Peoplechart Wins Major Patent Covering Patient-Controlled Processes For Managing Medical Information

September 1, 2009 San Francisco, California

Peoplechart wins approval for its second major patent in the area of managing medical records. This latest patent covers processes for collecting, organizing, and providing access to electronic copies of medical information whenever these services are performed at the request of the patient. One of the key ideas patented is a service for patients and their providers that collects the patient's medical records from a plurality of providers. The records are then stored electronically, with all subsequent access or distribution also controlled by the patient.

Excerpts from the abstract summary, "An embodiment has the patient-directed central repository as the hub in a hub-and-spoke arrangement, where each spoke goes to one of the patient's healthcare providers, both past and present." The approval of this second patent by the USPTO underscores the importance of Peoplechart as one of the pioneers in the area of patient-controlled management of medical records.

"When patients see two or more doctors, they need a way to ensure that their current medical information, test results, and historical medical records are securely collected, organized, and easily retrieved whenever needed by the patient or health professional alike. This describes the power and practicality of Peoplechart's patient-driven model," said Ray Bullman, Executive Vice President of the National Council on Patient Information and Education (NCPIE).

"We are delighted to have received DPTO approval for our invention. Generally, it is challenging for inventions that are in the domain of business processes to meet all of the USPTO's major criteria for awarding patents — primarily, the invention must be unique, not obvious, and have important, practical use. The application was submitted to US Patent and Trademark Office in 2002 and signified a long, in-depth examination by the DPTO. Now that we have acceptance, this new patent helps secure Peoplechart's leadership position in the rapidly developing PHR market," said Megan Mok, President and CEO, Peoplechart.