Network media access control system for encouraging patient compliance with a treatment plan

A system for encouraging a patient to comply with a treatment plan, the system comprising:

• a) a program display means for displaying an entertainment program to the patient;
• b) a monitoring means for collecting patient compliance data;
• c) a server in communication with the monitoring means for receiving the compliance data, the server including a database for storing compliance evaluation criteria and an evaluation means for comparing the compliance data to the evaluation criteria to determine a compliance status of the patient;
• and
• d) an access control means in communication with the server and the program display means for controlling access to the entertainment program in dependence upon the compliance status of the patient.

A method for controlling patient access to an entertainment program to encourage a patient to comply with a treatment plan, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) collecting in an access control system compliance data for determining if the patient is in compliance with the treatment plan;
• b) storing in the access control system compliance evaluation criteria;
• c) determining in the access control system if the patient is in compliance with the treatment plan by comparing the compliance data to the evaluation criteria;
• d) granting access to the entertainment program if the patient is in compliance with the treatment plan;
• and
• e) restricting access to the entertainment program if the patient is not in compliance with the treatment plan.

A method for encouraging a patient to comply with a treatment plan, the method comprising the following steps:

• a) providing a program display unit for displaying an entertainment program to the patient, an access control means connected to the program display unit for controlling access to the entertainment program, and a server in communication with the access control means, the server including a database;
• b) collecting in the database compliance data for determining a compliance status of the patient;
• c) storing in the database compliance evaluation criteria for evaluating the compliance data;
• d) determining the compliance status of the patient by comparing the compliance data to the evaluation criteria;
• and
• e) granting or restricting access to the entertainment program in dependence upon the compliance status of the patient by transmitting an access control signal from the server to the access control means.