Personalized health communication system

Description

This application is a continuation of United States patent application Ser. No. 09/511,963, filed Feb. 24, 2000, entitled PERSONALIZED HEALTH COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for each of its teachings and embodiments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to providing communication over a computer network and, in particular, to providing personalized communication between users according to personal health information about them.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Consumer health information is growing in importance and popularity, with computer networks such as the Internet providing a growing share of the information. It is estimated that health issues are addressed at tens of thousands of online sites with potentially millions of pages of health-related works or content. With a general lack of clinical and editorial standards for health-related content, lay consumers without specific medical training, and even trained medical professionals, can have relatively little success in finding desired or relevant information among such vast resources.

Moreover, given the extremely personal nature of health, most individuals have minimal interest in browsing materials that have no relevance to their health or the health of their families. Yet most of the health information available at conventional network (e.g., Internet) sites or portals addresses only general topics. Such information seldom has any particular relevance to individual users. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved way of obtaining relevant health-related information over computer networks such as the Internet.

Much of the health information that is available is generally clinical information about the health conditions. In many instances, however, such clinical information does not fully convey the effects and consequences of some health conditions, particularly for lay individuals without medical training. Accordingly, many people would be interested in discussing their health conditions with other people that have those conditions. For people having both common and uncommon health conditions, the ability to discuss the condition with others who are in similar circumstances can provide levels of understanding and information that are not otherwise readily available. However, health privacy prevents many such people from contacting each other. Also, some health conditions are relative uncommon, which can further complicate the ability of people with similar health conditions to identify and to contact each other.

The present invention provides systems, methods, and computer software by which multiple users at network-connected computers establish communication with each other according to personal health history information. Each user typically is a lay individual without specific medical training. The computer network may be private or public and may be a local area network or a wide area network. For example, the computer network may include the Internet.

In one implementation, each of multiple users provides personal health history information over the Internet to a personalized health communication system. The personal health information may, relate to a variety of personal and health conditions, which may include medical diagnoses like diabetes, high blood pressure, pneumonia, or pregnancy, or any current or past health problem like poor vision, chronic joint pain, cancer, or alcoholism, etc., and other health and personal information.

At least one user defines personal health message receiving criteria for determining messages to be received from other users who meet the personal health message receiving criteria. With regard to the personal health message receiving criteria, the user is referred to as a message receiving user. The personal health message receiving criteria are stored on a computer in association with identifying information for the message receiving user. The personal health message receiving criteria include typically plural personal health-related factors that are included in the personal health information collected about the user. The personal health message receiving criteria indicate combinations of personal health characteristics about which the user is willing to communicate with other users.

At least one user defines personal health message transmitting criteria for directing a selected message to other users whose personal health message receiving criteria match the personal health message transmitting criteria. With regard to the personal health message transmitting criteria, the user is referred to as a message transmitting user. The personal health message transmitting criteria are stored on a computer in association with identifying information for the message transmitting user.

The personal health message transmitting criteria include typically plural personal health-related factors that are included in the personal health information collected about each user. The personal health message transmitting criteria represent characteristics of a message receiving user with whom the message transmitting user would like to communicate. The message transmitting user also submits a message (e.g., an e-mail message) for transmission to message receiving users with personal health message receiving criteria that conform to the personal health message transmitting criteria.

The message receiving users with personal health message receiving criteria that conform to the personal health message transmitting criteria are then identified, and the message of the message transmitting user is transmitted to the message receiving user. In one implementation, the personal health communication system maintains in confidence the identity and personal health history of both the transmitting and receiving users.

The present invention provides communication between users, commonly lay users without specific medical training, based upon the personal health characteristics of the users. The identity and personal health information of the users are maintained in confidence. As a result, people with shared health conditions may communicate with each other to exchange information about their health conditions, how those conditions affect their lives and which treatments and therapies have been most effective in treating their condition or symptoms of their illness.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a computer system that may be used to implement the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow-diagram of a personalized health communication process by which multiple users at network-connected computers communicate with each other according to personal health history information;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one implementation of a personalized health communication computer system;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health message receiving user interface that is rendered on a user client computer display screen;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health message transmitting user interface that is rendered on a user client computer display screen; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health communication user interface that is rendered on a user client computer display screen.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates an operating environment for an embodiment of the present invention as a computer system 20 with a computer 22 that comprises at least one high speed processing unit (CPU) 24 in conjunction with a memory system 26, an input device 28, and an output device 30. These elements are interconnected by at least one bus structure 32.

The illustrated CPU 24 is of familiar design and includes an ALU 34 for performing computations, a collection of registers 36 for temporary storage of data and instructions, and a control unit 38 for controlling operation of the system 20. The CPU 24 may be a processor having any off a variety of architectures including Alpha from Digital, MIPS from MIPS Technology, NEC, IDT, Siemens, and others, x86 from Intel and others, including Cyrix, AMD, and Nexgen, and the PowerPC from IBM and Motorola.

The memory system 26 generally includes high-speed main memory 40 in the form of a medium such as random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM) semiconductor devices, and secondary storage 42 in the form of long term storage mediums such as floppy disks, hard disks, tape, CD-ROM, flash memory, etc., and other devices that store data using electrical, magnetic, optical or other recording media. The main memory 40 also can include video display memory for displaying images through a display device. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the memory 26 can comprise a variety of alternative components having a variety of storage capacities.

The input and output devices 28 and 30 also are familiar. The input device 28 can comprise a keyboard, a mouse, a physical transducer (e.g., a microphone), etc. The output device 30 can comprise a display, a printer, a transducer (e.g., a speaker), etc. Some devices, such as a network interface or a modem, can be used as input and/or output devices.

As is familiar to those skilled in the art, the computer system 20 further includes an operating system and at least one application program. The operating system is the set of software which controls the computer system's operation and the allocation of resources. The application program is the set of software that performs a task desired by the user, using computer resources made available through the operating system. Both are resident in the illustrated memory system 26.

In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the present invention is described below with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed by computer system 20, unless indicated otherwise. Such acts and operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed and may be associated with the operating system or the application program as appropriate. It will be appreciated that the acts and symbolically represented operations include the manipulation by the CPU 24 of electrical signals representing data bits which causes a resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signal representation, and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in memory system 26 to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the computer system's operation, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corresponding to the data bits.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a personalized health communication process 50 by which multiple users at network-connected computers communicate with each other according to personal health history information. Each user typically is a lay individual without specific medical training. The computer network may be private or public and may be a local area network or a wide area network. In one implementation, each user utilizes personalized health communication process 50 and provides personal health history information over the Internet.

Process block 52 indicates that personal health information is collected about each user. The personal health information may relate to health conditions, which may include medical diagnoses like diabetes, high blood pressure, pneumonia, or pregnancy, or any current or past health problem like poor vision, chronic joint pain, cancer, or alcoholism.

In addition, the health information could relate to allergies, tests, vaccinations, surgeries or procedures, etc. that affect or have affected the health of the user or that are a part of the user's health history.

For purposes of explanation, the following description is made with reference to the health information relating to health conditions. It will be appreciated that the description is similarly applicable to other types of health information, including information relating to allergies, tests, vaccinations, surgeries or procedures, etc.

Process block 54 indicates that the personal health information for each user are correlated with predefined concept unique identifiers (CUIs). Each concept unique identifier uniquely identifies a predefined health-related concept (e.g., a health condition). The concept unique identifiers provide standardized identification of the predefined health-related concepts independent of traditional variations between lay medical and clinical medical terminology for health conditions, as described below in greater detail. In one implementation, the concept unique identifiers are in the form of alpha-numeric segments (e.g., 8 characters each). Alternatively, numeric or alphabetic segments could be used.

The concept unique identifiers are based on core medical concepts, enabling multiple synonyms and related terms to be mapped to the same concept unique identifier or code. For example, “hyperpeisis,” “elevated systolic pressure,” “high blood pressure,” “hypertensive vascular disease” and “high blood” are all used in consumer and professional circles to describe the same thing: high blood pressure. Accordingly, all these terms would be mapped or associated with a single concept unique identifier.

Process block 58 indicates that at least one user defines personal health message receiving criteria for determining messages to be received from other users who meet the personal health message receiving criteria. With regard to the personal health message receiving criteria, the user is referred to as a message receiving user. The personal health message receiving criteria are stored on a computer in association with identifying information for the message receiving user.

The personal health message receiving criteria include typically plural personal health-related factors that are included in the personal health information collected about each user. For example, the personal health message receiving criteria may include one or more personal characteristics such as gender, age or age ranges, smoking or non-smoking habits, exercising or non-exercising habits, or being overweight or underweight; predefined health conditions such as being pregnant, or having high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes (Type I or II), breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, etc.; and user-defined health conditions that the user enters or indicates by name. Each of the personal health message receiving criteria, including personal characteristics, predefined health conditions, and user-defined health conditions, is correlated with a corresponding concept unique identifier.

The personal health message receiving criteria indicate combinations of personal health characteristics about which the user is willing to communicate with other users. For people having both common and uncommon health conditions, the ability to discuss the condition with others who have the condition and are in similar circumstances can provide levels of understanding and information that are not otherwise readily available.

Process block 60 indicates that at least one user defines personal health message transmitting criteria for directing a selected message to other users whose personal health message receiving criteria match the personal health message transmitting criteria. With regard to the personal health message transmitting criteria, the user is referred to as a message transmitting user. The personal health message transmitting criteria are stored on a computer in association with identifying information for the message transmitting user.

The personal health message transmitting criteria include typically plural personal health-related factors that are included in the personal health information collected about each user. For example, the personal health message transmitting criteria may include one or more personal characteristics, predefined health conditions, and user-defined health conditions, as described above with reference to process block 58. Each of the personal health message transmitting criteria is correlated with a corresponding, concept unique identifier. The personal health message transmitting criteria represent characteristics of a message receiving user with whom the message transmitting user would like to communicate.

Process block 62 indicates that the message transmitting user submits a message (e.g., an e-mail or network communication channel) for transmission to message receiving users with personal health message receiving criteria that conform to the personal health message transmitting criteria. The message may include, for example, a statement of one or more specific health conditions and a question about treatments, consequences, etc. concerning the conditions.

As an example, Joe is a 47 year old male who consults his physician because of a chronic cough. After an examination and chest x-ray his physician diagnoses his condition as sarcoidosis. Joe's physician informs him that this is an incurable condition, without a known cause, which affects about 40 out of every 100,000 individuals. He goes on to provide Joe with some information about sarcoidosis and recommends treatment with Prednisone, a steroid medication. In this example, Joe leaves the office with a diagnosis and some information, but he now wishes to talk to someone else with sarcoidosis—preferably someone like himself. So in accordance with personalized health communication process 50, Joe defines personal health message transmitting criteria indicating male, between ages 40 and 60, and sarcoidosis, and composes a message stating: “I was just diagnosed with sarcoidosis. How is this really going to affect me and my family?”

Process block 64 indicates that message receiving users with personal health message receiving criteria that conform to the personal health (message transmitting criteria are identified. Generally, the message transmitting criteria represent cumulative or conjunctive conditions. The message receiving criteria of a message receiving user conform to message transmitting criteria when the message receiving criteria match each of the specified message transmitting criteria. In the illustrated example, the message transmitting criteria are male, between ages 40 and 60, and sarcoidosis, and the message receiving criteria of a message receiving user conform to message transmitting criteria when the message receiving criteria designate each of the message transmitting criteria. In other implementations, the message receiving criteria of a message receiving user may also conform to message transmitting criteria when the message receiving criteria match some or most of the specified message transmitting criteria (e.g., at least the user-defined health conditions).

Process block 66 indicates that the message of the message transmitting user is transmitted to the message receiving user. In one implementation, the message is transmitted to the message receiving user without identifying the message receiving user to the message transmitting user. The message may be transmitted as a standard e-mail message to an address that is predefined by the message receiving user or may be transmitted as a message within a computer system that performs personalized health communication process 50. Upon receipt of the message, the message receiving user may choose to reply to the message transmitting user, such as by a reply e-mail message to an e-mail address included in the transmitted message.

Exemplary concept unique identifiers and corresponding predefined health-related concepts or terms for several health conditions are listed below in Table 1. The relationship between each concept unique identifier and the corresponding health-related term or terms forms a data structure that is stored in a computer-readable medium and includes a concept unique identifier (e.g., alphanumeric) and one or more associated health-related terms. The data structure allows uniform identification of health-related concepts despite a variety of lay medical terms and clinical medical terms being in use. The listing of Table 1 is not exhaustive of the health condition medical terms to which the concept unique identifiers may be applied.

The concept unique identifiers and corresponding predefined health-related terms form a health terminology thesaurus that is stored on a computer-readable medium and provides the concept unique identifiers based upon the health-related terms. In one implementation, the health terminology thesaurus incorporates terminology from many health-related vocabularies, including The Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) promulgated by the College of American Pathologists and the International Classification of Diseases: 9th. revision, Clinical Modification, promulgated by the Health Care Financing Administration, as well as many other vocabularies and consumer and lay medical terms. The thesaurus of one implementation is an extension of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus promulgated by the National Library of Medicine.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of one implementation of a personalized health communication computer system 100, which includes for each user a user client 102 (only one shown) that communicates over a computer network 104 with a personalized health communication server 106. Server 106 may be implemented as one or more server computers. In the case of multiple server computers, they may be local to each other or may be remote from each other and in communication via a computer network. User client 102 may be implemented as, for example, an interactive document or page that is accessible by the user at a client computer with conventional browser software.

Personalized health communication server 106 stores a health terminology thesaurus 108 that correlates health terminology submitted as user-defined health conditions with concept unique identifiers. Personalized health communication server 106 also includes health communication software 109 that cooperates with user client 102 for identifying and transmitting messages to receiving users with personal health message receiving criteria that conform to personal health message transmitting criteria of transmitting users.

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health message receiving user interface 130 that is rendered on a display screen of a user client 102. Personal health message receiving user interface 130 assists a user in providing personal health information to personalized health communication computer system 100.

User interface 130 includes general message receiving controls 132 by which the message receiving user can choose generally to receive or to block all messages. A view messages control 134 allows the message receiving user to select how personal health messages are to be received, such as at a designated personal health communication homepage (e.g., FIG. 6), at a designated email address, or both. A custom message receiving control 136 allows the user to elect to receive messages according to customized personal health message receiving criteria that are indicated by the custom controls. Custom message receiving control 136 includes gender controls 140, age controls 142, predefined conditions controls 144, general characteristics controls 146, and user-defined health conditions input control 148 for defining the message receiving criteria.

In the illustrated implementation, gender controls 140, predefined conditions controls 144, and general characteristics controls 146 list specific characteristics or fields that are selectable by checkboxes, for example, or other selectable graphics controls. Age controls 142 are illustrated as numeric fields in which users may enter arbitrary numeric values. User-defined conditions input control 148 cooperates with health terminology thesaurus 108 and health communication software 109 to identify the terms for user-defined conditions in health terminology thesaurus 108. The message receiving criteria, including any unidentified terms that the user elects to add to the thesaurus, are listed in a criteria preview window 150. Concept unique identifiers are correlated with the conditions indicated by predefined conditions controls 146, general characteristics controls 146, and user-defined conditions input control 148, which conditions are summarized in criteria preview window 150. The message receiving criteria indicated by the custom controls are transmitted to server 106 in response to user activation of a post criteria control 152.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health message transmitting user interface 160 that is rendered on a display screen of a user client 102. Personal health message transmitting user interface 160 assists a user in providing personal health information to personalized health communication computer system 100.

User interface 160 includes a custom message transmitting control 162 that allows the user to define the message transmitting criteria according to which messages are transmitted to receiving users. Message transmitting control 162 includes gender controls 166, age controls 168, predefined conditions controls 170, general characteristics controls 172, and user-defined health conditions input control 174. A user composes a message in a message pane 176, and composes a message title in a message title pane 178.

In the illustrated implementation, gender controls 166, predefined conditions controls 170, and general characteristics controls 172 list specific characteristics or fields that are selectable by checkboxes, for example, or other selectable graphics controls. Age controls 168 are illustrated as numeric fields in which, users may enter arbitrary numeric values. User-defined conditions input control 174 cooperates with health terminology thesaurus 108 and health communication software 109 to identify the terms for user-defined conditions in health terminology thesaurus 108.

The message transmitting criteria, including any unidentified terms that the user elects to add to the thesaurus, are listed in a criteria preview window 180. Concept unique identifiers are correlated with the conditions indicated by predefined conditions controls 170, general characteristics controls 172, and user-defined conditions input control 174, which conditions are summarized in criteria preview window 180. The message and the message transmitting criteria indicated by the custom controls are transmitted to server 106 in response to user activation of a post message control 182.

In an optional implementation, health communication personalization software 109 further includes a health terminology spell checking component that checks the spelling of terms entered by users into user-defined conditions input control 148 and user-defined conditions input control 174. In the event of apparent misspellings or unrecognized terms, server 106 returns one or more suggested correct spellings.

As described above with reference to process block 66, the message of the message transmitting user may be transmitted as a standard e-mail message to an address that is predefined by the message receiving user or may be transmitted as a message within a computer system that performs personalized health communication process 50. FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of a personal health communication user interface 200 that is rendered on a display screen for the user by user client 102. Personal health communication user interface 200 assists a user in managing messages and provides general information about users of personalized health communication process 50 or personalized health communication computer system 100.

User interface 200 includes a received messages pane 202 and a transmitted messages pane 204 that respectively indicate messages that are received and transmitted by a user based on personal health history information. Received messages pane 202 and transmitted messages pane 204 may indicate messages in a variety of ways, but are shown listing message titles and the dates messages are received and transmitted. A receiving message filter control 206 that directs a user to message receiving user interface 130 of FIG. 4. A new transmitting message control 208 that directs a user to message transmitting user interface 160 of FIG. 5.

User interface 200 is shown as including optional summary information 210 indicating numeric summaries of the numbers of users associated with personalized health communication computer system 100 that have indicated health conditions indicated by predefined conditions controls 144, general characteristics controls 146 of message receiving user interface 130, for example. Additionally, user interface 200 is also shown as including a user-defined health condition search control 212—by which a user may conduct a search to obtain a numeric summary of the numbers of users associated with personalized health communication computer system 100 having one or more user-defined health conditions. User-defined health condition search control 212 operates with health terminology thesaurus 108 of personalized health communication server 106, as do the operations involving user-defined health conditions described above.

Having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to an illustrated embodiment, it will be recognized that the illustrated embodiment can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. It should be understood that the programs, processes, or methods described herein are not related or limited to any particular type of computer apparatus, unless indicated otherwise. Various types of general purpose or specialized computer apparatus may be used with or perform operations in accordance with the teachings described herein. Elements of the illustrated embodiment shown in software may be implemented in hardware and vice versa.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of our invention may be applied, it should be recognized that the detailed embodiments are illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of our invention. Rather, we claim as our invention all such embodiments as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.