DATABASE DRIVEN RULE BASED HEALTHCARE

1 . A method for rule based healthcare for use in the treatment of a patient, said method comprises the steps of:

(a) providing a storage means for storing data indicative of a plurality of decision states;

(b) presenting at least one query associated with a decision state;

(c) receiving a corresponding at least one response to said at least one query;

(d) comparing said response to a plurality of predefined responses ranges for selecting a new query associated with a new decision state;

(e) transitioning to the new decision state; and

(f) repeating steps (b) through (e) until a terminating decision state is reached.

2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein data indicative of a plurality of decision states is in the form of a decision tree.

3 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of outputting data indicative of a treatment associated with the final decision state.

4 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein step (e) further includes outputting data indicative of a treatment associated with that decision state.

5 . A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said method is for the treatment of depression or anxiety in said patient.

6 . A method according to claim 5 wherein said queries include the assessment:

Negativity;

Response;

Impulsivity;

Experienced Depression;

Experienced Anxiety and/or stress;

Cognitive Dysfunction;

Emotion Recognition;

Social Cognition; and

Substance Use.

7 . A method of rule based healthcare for use in the treatment of a patient, wherein a predetermined treatment is selected in association with responses to a plurality of predefined queries, wherein said responses define a selected permutation and associated said treatment.

8 . A method of rule based healthcare for use in the treatment of a patient, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or examples.

9 . A system for quantitative behavioural health management of a patient, said system comprising a processor adapted to perform the method according to any one of to the preceding claims.

10 . A system for quantitative behavioural health management of a patient, said system comprising:

(a) a memory device including a data indicative of a plurality of predefined decision states;

(b) output means for displaying a query associated with a current decision state;

(c) input means for entering response data indicative of a predetermined plurality responses;

(d) a processor for transition to a new decision state according to said response data and said current decision state; wherein said processing means outputs a predetermined treatment associated with a final decision state.

11 . A system according to claim 10 wherein data indicative of a plurality of decision states is in the form of a decision tree.

12 . A system according to any one of claims 10 to 11 , wherein said processor is further adapted to output data indicative of a predetermined treatment associated with that decision state.

13 . A system according to any one of claims 10 to 12 , wherein said system is for the treatment of depression or anxiety in said patient.

14 . A system according to any one of claims 10 to 13 , wherein said system is accessible to an operator via the World Wide Web over the Internet, and/or via another electronic medium using another protocol.

15 . A system for quantitative behavioural health management of a patient, substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and/or examples.