Claims:We claim:

1. A method for medical care during an emergency condition of a patient, the method comprising:

- receiving an emergency call;

- obtaining a unique patient identification (ID) code;

- identifying the patient from the ID code;

- retrieving a medical history of the patient (P);

- selecting the most appropriate medical kit (105) to be transported in an emergency vehicle (104) to the patient location;

- reaching the patient location;

- setting up a mini-intensive care unit (ICU) at the patient location;

- treating the patient (P);

- transporting the patient (P) to nearest hospital,

wherein selecting said medical kit (105) includes analyzing the medical

history to predict a cause for the emergency condition of the patient (P).

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein selecting said medical kit (105) includes selecting said medical kit (105) based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein treating the patient (P) includes diagnosing the current condition of the patient (P).

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein treating the patient (P) includes communicating the diagnosis information to a medical expert in a hospital.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein treating the patient (P) includes determining by the medical expert whether an advanced treatment is required.

11

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein treating the patient (P) includes communicating the need for advanced treatment to the medical assistants (A) and the patient (P).

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein treating the patient (P) further includes using said medical kit (105) to treat the patient (P) by receiving instructions from said medical expert.

8. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said communication is video communication.

9. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said communication is voice communication.

10. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said emergency vehicle (104) is a gearless two wheeler.

11. A system for medical care during an emergency condition of a patient, the system comprising:

- at least one communication unit (101) for receiving an emergency call and obtaining patient identification code;

- a database (102) for storing a medical history of at least one patient

(P);

- a processing unit (103) for identifying the patient (P), retrieving the medical history of the patient (P) and selecting at least one medical kit

(105);

- at least one emergency vehicle (104) for transporting said medical kit (105) and two medical assistants (A) to the patient (P) location, and for transporting the patient (P) to nearest hospital,

wherein the processing unit (103) selects said medical kit (105) by analyzing the medical history to predict a cause for the emergency condition of the patient (P).

12

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the processing unit (103) selects said medical kit (105) based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein said medical kit (105) includes a communication module for communicating with a medical expert in the hospital.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the communication module receives instructions from said medical expert for treating the patient (P).

15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said communication is video communication.

16. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein said communication is voice communication.

17. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said emergency vehicle (104) is a gearless two wheeler.
, Description:

[0001] PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION

[0002] The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed:

[0003] Technical Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a method and system for medical care during an emergency. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for medical care during an emergency, which enables providing the most suitable treatment at the patient location to stabilize the patient before transporting him/her to the nearest hospital for further treatment.

[0005] Background of the Invention

[0006] People living with critical illness such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, etc., people living after major surgeries and others such as senior citizens, infants and kids, need high level of care during an accident or medical emergency. Such care can only be provided at an intensive care unit of a hospital. When such patients are discharged from the hospital, their life becomes difficult, as the patient’s daily life and outdoor activities become restricted. Moreover, a caretaker needs to be with the patient for most of the time. There are many a distress call devices available in the market that assist such people, wherein an alarm signal is sent to a physician or care taker by manually pressing a dedicated button in the device or by automatically sensing the patient’s condition.

[0007] Even with such a device, the main problem lies in reaching the patient location and transporting the patient to the hospital, which has to be done within the “golden hour”. Stabilizing the patient within the “golden hour” increases the survival chances of the patient. At present, heavy traffic congestion in urban cities delays the rescue operation, which drags the patient into a critical condition. Even though the emergency condition of the patient is communicated to the hospital or rescue team, the time taken to reach patient location and to transport the patient to the hospital plays a major role in stabilizing the patient well within the “golden

2

hour”. In order to reduce the travelling time, two-wheeled ambulances which can be easily driven past through heavy traffic are developed. Because of the delay in transporting the patient, the condition of the patient becomes highly critical while reaching the hospital. In order to stabilize the patient from such a highly critical condition, the patient has to be admitted in intensive care unit (ICU) or intensive cardiac-care unit (ICCU) which takes a high toll on hospitalization expenses of the patient.

[0008] One such ambulance is disclosed in the Chinese patent application 105,151,189, wherein a frame of the ambulance is designed to provide a space below a rider seat to receive a stretcher for transporting the patient. Since the ambulance is so compact and easy to drive, a time delay in reaching the patient location and transporting the patient to the hospital is reduced significantly. Chinese utility model application 203,468,889 describes a similar motorcycle ambulance comprising three emergency boxes. These boxes contain the first aid equipment and medicines to provide the basic treatment to the patient at the patient location itself, which increases the survival chances of the patient.

[0009] However, in the above systems, stabilizing a patient within the “golden hour” is not disclosed, which is only possible by transporting the patient to the hospital within a limited time period. Moreover, the first aid kits cannot be useful, if the emergency condition is due to an acute condition of the patient such as Acute Coronary Syndrome, Cerebrovascular accident, road traffic accident and the like. Since medical assistants are involved in the first aid treatment, advanced treatment cannot be provided to the patient.

[0010] Hence, there is need for a system and method for medical care during an emergency, which enables providing the most suitable treatment at the patient location by a skilled team that is guided and monitored by a team of expert doctors, and that is equipped with all necessary medical equipment and medicines to stabilize the patient before transporting the patient to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Furthermore, there is need for taking the patient chronic condition into consideration before sending the most appropriate medical kits to the patient location.

3

[0011] Summary of the invention

[0012] The present invention eliminates all the drawbacks of prior arts by providing a system and method for medical care during an emergency. The method comprises receiving an emergency call by a dedicated emergency response team consisting 5 members, recalling patient information and identifying the patient from the previously stored database of patient information. The patient information is retrieved by a unique patient identification code. A medical history of the patient is retrieved from the database based on the ID code, and the most appropriate medical kit is selected by analyzing the medical history to predict a cause for the emergency condition of the patient. After reaching the patient location, the patient is treated by a skilled and competent medical team that is guided remotely by an expert doctor team though audio-visual display connecting the patient and the doctor team. After stabilizing the patient and ensuring safety during transit, the patient is transported to nearest hospital by the competent medical assistants. The emergency vehicle is a gearless two wheeler specifically designed to be maneuvred by a non-expert driver. The identification code is a unique code provided to the patient during registration for medical services, wherein each identification code is mapped to a corresponding patient profile stored in a remote database.

[0013] In one embodiment, the medical kit is a unique specific medical kit selected based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition. Furthermore, the expert doctor determines whether an advanced treatment is required or not. The need for advanced treatment is communicated to the medical assistants and the patient, and after getting the patient’s consent, the patient is treated using the medical kit by receiving instructions from the physician. Since the medical kit is selected based on the predicted cause of the emergency condition, the most suitable treatment can be provided at the patient location and the patient can be stabilized before being transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Additionally, the medical assistants are guided by the physician, and so any error in crucial treatment can be avoided.

4

[0014] It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

[0015] Brief description of the drawings:

[0016] The foregoing and other features of embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements.

[0017] FIGURE 1 shows the flow diagram of the method for medical care in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] FIGURE 2 shows the block diagram of the system for medical care in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0020] Reference will now be made in detail to the description of the present subject matter, one or more examples of which are shown in figures. Each example is provided to explain the subject matter and not a limitation. Various changes and modifications obvious to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention.

[0021] The present invention eliminates all the drawbacks of prior art by providing a system and method for medical care during an emergency. The method comprises receiving an emergency call on a dedicated Emergency number by a dedicated “call to action”, “Emergency Response team” comprising 5 members, through a “Call relay” mechanism thereby ensuring “Zero chance” of call drop. The patient information collected is just the unique patient identification code, hence ensuring no loss of precious time. A medical history of the patient is retrieved from a database based on the ID code, and the most appropriate medical kit to be transported in an emergency vehicle to the patient location is selected. The medical kit is selected by analyzing the medical history to predict a cause for

5

the emergency condition of the patient. The patient location is reached in the shortest possible time, guided by pre-assigned GPRS route map. The patient is treated at his/her location by a skilled and competent medical team, guided remotely by an Expert doctor team, through the audio-visual display that connects the doctors and the patient. After stabilizing the patient and ensuring safety during transit, the patient is transported to the nearest hospital. The emergency vehicle may be a gearless two wheeler such as a scooter that is easy to manoeuvre.

[0022] The medical kit is a unique specific medical kit selected based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition, and so the most suitable treatment can be provided at the patient location and the patient can be stabilized before being transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment. Furthermore, the expert doctor determines whether a specific kind of advanced treatment is required. The need for advanced treatment is communicated to the medical assistants and the patient through an audio-visual device and after getting the patient’s consent, the patient is treated using the medical kit by receiving instructions from the medical expert residing at the hospital, which prevents any error during the treatment.

[0023] FIGURE 1 shows the flow diagram of the method for medical care in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. The method initiates at step A by receiving an emergency call from a patient or a caretaker. The emergency call may be a distress call from a dedicated device or an alert call from a mobile phone by dialling a dedicated phone number. The call is received by multiple medical assistants acting as emergency rescue agents, wherein one of the assistants attends the call and acts as rescue initiator. At step B, the patient information is obtained, wherein the patient information may include current location of the patient and/or a unique patient identification (ID) code provided to the patient during registration. A patient profile is created with the details received from each patient during registration, wherein the details include patient name, age, gender, weight, address, phone number, e-mail, consulted physician, major surgeries undergone, minor treatments undergone etc. The patient profile is stored in the database under the unique patient ID code. At step C, the patient is identified from the ID code received, and the medical history of the patient is

6

retrieved from the database, at step D. Based on the medical history, one or more medical kits are selected at step E, wherein the medical kits are transported in an emergency vehicle to the patient location. A standard medical kit is always carried in the emergency vehicle.

[0024] The medical kits help in setting up a mini-ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at the patient location, in order to stabilize the patient before being moved to the hospital. The medical kits may include critical items like ECG monitor, catheter, ECG leads, ventilator, defibrillator, infusion pump, oxygen cylinder, pulse oxymeter, blood gas analyzer, fetal heart rate (FHR) monitor, nebulizer, laryngoscope, Ambu bag, blood pressure apparatus, glucometer, inhaler and medicines and basic items such as bandage, cotton, urine collection bag, thermometer, stethoscope, syringe, spirit, gloves, face mask, foldable splint, Intravenous set etc. In addition, the medical kit may also include cellular communication device, internet-based communication device etc. Similarly, the emergency vehicle is a two-wheeler such as gearless scooter. The emergency vehicle includes provisions for safely accommodating heavy medical equipment such as electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) monitor, fetal heart rate (FHR) monitor, oxygen cylinder and the like.

[0025] At step F, one or more medical assistants reach the patient location on the emergency vehicle with the selected medical kits and standard medical kits. At step G, the medical assistants set up a mini-ICU at the patient location using the selected medical kits. At step H, the patient is treated by the medical assistants by using the medical kits, wherein the patient is assessed to diagnose the condition. The diagnosis information is communicated to a medical expert in the hospital through voice or visual communication through a cellular network or internet. The expert determines whether an advanced treatment is required or not, and conveys the same to the medical assistants and the patient. After getting the patient’s consent, the treatment is provided to the patient based on the instructions received in real-time from the medical expert. The medical kit is a unique specific medical kit selected based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition, so the most

7

suitable treatment can be provided at the patient location to stabilize him/her. The patient is treated by receiving instructions from the expert, which avoids chance of any error in the treatment. Finally, at step I, the stabilized patient is transported to the nearest hospital for further treatment, after ensuring safety during transit. The hospital is well informed about the patient condition and the required treatment, so that emergency care is realized without any interruption and delay.

[0026] FIGURE 2 shows the block diagram of the system for medical care in accordance with the first embodiment of the present invention. The system (100) includes a communication device (101), database (102), processing unit (103), emergency vehicle (104) and a set of medical kits (105). A patient (P) registers with the system (100) by paying required fees and providing personal and medical information such as patient name, age, gender, weight, address, phone number, mail id, consulted physician, major surgeries undergone, minor treatments undergone etc. Based on the information received from the patient (P), the processing unit (103) creates a patient profile and medical history of the patient and stores the same in the database (102). The phone number and an ID code of a dedicated distress call device are assigned to the patient profile.

[0027] When an emergency condition happens to the patient (P), a medical assistants (A) or a patient care executive is called at the communication device (101) using a mobile phone (10) or the distress call device by dialling the dedicated emergency telephone number and mentioning the unique patient ID code. The communication device (101) may also be a mobile phone or a dedicated mobile device for communicating with the distress call device. Patient information including patient ID code and patient location is automatically derived from the phone number or a unique code, in case of distress call device. Alternatively, the information may also be obtained from the caller. The patient ID code is transmitted to the processing unit (103), which uses the ID code to retrieve the medical history of the patient (P). Based on the medical history, a possible cause for the emergency condition is predicted at the processing unit (103). Furthermore, one or more medical kits (105) are selected based on the medical history for being transported on the emergency vehicle (104). The medical kits

8

(105) are transported on the vehicle (104) to the patient location by the medical assistants (A). In addition to the selected medical kits (105), a standard medical kit is always carried in the vehicle (104) irrespective of the type of illness.
[0028] Upon reaching the patient location, the medical assistants(A) treats the patient using the medical kits (105), wherein the patient is assessed to diagnose the current condition. One or more communication modules in the medical kits (105) are used to communicate the diagnosis information to a medical expert in the hospital, which may be one of a doctor team available round the clock. The medical expert determines whether an advanced treatment is necessary, and conveys the same to the medical assistants and the patient. After getting the patient’s consent, the patient is treated based on the instructions received in real-time from the medical expert. The communication may include voice or visual communication through a cellular network or internet. Based on the instructions received in real-time from the medical expert, treatment is provided to the patient (P).

[0029] The medical kits (105) are unique and specific medical kits selected based on the predicted cause for the emergency condition, and so the most suitable treatment can be provided at the patient location and the patient (P) can be stabilized at the patient location within the “golden hour”. The patient (P) is treated by receiving instructions from the expert, which avoids chance of any error in the treatment. Finally, the patient (P) is transported to the nearest hospital which may be registered or not registered with the system (100). Since the patient (P) is stabilized within the “golden hour”, survival chance of the patient (P) is increased to a significant level.

[0030] In addition to people living with critical illness such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, etc., and living after major surgeries, the present invention may also be useful for people who need high level of care such as senior citizen, infant, physically disabled, mentally ill and the like. Furthermore, the most suitable treatment is provided at the patient location and the patient (P) is stabilized at the patient location within the “golden hour” and thus need for admitting the patient in ICU or ICCU is minimized, which leads to reduction in

9
hospitalization cost. Hence, both the insured and insurer are benefited by the present invention.

[0031] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.