US 20150254416A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2015/0254416 A1 Shih (43) Pub. Date: Sep. 10, 2015 (54) METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING (52) U.S. Cl. MEDICAL ADVICE CPC .......... G06F 19/3425 (2013.01); G06F 19/322 (2013.01) (71) Applicant: ClickMedix, Gaithersburg, MD (US) (72) Inventor: Ting-Chih Shih, Rockville, MD (US) (57) ABSTRACT (73) Assignee: CLICKMEDIX, Gaithersburg, MD A method and system for providing medical services wherein (US) a server establishes a wireless connection with a mobile device or computer of a user. The mobile device or computer (21) Appl. No.: 14/199,559 has already been provided with an application for the entry of (22) Filed: Mar. 6, 2014 user information. The server receives encrypted user infor mation from the mobile device or computer, decrypts the user Publication Classification information, and forwards the user information to experts selected on the basis of the user information. The server (51) Int. Cl. collects responses from the experts, and provides expert G06F 9/00 (2006.01) advice to the user of the mobile device or computer. NTERNET SERVICE SERVER PROVIDER 25 Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 1 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 S. OO L gy2 O ch : 2 > S 2 v 9 --- ---m-m- Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 2 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 ZI IZ| -----———————? |------ OT Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 3 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 dXB:LHB Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 4 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 ——— ?II || | | || | |NOIIVWHOHNI Å ||GO?I Nodisva HITV3HLNBILVd ______.ISOH______ ~~~~}dno89v10BTES!| S183dXBHO| |~\~~~~|||| †7·314 || | | || | ZO? A | } }} | }{ | l Patent Application Publication US 2015/0254416 A1 ?euauss)| Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 8 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 8(31+ …u?ou|iroq:…………….…...…………………..... O Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 9 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 squey|nsuoj | ?ing|Tuwopdorp<=suonow i) Patent Application Publication Sep. 10, 2015 Sheet 10 of 10 US 2015/0254416 A1 dn?assuodegasepeyear5preoqqsed attle}} dnesuuelfiodd |.uel?old10919S suuuo+ g US 2015/0254416 A1 Sep. 10, 2015 METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING tially important data from providers across diverse geo MEDICAL ADVICE graphic regions that treat demographically diverse individu als. BACKGROUND 0008. Within the United States, the Health Insurance Port 0001 1. Technical Field ability and Accountability Act of 1996 (“HIPAA) provides 0002 The present invention relates to a method and sys patients with Stringent privacy and safety protections. One tem for facilitating the provision of expert advice, in particu common criticism of modern telemedicine is that it has the lar medical expert advice, using a server in connection with at potential to expose patient information in violation of HIPAA least one mobile device or computer. if the data is intercepted by a third party. Such interception can 0003 2. Background Art occur at any phase: the device that records the patient health 0004 At present, an ill patient who wishes to seek a medi information can be lost, stolen, or otherwise compromised; cal referral from her doctor, health care provider (includes the information sent to the central telemedicine service pro nurses, pharmacists, health workers), friends, family, or car vider, often received at or by a server, can be intercepted in egiver is limited to the immediate Social or professional net transit; or the provider's server can be compromised. With so work of the referrer. At most, this network is likely limited to many possible points of failure, telemedicine raises signifi a small number of different doctors or specialists, from whom cant cause for concern despite its many possible benefits. the referrer likely chooses one to be the referred doctor. Even if the doctor lacks direct experience with the patient’s precise SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION condition, it is likely that they are familiar enough to provide 0009. A main object of the present invention is to allow adequate care or otherwise refer the patient to a third-degree individuals having access to a device, such as a mobile device specialist with the requisite experience. or computer, to obtain expert advice tailored to the individu 0005. This process can take weeks or longer, and the als needs from a variety of experts who all preferably need to patient may visit multiple, different referred doctors, but still contribute to developing an effective treatment plan, while be unable to distinguish among the referred doctors other than allowing the individuals information and communications to on the basis of their education or stated expertise. The patient be secure and reliable. is not privy to information Such as other experts’ opinions of 0010. Another object of the present invention is to expand the specialists; the quality and general reception of the spe the expert network accessible to individuals through referred cialists’ peer-reviewed medical journal articles, if any; or how experts internal network of other esteemed experts who can often or how many times the specialists have had direct prac contribute to determining an effective treatment plan. tical experience with the patient's specific condition. 0011 Yet another object of the present invention is to 0006 Although recent uses of the Internet have changed provide enhanced information about each expert to individu the health care provider search process to some degree, the als; in particular information about whether the expert has had prospect of identifying the right expert remains difficult. direct experience with the individuals issue. Patients have access to a far higher number of doctors by 0012 Still yet another object of the present invention is to searching online, but they are similarly unable to distinguish provide expert advice in this manner and preferably to permit between the doctors other than the limited information avail those who wish to conduct clinical trials, research programs able on health care provider directories, which again often or focus groups to access the comprehensive database so that excludes information concerning the actual experience the they are not limited to the information made available by doctors have with particular health conditions or ways to individual service providers. schedule an appointment with them in a timely fashion. 0013. A further object of the present invention is to pro 0007 Such problems identifying experts are exacerbated vide a secure method of storing and transmitting sensitive in remote areas of the world, where the number of experts in user information, or in particular patient health information in a given field or experienced with a particular disease or con medical applications, to protect end users such as patients, dition may be few or located far away from the patient. and to comply with the pertinent privacy laws and other Telemedicine, or the practice of providing health care OS. remotely, asynchronously (store-and-forward method) or 0014. These and other objects and advantages are synchronously (real-time video), may be used to mitigate the achieved by the system and method according to the present problems associated with health care in Such remote loca invention. A providerestablishes a wireless connection with a tions. However telemedicine service providers often do not mobile device or computer of a user, wherein the user has share health care treatment information, which prevents them been provided with an application on the mobile device or from developing a centralized knowledge base of experts in a computer that allows the user to enter information about particular condition or disease. Some current telemedicine which to seek advice. The provider then receives the infor systems are limited to particular disease categories and mation from the mobile device or computer at the provider's require large up-front infrastructure, technology develop server and decrypts the information, if necessary. After ana ment, and personnel investments. In addition, such siloed lyzing the information and determining what type of expertis health care systems frustrate or limit the development of needed, unless the type of expert was identified by the user in clinical trials or research programs, which often require Such the received information, the provider forwards the received amounts of patient data on a particular condition or disease information to one or more experts of the selected type. Once massive a that a single siloed health care provider's data the selected experts have evaluated the forwarded informa would be insufficient by itself. And because no centralized tion and provided their recommendation in the form of a database that aggregates ongoing diagnosis and treatment response, the provider receives the response or responses and information across providers exists, these clinical trials or aggregates contribution from various experts and assembles research programs tend not to consider treatment information them into an effective treatment plan, then relays them to the from more than one provider, thereby failing to capture poten user of the mobile device or computer. In the health care US 2015/0254416 A1 Sep. 10, 2015 context, the user may be apatient, healthcare provider Such as by any other real-time electronic communication. They pref a doctor, nurse, health care worker, or a local person tasked erably also consult with each other in non-real time by with health care, or even friends or family members of the exchanging messages via web-based applications or mobile patient. Smartphone applications, recorded audio or video messages, 0015. In a preferred embodiment, a user is asked to enter electronic mail, regular mail, or any other electronic commu his or her credentials when establishing a wireless connection nication in a fashion compliant with privacy and security in the form of a username and password combination, facili rules. In the health care context, this operates as an electronic tating data security and personalization.