Education and demonstration – Psychology
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-31
2001-09-04
Richman, Glenn E. (Department: 3764)
Education and demonstration
Psychology
C434S238000, C128S923000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283761
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention pertains to an apparatus and a method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information and, in particular, to an apparatus and a method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information for a variety of healthcare and healthcare related applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Each year, tens of millions of individuals seek or need the assistance of healthcare professionals. In order to perform proper diagnoses and to prescribe appropriate treatments, healthcare professional or providers typically rely on information which is obtained from patients, relatives of patients, previous providers, and/or healthcare facility and/or hospital staff members. The need to have accurate and/or up-to-date data and/or information, in providing healthcare services and/or healthcare-related services, cannot be emphasized enough.
Stories constantly emerge about patients receiving the wrong treatments, having the wrong surgical procedures performed on themselves, receiving a drug or drugs which fatally and/or otherwise adversely interact with another drug or drugs, etc., with stories going on and on. Recently, it has been estimated that between 44,000 and 98,000 individuals die, in the United States alone, as the result of errors or mistakes made by doctors, healthcare providers, and/or healthcare facility workers. There is no doubt that many of these deaths result from inaccurate and/or erroneous information and/or the lack of the availability of correct and/or up-to-date information.
Another problem lies with the fact that the main source of patient information, medical histories, family histories, etc., upon which doctors or providers may base their diagnoses and/or treatments, are patients who usually supply this information on questionnaires or forms just prior to seeing the healthcare provider and/or during a preliminary interview with the provider. In this regard, information obtained from these questionnaires or forms, as well as from these preliminary interviews with the providers, may not necessarily result in sufficient, comprehensive, and/or accurate, information being obtained regarding the patient. Further, there is no guarantee that the same information will be provided, in a uniform manner, to a next or different provider. As a result, patient information may not be uniformly distributed and/or be available to providers at the point of treatment and/or otherwise.
Another problem which exists in the current healthcare system is that doctors or other providers do not always have the latest information and/or research material available to them prior to, and/or during, the diagnosis and/or treatment process.
It is also no secret that healthcare costs are rising at ever-increasing rates and that insurance companies and other healthcare payers expend great resources in processing and reconciling treatment claims and/or claims for healthcare services and/or benefits. Typically, these insurance and/or benefits claims take place in a paper-based environment and, as a result are slow and inefficient. Fraudulent claims and/or claims which cannot be verified pose another major problem for healthcare payers and insurance companies. These problems only serve to add to the growing costs of healthcare, delayed treatments, and a general dissatisfaction with the current healthcare system.
Another problem lies in making up-to-date training materials conveniently available to providers in order to allow providers to remain current with state-of-the-art information and training techniques.
The list of problems with the current healthcare system goes on and on. In view of the above, there is a great need for an apparatus and a method for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information to the various providers, payers, patients, third party individuals, and/or insurance brokers, agents and/or other intermediaries, which overcomes the shortcomings of prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an apparatus and methods for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.
The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information and, in particular, to an apparatus and a method for processing and/or for providing healthcare information and/or healthcare-related information for a variety of healthcare and healthcare related applications.
The apparatus and method of the present invention facilitates the creation and management of a comprehensive healthcare processing system which can manage patient and client records, doctor and other provider records, healthcare insurance and/or payer records, and thereby provide an apparatus, system and methods for providing a variety and a multitude of healthcare information processing applications, processes and services.
The present invention facilitates improved healthcare quality, efficient information collection, processing and dissemination, efficient diagnosis and treatment, cost efficiency, cost containment, as well as many other benefits and advantages as will be described herein. The apparatus and method of the present invention also facilitates the distribution and management of healthcare insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, as well as claims processing related thereto.
The present invention also provides an apparatus and a method for providing a comprehensive processing system which incorporates data and/or information from any combination and/or all of the participants in the healthcare field, including patients, providers, payers or insurance companies, and/or brokers, agents and/or other intermediaries who act on behalf of any of the above-identified persons or entities.
The apparatus of the present invention includes a central processing computer or central processing computer system which can be a network or server computer. The apparatus also includes a healthcare provider communication device or computer which is associated with a healthcare provider such as a healthcare professional, a hospital, a clinic, and/or any other provider of services described herein. The healthcare provider computer(s) can communicate with, and operate in conjunction with, the central processing computer and/or any of the other computers and/or computer systems or communication devices described herein.
The apparatus also includes a healthcare payer communication device or computer which is associated with a healthcare payer such as a healthcare insurer, insurance company, health maintenance organization, a clinic, and/or any other payer of healthcare services and products described herein. The healthcare payer computer(s) can communicate with, and operate in conjunction with, central processing computer and/or any of the other computers and/or computer systems or communication devices described herein.
The apparatus also includes a patient or individual user communication device or computer which is associated with a healthcare patient such as a patient, user, or client who seeks or who is provided with healthcare and/or related services, products and/or related information. The patient computer(s) can communicate with, and operate in conjunction with, central processing computer and/or any of the other computers and/or computer systems described herein.
The apparatus also includes an intermediary communication device or computer which is associated with an intermediary, a broker, an agent, and/or any other individual and/or entity, that can utilize the present invention in order to act for and/or on behalf of any other individual, party, or entity, described herein. The intermediary computer(s) can communicate with, and operate in conjunction with, central processing computer and any of the other computers and/or computer systems described herein.
Each of the central processing computer(s), the provider
Joao Raymond A.
Richman Glenn E.
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