DIABETIC CARE PRODUCTS WEB SHOP WITH ENHANCED USABILITY
The present invention relates to the field of medical care technology, and in particular to the repeated purchase procedures as it is required for diabetes mellitus patients. In order to increase the usability and user-friendliness for purchasing procedures performed by diabetics when they purchase a new test strip lot, it is proposed to perform the steps of: a) determining a patient's current consumption of glucose measurement test strips, wherein said test strips form part of said plurality of products, b) evaluating if said patient can be assumed to have a need for a new lot of test strips within a predetermined time period—e.g. 4 days when the supply time is 2 days, c) selecting a new lot of test strips matching the patient's glucometer device, d) initiating the shipping of said new lot automatically to said patient.
1 . A method for supplying diabetes care products in a system environment including a server computer managing diabetes patient related affairs,
wherein a patient database storing patient-specific data is coupled for cooperation with said server computer, wherein a product database storing product-specific data for a plurality of said diabetes care products is coupled for cooperation with said server computer, and a programmed control logic is coupled to said server computer implementing the business steps required for performing individual sales of diabetes care products to individual patients,
wherein by the steps of:
a) automatically determining a patient's current consumption of glucose measurement test strips, wherein said test strips form part of said plurality of products,
b) automatically evaluating, if said patient can be assumed to have a need for a new lot of test strips within a predetermined time period,
c) automatically selecting a new lot of test strips matching the patient's glucometer device,
d) automatically initiating the shipping of said new lot automatically to said patient.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein information from which the current number of currently consumed test strips of a predetermined lot of test strips can be derived automatically without human intervention, further comprising the step of:
evaluating said need for a new lot of test strips by
estimating the number of consumed test strips by a predetermined rule and comparing a resulting estimation count to the total number of test strips available in the patient's current lot.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein an interface is provided for receiving electronic messages sent by an electronic telecommunication device associated with a patient, wherein a message comprises information from which the current number of currently consumed test strips of a predetermined lot of test strips can be derived automatically without human intervention, further comprising the step of:
evaluating said need for a new lot of test strips by comparing the number of consumed test strips and comparing the count to the total number of test strips available in the patient's current lot.
4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein an interface is provided for receiving and sending electronic messages from and to, respectively, an electronic telecommunication device associated with a patient, further comprising the step of:
a) sending an electronic “just-in-time-supply” control message to the patient's electronic communication devices,
b) receiving a response message, evaluating said response message for adjusting a future supply date relevant for a respective future supply of a new test strip lot.
5 . The method according to claim 4 , wherein said electronic telecommunication device associated with a patient is selected from the group of:
a) a mobile phone,
b) a Smartphone,
c) a Personal computer.
6 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of:
sending a message to the client including the calibration data in an electronically readable form for the purchased new test strip lot.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
a) sending a “just-in-time-supply” control message to said electronic communication device,
b) receiving a response to said “just-in-time-supply” control message,
c) evaluating said response, and
d) adjusting a time schedule to be evaluated for a next supply shipment of said test strips.
8 . A method for electronically purchasing diabetes care products in cooperation with a system environment including a server computer managing diabetes patient related affairs,
wherein a patient database storing patient-specific data is coupled for cooperation with said server computer, wherein a product database storing product-specific data for a plurality of said diabetes care products is coupled for cooperation with said server computer, and a programmed control logic is coupled to said server computer implementing the business steps required for performing individual sales of diabetes care products to individual patients,
wherein by the steps of:
a) receiving a “just-in-time-supply” control message from said server computer,
b) displaying an input control for receiving a user input for generating an electronic response to said received “just-in-time-supply” control message,
c) sending said response in a response message to said server computer.
9 . An electronic data processing system implemented for supplying diabetes care products in a system environment including:
a server computer managing diabetes patient related affairs,
a patient database storing patient-specific data and coupled for cooperation with said server computer,
a product database storing product-specific data for a plurality of said diabetes care products and coupled for cooperation with said server computer,
and a programmed control logic coupled to said server computer implementing the business steps required for performing individual sales of diabetes care products to individual patients,
wherein by:
a) means for automatically determining a patient's current consumption of glucose measurement test strips, wherein said test strips form part of said plurality of products,
b) means for automatically evaluating, if said patient can be assumed to have a need for a new lot of test strips within a predetermined time period,
c) means for automatically selecting a new lot of test strips matching the patient's glucometer device,
d) means for automatically initiating the shipping of said new lot automatically to said patient.
10 . A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program includes a functional component that when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:
a) automatically determining a patient's current consumption of glucose measurement test strips, wherein said test strips form part of said plurality of products,
b) automatically evaluating, if said patient can be assumed to have a need for a new lot of test strips within a predetermined time period,
c) automatically selecting a new lot of test strips matching the patient's glucometer device,
d) automatically initiating the shipping of said new lot automatically to said patient.
11 . The method according to claim 4 , further comprising the step of:
a) sending a “just-in-time-supply” control message to said electronic communication device,
b) receiving a response to said “just-in-time-supply” control message,
c) evaluating said response, and
d) adjusting a time schedule to be evaluated for a next supply shipment of said test strips.