PATIENT DATA EXCHANGE
The invention relates to a method for simplified patient data exchange, e.g. between a patient and a hearing device dispenser. The information provided by the patient in visual form is digitally imaged, and the relevant patient information is extracted from thus-generated image data. This data is then applied for various hearing device dispensing and controlling functions.
1 . Method of patient data exchange comprising the steps of:
providing patient data in visual form;
imaging said patient data digitally so as to generate image data;
processing said image data so as to automatically extract relevant patient data;
performing at least one of the following based at least partially on the extracted relevant patient data:
selecting a specific hearing device from a plurality of types of hearing device;
fitting a hearing device;
adjusting a hearing program of a hearing device;
controlling a hearing device.
2 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient data is an audiogram presented as at least one of: one or more graphs, one or more bar charts, one or more tables of data, one or more machine-readable codes, such as barcodes and/or smart codes.
3 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the patient data is provided on paper, displayed on a smartphone or tablet computer, or displayed on a web application.
4 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the imaging of the patient data is carried out by a digital camera, optionally a digital camera of a smartphone or tablet computer.
5 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the image data is transferred to an office management system, in which it is processed.
6 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein the image data is processed in a smartphone or tablet computer.
7 . Method according to claim 1 , wherein processing the image data comprises formatting the information into a machine-readable standard such as a bar chart, data matrix, barcode, smart code etc.
8 . Method of controlling a hearing device comprising the steps of:
carrying out the method for patient data exchange according to claim 1 ;
storing the extracted relevant patient data in a smartphone or tablet computer;
controlling the hearing device by means of the smartphone or tablet computer based at least partly on at least part of the extracted relevant patient data.