Methods for personal emergency intervention
A method according to an aspect of the present invention includes receiving a communication from a patient through an interactive voice response (IVR) system; providing a guided voice prompt from the interactive voice response system to the patient; receiving a response of the patient to the guided voice prompt through the interactive voice response system; analyzing the response of the patient to the guided voice prompt; determining, based on the response of the patient, whether a command should be transmitted; and transmitting a command to a device controlled by the patient after a determination that the command should be transmitted. This method can be practiced automatically to allow a medical device for a patient or other subject to be monitored without requiring the patient to manually enter information.
1. A method, comprising:
receiving a communication from a patient through an interactive voice response (IVR) system;
providing a guided voice prompt from the interactive voice response system to the patient;
receiving a response of the patient to the guided voice prompt through the interactive voice response system;
analyzing the response of the patient to the guided voice prompt;
determining, based on the response of the patient, whether a command should be transmitted; and
transmitting a command to a medical data interchange device after a determination that the command should be transmitted, wherein the medical data interchange device is in communication with a plurality of medical devices, wherein the medical data interchange device is configured to:
automatically detect a wireless signal from one or more of the plurality of medical devices;
in response to the detected wireless signal, transition the medical data interchange device from a quiescent state to an active state in response to the signal to prepare the medical data interchange device to receive data from the plurality of medical devices;
broadcast an authorization code in response to a request for authorization, the authorization code for authenticating the medical data interchange device by one or more of the plurality of medical devices; and
automatically communicate using a frequency used by the one or more of the plurality of medical devices and a communication protocol used by the one or more of the plurality of medical devices;
wherein the command is appropriate to a class of medical devices of the plurality of medical devices, and wherein the command initiates a diagnostic program on the class of medical devices.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the command requests an identifier for the medical data interchange device.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the command controls the functionality of the medical data interchange device.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the command instructs the medical data interchange device to transmit data to a medical data server.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the medical data interchange device transmits data directly to the medical data server.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the medical data interchange device transmits data indirectly through an intermediary device to the medical data server.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the data comprises at least one of: medical information regarding the patient, historical information regarding the patient, and diagnostic information for the medical data interchange device.
8. The method of claim 4 wherein the data comprises an environmental parameter.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the environmental parameter comprises one or more of a battery charge level, a temperature, a barometric pressure, a code relating to an accessory for the medical data interchange device, a data validity measurement, an elapsed time since a previous reading by a medical device in communication with the medical data interchange device, a test result parameter, a signal-to-noise parameter and a quality of service (QoS) parameter.
10. The method of claim 4 further comprising determining that the data is related to a medical emergency, whereupon the data is transmitted to an intermediary device within range of the medical data interchange device without determining that the intermediary device is authenticated or authorized to receive the data.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is originated by the patient through the medical data interchange device.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is transmitted through at least one of a PSTN connection and cellular network.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication is transmitted through an intermediary device.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the intermediary device is wirelessly coupled to the medical data interchange device.
15. The method of claim 13 wherein data is transmitted to the intermediary device from a wireless transmitter using a protocol selected from the group consisting of a Zigbee protocol, a Wibree protocol, an IEEE 802.11 protocol, an IEEE 802.15 protocol, an IEEE 802.16 protocol, an Ultra-Wideband (UWB) protocol, an Infrared Data Association (IrDA) protocol, a Bluetooth protocol and combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 13 wherein the command reconfigures a software application operating on the intermediary device.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein responding to the guided voice prompt comprises depressing a button to generate a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tone to be transmitted to the interactive voice response system.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein responding to the guided voice prompt comprises the patient vocalizing a response.