Automated selection and delivery of online mental healthcare and other therapeutic services using comparison of matched pairs of groups to improve mode and delivery of services and evaluate individual provider performance
The disclosed methods and systems facilitate and deliver online mental healthcare and other therapeutic services to a group of entities (individuals). First, data associated with the group is received. Second, data are analyzed to generate an entity index for one or more entities and an entity pair index for one or more pairs of entities. Third, the entity indexes and the entity pair indexes are used to generate a group network index. The group network index indicates a level of performance of the group. Fourth, a set of interventions are identified using the group network index in combination with its weighted components, based on weights assigned to entity indexes and entity pair indexes. A set of online therapeutic services is associated with the set of interventions. Fifth, the set of online therapeutic services are executed and delivered. Sixth, the level of group performance during or after the execution of some or all of the set of online therapeutic services is compared to a prior value, and changes or additional therapeutic services may be recommended. Seventh, groups can be paired with clinically and demographically similar groups for purposes of prospective trials to compare modes of treatment, and retrospective analysis of individual service provider performance for quality control.
1 . A system to automatically assign, through a statistically valid comparison of effect sizes, modes of online therapeutic services to be delivered to a group of individuals, comprising:
a database having stored data about groups of individuals, wherein each group is identified by an identification and the data includes attributes of each group and a group index, wherein the attributes of each group includes demographics and the group index comprises a measure of the relative optimization of the group which indicates group performance;
a server system, operably connected to the database, programmed to:
search the database to match a first group with a second group that have similar attributes, wherein groups are ranked similar according to weighted combination of clinically relevant attributes;
separate matched groups into two sets, first set and second set, wherein one of the matched groups is placed into each set;
deliver, using network equipment, a first mode of online therapeutic service to the first set and an alternative mode of online therapeutic service to the second set;
calculate a group index for each group after delivery of the online therapeutic services;
determine, based on the calculated group indexes and the stored group indexes, whether the first mode or the alternative mode of online therapeutic service caused an improvement in the group index of a group exceeding an effect size; and
recommend and deliver, through a network, to a third group the mode of online therapeutic service which caused the improvement.
2 . The system of claim 1 wherein the server system is further programmed to:
divide the improvement in the group index of a group by an amount of time elapsed between group index calculations to arrive at a rate of change of the group index.
3 . The system of claim 1 wherein the server system is further programmed to:
divide the improvement in the group index of a group by an amount of time elapsed while the group received delivered therapeutic services to arrive at a rate of change of the group index.
4 . The system of claim 1 wherein the server system is further programmed to:
determine a time elapsed between the calculation of the stored group index and the calculated group index;
divide an amount of resources expended during the time elapsed by the improvement in the group index of a group.
5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the server system is further programmed to:
determine a time elapsed between the calculation of a group index prior to the group receiving delivered therapeutic services and after receiving the delivered therapeutic services;
divide an amount of resources expended during the time elapsed by the improvement in the group index of a group.
6 . The system of claim 1 wherein the delivered online therapeutic services comprise two types of services, simultaneously and in seriatim, and wherein the first mode is to deliver simultaneously and the alternative mode is to deliver in seriatim.
7 . The system of claim 1 wherein the online therapeutic services comprise two different orders of delivery, the first mode is a reverse order of delivery of service from the alternative mode.
8 . A computerized method for automatically assigning, through a statistically valid comparison of effect sizes, modes of online therapeutic services to be delivered to a group of individuals, comprising:
identifying groups of individuals;
storing group attribute information for identified groups in a database wherein the stored group attribute data includes demographics;
storing group indexes for identified groups, wherein the group indexes comprises a measure of the relative optimization of the identified group which indicates group performance;
accessing the stored group attribute information;
matching, using a computer, a first group with a second group having similar attributes, using the stored group attribute information, wherein groups are categorized as similar according to weighted combination of clinically relevant attributes;
separating, using the computer, matched groups into two sets, a first set and a second set, wherein one of the matched group is placed into each set;
delivering, using a network, a first mode of online therapeutic service to the first set and an alternative mode of online therapeutic service to the second set;
calculating a group index for each group after delivery of the online therapeutic services;
determining, based on the calculated group indexes and the stored group indexes, whether the first mode or the alternative mode of online therapeutic service caused an improvement in the group index of a group exceeding a threshold amount; and
delivering, through a network, to a third group the mode of online therapeutic service which caused the improvement.
9 . The computerized method of claim 8 wherein the calculated group index and the stored group index are timestamped, the method further comprising:
computing, using the calculated group index and stored group index, an amount of improvement in the group index of a group;
dividing the improvement of the group index by an amount of time elapsed between the calculated group index and stored group index to arrive at a rate of change of the group index;
ascertaining, using the rate of change, whether the first mode or alternative mode of online therapeutic services caused a greater rate of change of the group index.
10 . The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising:
determining an amount of time elapsed while a group was receiving delivered online therapeutic services;
computing, using the calculated group index and stored group index, an amount of change in the group index of a group;
divide the amount of change in the group index of a group by the determined amount of time elapsed to arrive at a rate of change of the group index.
11 . The computerized method of claim 8 wherein the calculated group index and the stored group index are timestamped, the method further comprising:
determine a time elapsed between the calculation of the stored group index and the calculated group index for the same group;
computing, using the calculated group index and stored group index, an amount of change in the group index of a group;
divide an amount of online therapeutic services expended during the time elapsed by the amount of change in the group index of a group.
12 . The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising:
computing, using the calculated group index and stored group index, an amount of change in the group index of a group;
ascertaining whether the computed amount of change in the group index of a group is a positive change or a negative change;
determine, if a positive change, which mode of online therapeutic service provided the positive change.
13 . The computerized method of claim 8 further comprising:
computing, using the calculated group index and stored group index, an amount of change in the group index of a group;
determining an amount of time elapsed while a group was receiving delivered online therapeutic services;
dividing the amount of change by the determined time elapsed resulting in velocity of change of a group index;
determine whether the first mode or the alternative mode of online therapeutic services resulted in a greater velocity of change.
14 . The computerized method of claim 8 wherein the delivered online therapeutic services comprise two types of services, simultaneously and in seriatim, and wherein the first mode is to deliver simultaneously and the alternative mode is to deliver in seriatim.
15 . The computerized method of claim 8 , wherein the online therapeutic services comprise two different chronological orders of delivery, the alternative mode is a reverse order of delivery of service from the first mode.
16 . A computerized method for automatically assigning based on quantifiable performance online therapeutic service providers for individuals or families and delivering online therapeutic services, comprising:
generating, using a computer, a provider client group of families served by a provider being evaluated, wherein families who contain individuals who received therapeutic services from the provider are included in the group;
storing data regarding the generated provider client group of families in a first database;
accessing, using a processor, an attributes database containing attributes associated with families including family structure;
automatically matching families in the provider client group with other families using a weighted combination of clinically relevant attributes;
generating a provider benchmark group comprised of matched families who have received similar therapeutic services but did not receive any services from the provider being evaluated;
computing a pre-treatment family network index score and a post-treatment family network index score wherein the network index scores represent relative optimization of a family which indicates family performance;
calculating provider performance as a difference between the pre-treatment family index score and the post-treatment family index score for two or more families;
detecting better provider performance between families in the provider client group and families in the provider benchmark group;
automatically assigning providers with the better performance in the provider client group as a whole, or a distinct subset thereof, to subsequent families with similar attributes; and
delivering, using network equipment, online therapeutic services based on the assigned providers.
17 . The computerized method of claim 16 wherein the provider performance for a provider is measurably inferior compared with the provider performance of other service providers, the method further comprising providing training to the provider having the measurably inferior provider performance.
18 . The computerized method of claim 16 further comprising examining, using a processor, treatment methodologies used by providers having better provider performance to use in training other providers.
19 . The computerized method of claim 16 wherein some service providers that are found to perform better with families having certain attributes, the method further comprising:
determining, using a processor, whether there is a correlation between a provider's performance and the attributes of a family;
wherein the step of automatically assigning providers further comprises using the correlation at least as a factor in assigning providers to families.
20 . The computerized method of claim 16 further comprising:
automatically analyzing provider performance in treating a particular ailment;
wherein the step of automatically assigning providers further comprises using provider performance in treating an ailment at least as a factor in assigning providers.