System and method for handling the acquisition and analysis of medical data over a network

A system for handling patient medical data over a network, comprising:

• one or more remote computers configured to receive patient medical data from a medical sensor associated with the patient and configured to transfer the received patient medical data and patient information corresponding to the patient medical data;
• a central server remote with respect to at least some of the remote computers configured to receive and store the transferred patient medical data and corresponding patient information and configured to control access to the patient medical data and its corresponding patient information, said central server configured to provide selective access to the patient medical data to one or more analysis workstations, each responsive to a medical specialist, wherein the analysis workstations analyzing the patient medical data and preparing a medical report resulting from the analysis of the patient medical data;
• and
• wherein the one or more analysis workstations associated with the central server, each of the analysis workstations being operated by a medical specialist to select a particular received and stored patient medical data, and receive and analyze the selected patient medical data, each of the analysis workstations responsive to the medical specialist to create a medical report resulting from the analysis of the selected patient medical data, each of the analysis workstations transmitting the medical report to the central server, wherein at least some of the analysis workstations are remote with respect to the central server and remote with respect to the some of the remote computers;
• wherein the central server is configured to receive from each of the analysis workstations the medical report resulting from the analysis of the patient medical data and corresponding patient information, and is configured to transmit the medical report to each of the remote computers.

A method of controlling the acquisition and analysis of patient medical data, the method comprising:

• receiving at a central server patient medical data and corresponding patient information from each of the remote computers, wherein the central server is remote with respect to at least some of the remote computers;
• controlling at the central server access to and analysis of the received patient medical data by providing secure access by one or more analysis workstations, wherein at least some of the analysis workstations are remote with respect to the central server and remote with respect to some of the remote computers, said one or more analysis workstations being operably interconnected by a network with the central server;
• transferring a particular received and stored patient medical data to a particular analysis workstation in response to a selection of the particular received and stored patient medical data by a medical specialist associated with the particular analysis workstation, wherein each of the analysis workstations is responsive to its associated medical specialist for analyzing the selected patient medical data and for creating a medical report associated with the received patient medical data;
• transferring the medical report to the central server from each of the analysis workstations;
• receiving from each of the analysis workstations the medical report associated with the patient medical data and corresponding patient information;
• and
• transmitting the medical report to each of the remote computers over the network.

A method for managing the receipt and analysis of Holter monitor patient medical data, the method comprising:

• At a patient site remote with respect to analysis workstations, said analysis workstations analyzing the Holter monitor patient medical data:
• recording the Holter monitor patient medical data on a medical sensor;
• storing the Holter monitor patient medical data on a local storage medium;
• transmitting the stored patient medical data to a remote computer;
• At the remote computer site:
• creating patient information corresponding to the Holter monitor patient medical data;
• receiving the Holter monitor patient medical data from the medical sensor;
• storing the Holter monitor patient medical data on the remote computer;
• compressing the Holter monitor patient medical data;
• transmitting the compressed patient medical data and corresponding patient information to the central server;
• At a central server site remote with respect to the remote computer site:
• receiving the compressed patient medical data and corresponding patient information;
• decompressing the Holter monitor patient medical data;
• storing the Holter monitor patient medical data and patient information;
• controlling access to the Holter monitor patient medical data and patient information;
• transferring a particular patient medical data to a particular analysis workstation in response to a selection of the particular medical data by a medical specialist at the particular analysis workstation;
• At the particular analysis workstation site remote with respect to the central server site and remote with respect to the remote computer site and the patient site:
• receiving the selection from the medical specialist;
• receiving the particular patient medical data from the central server;
• analyzing the Holter monitor patient medical data;
• generating a medical report associated with the Holter monitor patient medical data;
• transferring the medical report to the central server;
• At the central sewer site:
• receiving the medical report from the analysis workstation;
• storing the medical report;
• controlling access to the medical report;
• transmitting the medical report to the remote computer;
• At the remote computer site:
• receiving the medical report from the central server;
• and
• displaying the medical report.