WEB-AND MOBILE-BASED EMERGENCY HEALTH REGISTRY SYSTEM AND METHOD
There is provided herein a system and method for allowing an individual to preauthorize that certain of his or her vital information can be made available to healthcare personnel in an emergency. The instant invention will preferably allow the individual to preauthorize release of this information by registration via the Internet. In the preferred embodiment, each registrant will be issued an alphanumeric PIN (“personal identification number”) that can be used by the emergency responder to request the patient's data and to notify the patient's contacts when the patient is being transported by ambulance. Preferably, the instant invention will be Internet or otherwise wirelessly based so that the emergency responder can obtain the information at the accident site.
1 . A method of determining a treatment for a patient after an emergency event, comprising the steps of:
(a) accessing a central server by a user via a secure Internet connection;
(b) providing a portion of the patient's medical information to said central server via said secure Internet connection;
(c) obtaining a PIN applicable to said patient, said PIN being unique to said patient;
(d) selecting a modality for the PIN, said modality having at least a representation of said PIN imprinted thereon;
(e) carrying said modality by the patient; and,
(f) after the emergency event,
(f1) obtaining by a caregiver said modality,
(f2) obtaining said PIN from said modality,
(f3) providing said PIN to said central server, and,
(f4) obtaining from said central server said portion of the patient's medical information; and,
(g) treating the patient according to said obtained medical information.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the user and the patient are a same person.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said portion of the patient's medical information is selected from a group consisting of a listing of allergies, a listing of medications being taken, an indication as to whether the patient has hypertension, an indication as to whether the patient has diabetes, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart attack, and, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart failure.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (f3) comprises the step of
(i) providing said PIN to said central server via a wireless connection.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (f3) comprises the step of:
(i) establishing a secure Internet connection to said central server, and,
(ii) transmitting said PIN to said central server via said secure Internet connection.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein step (f4) comprises the step of:
(f4) obtaining from said central server said portion of the patient's medical information via said secure Internet connection.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:
(i) providing a portion of the patient's medical information to said central server via said secure Internet connection, and,
(ii) providing at least one emergency contact to said central server, and wherein step (g) comprises the steps of:
(g1) treating the patient according to said obtained medical information,
(g2) transporting the patient to a care facility,
(g3) notifying said central server of the care facility,
(g4) automatically transmitting from said central server to at least one of said at least one emergency contacts a notification that the patient is being transmitted to the care facility.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said modality for the PIN is a removable badge positionable to be affixed to an item of clothing worn by the patient, said badge having a representation of said PIN imprinted thereon.
9 . A method of determining a treatment for a patient after an emergency event, comprising the steps of:
(a) prior to the emergency event,
(a1) accessing a central server by a user,
(a2) establishing an account on said central server, said account being associated with the patient,
(a3) transmitting a portion of a medical history of the patient to said central server, said portion of the medical history of the patient being chosen to be useful to a caregiver in an emergency,
(a4) issuing a PIN applicable to said patient,
(a5) selecting at least one modality for the PIN, said at least one modality having at least a representation of said PIN imprinted thereon, and,
(a6) carrying said modality by the patient; and,
(b) after the emergency event,
(b1) obtaining by the caregiver said PIN from said modality,
(b2) transmitting said PIN to said central server, and,
(b3) obtaining from said central server said portion of the medical history of the patient; and,
(c) treating the patient according to said obtained portion of the medical history of the patient.
10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the user and the patient are a same person.
11 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein said portion of the patient's medical history is selected from a group consisting of a listing of allergies, a listing of medications being taken, an indication as to whether the patient has hypertension, an indication as to whether the patient has diabetes, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart attack, and, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart failure.
12 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein step (b2) comprises the step of:
(i) transmitting said PIN to said central server via a wireless connection.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b2) comprises the step of:
(i) establishing a secure Internet connection to said central server, and,
(ii) transmitting said PIN to said central server via said secure Internet connection.
14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein step (b3) comprises the step of:
(f4) obtaining from said central server said portion of the patient's medical information via said secure Internet connection.
15 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein said modality for the PIN is a removable badge positionable to be affixed to an item of clothing worn by the patient, said badge having a representation of said PIN imprinted thereon.
16 . A method of determining a treatment for a patient after an accident in an automobile having a crash detection system, comprising the steps of
(a) accessing a central server by a user;
(b) establishing an account on said central server, said account being associated with the patient;
(c) transmitting a portion of a medical history of the patient to said central server, said transmitted portion of a medical history being chosen to be useful to a caregiver in an emergency;
(d) issuing a PIN applicable to said patient;
(e) communicating said PIN to the automobile;
(f) within said automobile, associating said PIN with the patient;
(g) after the accident,
(g1) detecting the accident within the automobile using the crash detection system,
(g2) automatically transmitting a notice of the accident from the automobile to a receiving station,
(g3) transmitting a signal representative of the accident to a caregiver,
(g4) if the patient is not a passenger within the automobile, treating the patient by the caregiver;
(g5) if the patient is a passenger within the automobile,
(i) automatically transmitting at least said PIN of the patient from the automobile to the receiving station,
(ii) transmitting said PIN from the receiving station to the central server,
(iii) obtaining from said central server said portion of the medical history of the patient, and,
(v) transmitting from said central server to the caregiver a representation of said portion of the medical history of the patient, and,
(c) treating the patient by the caregiver according to said obtained portion of the medical history of the patient.
17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the user and the patient are a same person.
18 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said portion of the patient's medical history is selected from a group consisting of a listing of allergies, a listing of medications being taken, an indication as to whether the patient has hypertension, an indication as to whether the patient has diabetes, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart attack, and, an indication as to whether the patient has a history of heart failure.