899,739 (“Construction payment management system and method with real-time draw notification features”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,898,423 (“Real-time event notification”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,890,622 (“Real-time notification of device events”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,865,566 (“Method and apparatus for providing real-time notification for avatars”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,835,506 (“Method and system for real-time notification and disposition of voice services in a cable services network”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,813,481 (“Conversation recording with real-time notification for users of communication terminals”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,162 (“Real time push notification in an event driven network”); and U.S. Pat. No. 7,319,378 (“Anti-theft system for a vehicle with real-time notification feature”).
• Extensive operation2776 describes implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with a patient is received and until an indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment (e.g. detection module2245 enablingmedical equipment2280 to function only after receiving areport2143 orother indication688 that an authorized caregiver has generated such an order and only after detecting that thespecific patient292,1392 is in a vicinity of the medical equipment2280). This can occur, for example, in a context in which one ormore orders1018,618 as described above call for particulardiagnostic data490 in relation topatient292; in which such orders explicitly or implicitly identify the equipment2280 (corresponding to a particular biometric481,test result482, computedtomography scan483, orother image484, e.g.) in association with the patient for whom they are to be obtained; in whichdetection module2245 is configured to determine whether a location or device that includes apatient identifier731,1331 is in a vicinity of theequipment2280; and in whichdetection module2245 receivesindication688 viainput module314. This can occur, for example, in a context in which one or more detection modules2241-2246 are mounted on theequipment2280 or in the same room (as a stationary instance ofequipment2280, e.g.). In some contexts, moreover, asingle device305 or room (office or server room, e.g.) or facility (hospital201, e.g.) may be configured to contain an entire system described herein. Alternatively or additionally, an instance ofdetection module2245 configured to detectequipment2280 may reside on thespecific patient292 or in a location associated with the patient292 (in the patient's room, e.g.). Alternatively or additionally,module314 may be configured to receive other data (one or more of indications681-687, e.g.) on data-handlingmedia105,405,505,605,705,2005,2105 as described herein.
• In light of teachings herein, numerous existing techniques may be applied for configuring special-purpose circuitry or other structures effective for implementing a medical equipment failsafe as described herein without undue experimentation. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,406 (“Diagnostic Delivery Service”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,739 (“Liquid drug transfer devices for failsafe correct snap fitting onto medicinal vials”); U.S. Pat. No. 8,068,917 (“Fail-safe programming for implantable medical device”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,752,058 (“Portable terminal and health management method and system using portable terminal”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,696,751 (“Method and apparatus for ferrous object and/or magnetic field detection for MRI safety”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,438,072 (“Portable field anesthesia machine and control therefore”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,087,036 (“Fail safe system for operating medical fluid valves”); U.S. Pat. No. 7,034,934 (“Anti-carcinogenic lights and lighting”); U.S. Pat. No. 6,768,420 (“Vehicle compartment occupancy detection system”); and U.S. Pat. No. 6,366,809 (“Defibrillator battery with memory and status indication gauge”).
• In a general sense, those skilled in the art will recognize that the various aspects described herein which can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof can be viewed as being composed of various types of “electrical circuitry.” Consequently, as used herein “electrical circuitry” includes, but is not limited to, electrical circuitry having at least one discrete electrical circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one integrated circuit, electrical circuitry having at least one application specific integrated circuit, electrical circuitry forming a general purpose computing device configured by a computer program (e.g., a general purpose computer configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein, or a microprocessor configured by a computer program which at least partially carries out processes and/or devices described herein), electrical circuitry forming a memory device (e.g., forms of random access memory), and/or electrical circuitry forming a communications device (e.g., a modem, communications switch, or optical-electrical equipment). Those having skill in the art will recognize that the subject matter described herein may be implemented in an analog or digital fashion or some combination thereof.
• The foregoing detailed description has set forth various embodiments of the devices and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. In one embodiment, several portions of the subject matter described herein may be implemented via Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), digital signal processors (DSPs), or other integrated formats. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the embodiments disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as a program product in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative embodiment of the subject matter described herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out the distribution. Examples of a signal bearing medium include, but are not limited to, the following: a recordable type medium such as a floppy disk, a hard disk drive, a Compact Disc (CD), a Digital Video Disk (DVD), a digital tape, a computer memory, etc.; and a transmission type medium such as a digital and/or an analog communication medium (e.g., a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, a wired communications link, a wireless communication link (e.g., transmitter, receiver, transmission logic, reception logic, etc.), etc.).
• One skilled in the art will recognize that the herein described components (e.g., operations), devices, objects, and the discussion accompanying them are used as examples for the sake of conceptual clarity and that various configuration modifications are contemplated. Consequently, as used herein, the specific exemplars set forth and the accompanying discussion are intended to be representative of their more general classes. In general, use of any specific exemplar is intended to be representative of its class, and the non-inclusion of specific components (e.g., operations), devices, and objects should not be taken limiting.
• With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations are not expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
• The herein described subject matter sometimes illustrates different components contained within, or connected with, different other components. It is to be understood that such depicted architectures are merely exemplary, and that in fact many other architectures may be implemented which achieve the same functionality. In a conceptual sense, any arrangement of components to achieve the same functionality is effectively “associated” such that the desired functionality is achieved. Hence, any two components herein combined to achieve a particular functionality can be seen as “associated with” each other such that the desired functionality is achieved, irrespective of architectures or intermedial components. Likewise, any two components so associated can also be viewed as being “operably connected”, or “operably coupled,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality, and any two components capable of being so associated can also be viewed as being “operably couplable,” to each other to achieve the desired functionality. Specific examples of operably couplable include but are not limited to physically mateable and/or physically interacting components, and/or wirelessly interactable, and/or wirelessly interacting components, and/or logically interacting, and/or logically interactable components.
• In some instances, one or more components may be referred to herein as “configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,” “adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generally encompass active-state components and/or inactive-state components and/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.
• While particular aspects of the present subject matter described herein have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that, based upon the teachings herein, changes and modifications may be made without departing from the subject matter described herein and its broader aspects and, therefore, the appended claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as are within the true spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
• Those skilled in the art will recognize that it is common within the art to implement devices and/or processes and/or systems, and thereafter use engineering and/or other practices to integrate such implemented devices and/or processes and/or systems into more comprehensive devices and/or processes and/or systems. That is, at least a portion of the devices and/or processes and/or systems described herein can be integrated into other devices and/or processes and/or systems via a reasonable amount of experimentation. Those having skill in the art will recognize that examples of such other devices and/or processes and/or systems might include—as appropriate to context and application—all or part of devices and/or processes and/or systems of (a) an air conveyance (e.g., an airplane, rocket, helicopter, etc.), (b) a ground conveyance (e.g., a car, truck, locomotive, tank, armored personnel carrier, etc.), (c) a building (e.g., a home, warehouse, office, etc.), (d) an appliance (e.g., a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dryer, etc.), (e) a communications system (e.g., a networked system, a telephone system, a Voice over IP system, etc.), (f) a business entity (e.g., an Internet Service Provider (ISP) entity such as Comcast Cable, Qwest, Southwestern Bell, etc.), or (g) a wired/wireless services entity (e.g., Sprint, Cingular, Nextel, etc.), etc.
• In certain cases, use of a system or method may occur in a territory even if components are located outside the territory. For example, in a distributed computing context, use of a distributed computing system may occur in a territory even though parts of the system may be located outside of the territory (e.g., relay, server, processor, signal-bearing medium, transmitting computer, receiving computer, etc. located outside the territory).
• A sale of a system or method may likewise occur in a territory even if components of the system or method are located and/or used outside the territory. Further, implementation of at least part of a system for performing a method in one territory does not preclude use of the system in another territory.
• With respect to the numbered clauses and claims expressed below, those skilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed in any order. Also, although various operational flows are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise. Also in the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.
Clauses
• 1. (Independent) A healthcare information management system comprising:
• circuitry for obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;
• circuitry for obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and
• circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.
• 2. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for receiving a communication delay as data entered by a user.
• 3. The system of CLAUSE 2 in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.
• 4. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol.
• 5. The system ofCLAUSE 4 in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.
• 6. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition.
• 7. The system ofCLAUSE 6 in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.
• 8. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic.
• 9. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic.
• 10. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to an individual entering a service zone.
• 11. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated at a second hospital.
• 12. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record of one individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the one individual.
• 13. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set.
• 14. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device.
• 15. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent.
• 16. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available.
• 17. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering, the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to a first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call.
• 18. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated.
• 19. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity of another device.
• 20. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification.
• 21. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment.
• 22. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle.
• 23. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES, further comprising:
• circuitry for obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen.
• 24. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive.
• 25. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for transmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automatic response to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting a particular event relating to the second person.
• 26. The healthcare information management system of any of the above SYSTEM CLAUSES in which the circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with a patient is received and until an indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment.
• 27. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;
• obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and
• invoking circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.
• 28. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• receiving a communication delay as data entered by a user.
• 29. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol.
• 30. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition.
• 31. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic.
• 32. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic.
• 33. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to an individual entering a service zone.
• 34. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated at a second hospital.
• 35. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• retrieving a medical treatment record of one individual selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the one individual.
• 36. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set.
• 37. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device.
• 38. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent.
• 39. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available.
• 40. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to a first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call.
• 41. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated.
• 42. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• determining whether a portable device is in a vicinity of another device.
• 43. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• responding to an event with an audible notification.
• 44. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• responding to a payment-reduction event relating to a first medical treatment by causing a selective retrieval of one or more records that lack any prominence indication relating to the first medical treatment from an archive that includes at least one prominence indication relating to a second medical treatment.
• 45. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle.
• 46. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES, further comprising:
• obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen.
• 47. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive.
• 48. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises:
• transmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automatic response to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting a particular event relating to the second person.
• 49. The healthcare information management method of any of the above METHOD CLAUSES in which the causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record comprises: implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with a patient is received and until an indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment.
• 50. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• causing an electronic record of a first protocol for a particular condition to be annotated with a scan of a document; and
• retrieving the electronic record of the first protocol after the electronic record of the first protocol is annotated with the scan of the document partly based on an indication of a first patient undergoing the first protocol and partly based on an indication of an institutional readmission.
• 51. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 50 further comprising:
• performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.
• 52. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• obtaining an indication that a particular condition was treated in a first patient with a first protocol;
• causing a record of a second patient to include the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol; and
• retrieving the record of the second patient selectively in response to an association between the second patient and an indication of an institutional readmission after the record of the second patient includes the indication that the particular condition was treated in the first patient with the first protocol.
• 53. The healthcare information management method ofCLAUSE 52 further comprising:
• performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.
• 54. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• obtaining an indication of a first protocol being employed in relation to a particular condition in a first patient;
• requesting an effectiveness indication of the first protocol from an entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on a first communication delay associated with the first protocol, the first communication delay exceeding one hour; and
• signaling a decision whether to update a prominence indication of the first protocol in response to whether the effectiveness indication of the first protocol was received from the entity after the effectiveness indication is requested from the entity partly based on the entity validating the first protocol and partly based on the first communication delay associated with the first protocol.
• 55. The healthcare information management method ofCLAUSE 54 further comprising:
• performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.
• 56. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• obtaining an association between a particular condition and a first protocol;
• causing a comparison between a threshold and a prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol after the association between the particular condition and the first protocol is obtained; and
• signaling a decision whether to caution a caregiver partly based on the association between the particular condition and the first protocol and partly based on the comparison between the threshold and the prominence indication of treating the particular condition with the first protocol.
• 57. The healthcare information management method ofCLAUSE 56 further comprising:
• performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.
• 58. (Independent) A healthcare information management method comprising:
• obtaining an indication of a first device associated with and wearable by a patient hospitalized for a particular condition;
• obtaining an indication of a second device associated with and wearable by a caregiver;
• causing a recordation of a timestamp as an automatic response to the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both being in a single common location; and
• causing a retrieval of the timestamp in response to an indication of an institutional readmission after the recordation of the timestamp indicating the first device associated with and wearable by the patient and the second device associated with and wearable by the caregiver both having been in the single common location.
• 59. The healthcare information management method of CLAUSE 58 further comprising:
• performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES that depend from METHOD CLAUSE 27.
• 60. (Independent) A system comprising: means for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES.
• 61. (Independent) An article of manufacture comprising:
• one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least
• obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;
• obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and
• causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.
• 62. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 61 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:
• one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES.
• 63. (Independent) An article of manufacture comprising:
• one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of
• obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;
• obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and
• causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.
• 64. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 63 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:
• one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for performing the operation(s) of any one or more of the above METHOD CLAUSES.
• 65. The article of manufacture of CLAUSE 63 in which at least one of the one or more physical media comprises:
• one or more signal-bearing media bearing at least one signal from an implementation having at least circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.
• All of the patents and other publications referred to above are incorporated herein by reference generally—including those identified in relation to particular new applications of existing techniques—to the extent not inconsistent herewith (in each respective latest edition, where applicable). While various system, method, article of manufacture, or other embodiments or aspects have been disclosed above, also, other combinations of embodiments or aspects will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the above disclosure. The various embodiments and aspects disclosed above are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated in the final claim set that follows.

Claims (43)

1. A healthcare information management system comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;

circuitry for obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and

circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.

2. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1 in which the circuitry for obtaining the association between the care administration space and the first device comprises:

the circuitry for obtaining the association between the care administration space and the first device configured to associate the care administration space and the first device by generating a single common record that refers to the first device and to the care administration space.

3. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to an indication of an institutional readmission as a component of the first medical record.

4. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen as a component of the first medical record.

5. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a passive wireless transponder within a vicinity of a vehicle, the second device comprising the passive wireless transponder, the vehicle comprising the first device.

6-10. (canceled)

11. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space, the explicit indication being a boolean expression that is either a positive indication or a negative indication.

12. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space, the explicit indication including a use count.

13. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a particular person with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space, the explicit indication including a scalar quantity comprising an effectiveness indication.

14-15. (canceled)

16. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated at a second hospital and an indication that the particular individual has been treated in the care administration space.

17. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in a particular individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the particular individual has been treated at a second hospital and an indication that the particular individual has been treated in the care administration space, the specific pathology in the particular individual including at least one of an addiction or chronic pain.

18. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for updating a locally-resident subscriber registry in response to an individual entering a service zone, the service zone comprising the care administration space.

19. (canceled)

20. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition of an individual treated in the care administration space; and

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

21. (canceled)

22. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of a therapeutic protocol administered in the care administration space, the communication delay being at most 3.0 days if the therapeutic protocol includes a medical intervention and otherwise being more than 3.0 days; and

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay.

23-28. (canceled)

29. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic, the individual having observed a protocol in the care administration space.

30. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for causing an individual to be contacted by a fallback mode of communication as a conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the prior mode of communication being telephonic, the individual having observed a protocol in the care administration space, the fallback mode of communication including a delivery of a physical article to the individual.

31. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for contacting an individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, the individual having observed a protocol in the care administration space.

32-37. (canceled)

38. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for initiating a telephone call between a first individual and a second individual as an automatic response to the first individual not being compliant with a health regimen and to an indication that the second individual is available, the patient consent conditionally authorizing the release of the first medical record being a component of the health regimen, the second individual being an agent at a call center comprising the circuitry for initiating the telephone call between the first individual and the second individual.

39. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to a first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call, the patient consent conditionally authorizing the release of the first medical record being a component of the health regimen.

40. (canceled)

41. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification at the first device, the event including at least one of the first device receiving the first medical record or the second device entering the care administration space.

42. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification at the second device, the event including at least one of the first device receiving the first medical record or the second device entering the care administration space.

43-44. (canceled)

45. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive, the first medical record including the second element in the particular records archive but not the first element in the particular records archive.

46. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for transmitting a real-time notification to a first person as an automatic response to an interface in a vicinity of a second person detecting a particular event relating to the second person in the care administration space.

47. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with a patient is received and until an indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment, the patient being identified in the first medical record.

48. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with a patient is received and until an indication is received that the patient is in a vicinity of the medical equipment, the patient being identified in the first medical record, the indication that the patient is in the vicinity of the medical equipment being a wireless signal received by the medical equipment from an article associated with and wearable by the patient.

49. A healthcare information management system comprising:

means for obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;

means for obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and

means for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.

50-72. (canceled)

73. A healthcare information management method comprising:

obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;

obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and

invoking circuitry for causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.

74-96. (canceled)

97. An article of manufacture for healthcare information management comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;

obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and

causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.

98-119. (canceled)

120. An article of manufacture for healthcare information management comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of

obtaining an association between a care administration space and a first device;

obtaining via a second device a patient consent conditionally authorizing a release of a first medical record, the second device being a mobile device; and

causing the first device to receive the first medical record partly based on the second device entering the care administration space and partly based on the patient consent authorizing the release of the first medical record.

121-142. (canceled)

143. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication whether an individual is compliant with a health regimen as a component of the first medical record;

circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification at the first device, the event including at least one of the first device receiving the first medical record or the second device entering the care administration space;

circuitry for triggering a search of a particular records archive by providing a selective search criterion, one that results in an exclusion of a first element in the particular records archive and an inclusion of a second element in the particular records archive, the first medical record including the second element in the particular records archive but not the first element in the particular records archive;

circuitry for obtaining an indication that a specific pathology in the individual has been treated at a first hospital and an indication that the specific pathology in the individual has been treated at a second hospital and an indication that the individual has been treated in the care administration space, the specific pathology in the individual including at least one of an addiction or chronic pain;

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of a medical condition of the individual treated in the care administration space;

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay; and

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in the individual with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space, the explicit indication being positive, the medical condition including the specific pathology, the extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent including a scan of a physical document stating that the medical condition was treated with the particular protocol.

144. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 2, further comprising:

circuitry for detecting a wireless device within an effective range of a stationary device, the wireless device being the second device, the first device being the stationary device;

circuitry for responding to an event with an audible notification at the second device, the event including at least one of the first device receiving the first medical record or the second device entering the care administration space;

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a first individual with a therapeutic protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the therapeutic protocol has precedent, the therapeutic protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space, the explicit indication being a boolean expression that is either a positive indication or a negative indication;

circuitry for looking up a communication delay as a function of the therapeutic protocol, the communication delay being at most 3.0 days if the therapeutic protocol includes a medical intervention and otherwise being more than 3.0 days;

circuitry for transmitting a query as an automatic response to an expiration of the communication delay;

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to the first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call, the patient consent conditionally authorizing the release of the first medical record being a component of the health regimen; and

circuitry for retrieving a medical treatment record relating to a set of one or more pathologies (a) selectively in response to an indication of an institutional readmission as a component of the first medical record or (b) selectively in response to an explicit indication of a payment reduction that identifies the set, the set of one or more pathologies including at least one of an addiction or chronic pain.

145. The healthcare information management system ofclaim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for causing a locally-resident subscriber registry to be updated, the locally-resident subscriber registry and the care administration space both being within a single common service region;

circuitry for obtaining an explicit indication whether a record of treating a medical condition in a first individual with a particular protocol contains any extrinsic evidence that treating the medical condition with the particular protocol has precedent, the particular protocol having been administered at least partly within the care administration space;

circuitry for implementing a failsafe preventing medical equipment from operating until an order associating the medical equipment with the first individual is received and until an indication is received that the first individual is in a vicinity of the medical equipment, the first individual being a patient identified in the first medical record;

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to transfer a resource to the first individual partly based on an indication that the first individual is not compliant with a health regimen and partly based on an indication that the first individual has accepted a telephone call, the patient consent conditionally authorizing the release of the first medical record being a component of the health regimen, the resource being a physical article in a machine, the decision whether to transfer the resource to the first individual being manifested as a decision whether to dispense the physical article from the machine to the first individual;

circuitry for transmitting a real-time notification to a second individual as an automatic response to an interface detecting a particular event relating to a third individual in the care administration space, the interface being either a third device or a component of the first device; and

circuitry for contacting the third individual by a fallback mode of communication as an automatic and conditional response to receiving no reply from the third individual by a prior mode of communication, the fallback mode of communication being telephonic, the prior mode of communication being electronic mail.

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