Monitoring treatment compliance using patient activity patterns
Methods and systems for monitoring compliance of a patient with a prescribed treatment regimen are described. Patient activity is detected unobtrusively with an activity sensor at the patient location, and activity data is transmitted to a monitoring location. Patient speech detected during use of a communication system such as a mobile telephone by the patient may also be used as an activity signal. Patient activity and/or speech is processed at the patient location or monitoring location to identify activity parameters or patterns that indicate whether the patient has complied with the prescribed treatment regimen. The activity sensor and other components at the patient location may be incorporated into, or associated with, a cell phone, computing system, game system, or vehicle system, for example. The system may provide a report to an interested party, for example a medical care provider or insurance company, regarding patient compliance with the prescribed treatment regimen.
1. A system comprising:
at least one audio sensor in a communication system for sensing at least one audio signal including patient speech from a patient at a patient location during use of the communication system, the patient having a brain-related disorder and a prescribed treatment regimen for treating at least one aspect of the brain-related disorder;
at least one first activity sensor for sensing at least one first activity signal indicative of a first activity of the patient;
signal processing circuitry configured to process the at least one first activity signal and at least one second activity signal indicative of a second activity of the patient to generate at least one activity data signal, the activity data signal containing activity data indicative of whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen; and
at least one transmitting device at the patient location for transmitting the at least one activity data signal and at least one audio data signal based on the at least one audio signal to a receiving device at a monitoring location.
2. The system of claim 1 , including at least one second activity sensor for sensing the at least one second activity signal indicative of the second activity of the patient.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the at least one second activity sensor includes at least one physiological sensor, eye position sensor, EEG sensor, EEG sensor configured to detect an event-related potential, heart rate sensor, pupil diameter sensor, imaging device, remote controller for an entertainment device or system, game controller, input device, pointing device, touchscreen, RFID sensor, user-activated sensor in a vehicle system, wearable sensor, environmental sensor, pressure sensor, force sensor, capacitive sensor, optical sensor, motion sensor, motion capture device, or acceleration sensor.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first activity sensor is configured to transduce an activity signal associated with performance of a non-speech activity.
5. The system of claim 1 , including
patient identification circuitry configured to determine a presence of the patient from at least one identity signal sensed at the patient location;
wherein the signal processing circuitry is configured to detect an activity of the patient based at least in part on the determination of the presence of the patient by the patient identification circuitry.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the identity signal includes at least one of a portion of the at least one first activity signal, a portion of the at least one second activity signal, an audio signal from the audio sensor at the patient location, an image signal from an imaging device at the patient location, a biometric signal from at least one biometric sensor at the patient location, at least one authentication factor, a security token, a password, a digital signature, and a cryptographic key, a cell phone identification code, an electronic serial number, a mobile identification number, a system identification code, or an RFID signal.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processing circuitry includes activity analysis circuitry for processing the at least one first activity signal and the at least one second activity signal to determine at least one activity pattern of the patient.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the activity analysis circuitry includes at least one of an activity analyzer for assessing the at least one activity pattern to determine at least one activity parameter indicative of whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen, wherein the activity data signal includes the at least one activity parameter; or a comparator for comparing the at least one activity pattern with at least one characteristic activity pattern to determine whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen.
9. The system of claim 1 , including notification circuitry for generating a notification indicative of whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen.
10. The system of claim 9 , including
threat detection circuitry for determining based upon at least one of the at least one first activity signal and the at least one second activity signal that the patient poses a threat;
wherein the notification circuitry is configured to generate a notification indicative of the threat.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the notification circuitry includes at least one of circuitry for generating an email notification, circuitry for generating a notification to be transmitted to a wireless device, circuitry for storing a notification in a data storage device, or circuitry for generating an audio notification.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first activity sensor includes at least one of an imaging device, a remote controller for an entertainment device, a remote controller for an entertainment, a game controller, an input device, a pointing device; a touchscreen; an RFID sensor; a user-activated sensor in a vehicle system; a wearable sensor; an environmental sensor; a pressure sensor; a force sensor; a capacitive sensor; an optical sensor; a motion sensor; a motion capture device.
13. A method comprising:
sensing with at least one audio sensor in a communication system at least one audio signal including patient speech from a patient at a patient location during use of the communication system, the patient having a brain-related disorder and a prescribed treatment regimen for treating at least one aspect of the brain-related disorder;
sensing with at least one first activity sensor in the communication system at least one first activity signal indicative of a first activity of the patient;
processing with signal processing circuitry the at least one first activity signal and at least one second activity signal indicative of a second activity of the patient to generate at least one activity data signal, the activity data signal containing data indicative of whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen; and
transmitting the at least one activity data signal and at least one audio data signal based on the at least one audio signal to a receiving device at a monitoring location with a transmitting device at the patient location.
14. A system comprising:
a computing device; and
instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:
control sensing with at least one audio sensor of at least one audio signal including patient speech from a patient at a patient location, the patient having a brain-related disorder and a prescribed treatment regimen for treating at least one aspect of the brain-related disorder;
control sensing with at least one first activity sensor in an unobtrusive activity-detection system of at least one first activity signal indicative of a first activity of the patient;
process with signal processing circuitry the at least one first activity signal and at least one second activity signal indicative of a second activity of the patient to generate at least one activity data signal, the activity data signal containing data indicative of whether the patient has complied with the treatment regimen; and
control transmitting with a transmitting device at the patient location of the at least one activity data signal and at least one audio data signal based on the at least one audio signal to a receiving device at a monitoring location.