AN INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREOF FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an integrated healthcare management system and method for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time. The integrated healthcare management system of the present system is secure, user- friendly, scientific, and cost effective.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The healthcare management is a complex system requiring effective record keeping of patients, finance and accounts and timely compliance of various statutory laws. The success of healthcare industry primarily depends on the effectiveness of keeping of records related to patients, clinic, finance & accounts, and timely compliance of various statutory laws. In case of Medical Profession, the peace of mind is an essential element for scientific evaluation of patients’ profile, for analyzing the treatment results and to plan treatment protocols. Effective healthcare management system is not only required to proper keeping of medical record but also complying to legal systems and proper recording of financial transactions. There are healthcare systems of preparation and maintenance of records are widely adopted by the big hospitals / clinics, it is yet to develop in smaller clinics / hospitals and medical professionals who, practicing as a freelancer cater to a large section of people in India. The primary reason is that the cost of maintaining such systems or administering such systems through third party system is astronomical.

US 7440904B2 discloses a system and method for generating and/or updating a personal/individual health record. Inputs of data to the system may come from diverse sources including, but not limited to, patient questionnaires, insurance company (or other payor) claims data, hospitals, clinics and other institutional providers, and individual physicians and physicians' offices.

US8583528B2 discloses a method for adjudicating health care expenses, which includes receiving from the point of service provider purchase transaction data, adjudicating the transaction substantially in real-time to determine whether a health care related purchase is payable from an account associated with a customer, providing an adjudicated purchase transaction to the point of service provider substantially in real time, and paying a portion of the healthcare related purchase from an account associated with a customer.

US20040167835A1 discloses a system that creates records identifying items supporting tax determination. The system includes an input processor for receiving information identifying a service provided to a specific entity and to be at least partially paid for by said specific entity. A data processor automatically, identifies the type of the service identified in the received information and allocates a predetermined tax related identification code to the service based on the service type and incorporating the allocated code, together with information identifying the service, in data representing a record. An output processor processes the data representing the record for output in response to a user command.

However, there is no integrated automated system for administration of healthcare management on real-time basis, such as records related to patient and hospital management, records related to various legal compliances and records related to financial and accounting management. Therefore, there is an urgent need of such system which is also user-friendly and cost-effective. OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main object of the present invention is to provide an integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated healthcare management system which is secure, user-friendly, scientific, and cost effective. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated healthcare management system to retrieve and check the records according to requirement in a user-friendly manner. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating an integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a healthcare management system, wherein the system generates and/or sends notifications in case of non- compliance of records.

Accordingly, the present invention relates to an integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time and method thereof.

The healthcare management system of the present invention enables proper keeping of medical record, statutory records, compliances to legal system and recording of financial transactions. The system allows the user to retrieve and check the records according to requirement in a user-friendly manner. The present invention also provides a method for operating of the integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time.

The system of the present invention is a cloud computing based integrated and automated system for preparation and maintenance of records on real-time basis on an electronic device without the need of any specialized skill, knowledge, and training. The system enables real time preparation and maintenance of legal records such as records related to Medical Council of India, preparation and maintenance of records under the provisions Income Tax laws and ensures compliances of various direct and indirect taxation laws including filing of statutory returns. The system also provides facility for online appointment, preparing electronic hospital record and electronic medical record, and preparing and maintaining books of accounts, preparation and maintenance of records related to stock, etc. All the records are stored over the cloud of the system in a secure manner. The system generates and/or sends notifications in case of non-compliance of records.

Therefore, the present system is an automated and cost-effective system for integrated healthcare management on real time basis enabling preparation and maintenance of records including online appointment of the patient, registration of patient and creating profile and history of the registered patient, generating prescription, preparing and maintaining records of legal and tax compliances, and preparing and maintaining records of financial transactions. The system is secure, user-friendly, scientific, and cost effective.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Fig. 1 shows block diagram of the integrated automated system of the present invention showing real time operability of its components.

Fig. 2 shows block diagram showing the real-time interoperability of the components of the health management system.

Fig. 3 shows block diagram for user registration and confirmation of appointment in the health management system of the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows block diagram showing the health management system of the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows flowchart showing general method and functioning of the system of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION WITH NON-LIMITING EMBODIMENTS, ILLUTRATIONS AND EXAMPLES The present invention relates to an integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time and method thereof. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended by way of embodiments and examples. Such alterations and further modifications in the present invention, and such further applications of the principles of the invention as would normally occur to those skilled in the art are to be construed as being within the scope of the present invention.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the summary of the invention provided herein is exemplary and explanatory of the invention and are not intended to be restrictive thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention belongs. The system, methods, and examples provided herein are only illustrative and not intended to be limiting.

The terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process or method that comprises a list of steps does not include only those steps but may include other steps not expressly listed or inherent to such a process or method. Similarly, one or more steps of method or components preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other, steps or components. Appearances of the phrase "in a preferred embodiment”, “in an embodiment", “in another embodiment” and similar language throughout this specification may, but not necessarily do, all refer to the same embodiment. The system of the present invention is a cloud computing based integrated and automated system (1) for preparation and maintenance of records on real-time basis on an electronic device (2) without the need of any specialized skill, knowledge, and training. The system enables real time preparation and maintenance of legal records such as records, preparation and maintenance of records under the provisions Income Tax laws and ensures compliances of various direct and indirect taxation laws including filing of statutory returns. The system also provides facility for online appointment, preparing electronic hospital record and electronic medical record, and preparing and maintaining books of accounts, preparation and maintenance of records related to stock, etc. All the records are stored over the cloud of the system in a secure manner. The system generates and/or sends notifications in case of non-compliance of records.

The integrated automated system (1) of the present invention comprises of an electronic device which is a smart device (2), a first processor module (31), a memory module (41), and a second processor module (32). The smart device (2) may comprise of a device online connected to web. The device (2) may be provided with a means to access online portal for health care management. The means may be an Android application, IOS application or anything similar. The means are provided with features for users to sending a request for online appointment with a doctor. The first processor module (31) is provided with a central processing unit to generate a bill sheet or a prescription of the user wherein said user is a medical professional. The prescription is then fed into said memory module (41). The memory module (41) may be a local storage unit or an external storage unit or a combination of both the internal and external. The second processor module (32) comprising a health management processor (33) processes the prescription for multiple applications on real-time and interoperable basis. The health management processor (33) uses the information from the prescription for accounts and inventory management, legal compliances, clinic management, clinic administration and patient management.

The system provides for sending request for appointment to a medical professional of choice to the patient, from the database of medical professionals registered on the system, by a patient. The system provides the patient real time filters to choose the medical professional. Said real time filters are, but not limited to, location, specialty, fee range, visit time, etc.

The first processor module (31) of the system generates prescription based on input by the medical professional and feed the prescription on the system. The health management processor (33) of the system provides for real time operability of one or more components of the system including accounts and inventory management, legal compliances, clinic management, clinic administration and patient management through accounts and inventory management component (111), legal compliances component (112), clinic management component (113), clinic administration component (114) and patient management component (115). (Fig. 1). The health management processor (33) also provides real time interoperability of the - two or more components of the system synchronously. Any change pertaining to addition or deletion or alteration or updation of one component or data in one component of the system causes automatic synchronous change in all the other components (Fig. 2).

In a preferred embodiment, the processor searches for a profile of medical professional according to the applied filters on search and deliver search results. The patient chooses a medical professional of choice from the list of search results and send the request for appointment together with preferred time from the visit time of said medical professional. The request is sent to the medical professional via registered email or mobile number via SMS. The chosen medical professional can then accept or reject the request, wherein said acceptance or rejection is notified to the patient on the registered email or mobile number via SMS. The medical professional can also modify the appointment request wherein such modification can be of visit time slot, fee, etc. (Fig.

3).

Fig. 4 shows specific functions carried out by said one or more components of the health management system (1).

The accounts and inventory management component (111) records financial sales, purchase and other transactions by the medical professionals, updates financial transactions on real time basis, autogenerates annual accounts, and autogenerates MIS reports related to profitability and efficiency of operation.

The legal compliances component (112) enables real time checks of register and records on the system according to the prevailing laws and compliances thereto in effect from time to time. The system prepares register and records in accordance with the laws and regulations prescribed by medical council of India, Direct and Indirect Taxes laws, facility to file various statutory returns under the Direct and Indirect taxes laws. The system also facilitates filing of various statutory returns under the Direct and Indirect taxes laws.

The clinic management component (113) creates database of, but not limited to, drug names with generic medicines, types of treatment with fees, diagnostic tests, prescribed manner of medicine intake, dose description. The system provides facility to modify, edit, delete, add, etc. of the above details in the database on real-time basis and customize prescription.

The clinic administration component (114) maintains and updates data on scheduling of opening and closing of clinics, rescheduling of online appointments, number of slots for appointments, etc. on real time basis by the medical professionals and updating details of the medical professional like qualification, experience, consultation fee, etc. The patient management component (115) maintains and updates database of online appointments for patients, enables view clinic wise list for appointment request and appointment confirmation for the patients, sends notification of confirmation/ modification/cancellation against the appointment confirmation.

As shown in Fig. 5, the patient is required to log in the system to choose the medical professional of choice from the system and send request for appointment. The system allows choice of medical professionals who are registered on the system. The patient, after logging in, can apply filters like location, specialization etc. to search for a medical professional registered with the system. After finding the medical professional of appropriate choice, the patient sends the request for appointment to the medical professional with desired date and time. The medical professional accepts the appointment by confirming the date and time requested by the patient, or can alter the date and time, for which the system will send a notification to the patient. The system generates prescription based on medical professional’s inputs and feed it in the online database of the system for further processing. The system also updates the payments received by the patients. The system automatically checks and updates the fed data related to prescription and payment on real-time basis for legal compliance, patient management and patient records, account management, medicine sale, payment, clinic administration, clinic administration etc.

Thus, the healthcare management system of the present invention enables proper keeping of medical record, statutory records, compliances to legal system and recording of financial transactions. The system allows the user to retrieve and check the records according to requirement in a user-friendly manner. The present invention also provides a method for operating of the integrated healthcare management system for preparing and maintaining electronic medical records, records related to financial transactions and records related for various legal compliances on real time. The method of operating the system of the present invention enables the user to create profile on the system wherein said user is a medical professional. The patient after registering and logging in to the system, search for a medical professional of choice based on search filters. The patient then sends request for appointment to the medical professional with desired date and time, said request is notified to the medical professional. The medical professional can accept/reject/modify said request of the patient by the medical professional. The medical professional can also search for profiles of the other medical professionals and send appointment requests.

Prescription is generated on the system based on inputs of the medical professional after visiting of the patient to the medical professional via online/offline mode. The generated prescription is fed on the database of the system for updation for real time operability and real time interoperability of said two or more components of the system, said one or more components being accounts and inventory management component

(111), legal compliances component (112), clinic management component (113), clinic administration component (114) and patient management component (115). The information of the said prescription is also processed for real time interoperability of said one or more components of the system including accounts and inventory management, legal compliances, clinic management, clinic administration and patient management.

Therefore, the present system is an automated and cost-effective system for integrated healthcare management on real time basis enabling preparation and maintenance of records including online appointment of the patient, registration of patient and creating profile and history of the registered patient, generating prescription, preparing and maintaining records of legal and tax compliances, and preparing and maintaining records of financial transactions. The system is secure, user-friendly, scientific, and cost effective.